A&H

Verbal Distraction

G

Graham Carter

New Member
Morning guys,

Scenario from a recent game I was watching:
A player goes to take a free kick, and an opponent screams something. He kicks it straight out of play, allegedly due to the distraction.

Under law 12, a player is guilty of unsporting behaviour if he, "verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart".

The question is, how is play restarted?
Furthermore, what if this situation happens for a penalty kick which is then missed?
 
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I would have to go caution and re-take in both situations, providing you are absolutely certain that the distraction was enough to put the player off.

@PinnerPaul it cant be either or they both have to be the same sanction. A penalty is just a direct free kick in the penalty area.
 
And if the ball is in play I think we agreed on a recent thread - stop play, caution and direct restart.

The rationale being that idfks are for offences which are not mentioned in law where as verbal distraction is so we would have a direct restart?

In answer to OP I am with @Cheshire Ref I think both need to be retakes and caution
 
Cheshire Ref said:
I would have to go caution and re-take in both situations, providing you are absolutely certain that the distraction was enough to put the player off.

@PinnerPaul it cant be either or they both have to be the same sanction. A penalty is just a direct free kick in the penalty area.
Click to expand...

My logic in scenario 1 was that the (presumed) DFK has been taken, so the IDFK is for the caution.

Whilst laws allow us to have penalty kick re taken, doesn't mention re taking FK in this scenario I don't believe.

Happy to be corrected - not a game changer unless fk close to pen area of course!
 
James Long said:
And if the ball is in play I think we agreed on a recent thread - stop play, caution and direct restart.

The rationale being that idfks are for offences which are not mentioned in law where as verbal distraction is so we would have a direct restart?

In answer to OP I am with @Cheshire Ref I think both need to be retakes and caution
Click to expand...

Sorry James - posted my response before reading your post. Yes, see what you are saying - never too old to learn!;)
 
James Long said:
And if the ball is in play I think we agreed on a recent thread - stop play, caution and direct restart.

The rationale being that idfks are for offences which are not mentioned in law where as verbal distraction is so we would have a direct restart?

In answer to OP I am with @Cheshire Ref I think both need to be retakes and caution
Click to expand...

Sorry, I missed this thread. Why would it be a direct restart if no physical contact made?
 
Brian Hamilton said:
Law 12 clearly states that a player who verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart must be cautioned.

Therefore he cannot be dismissed whatever the outcome of his action. Also, as the offence is specifically mentioned within Law 12 it does not fall into the category of "any other offence, not mentioned in the Laws, for which play is stopped to caution or send off a player". As such, the restart cannot be an indirect free kick.
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Here is said thread the quote is from:
http://www.refchat.co.uk/threads/pl...er-easy-decision-yellow-card.9129/#post-86176
 
bester said:
Dissent is also specifically mentioned within law 12...
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My understanding is that dissent is punishable by direct free kick.

Page 88, law 12, section 4.

Restart of play after fouls and misconduct
• If the ball is out of play, play is restarted according to the previous decision
• If the ball is in play and a player commits an offence inside the field of play
against:
• an opponent – indirect or direct free kick or penalty kick
• a team-mate, substitute, substituted player, team official or a match official
– a direct free kick or penalty kick
• any other person – a dropped ball
 
Last edited:
No, the FAs feedback on the test was poor. We should expect more of these tests at our conferences and meetings going forward- yay!
 
James Long said:
My understanding is that dissent is punishable by direct free kick.

Page 88, law 12, section 4.

Restart of play after fouls and misconduct
• If the ball is out of play, play is restarted according to the previous decision
• If the ball is in play and a player commits an offence inside the field of play
against:
• an opponent – indirect or direct free kick or penalty kick
• a team-mate, substitute, substituted player, team official or a match official
– a direct free kick or penalty kick
• any other person – a dropped ball
Click to expand...

No, these only apply to physical offences: dissent is a caution and IFK, the IFAB made that clear in their Q & A section, and will be writing it specifically into the Laws from next season.
 
Ganajin said:
No, these only apply to physical offences: dissent is a caution and IFK, the IFAB made that clear in their Q & A section, and will be writing it specifically into the Laws from next season.
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I hadnt seen this until now.. some light reading to have a look through. Glad that is cleared up.

So in terms of verbal distraction what the thread is about in open play is it direct or indirect as this doesnt seem clear in law, I was quite happy to accept previous direction that as mentioned in law would be direct.
 
James Long said:
I hadnt seen this until now.. some light reading to have a look through. Glad that is cleared up.

So in terms of verbal distraction what the thread is about in open play is it direct or indirect as this doesnt seem clear in law, I was quite happy to accept previous direction that as mentioned in law would be direct.
Click to expand...
Is verbal distraction a physical offence? (ie, does it involve contact?)

If not, then it's indirect.

That's the big simplification in the new Laws... physical/contact == DFK, non-physical/contact == IFK
 
James Long said:
I hadnt seen this until now.. some light reading to have a look through. Glad that is cleared up.

So in terms of verbal distraction what the thread is about in open play is it direct or indirect as this doesnt seem clear in law, I was quite happy to accept previous direction that as mentioned in law would be direct.
Click to expand...
Definitely indirect. I think when it occurs to put someone off taking a set piece, you've got the option to order a retake, which is often smarter UNLESS you play advantage and it leads directly to a goal.
 
Cheers folks. This was my earlier interpretation until the aformentioned thread in Feb where I think I have become confused. Lucky I havent had any such incidents whislt being observed.
 
AlexF said:
Is verbal distraction a physical offence? (ie, does it involve contact?)

If not, then it's indirect.

That's the big simplification in the new Laws... physical/contact == DFK, non-physical/contact == IFK
Click to expand...


Yes that's what we have been told in our mock/county L5-L4 exam... the easiest way to remember which restart.
 
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