Day 21 – Fouls and cards
Lesson
Topic Point: The official will use a whistle to call a foul. If the team that isfouled retains possession and has a reasonable attack opportunity, the refereewill signal “Play-on, Advantage”. For fouls that are deemed unreasonablyaggressive, or for other issues such as dissent (arguing with the referee) orfighting (unsportsmanlike conduct), a yellow card may be issued. This is awarning to the player committing the infraction to correct the bad behavior. Ifthe player receives a second yellow card within that match, two yellow cardsbecome the equivalent of a red card (the referee will show the second yellowcard, followed by the red card), and the player is ejected from the match. Forextremely flagrant fouls that can result in an opposing player’s injury, a redcard may be shown directly without a yellow card warning. Again, the player isejected from the match. When a player is ejected, regardless of whether it istwo yellow cards or a direct red card, the team will have to play short-handed(with one less player).
A re-start will ensue upon the referee’swhistle when there is a dispute, or if it is a strategically significantlocation on the field (offensive third). If the foul is minor and takes placein a neutral area or in the team’s defensive half of the field, the teamawarded the ball can resume play without the whistle unless there is anexception (the offending team is interfering with the restart to delay theiropponent, injury, argument, etc). The team committing the foul must give aradius of 10 yards around the ball and player for the restart. Sometimes theteam may plead their case with the referee which takes his/her attention fromthe game and delays the restart.
Most fouls result in a direct free kick,meaning the ensuing restart can be shot directly into the goal. Someinfractions result in an indirect free kick. In this situation, the ball musttouch a second player (offensive or defensive) before a goal can be scored. Foran indirect free kick, the referee will hold one arm up after blowing thewhistle to indicate play may resume, and will keep the arm extended until theball touches a second player.
Direct free kick fouls committed by thedefensive team in their own penalty box (the large rectangle 18 yards from theendline and extending 44 yards horizontally across the field) result in apenalty kick for the attacking team. This is taken 12 yards from the goal, markedby a circular spot. All players must be 10 yards from the ball which is whythere is an arc around the top of the penalty box.
Ted Lasso: InS2E6, Jaime Tartt is fouled (tripped) by a Tottenham player, and AFC Richmondis awarded a direct free kick. Jaime takes the restart and scores directly fromthe free kick. In the Season 1 and Season 3 finales, Richmond’s opponentcommitted fouls that were direct free kicks. Despite having a direct free kick,AFC Richmond runs an elaborate set piece (trick play) to score. We also see afew penalty kicks takes, but the only one that we see the preceding foul is inS3E12 when Jaime is tripped in the penalty box.
Soccer-related note: While verbal cautions and ejections were part of the Laws of theGame since 1881, yellow cards and red cards were introduced and first used atthe 1970 World Cup. This provided a formal and clear indication of the warningor ejection to overcome language barriers and allow all players, coaches, andspectators to know the outcome of the incident.
A team must have a minimum of 7 players tocontinue a match. Therefore, the maximum number of ejections that can occurwithin a game is 5 as that would reduce the team to 6 players.
· The record for red cards in amatch is 36 when a brawl erupted between Argentinian clubs Victoriano Arenasand Claypole in 2011. All 22 field players and multiple subs and coaches wereejected, and the game was abandoned with Victoriano Arenas leading 2-1.
· Argentina, 2014: A 3rdDivision match between Deportivo Roca and Cipolletti was abandoned with 20minutes left due to 12 red cards.
· Brazil, 2018: a derby matchbetween 1st division rivals Vitoria and Bahia was abandoned with 10minutes remaining after 9 total red cards, 5 issued to Vitoria leaving themwith too few players to continue. Bahia won 3-0.
· Portugal vs Angola, 2001: Wasabandoned after 67 minutes due to 4 red cards for Angola plus an injury afterall substitutes were used (leaving only 6 players left for Angola). Portugalwon 5-1.
· Uruguay vs Ecuador, 1977: Thematch was abandoned tied 1-1 in the 78th minute after Ecuadorreceived 5 red cards. Ironically, the match was a friendly.
American Sports comparison: An NFL game has not been suspended due to fighting or too manyejections; ejections do not result in a team playing short-handed. Similarly,ejections in the NBA or NHL do not result in the team playing with one lessplayer. In the NBA, if a team is reduced to four players, the last player tofoul-out or be ejected is allowed to play so the game may continue. LikeAmerican football, a basketball team does not play short-handed due to a playerfouling out or being ejected. However, a game between the Indiana Pacers andthe Detroit Pistons in 2004 (Malice in the Palace) was abandoned with 45seconds left due to a brawl. Ultimately 9 players were suspended and 5 werecharged with assault.
Ice hockey, rugby, and water polo utilize apenalty system where a team plays short-handed temporarily for fouls. Rugby andfield hockey also utilize the red card system with a team having to playshort-handed for the rest of the game if a player is ejected.
Interactive:
Follow the link below to sidelinesoccer.com to find a list of direct and indirect free kick infractions. There is also a little drawing of a referee showing the hand signals to indicate direct vs indirect free kicks.
http://www.sidelinesoccer.com/direct-vs-indirect-kick
Below find a link to a YouTube video showing a red card foul. While it may not appear severe, FIFA is cracking down on fouls that can result in serious injury such as broken ankle or leg. While the result of this play was not as serious as a broken limb, the potential was there. There are examples of more serious fouls but they are not included here because seeing those fouls are quite unappealing.
ii. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/23Ou8I-bB-k
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