Chelsea Vs Bournemouth

[Mooseybaby]

After about 72 minutes, Chelsea keeper Kepa collects the ball for a goal kick, makes a clear mark on the 6 yard line by dragging his studs through the line then places the ball inside the 6 yard box several yards from his scuff mark and takes the goal kick.

So the law for fouls & misconduct states:-
"A player is cautioned if guilty of:
makes unauthorised marks on the field of play"

Referee Simon Hooper either ignored it or didn't see it as no action was taken.

Not something I have seen happen in a game for a very long time. Last time I can remember seeing it was years ago, David James was spotted marking the 6 yard line prior to kick off by either the assistant or referee and was yellow carded before the game started, much to his surprise.

Can remember when I first started watching football keepers marking the 6 yard line inline with the posts was a regular thing. Guessing it stopped with a law change (if it wasn't in there already) or referees were instructed to deal with it. No doubt one of the resident law officianados will be able to pinpoint this change/clampdown.

 

[QuaverRef]

Players do it all the time, usually before free kicks and goal kicks. Not necessarily drawing a line but you can usually see them stamping the ground and digging a groove into the floor before placing the ball

 

[Mooseybaby]

I know where you're coming from, but this wasn't even close to being the same as stamping or flattening the ground before a set piece as players often do.

 

[Peter Grove]

Guessing it stopped with a law change (if it wasn't in there already) or referees were instructed to deal with it.

This is a slightly strange one. There was no official change within the laws document when this first became a cautionable offence, and the first time it actually appears in the laws themselves was in 2007.

However, as early as 1990, the FIFA Q&A had the following:



As far as I recall, it was becoming a noticeable trend and referees were instructed to deal with it. I suspect there may have been a circular, in addition to it being put into the Q&A but I don't have actual evidence of that.