Law 12: Fouls and Misconduct

• Direct and indirect free kicks and penalty kicks can only be awarded for offences committed when the ball is in play.p115 · cited by 9 pages

1. Direct free kick

• A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:p115 · cited by 28 pages

• chargesp115 · 5
• jumps atp115 · 3
• kicks or attempts to kickp115 · 2
• pushesp115 · 5
• strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)p115 · 4
• tackles or challengesp115 · 4
• trips or attempts to tripp115 · 4

• If an offence involves contact, it is penalised by a direct free kick.p115 · cited by 38 pages

• Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is neededp115 · 21
• Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautionedp115 · 24
• Using excessive force is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent offp115 · 15

• A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:p115 · cited by 34 pages

• a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)p115 · 16
• holds an opponentp116 · 10
• impedes an opponent with contactp116 · 9
• bites or spits at someone on the team lists or a match officialp116 · 4
• throws an object at the ball, an opponent or a match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held objectp116 · 2

• See also offences in Law 3.p116 · cited by 1 page

Handling the ball

• For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit. Not every touch of a player's hand/arm with the ball is an offence.p116 · cited by 18 pages
• It is an offence if a player:p116 · cited by 44 pages

• deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ballp116 · 13
• touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player's body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalisedp116 · 37
• scores in the opponents' goal:p116 · 7
• directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeperp116 · 6
• immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidentalp116 · 4

• The goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player outside the penalty area. If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside their penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded but there is no disciplinary sanction. However, if the offence is playing the ball a second time (with or without the hand/arm) after a restart before it touches another player, the goalkeeper must be sanctioned if the offence stops a promising attack or denies an opponent or the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.p116 · cited by 11 pages

2. Indirect free kick

• An indirect free kick is awarded if a player:p118 · cited by 28 pages

• plays in a dangerous mannerp118 · 7
• impedes the progress of an opponent without any contact being madep118 · 10
• is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s) or other verbal offencesp118 · 3
• prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from the hands or kicks or attempts to kick the ball when the goalkeeper is in the process of releasing itp118 · 5
• initiates a deliberate trick for the ball to be passed (including from a free kick or goal kick) to the goalkeeper with the head, chest, knee etc. to circumvent the Law, whether or not the goalkeeper touches the ball with the hands; the goalkeeper is penalised if responsible for initiating the deliberate trickp118 · 5
• commits any other offence, not mentioned in the Laws, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a playerp118 · 4

• An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, commits any of the following offences:p118 · cited by 15 pages

• touches the ball with the hand/arm after releasing it and before it has touched another playerp118 · 6
• touches the ball with the hand/arm, unless the goalkeeper has clearly kicked or attempted to kick the ball to release it into play, after:p118 · 8
• it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-matep118 · 4
• receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-matep118 · 4

Playing in a dangerous manner

• Playing in a dangerous manner is any action that, while trying to play the ball, threatens injury to someone (including the player themself ) and includes preventing a nearby opponent from playing the ball for fear of injury.p118 · cited by 5 pages
• A scissors or bicycle kick is permissible provided that it is not dangerous to an opponent.p118 · cited by 3 pages

Impeding the progress of an opponent without contact

• Impeding the progress of an opponent means moving into the opponent's path to obstruct, block, slow down or force a change of direction when the ball is not within playing distance of either player.p119 · cited by 10 pages
• All players have a right to their position on the field of play; being in the way of an opponent is not the same as moving into the way of an opponent.p119 · cited by 12 pages
• A player may shield the ball by taking a position between an opponent and the ball if the ball is within playing distance and the opponent is not held off with the arms or body. If the ball is within playing distance, the player may be fairly charged by an opponent.p119 · cited by 9 pages

3. Corner kick

• A corner kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, controls the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s) for more than eight seconds before releasing it. A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball with their hand(s)/ arm(s) when:p119 · cited by 12 pages

• the ball is between their hands/arms or between their hand(s)/arm(s) and any surface (e.g. ground, own body)p119 · 4
• holding the ball in their outstretched open hand(s)p119 · 4
• bouncing it on the ground or throwing it in the airp119 · 4

• The referee will decide when the goalkeeper has control of the ball and the eight seconds begin and will visually count down the last five seconds with a raised hand.p119 · cited by 6 pages
• A goalkeeper cannot be challenged by an opponent when in control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s).p119 · cited by 6 pages

4. Disciplinary action

• The referee has the authority to take disciplinary action from entering the field of play for the pre-match inspection until leaving the field of play after the match ends (including penalties (penalty shoot-out)).p119 · cited by 1 page
• If, before entering the field of play at the start of the match, a player or team official commits a sending-off offence, the referee has the authority to prevent the player or team official taking part in the match (see Law 3.6); the referee will report any other misconduct.p120 · cited by 1 page
• A player or team official who commits a cautionable or sending-off offence, either on or off the field of play, is disciplined according to the offence.p120 · cited by 3 pages
• The yellow card communicates a caution and the red card communicates a sending-off.p120 · cited by 4 pages
• Only a player, substitute, substituted player or team official may be shown the red or yellow card.p120 · cited by 1 page

Delaying the restart of play to show a card

• Once the referee has decided to caution or send off a player, play must not be restarted until the sanction has been administered, unless the non-offending team takes a quick free kick, has a clear goal-scoring opportunity and the referee has not started the disciplinary sanction procedure. The sanction is administered at the next stoppage; if the offence was denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, the player is cautioned; if the offence interfered with or stopped a promising attack, the player is not cautioned.p120 · cited by 1 page

Advantage

• If the referee plays the advantage for an offence for which a caution/sending-off would have been issued had play been stopped, this caution/sending-off must be issued when the ball is next out of play. However, if the offence was denying the opposing team an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, the player is cautioned for unsporting behaviour, except where a goal is scored by the non-offending team as a result of the advantage having been played, in which case there is no disciplinary sanction; if the offence was interfering with or stopping a promising attack, the player is not cautioned.p120 · cited by 44 pages
• Advantage should not be applied in situations involving serious foul play, violent conduct or a second cautionable offence unless there is a clear opportunity to score a goal. The referee must send off the player when the ballp120 · cited by 4 pages
• is next out of play, but if the player plays the ball or challenges/interferes with an opponent, the referee will stop play, send off the player and restart with an indirect free kick, unless the player committed a more serious offence.p121 · cited by 4 pages
• If a defender starts holding an attacker outside the penalty area and continues holding inside the penalty area, the referee must award a penalty kick.p121 · cited by 3 pages

Cautionable offences

• A player is cautioned if guilty of:p121 · cited by 36 pages

• delaying the restart of play (as outlined below in ‘Delaying the restart of play')p121 · 9
• dissent by word or actionp121 · 5
• entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee's permissionp121 · 3
• failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a dropped ball, corner kick, free kick or throw-inp121 · 4
• persistent offences (no specific number or pattern of offences constitutes ‘persistent')p121 · 4
• unsporting behaviourp121 · 11
• entering the referee review area (RRA)p121 · 2
• excessively using the ‘review' (TV screen) signalp121 · 2

• A substitute or substituted player is cautioned if guilty of:p121 · cited by 10 pages

• delaying the restart of playp121 · 1
• dissent by word or actionp121 · 1
• entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee's permissionp121 · 4
• unsporting behaviourp121 · 1
• entering the referee review area (RRA)p121 · 1
• excessively using the ‘review' (TV screen) signalp121 · 1

• Where two separate cautionable offences are committed (even in close proximity), they should result in two cautions, for example if a player enters the field of play without the required permission and commits a reckless tackle or stops a promising attack with a foul/handball, etc.p121 · cited by 1 page

Cautions for unsporting behaviour

• There are different circumstances when a player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour, including if a player:p122 · cited by 74 pages

• attempts to deceive the referee, e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation)p122 · 13
• changes places with the goalkeeper during play or without the referee's permission (see Law 3)p122 · 2
• commits in a reckless manner a direct free kick offencep122 · 4
• handles the ball to interfere with or stop a promising attack, except where the referee awards a penalty kick for a non-deliberate handball offencep122 · 12
• denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick for a non-deliberate handball offencep122 · 10
• commits any other offence which interferes with or stops a promising attack, except where the referee awards a penalty kick for an offence which was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ballp122 · 27
• denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing an offence which was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball and the referee awards a penalty kickp122 · 10
• handles the ball in an attempt to score a goal (whether or not the attempt is successful)p122 · 10
• makes unauthorised marks on the field of playp122 · 1
• plays the ball when leaving the field of play after being given permission to leavep122 · 1
• shows a lack of respect for the gamep122 · 6
• initiates a deliberate trick for the ball to be passed (including from a free kick or goal kick) to the goalkeeper with the head, chest, knee etc. to circumvent the Law, whether or not the goalkeeper touches the ball with the hands; the goalkeeper is cautioned if responsible for initiating the deliberate trickp122 · 6
• verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restartp122 · 2

Celebration of a goal

• Players can celebrate when a goal is scored, but the celebration must not be excessive; choreographed celebrations are not encouraged and must not cause excessive time-wasting.p122 · cited by 5 pages
• Leaving the field of play to celebrate a goal is not a cautionable offence but players should return as soon as possible.p123 · cited by 3 pages
• A player must be cautioned, even if the goal is disallowed, for:p123 · cited by 7 pages

• climbing onto a perimeter fence and/or approaching the spectators in a manner which causes safety and/or security issuesp123 · 1
• acting in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory wayp123 · 2
• covering the head or face with a mask or other similar itemp123 · 1
• removing the shirt or covering the head with the shirtp123 · 1

Delaying the restart of play

• Referees must caution players who excessively delay the restart of play, including as outlined in Laws 3, 15 and 16 and their protocols, or byp123 · cited by 11 pages

• kicking or carrying the ball away, or provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped playp123 · 3
• taking a free kick from the wrong position to force a retakep123 · 4

Sending-off offences

• A player, substitute or substituted player who commits any of the following offences is sent off:p123 · cited by 57 pages

• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offence (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)p123 · 8
• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence outside their own penalty areap123 · 12
• denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender's goal by an offence punishable by a free kick (unless as outlined below)p123 · 26
• serious foul playp123 · 4
• biting or spitting at someonep123 · 5
• violent conductp123 · 6
• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)p123 · 4
• receiving a second caution in the same matchp123 · 4
• entering the video operation room (VOR)p123 · 3

• A player, substitute or substituted player who has been sent off must leave the vicinity of the field of play and the technical area.p124 · cited by 2 pages

Denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO)

• Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.), the offending player must be sent off.p124 · cited by 22 pages
• Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offence, the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs (except a goalkeeper within their own penalty area).p124 · cited by 9 pages
• Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned.p124 · cited by 11 pages
• A player, sent-off player, substitute or substituted player who enters the field of play without the required referee's permission and interferes with play or an opponent and denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity is guilty of a sending-off offence.p124 · cited by 4 pages
• The following must be considered:p124 · cited by 16 pages

• distance between the offence and the goalp124 · 15
• general direction of the playp124 · 13
• likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ballp124 · 13
• location and number of defenders and attackersp124 · 14

Serious foul play

• A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.p124 · cited by 18 pages
• Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.p124 · cited by 8 pages

Violent conduct

• Violent conduct is when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a team-mate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made.p125 · cited by 16 pages
• In addition, a player who, when not challenging for the ball, deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used was negligible.p125 · cited by 7 pages

Team officials

• Where an offence is committed by someone from the technical area (substitute, substituted player, sent-off player or team official) and the offender cannot be identified, the senior team coach present in the technical area will receive the sanction.p125 · cited by 1 page

Warning

• The following offences should usually result in a warning; repeated or blatant offences should result in a caution or sending-off:p125 · cited by 8 pages

• entering the field of play in a respectful/non-confrontational mannerp125 · 3
• failing to cooperate with a match official e.g. ignoring an instruction/request from an assistant referee or the fourth officialp125 · 2
• minor/low-level disagreement (by word or action) with a decisionp125 · 2
• occasionally leaving the confines of the technical area without committing another offencep125 · 4

Caution

• Caution offences include (but are not limited to):p125 · cited by 11 pages

• clearly/persistently not respecting the confines of their team's technical areap125 · 1
• delaying the restart of play by their teamp125 · 4
• deliberately entering the technical area of the opposing team (non-confrontational)p125 · 2
• dissent by word or action including:p125 · 2
• throwing/kicking drinks bottles or other objectsp125 · 1
• action(s) which show(s) a clear lack of respect for the match official(s) e.g. sarcastic clappingp125 · 1
• entering the referee review area (RRA)p126 · 1
• excessively/persistently gesturing for a red or yellow cardp126 · 1
• excessively showing the ‘TV signal' for a VAR ‘review'p126 · 1
• acting in a provocative or inflammatory mannerp126 · 1
• persistent unacceptable behaviour (including repeated warning offences)p126 · 2
• showing a lack of respect for the gamep126 · 1

Sending-off

• Sending-off offences include (but are not limited to):p126 · cited by 13 pages

• delaying the restart of play by the opposing team e.g. holding onto the ball, kicking the ball away, obstructing the movement of a playerp126 · 4
• deliberately leaving the technical area to:p126 · 1
• show dissent towards, or remonstrate with, a match officialp126 · 1
• act in a provocative or inflammatory mannerp126 · 1
• entering the opposing technical area in an aggressive or confrontational mannerp126 · 1
• deliberately throwing/kicking an object onto the field of playp126 · 1
• entering the field of play to:p126 · 1
• confront a match official (including at half-time and full-time)p126 · 1
• interfere with play, an opposing player or a match officialp126 · 1
• entering the video operation room (VOR)p126 · 1
• physical or aggressive behaviour (including spitting or biting) towards an opposing player, substitute, team official, match official, spectator or any other person (e.g. ball boy/girl, security or competition official etc.)p126 · 2
• receiving a second caution in the same matchp126 · 1
• using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s)p126 · 1
• using unauthorised electronic or communication equipment and/or behaving in an inappropriate manner as a result of using electronic or communication equipmentp126 · 1
• violent conductp126 · 2

Offences where an object (or the ball) is thrown

• In all cases, the referee takes the appropriate disciplinary action:p127 · cited by 3 pages

• reckless – caution the offender for unsporting behaviourp127 · 2
• using excessive force – send off the offender for violent conductp127 · 2

5. Restart of play after fouls and misconduct

• If the ball is out of play, play is restarted according to the previous decision. If the ball is in play and a player commits a physical offence inside the field of play against:p127 · cited by 25 pages

• an opponent – an indirect or direct free kick or penalty kickp127 · 18
• a team-mate, substitute, substituted or sent-off player, team official or a match official – a direct free kick or penalty kickp127 · 4

• All verbal offences are penalised with an indirect free kick.p127 · cited by 2 pages
• If the referee stops play for an offence committed by a player, inside or outside the field of play, against an outside agent, play is restarted with a dropped ball, unless an indirect free kick is awarded for leaving the field of play without the referee's permission; the indirect free kick is taken from the point on the boundary line where the player left the field of play.p127 · cited by 4 pages
• If, when the ball is in play:p127 · cited by 3 pages

• a player commits an offence against a match official or an opposing player, substitute, substituted or sent-off player, or team official outside the field of play orp127 · 1
• a substitute, substituted or sent-off player, or team official commits an offence against, or interferes with, an opposing player or a match official outside the field of play,p127 · 1

• play is restarted with a free kick on the boundary line nearest to where the offence/interference occurred; for direct free kick offences, a penalty kick is awarded if this is within the offender's penalty area.p127 · cited by 12 pages
• If an offence is committed outside the field of play by a player against a player, substitute, substituted player or team official of their own team, play is restarted with an indirect free kick on the boundary line closest to where the offence occurred.p128 · cited by 1 page
• If a player makes contact with the ball with an object (boot, shinguard etc.) held in the hand, play is restarted with a direct free kick (or penalty kick).p128 · cited by 1 page
• If a player who is on or off the field of play throws or kicks an object (other than the match ball) at an opposing player, or throws or kicks an object (including a ball) at an opposing substitute, substituted or sent-off player, team official, or a match official or the match ball, play is restarted with a direct free kick from the position where the object struck or would have struck the person or the ball. If this position is off the field of play, the free kick is taken on the nearest point on the boundary line; a penalty kick is awarded if this is within the offender's penalty area.p128 · cited by 3 pages
• If a substitute, substituted or sent-off player, player temporarily off the field of play or team official throws or kicks an object onto the field of play and it interferes with play, an opponent or match official, play is restarted with a direct free kick (or penalty kick) where the object interfered with play or struck or would have struck the opponent, match official or the ball.p128 · cited by 1 page