COVID-19 change in Football: Red cards for deliberate coughing at opponent or referee

Football players can be shown direct red or yellow cards for deliberately coughing at opponents or match referees under new guidelines issues by Engand’s Football Association (FA) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The instructions to referees taking charge of matches when COVID-19 restrictions are in place will come into force immediately while being applied at all levels of the game.

The FA document for referees stated that action should be taken when "the referee is certain someone deliberately, and from close range, coughed into the face of an opponent or match official..." while adding that the offence would fall under the category of "using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures" under which a player can be booked by the match official.

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"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 document further said that referees must not book “routine” coughing while reminding players to avoid spitting on the ground – even though it doesn’t fall under an act of misconduct with many players in various top European leagues spotted spitting on the pitch regularly.

The full ruling said: '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".

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'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".'

Notably, before the suspension of football due to COVID-19 pandemic, Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa was seen deliberately coughing at media personnel as an apparent prank after the Spanish outfit defeated Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League.