What IFAB says about Hearts red card vs Aberdeen as Michael Steinwender dismissal explained
Here is the football lawmakers definition of why Hearts have endured a red card.
Hearts have been reduced to 10 men in the Scottish Cup semi final with Aberdeen - but what do the football lawmakers say about this?
The game was standing at 1-1 after Pape Habe Gueye’s opener for the Dons sent nerves into the packed Jambos end at Hampden Park. Lawrence Shankland raised the maroon side of the ground’s roof before a dramatic first half ended with Michael Steinwender being shown a straight red card for a foul on Topi Keskinen.
Teammates were racing to get in and cover the defender signed in the winter window but he went to ground and John Beaton did not hesitate to show the red card. Fans were left booing the decision but what excatly does IFAB have to say about the decision?
What IFAB says about Hearts red card
This will go down as. It will no be serious foul play which is “A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play. “ Neither is it violent conduct, which is “when a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a team-mate, team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact is made.”
That leaves it as denial of a goalscoring opportunity which is described as “ denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offence punishable by a free kick.”
There are some stipulations in this particular rule though. It adds: “Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.), the offending player must be sent off.
“Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a deliberate handball offence, the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area). Where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing a non-deliberate handball offence and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned.”