Ruleside
Law 12: Fouls and MisconductDenying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO)·Page 124, 2026/27 edition

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

The provision as it is printed, and everything on Ruleside that turns on it.

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.

IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27, page 124 · clause law-12-df3ef1a7

Verdicts that turn on it 2

Walk the tree to any of these and this clause is part of the answer.

Explained in the rules library 3

The plain-language pages that build on this provision.

Applied in these incidents 6

Real decisions where this clause decided what should have happened.

Questions that ask it 3

Points in a walk where the reader is deciding this provision.

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