August 4 – Sent off for a cough? It could soon happen. Players who deliberately cough at opponents or match officials during the Covid-19 pandemic can be red-carded under new rules introduced by the English FA and the game’s law-makers.
The International FA Board says the offence of deliberate coughing will be introduced under the law that covers “using offence, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures.”
However, any punishment will be up to the discretion of the referee of a game and could be a yellow. “As with all offences, the referee has to make a judgment about the true nature of the offence,” IFAB said.
“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. Where it is close enough to be clearly offensive, then the referee can take action.”
Referees must not look to punish “routine” coughing and “action can only be supported where it is evident it was a clear act against someone else” and when “the referee is certain someone deliberately, and from close range, coughed into the face of an opponent or match official…”
But you can just imagine the narrative during matches. “Was that a deliberate cough? Should he have been sent off? Let’s bring in a medical opinion.”
Sign of the times, perhaps, under the so-called new normal.
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