Players facing red card for ‘deliberate coughing’

PLAYERS in the Premier League face the prospect of being shown a straight red card if they are caught deliberately coughing at an opponent or match official.

The FA has created new guidance, which comes into force immediately, for match officials taking charge of games when COVID-19 restrictions are in place.

The rules will apply to all levels of the game, and in the document released by the FA it claims if there is a ‘clear act’ of coughing towards someone, disciplinary action should be taken in the form of a red card. It means players will have to be wary of this when the new campaign begins in mid-September.

But match officials will not be responsible for policing social distancing during goal celebrations and they will not be able to punish players for spitting. First published in The Times, the FA’s document for referees states: “Where the referee is certain that someone deliberately, and from close range, coughed into the face of an opponent or match official... the referee should take action under the law 12 ‘using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures’.

“The action of moving the head/ mouth towards someone and then coughing would fall within the ‘spirit’ and general definition of a gesture which is ‘a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning’.

“If the incident was not severe enough to merit a sending-off, a caution could be issued for ‘unsporting behaviour – shows a lack of respect for the game’.” The FA’s guidance on goal celebrations adds: “Match officials are not responsible for ensuring compliance with social distancing during goal celebrations.”