A player from Team A kicks the ball which then touches an opponent (Team B) and is clearly going out of play for a throw-in. While the ball is still on the field of play, very close to the touchline, a coach from Team A stops it in an attempt to help their team quickly restart play. What is the correct decision?

Question

Accepted Answer

The coach made contact with the ball while it was still in play but when it was clearly leaving the field, without any intention of unfairly interfering with play. In this case, the referee awards an indirect free kick to Team B at the position where the coach touched the ball. There is no disciplinary sanction, unless the coach has persistently left the technical area, which would be cautioned (yellow card).