Red Card will be given to players as Punishment for Coughing at Opponents or Officials
Players who deliberately cough at other players or match officials will be penalised with a red card this is according to the latest rules which football’s rule-makers and the Football Association has come up with. The International Football Association Board (Ifab) said such an offence fell within “using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures”.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) made it clear that red card will be the principal punishment in the field of play and also said: “As with all offences, the referee has to make a judgement about the true nature of the offence.” The guidance comes amid the global coronavirus pandemic. “If it were clearly accidental, then the referee would not take action nor if the ‘cough’ took place with a large distance between the players,” added Ifab.
“However, where it is close enough to be clearly offensive, then the referee can take action,” the statement concluded. The FA also issued guidance for grassroots football which will come into force immediately. In a document, it wrote: “If the incident was not severe enough to merit a sending-off, a caution could be issued for ‘unsporting behaviour’.”
It also states that referees must not award red card to players as punishment except it is evident it was a clear act against someone else”. In terms of the Premier League and English Football League, there is no written guidance and it would be down to the referee’s discretion or VAR to reveal and then give the possible punishment.
