Ask a Referee: Misconduct at PK

Discussion in 'Referee' started by AlsoRan, Jun 20, 2007.

  1. AlsoRan

    AlsoRan Member

    Aug 17, 2005
    Jim Allen has posted a new Q&A today and I can't yet swallow one answer.

    But here is the first section under Law 14 Infringements/Sanctions

    FIFA Q&A 14.7 says
    Am I missing something, or is my gag reflex warranted?
     
  2. DWickham

    DWickham Member

    Dec 26, 2003
    San Diego
    When Law 14 was changed in 2005, the accompanying USSF Memorandum clarified that "infringes the Laws of the Game" means infringes Law 14, not other infringements of the law. This notions remains in Advice to Referees section 14.9.

    Thus, the recent USSF answer was consistent with the treatment under all misconduct. If the referee is aware of the misconduct, and decides to allow play to restart, then under Law 5, the referee may not later caution or send off the player. The referee ordinarily will decide to hold up play, but if the referee decides (with knowledge of what happened), for example, to permit a quick free kick, then the opportunity to caution or send off is lost.

    If an infringement of Law 14 occurs between the signal and the kick, then the referee has no such option. The referee permits the kick to go forward, and then follows the appropriate restart set forth in Law 14.

    The USSF Advice to Referee was revised in 2006 after the 2006 law changes, but before the publication of the 2006 FIFA Q&A. So, it is understandable that it does not incorporate Q7, which is new.

    I don't know if the USSF answer of June 2007 simply focussed on the existing guidance of the Advice To Referees (forgetting about the new Q&A); or if they know what the next edition of the FIFA Q&A (usually released around August) will say! The FIFA Q&A is an evolving document. I'm sure many have pointed out that if an attacker punches an opponent during a penalty kick, that attacker will get sent off regardless of the result of the kick. The Q&A implies that the attacker gets sent off only if the kick fails to enter the goal. Hopefully, the new Q&A is being circulated among experts for comments and corrections.
     

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