
Share
3rd August 2020
09:38am BST

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’.
“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’.”
Match officials, who are also asked to avoid spitting, have been told: “Spitting on the floor is not an act of misconduct, unless it is at someone when it is punishable with a red card, as per the laws of the game.
“Other acts of spitting or similar actions, eg nose-clearing, are strongly discouraged for all participants. If advice is offered and clearly ignored, then the referee should make specific mention in their match report to the competition.”
Explore more on these topics: