Spitting

[one]

In 1980 spitting ("or similar unseemly behaviour") was explicitly added to LOTG. It was considered to be VC at the time. Sometime between 1997 and 2000, number of send off offences were increased from 4 to 7, with spitting being one of the additions, hence an offence on its own right (no longer VC).

I am after the exact year and maybe a scan/image of the lotg page the last year it was 4, and the first year it became 7. Can anyone help? @Peter Grove ?

This is from 1980 IFAB minutes:



This is from 1997 IFAB minutes:

 

[Big Cat]

Presumably because the scummy behaviour was rare back in the day

 

[Sheffields Finest]

Spitting is lower than a snakes belly, it’s like supporting Leeds United!

 

[Peter Grove]

In 1980 spitting ("or similar unseemly behaviour") was explicitly added to LOTG. It was considered to be VC at the time. Sometime between 1997 and 2000, number of send off offences were increased from 4 to 7, with spitting being one of the additions, hence an offence on its own right (no longer VC).

I am after the exact year and maybe a scan/image of the lotg page the last year it was 4, and the first year it became 7. Can anyone help? @Peter Grove ?

This is from 1980 IFAB minutes:
View attachment 3352


This is from 1997 IFAB minutes:

View attachment 3353

It was changed to spitting being an offence in its own right in 1997. The screen shot you've given from the 1997 minutes is actually from the 1996 Laws which were included in the 1997 minutes because of the complete re-write done in that year. Spitting became a separate red card offence in the 1997 Laws that the minutes of that year also contain.