Why was Dewsbury-Hall booked in Merseyside derby?

Jack Grealish has criticised referee Darren England after his Everton team-mate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was booked for taking a quick free-kick in their 2-1 Merseyside derby defeat by Liverpool.

Grealish said he had “never seen that in my life” after his midfield partner was shown a card for taking the set-piece before the referee was ready.

Manager David Moyes also said he found “some of the decisions really strange”.

Grealish was fouled by Liverpool’s Curtis Jones in the 78th minute and stayed down injured after the incident. Twenty-nine seconds later, Dewsbury-Hall took the free-kick.

The referee was not facing the set-piece taker and had not blown his whistle when it was taken. He then proceeded to book the Everton player.

According to the International Football Association Board (Ifab), who determine the laws of the game, there is no law that states taking a quick free-kick is punishable with a card.

However, under Ifab’s law 12.4, a player can be booked for dissent by word or action, or even for displaying unsportsmanlike behaviour such as showing a lack of respect for the game.

Ifab says the referee does not need to blow his whistle for a quick free-kick to take place but they can only happen if:

As the game was stopped for Grealish’s injury, England could therefore deem that Dewsbury-Hall’s set-piece could not proceed without his permission first.

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