Restart of play after C1 aa

[Tom O'Brien]

After any sort of unsporting behaviour should it be a direct or indirect free kick or is it dependant on what it is- for example players facing up to each other causing confrontation without play being stopped

 

[Kes]

After any sort of unsporting behaviour should it be a direct or indirect free kick or is it dependant on what it is- for example players facing up to each other causing confrontation without play being stopped

If you haven't stopped play, it can't be a free kick surely?
If you issue a caution for anything not listed in the Law 12 offences, but for which you had to stop play (with your whistle) then the restart is with an indirect free kick mate.

If however, it was something which you noticed happening whilst waiting for a free kick/goal kick/throw in to be taken then you'd simply issue the card and allow play to continue as it would have done at that point. (ie with the throw-in etc)
If the ball was in active play and you noticed 2 guys squaring up to each other and you blew to stop play before it got out of hand, you could then just simply have a word, calm them down, and restart with a dropped ball from where it was when you blew.

 

[Tom O'Brien]

What if one player is clearly the aggressor and the other isn't reacting to the aggression shown? And the play hasn't been stopped yet

 

[Kes]

What if one player is clearly the aggressor and the other isn't reacting to the aggression shown? And the play hasn't been stopped yet

Then it's as above mate.

If you think that the aggressive player deserves a caution, then you really have 2 choices:

1. Make a mental note of the player's number, allow play to continue and when the ball next goes out of play (or you have to stop play for a free kick) you blow your whistle, call him over and issue the caution.

2. Blow your whistle immediately, issue the caution to the offending player and then restart with an indirect free kick from where the offence took place.

Once you've had experience of the situation a couple of times - it'll be fairly clear to you which course of action you should choose - depending on the seriousness of the situation.

As alluded to in my first post, these things can escalate sometimes ie squaring up becomes pushing and then a second later it's swinging arms and headbutts. A good ref can sometimes see that coming and blow up to stop play, calm things down and then restart with a dropped ball. That way your match control is seen to be on top and nobody has had to receive a card.