Law 12 Board Decisions

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Decisions of the International F.A. Board

Decision 1. A player who commits a cautionable or sending-off offence, either on or off the field of play, whether directed towards an opponent, a team-mate, the Referee, an Assistant Referee or any other person, is disciplined according to the nature of the offence committed.
Decision 2. The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hand or arms. Possession of the ball includes the goalkeeper deliberately parrying the ball, but does not include the circumstances where, in the opinion of the referee, the ball rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper, for example after he has made a save.

Dopey Ref Celebrates Cartoon by Julian Carosi

Decision 3. Subject to the terms of Law 12, a player may pass the ball to his own goalkeeper using his head or chest or knee, etc. If, however, in the opinion of the Referee, a player uses a deliberate trick while the ball is in play in order to circumvent the Law, the player is guilty of unsporting behaviour. He is cautioned, shown the yellow card and an indirect free kick is awarded to the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred.

A player using a deliberate trick to circumvent the Law while he is taking a free kick, is cautioned for unsporting behaviour and shown the yellow card. The free kick is retaken.

In such circumstances, it is irrelevant whether the goalkeeper subsequently touches the ball with his hands or not. The offence is committed by the player in attempting to circumvent both the letter and the spirit of Law 12.

Decision 4. A tackle which endangers the safety of an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

A player using a deliberate trick to circumvent the Law while he is taking a free kick, is cautioned for unsporting behaviour and shown the yellow card. The free kick is retaken.

In such circumstances, it is irrelevant whether the goalkeeper subsequently touches the ball with his hands or not. The offence is committed by the player in attempting to circumvent both the letter and the spirit of Law 12.

Decision 5. Any simulating action anywhere on the field, which is intended to deceive the Referee, must be sanctioned as unsporting behaviour.

Decision 6
A player who removes his jersey when celebrating a goal must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour.

Note: RESTARTS WITHIN THE GOAL AREA

Special rules in Law 8 govern free kick restarts within the goal area:

A free kick awarded to the defending team inside its own goal area can be taken from any point within the goal area.

Dopey gets a good idea Cartoon by Julian Carosi

An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team in its opponents' goal area, is taken from the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred.
(This is actually advantageous to the attacking team, as they have more room to take the kick.)

Taken from the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the infringement occurred

A dropped ball to restart the match after play has been temporarily stopped inside the goal area, takes place on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the ball was located when play was stopped

This is the end of this Law 12 Decisions of International F.A. Board page