Technical area offences - restart?
- Thread starter Will_A
- Start date
Bore off. Mr Observer.
socal lurker
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I must be missing something. Why isn’t this an easy question?
Whats your answer?
ChasObserverRefDeveloper
Regular Contributor
An interesting question because the relevant part of Law 12 states: If 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, the restart is a dfk on the touchline, but doesn't cover coach on coach misbehaviour.
Indeed, but law 13.1 states:
"Direct and indirect free kicks are awarded to the opposing team of a player, substitute, substituted or sent-off player, or team official guilty of an offence."
Abandon the match. It would not be sensible to continue with a bus so near the touchline
ChasObserverRefDeveloper
Regular Contributor
It does state that, but doesn't answer the OP question . . . direct or indirect, and from where?
If anyone is scoring direct from the touchline near the half way line, they deserve the goal regardless of DFK or IFK 
The offence is entering the opponents TA, so I would guess the location is on the touchline next to where the opponents TA starts.
As for the type of restart, we have the general principal of contact = DFK, technical offences = IFK and despite an aggressive manner, no contact is described in the question. Also, play should be stopped when he enters the TA rather than when he actually confronts the opposing manager - that offence happened first regardless of what he then goes on to do. So I would assume the question wants an IFK restart?
The offence is entering the opponents TA, so I would guess the location is on the touchline next to where the opponents TA starts.
As for the type of restart, we have the general principal of contact = DFK, technical offences = IFK and despite an aggressive manner, no contact is described in the question. Also, play should be stopped when he enters the TA rather than when he actually confronts the opposing manager - that offence happened first regardless of what he then goes on to do. So I would assume the question wants an IFK restart?
Since there is no physical contact, I would have expected the re-start to be a IDK next to the technical area; but I would live with an IDFK at the position of the ball when play was stopped.
The wording does still allow for DFK or IDFK.
IMO this is probably the most poorly written section of the current LOTG. It's real wet towel over the head time reading it and good luck to any official who remembers in the heat of the moment that opposing match official is not mentioned in the sentence highlighted. In real time, I'd be going with a thought process based on what I understand to be the intent behind he Law, rather than trying to remember the precise wording. In order :
1. Both parties are participants, so we are expecting Free Kick not Drop Ball
2. Offence is against the opposition, so it can be DFK or IDFK depending on the offence
3. No contact so it's IDFK
4. Offence off pitch when ball in play is FK from the nearest point on the touch line to the offence
= IDFK from the boundary line somewhere in the vicinity of the opposition technical area
For me its a Drop Ball.
Is it even a free kick...?
Law 8:
"A dropped ball is the restart when the referee stops play and the Law does not require one of the above restarts."
Law 12 doesn't dictate a free kick for coach on coach offences.
Law 13.1 says free kicks are awarded for offences by team officials...
There's also this q&a from ifab to support it too.
I find it hard to reconcile a dropped ball here. The language in law 13 feels like it fits and a free kick appropriate.
Coupled with stopping play, potentially for violent conduct, sending off, and restarting with a dropped ball which could actually be uncontested to the offending team does not feel right...
I find it hard to reconcile a dropped ball here. The language in law 13 feels like it fits and a free kick appropriate.
Coupled with stopping play, potentially for violent conduct, sending off, and restarting with a dropped ball which could actually be uncontested to the offending team does not feel right...
If we lump everyone who is not actually currently playing (subs, sent off players, team officials) as BENCH and we call actual players, match officials (and EVEN THE BALL) as PLAYERS then it works like this:
During course of play on pitch if at least one PLAYER is involved DFK PEN or IFK
During course of play off pitch if at least one PLAYER is involved DFK on boundary (or PEN) or IFK on boundary
If no PLAYER, or PLAYER and outside agent involved: dropped ball
Off pitch incident not involving play
If PLAYER is involved with any one from opposite BENCH DFK on boundary
If PLAYER is involved with someone from own BENCH IFK on boundary
Incident involving player unlawfully entering field of play
IFK from position of ball
If only BENCH or outside agent is involved: dropped ball
Does it feel less right than giving a free kick to red, then red player punches opponent in face; you send him off and have to start with free kick to red...
During course of play on pitch if at least one PLAYER is involved DFK PEN or IFK
During course of play off pitch if at least one PLAYER is involved DFK on boundary (or PEN) or IFK on boundary
If no PLAYER, or PLAYER and outside agent involved: dropped ball
Off pitch incident not involving play
If PLAYER is involved with any one from opposite BENCH DFK on boundary
If PLAYER is involved with someone from own BENCH IFK on boundary
Incident involving player unlawfully entering field of play
IFK from position of ball
If only BENCH or outside agent is involved: dropped ball
Does it feel less right than giving a free kick to red, then red player punches opponent in face; you send him off and have to start with free kick to red...
It also feels like that may be the answer because it's the way it happens to be (badly) written, rather than because it is what someone intended.
socal lurker
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Who knew … unclear drafting by IFAB….and I foolishly thought the obvious answer here was IFK at the touch line.
Over the past years they have seemed to make off field stuff more and more complicated. Makes no sense to start praying out what kind of offense by a coach off the field to make it a FK or DB, but IFAB gonna IFAB.
Over the past years they have seemed to make off field stuff more and more complicated. Makes no sense to start praying out what kind of offense by a coach off the field to make it a FK or DB, but IFAB gonna IFAB.
socal lurker
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Not similar at all. That is an offense at a dead ball, not one for which play was stopped.
It wouldn’t feel weird at all to me if all offenses my officials were considered to be by non-participants and a DB. What’s weird is that if the coach yells at me, a player, or my AR off the pitch it’s a FK, but if he yells at the opposing coach it’s a DB. We could really use simplicity on these things.