Law queries

[SLI39]

Whilst looking over the updated laws, I formulated a few questions which don't necessarily relate to incidents I have faced. It is a list that will probably grow and grow!

Law 4--Players' equipment
There isn't much specific in the laws about what constitutes dangerous footwear. We are required to undertake pre-match checks, but I am not really sure what I would deem unacceptable. I always notify a player when they have missing studs, but unless the hole has sharp edges, I never have a problem.

Law 15--Throw-in
As an addendum to the clause whereby a referee shall allow play to continue if the taker throws the ball at an opponent in a manner that isn't reckless or with serious force, it would be useful if they had clarified that either of these two warrants a yellow or red card as appropriate and that the referee should award a direct free kick to the opponent. Currently it could be interpreted that you should order a retaken throw after sanctioning the offender.

Law 12--Fouls and Misconduct
To turn the classic scenario around, are there any offences (whilst the ball is in play) against players by substitutes, match officials, club officials or outside agents that can result in a free kick, or would it always be a dropped ball?

 

[AlexF]

For Law 4:
Dangerous is in the eye of the beholder. The more you put into the Laws themselves, the more loopholes/missed bits you end up with. You seem to have it right though overall.

For Law 15:
Has the rest of the throw-in been taken correctly? Is the ball in play? Logical extrapolation indicates that the context has now gone from "throw-in" to "fouls and misconduct" with a striking foul.

For Law 12:
pg 89 has one good example right there. pg 36 has another.

 

[Peter Grove]

Law 4 - if they tried to list every possible cause of danger that might exist on footwear (and other equipment) the list could go on and on virtually forever and still not be totally comprehensive. Just apply Law 18 (common sense) and if you as a referee judge that it's dangerous, then it is.

Law 15 - I wouldn't consider this an infringement of the actual throw-in procedure. As AlexF says, Law 12 applies. Page 88 clearly states what the sanctions are for throwing the ball at an opponent in either a reckless manner or with excessive force. No need to repeat it again in the wording of another law, especially when one of the aims of the rewrite was to remove unnecessary repetitions.

 

[SLI39]

Thanks for your helpful contributions. I'm beginning to get my head around the changes and rewrites!