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.