The Ref Stop

LOTG question

Whilst the ball is in play, the player makes an offensive gesture towards a steward.

  • A - Stop the game. Send off the player. Restart with a dropped ball

  • B- Stop the game. Send off the player. Restart with an indirect free kick

  • C- Stop the game. Send off the player. Restart with an direct free kick

Results are only viewable after voting.
pankaye

pankaye

Well-Known Member
Level 5 Referee
Someone put this in my local RA groupchat.

A player leaves the field of play with the referee's permission in order to correct their equipment. Whilst the ball is in play, the player makes an offensive gesture towards a steward. What is the correct decision?
 
The Ref Stop
Playing advantage should be part of the options but I guess that is not what you are looking for.
 
Send off the player.
Law 12:
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.
 
As the steward is an outside agent and the player hasn't committed an offence otherwise punishable by IDFK (like leaving the field without permission) then the restart would be a dropped ball.
 
I'm sure we've had this sort of thing before...

An indirect free kick is awarded if a player:

plays in a dangerous manner

impedes the progress of an opponent without any contact being made

is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s) or other verbal offences
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_2025-04-10-17-59-44-59_622e09eb0cc3853278e206aa81f13432.jpg
    Screenshot_2025-04-10-17-59-44-59_622e09eb0cc3853278e206aa81f13432.jpg
    272.3 KB · Views: 14
Last edited:
Big Cat said:
Doesn't say where the player is located. On/Off the FOP
Click to expand...
That doesn't really matter... The important aspect is if the ball is in play or not.

Edit: unless they left to commit the offence of course.

Otherwise offences against an outside agent are......??
 
JamesL said:
That doesn't really matter... The important aspect is if the ball is in play or not.

Edit: unless they left to commit the offence of course.

Otherwise offences against an outside agent are......??
Click to expand...
It partially matters—if the player left the field without permission to commit the act, then we would have an IFK instead of a DB.

(IMO, this complicates unnecessarily and for no good reason. If it’s misconduct, we should just keep it at a FK. But I imagine this got put in to address the spectator running on the field as we moved to all physical misconduct being DFKs, we could otherwise have the uncomfortable effect of a spectator running onto the field potentially resulting in not only a VC send off for the player but also a PK if the player tackles the miscreant in the PA—and as much as we players to stay out of spectator invasions, we don’t want the results to be PKs.)
 
Kes said:
Bet JamesL was one of the two though eh? ;) :D

He's way too squeaky on the LOTG for me. If I ever end up observing him (unlikely), I'll probably just tell him to write his own report and email it to me for spell check and grammar!! 👀 :p
Click to expand...
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
 
bester said:
Indirect free kick. The outside agent part is a red herring, the offence is using the gesture.
Click to expand...
Afraid this is wrong.

You wouldn't believe it but I have had an email exchange with IFAB on this...

Question:

Dear IFAB

If a player commits a verbal offence against an outside agent, what is the restart?

Reply:

Screenshot_20250411-195149.png
 
bester said:
Leading question, your honour. Can I see the full exchange?
Click to expand...
If you must. It's a long one so you'll probably regret asking....

Question
Dear IFAB

If a player commits a verbal offence against an outside agent, what is the restart?

Law 12 states "All verbal offences are penalised with an indirect free kick." This was added in 2019/20 version.

Answer to my question is IDFK at this point.

In 2020/21 the following text was added proceeding the above statement:
"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 a free kick is awarded for leaving the field of play without the referee's permission."

And the reason given as:
"A free kick/penalty kick can only be awarded for an offence committed against someone on the team lists (players, substitutes, substituted players, sent-off players and team officials) or a match official. If play is stopped because of an incident involving any other person, animal, object etc. (outside agent), play restarts with a dropped ball, except where a free kick is awarded for leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission."

Answer to my question now becomes dropped ball.

On 7th Sept 21 the following q&a was posted on the ifabs official Facebook account:

"Practical advice for match officials: verbal offences

The Laws of the Game identify two main verbal offences: ➡ DISSENT – public protest or disagreement with a match official’s decision
➡ OFFENSIVE, INSULTING OR ABUSIVE LANGUAGE – behaviour which is rude, hurtful, disrespectful What is the appropriate sanction and how is play restarted after these verbal offences?

SANCTIONS
If a player:
➡ shows dissent from a match official’s decision – CAUTION (yellow card)
➡ uses offensive, insulting or abusive language – SENDING-OFF (red card)

RESTART OF PLAY
If a player commits a verbal offence when:
➡ the ball is in play – it is an indirect free kick to the opposing team
➡ the ball is out of play – play is restarted according to the previous decision (e.g. free kick, goal kick etc.)

This conflicts with the laws, as currently written and published in the season prior and as exists today..

The issue we have here is that the modification made in 2020/2021 version of law means that verbal offence, such as offinabus, committed against a spectator(e.g. of outside agent) could be a dropped ball because the law states a free kick can never be given for an offence against an outside agent unless the player elves without permission and this statement proceeds verbal offences that proceeds the bit about physical offences.

But your q&a then goes against what the law says.

If the answer is indirect free kick, which I suspect it is this could easily be cleared up with adding the physical into the modification in 20/21, changing the order of the text or adding verbal offence are idfk whoever is committed against.

If it is dropped ball then the q&a needs to be deleted and revised and the words verbal offences against a player, substitute, team official need to be added to the verbal offences are idfk statement.

I hope you can understand the confusion the law currently creates amongst referees, of whom I am in contsct with who have
differing views on this particular scenario
Click to expand...

Answer:
Dear Mr Long



Thank you very much for your e mail and question.



The restart is a dropped ball.



The part of the Law which applies is, as you point out: "A free kick/penalty kick can only be awarded for an offence committed against someone on the team lists (players, substitutes, substituted players, sent-off players and team officials) or a match official. If play is stopped because of an incident involving any other person, animal, object etc. (outside agent), play restarts with a dropped ball, except where a free kick is awarded for leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission."



This Law covers all situations and is very clear.



Best wishes



The IFAB
Click to expand...

Reply
Thank you for your reply.

The part of law that you quoted no longer exists in the current version and requires research into a version two editions prior to find that explanation. It also means that the q&a published in Sept 2021 (after the law change cited below) was incorrect, or at best missing the dropped ball as a potential restart for offences against an outside agent.

A new referee, reading the current version of the laws for the first time would only see the two statements.

"All verbal offences are penalised with an indirect free kick.

"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 a free kick is awarded for leaving the field of play without the referee's permission"

Which when read one after the other, as they appear in law 12, is conflicting. If statement 2 is true then statement 1 (All verbal offences...) cannot be, as some verbal offences (against an outside agent) could result in a dropped ball restart.


As pointed out this can be easily solved by adding "All verbal offences committed against a player, substitute, team official, or match official, are penalised by an indirect free kick."

This would remove any ambiguity and support the principle that a free kick can only be awarded for offences against a participant.
Click to expand...
Answer
Dear Mr Long



Many thanks for your further communication.



We will consider your suggestion in our review of the Laws of the Game



Best wishes



The IFAB
Click to expand...
Reply
Many thanks for your understanding response.

Finally, a further thought and just to clear up any loose ends for me on this one.

Verbal offence against

Player, sub, team off, match off = indirect free kick
Outside agent = dropped ball

What about situations where the intended recipient/target/victim is not clear.

The law says it is an offence to use offensive/insulting/abusive language, this does not necessarily need to be directed at a person or thing... So would simply the use of offensive/insulting/abusive language with no target just be an indirect free kick?
Click to expand...
Answer
Dear Mr Long



Thank you for coming back to us.



Yes, in principle the ‘use’ of such language can result in a sending-off (red card) even if it is not clear to whom it is directed.



We hope this clarifies matters for you.



Best wishes



The IFAB
Click to expand...
Reply
Thank you. I understand that.

So in this instance the restart would be indirect free kick?
Click to expand...
Answer
Correct!



Best wishes



The IFAB
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top