THE DECISION
The coach is sent off (red card) for violent conduct. If the referee stops play for this incident, play restarts with a dropped ball as outlined in Law 8. If the ball was already out of play, it is restarted according to the previous decision.
Read official Law 8 ↗Explanation
The distinction is who committed the offence and who the offence was committed against.
The coach strikes their own player, who is temporarily off the field.
The coach commits violent conduct and is sent off. The disciplinary sanction and the restart are separate decisions.
Law 12 prescribes a direct free kick or penalty kick for certain physical offences by team officials against an opponent or match official. Here, the coach struck a member of their own team outside the field of play. The Laws do not prescribe a free-kick restart for this combination. If the referee stops play, Law 8 therefore provides the restart: a dropped ball.
| Situation | Discipline | Restart |
|---|---|---|
| Coach strikes their own player off the field | Coach sent off | Dropped ball |
| Coach strikes an opponent off the field | Coach sent off | Direct free kick on the nearest boundary line; penalty kick if applicable |
| Coach enters the field and strikes an opponent | Coach sent off | Direct free kick or penalty kick where the offence occurs |
| Spectator interferes with play | Spectator removed | Dropped ball |
If the ball was already out of play when the coach struck the player, the misconduct does not change the restart. The coach is sent off and play resumes with the restart already due.