7.6 Disciplinary

The referee can consider any unsporting action from a player, coach, substitute player or any other person attached to a team, as misbehaviour, e.g. inadmissible forms of appeal, any kind of discriminatory comments or actions or demonstrative gestures against the referee or any other participant in the match (see 4.1 to 4.12) and spectators.

In the case of misbehaviour, the referee can:

• informally warn the person that he must change his method of playing or his behaviour;
• formally warn the person by showing him a yellow card;
• formally warn the same person for the second time by showing him a second yellow card, followed by a red card;
• in case of serious misbehaviour, send the person off at once by showing him a red card.

Examples of actions that may be treated as misbehaviour:

• any unsporting action as inadmissible forms of appeal or demonstrative gestures against any other participant in the match or spectators;
• uttering insults, no matter to whom addressed;
• making remarks to the referee about his knowledge of the rules;
• leaving the field of play without informing the referee;
• repeatedly infringing the rules, especially after a warning;
• striking, punching, kicking or intentionally running down an opponent;
• deliberately moving the post during a shot;
• deliberately throwing the ball against the body of an opponent;
• hindering the taker of a re-start;
• preventing the preparation of the free pass or trying to prevent the taking of the free pass;
• disturbing the person taking the penalty;
• both teams intentionally passively playing the game in turns or appear to accept the score as it is with no ambitions to change it. The referee shall warn both captains together that this form of play is regarded as misbehaviour and if continued may lead to a formal warning and the game to be stopped;
• delaying the retaking of positions after a time-out (the captain shall be warned);
• failing to inform the referee of a substitution (the coach shall be warned);
• a coach or assistant coach entering the field of play without the permission of the referee;
• a coach or assistant coach misusing the right to leave his place in the bench (see 4.4);
• a captain misusing the right to draw the referee’s attention to anything he thinks desirable in the interest of the good progress of the match and/or criticism of the referee (see 4.3);
• throwing the ball far outside the field;
• kicking the ball when the game has been stopped;
• time wasted when changing zones.

A person shown a red card must be replaced by a substitute, must leave the playing area (see 1.1) and sit in the area reserved for spectators or leave the hall altogether, whatever he chooses.

With respect to the coach, the referee also has the power to forbid him from leaving the bench without his permission during the rest of the match.

The jurisdiction of the referee, with respect to occurrences of misconduct for which a card can be shown and the occurrence can be recorded on the match form, is from the time the team sheet is handed in (declaring which players will start and which players will be substitutes), until the match form is signed by the captains and the referee.

If misconduct takes place before the match, or during the half time period, then the yellow or red card shall be shown to the aforementioned person concerned at that time and the captain and coach of both teams shall be informed before the next half begins.

A coach, assistant coach or substitute player who has been given a red card may not subsequently take part in the match as a player or sit on the team’s bench.