FIFA LAWS AND TYPES OF FOULS

According to FIFA Laws, there are penal (major) fouls and non-penal (minor) fouls:

PENAL (MAJOR) FOULS include:
1. Kicking at an opponent, not the ball. Contact does not have to be made.
2. Tripping an opponent. The player does not have to fall down.
3. Jumping at an opponent. Contact does not have to be made.
4. Charging an opponent violently or from behind.
5. Striking (hitting) or attempting to strike an opponent.
6. Pushing an opponent.
7. When tackling, contacting the opponent before touching the ball.
8. Holding an opponent.
9. Spitting at an opponent (red card offense).
10. Handling the ball deliberately (except the keeper within the keepers own penalty area).

NON-PENAL (MINOR) FOULS include:
1. Dangerous Play: A player does something to endanger himself or others. Most common are high kicks when another players head is near, or low headers near other players feet.
2. Impeding the progress of an opponent when not within playing distance of the ball. This used to be called obstruction.
3. Obstructing the Goalkeeper.

Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa will not face any disciplinary action after he deliberately stamped on the back of Yossi Benayoun in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield.

Exactly what I had thought. The linesman’s solely to blame for that Bosingwa incident. Riley was behind Bosingwa so he didn’t really see the “kick” but the linesman saw everything as revealed in the post match report. My main worry is that even if Instant Video Replays were to be introduced, these are the same people who would be reviewing the Instant Video Replays in the booth. If the linesman didn’t see anything wrong with that Bosingwa incident though he was one foot away, what difference will Instant Video Replay make?

“….because his (ref’s) post-match report revealed that assistant Mo Matadar did see the event, under FIFA law, the FA cannot now take disciplinary action.” Are you kidding me? Should we say that it therefore follows that because Riley saw the Lampard tackle, the red card shouldn’t be rescinded?

RED CARD OFFENSES include:
1. Serious Foul Play, including penal fouls, where intentional violence endangers the safety of the opponent. This includes vicious tackles from behind.
2. Violent Conduct such as kicking, hitting, or fighting.
3. Spitting at anyone.
4. Denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Often by handling the ball or fouling the opponent to avoid a scoring chance.
5. Offensive, insulting, abusive or threatening language.
6. Receiving a 2nd caution in the same game (two yellow cards). The ref will show the 2nd yellow, immediately followed by the red card.

Yellow Card Offenses include:
1. Unsporting Behavior, including hard fouls.
2. Dissent by word or action.
3. Continually breaking the Laws of the Game.
4. Delaying the restart of play.
5. Encroaching on a corner or free kick.
6. Entering, reentering, or leaving the field without the referee’s permission.

Benayoun should have been shown a Yellow Card for obstruction. As for Bosingwa, am not saying he should have been given a red card, am just saying look at Red Card Offenses numbers 1 and 2. Also, look at the first seven major fouls. Not even a yellow card for Bosingwa? It is preposterous as it is laughable.