Careless, reckless, or excessive force
Every physical offence is graded, and the grade decides the card. Careless means a lack of attention or consideration — a free kick, no card. Reckless means acting with disregard for the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent — a caution. Using excessive force means exceeding the necessary use of force and endangering the safety of an opponent — a sending-off.
A direct free kick is awarded where a player commits any of these carelessly, recklessly or with excessive force: charging, jumping at, kicking, pushing, striking (including headbutting), tackling or challenging, or tripping an opponent. A direct free kick also follows a handball offence, holding, impeding with contact, biting or spitting, or throwing something at the ball or a person.
Any of these committed inside the offender's own penalty area results in a penalty kick, whatever the grade.
The handball rule
Not every contact with the hand or arm is an offence. It is an offence when a player deliberately touches the ball with the hand or arm — judged on movement towards the ball, distance, and whether the hand was clearly unnaturally positioned.
It is also an offence when a player makes their body unnaturally bigger: the hand or arm is above the shoulder, or is out from the body in a position not justified by that player's movement in that situation. A player who is falling and whose arm is between their body and the ground to support them is not making their body unnaturally bigger.
Separately, a goal is disallowed if it is scored directly from the hand or arm — even accidentally — or if the scorer's hand or arm touched the ball immediately before it went in. Accidental contact carries no card; the goal is simply not given.
The goalkeeper is exempt from handball inside their own penalty area, but not from the restrictions below.
Goalkeeper restrictions, and the eight-second rule
The goalkeeper commits an indirect free kick offence by touching the ball with the hands after releasing it and before it has touched another player, after a team-mate deliberately kicks it to them, or after receiving it directly from a team-mate's throw-in.
Under the current Laws the goalkeeper may control the ball with the hands for up to eight seconds. The referee counts the final five down with a raised hand, and exceeding eight seconds is punished with a corner kick to the opponents — a change from the indirect free kick that applied previously.
DOGSO and stopping a promising attack
Denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) is a sending-off offence — for example, denying a goal by deliberately handling the ball, or fouling an opponent who was clear. Whether the opportunity was obvious turns on distance to goal, direction of play, the likelihood of keeping or gaining control, and the location and number of defenders.
Stopping a promising attack (SPA) is a caution.
Both are reduced inside the penalty area when the offence was an attempt to play the ball, because the penalty kick already restores the opportunity: a DOGSO foul becomes a caution, and an SPA foul carries no card at all. Holding, pulling, pushing, no attempt to play the ball, or an offence that could not be a play for the ball keeps the full sanction.
Cautionable and sending-off offences
A player is cautioned for: unsporting behaviour, dissent by word or action, persistent offences, delaying the restart of play, failing to respect the required distance at a corner, free kick or throw-in, entering or leaving the field without permission, and entering the referee review area.
A player is sent off for: denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, denying a goal by deliberate handball, serious foul play, violent conduct, biting or spitting, using offensive or abusive language or gestures, and receiving a second caution in the same match.
Violent conduct against a team-mate is still a sending-off; because the offence is against a team-mate rather than an opponent, play restarts with a direct free kick to the opposing team.
Written against the published IFAB Laws of the Game. For the official text,
see IFAB's own Laws documents.
Law 12 practice questions
18 questions on
Fouls and Misconduct, each with the correct answer and an explanation of the
reasoning. These are drawn from the free question bank.
Question 1
Law 12
standard
A defender outside their penalty area deliberately reaches out and touches the ball with the hand to redirect a pass. What is the restart?
A
A direct free kick to the attacking team
Correct answer
B
An indirect free kick to the attacking team
C
A dropped ball
D
A direct free kick, only if the defender's arm was above shoulder height
Why
Law 12.2: deliberately touching the ball with the hand or arm is a direct free kick offence, wherever on the field it occurs (a penalty kick if inside the offender's own penalty area).
Question 2
Law 12
standard
A cross strikes an attacker's arm accidentally and rebounds directly into the opponents' goal. What is the decision?
A
No goal — a goal scored directly off the hand or arm is disallowed even if accidental
Correct answer
B
Goal — the contact was accidental, so no offence occurred
C
Goal, provided the arm was below shoulder height
D
No goal, and the attacker is cautioned for unsporting behaviour
Why
Law 12.2: it is an offence if a player scores in the opponents' goal directly from their hand or arm, even accidentally. Accidental contact leading to a team-mate scoring is not, however, an offence.
Question 3
Law 12
standard
A goalkeeper handles the ball inside their own penalty area after an opponent's shot. Which statement is correct?
A
No handball offence is possible — a goalkeeper cannot commit handball inside their own penalty area
Correct answer
B
A handball offence is committed if the arm was above shoulder height
C
A handball offence is committed and a penalty kick is awarded
D
An indirect free kick is awarded to the attacking team
Why
Law 12.2: a goalkeeper cannot be guilty of a handball offence inside their own penalty area. Outside it they are treated like any other player, and restrictions such as the back-pass rule are separate offences.
Question 4
Law 12
advanced
A defender makes a genuine attempt to play the ball in their own penalty area, mistimes the tackle, fouls the attacker, and denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. What is the sanction?
A
Penalty kick and a caution
Correct answer
B
Penalty kick and a send-off
C
Penalty kick with no disciplinary sanction
D
Indirect free kick and a caution
Why
Law 12.3: where a DOGSO offence is committed in the penalty area and it was an attempt to play the ball, the offender is cautioned rather than sent off, and a penalty kick is awarded.
Question 5
Law 12
advanced
A defender in their own penalty area grabs and holds an attacker's shirt, making no attempt to play the ball, and denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. What is the sanction?
A
Penalty kick and a send-off
Correct answer
B
Penalty kick and a caution
C
Penalty kick with no card
D
Indirect free kick and a send-off
Why
Law 12.3: the caution-instead-of-send-off exception applies only where the offence was an attempt to play the ball. Holding, pulling, pushing or handling with no attempt to play the ball is still a send-off.
Question 6
Law 12
advanced
A defender in their own penalty area commits a careless foul while genuinely attempting to play the ball, stopping a promising attack. A penalty kick is awarded. What card is shown?
A
No card
Correct answer
B
A caution for stopping a promising attack
C
A red card
D
A caution only if the attacker was through on goal
Why
Law 12: where a player commits an offence in the penalty area that stops a promising attack and it was an attempt to play the ball, the caution for SPA is not issued — the penalty kick is considered sufficient.
Question 7
Law 12
standard
A player lunges into a challenge with complete disregard for the danger to their opponent, using excessive force. What is the correct sanction?
A
Send off for serious foul play
Correct answer
B
Caution for a reckless challenge
C
Direct free kick with no card, as the contact was accidental
D
Caution for unsporting behaviour
Why
Law 12 grades challenges as careless (no card), reckless (caution), or using excessive force. A player who uses excessive force and endangers an opponent's safety is sent off for serious foul play.
Question 8
Law 12
advanced
A goalkeeper controls the ball with their hands and holds it for more than eight seconds. Under the current Laws, what is the restart?
A
A corner kick to the opposing team
Correct answer
B
An indirect free kick to the opposing team from where the goalkeeper held the ball
C
A direct free kick on the penalty area line
D
A dropped ball for the goalkeeper
Why
Under the current Laws the goalkeeper may control the ball with the hands for up to eight seconds; the referee counts the final five down with a raised hand. Exceeding eight seconds is punished with a corner kick to the opponents — this replaced the old indirect free kick sanction.
Question 9
Law 12
standard
A defender deliberately kicks the ball to their own goalkeeper, who picks it up. What is the decision?
A
An indirect free kick to the attacking team from where the goalkeeper handled the ball
Correct answer
B
A direct free kick to the attacking team
C
A penalty kick, as the offence occurred in the penalty area
D
A corner kick to the attacking team
Why
Law 12: the goalkeeper commits an indirect free kick offence by touching the ball with the hands after it has been deliberately kicked to them by a team-mate, or directly from a team-mate's throw-in.
Question 10
Law 12
standard
Which of these offences requires a send-off rather than a caution?
A
Spitting at an opponent
Correct answer
B
Dissent by word or action
C
Delaying the restart of play
D
Entering the field without the referee's permission
Why
Law 12: spitting at or biting anyone is a sending-off offence, as are violent conduct, serious foul play, DOGSO, and offensive or abusive language. The other three listed offences are cautions.
Question 11
Law 12
intro
A player who has already been cautioned commits a second cautionable offence. What must the referee do?
A
Show a second yellow card followed by a red card and send the player off
Correct answer
B
Show a red card only, without a second yellow
C
Show a second yellow card and allow the player to continue
D
Send the player off, and the team may bring on a substitute
Why
Law 12: a player who receives a second caution in the same match is shown a second yellow card and then a red card, and is sent off. The team plays with one fewer player and may not replace them.
Question 12
Law 12
standard
A defender fouls an attacker just outside the penalty area, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. What is the restart and sanction?
A
A direct free kick to the attacking team and a send-off
Correct answer
B
A penalty kick and a send-off
C
A direct free kick and a caution
D
An indirect free kick and a send-off
Why
Law 12.3: DOGSO by a direct-free-kick offence outside the penalty area is punished with a direct free kick where the foul occurred and a send-off. The caution-instead-of-red downgrade only exists for offences committed inside the offender's own penalty area.
Question 13
Law 12
intro
A defender's mistimed tackle, made with a genuine attempt to play the ball and without recklessness or excessive force, fouls an attacker in open play with no promising attack broken up. What sanction follows?
A
A direct free kick with no disciplinary sanction
Correct answer
B
A caution for a reckless challenge
C
A send-off for serious foul play
D
An indirect free kick with no card
Why
Law 12: a foul committed carelessly — without recklessness or excessive force — is punished with only the direct free kick (or penalty). A card is reserved for reckless challenges (caution) or those using excessive force (send-off).
Question 14
Law 12
standard
An attacker inside the penalty area exaggerates a light shirt tug and falls to try to win a penalty. What is the correct sanction?
A
A caution for unsporting behaviour, and a direct free kick to the defending team from where the simulation occurred
Correct answer
B
A penalty kick, since some contact did occur
C
A send-off for deceiving the referee
D
A caution, and the penalty kick still stands
Why
Law 12: simulating a foul or feigning injury to deceive the referee is unsporting behaviour — a caution — and the restart is a direct free kick to the opposing team from the location of the simulation, not the penalty the attacker was trying to win.
Question 15
Law 12
standard
A player attempts an overhead kick and, while doing so, brings a boot dangerously close to an opponent's head without making contact. What is the correct decision?
A
An indirect free kick for playing in a dangerous manner
Correct answer
B
A direct free kick, since the boot was near the opponent's head
C
An automatic caution for endangering an opponent's safety
D
A penalty kick if the incident occurs in the penalty area
Why
Law 12: playing in a dangerous manner without any contact is punished with an indirect free kick. It becomes a direct free kick or penalty offence — and potentially a card — only once there is contact treated as a foul on an opponent.
Question 16
Law 12
standard
A player swears loudly and abusively at the referee after a decision, directing offensive language at the official. What is the correct sanction?
A
A send-off for offensive, insulting or abusive language
Correct answer
B
A caution for dissent
C
No sanction, provided the words were not directed at another player
D
A caution, upgraded to a send-off only on a second offence
Why
Law 12: ordinary dissent by word or action is a caution, but using offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures is one of the seven sending-off offences in its own right.
Question 17
Law 12
standard
What is the key factor that distinguishes 'serious foul play' from 'violent conduct'?
A
Serious foul play happens while challenging an opponent for the ball; violent conduct does not require a challenge for the ball
Correct answer
B
Serious foul play only applies inside the penalty area
C
Violent conduct requires the victim to be seriously injured
D
There is no meaningful distinction between the two
Why
Law 12: serious foul play is excessive force or brutality used while challenging an opponent for the ball. Violent conduct covers excessive force used against anyone when not challenging for the ball — both are send-off offences.
Question 18
Law 12
standard
A player spits at a team-mate during an argument on the pitch. What is the correct sanction?
A
A send-off — spitting at anyone is a sending-off offence
Correct answer
B
A caution for unsporting behaviour
C
No sanction, since it did not involve an opponent
D
A caution, escalating to a send-off only if repeated
Why
Law 12 lists spitting at an opponent or any other person as a sending-off offence in its own right — it is not limited to spitting at an opponent specifically.