In a match between Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion, Rice's tackle in the final moments of the game sparked controversy. Former Premier League referee Graham Scott stated in The Athletic that only excessive force combined with brutal actions constitutes violent conduct. While Rice's action was emotional, it did not warrant a red card.

Arsenal endured a frustrating afternoon, and Rice failed to control his emotions in the closing stages of the match.

At Brighton & Hove Albion's home ground, Arsenal were 3-0 down. Towards the end of the match, Brighton & Hove Albion player Moisés Caicedo ran towards Rice. After the England midfielder passed the ball, Caicedo nudged him in the back with his shoulder. Rice then rushed towards the Brighton & Hove Albion player and kicked him with his right foot, tripping him.

The referee eventually showed Rice a yellow card, but the decision still sparked debate: was Rice lucky to avoid a red card?

Many compared this incident to the Manchester derby the previous weekend, where Foden kicked Bruno Fernandes and was subsequently sent off.

However, there are crucial differences between the two incidents. The Athletic broke down the definition of violent conduct in the rules to explain why Rice remained on the field while Foden was sent off.

What do the rules say?

The Athletic learned that the Premier League Match Centre (responsible for referee appointments for all Premier League matches) agreed that Rice's foul was not violent conduct and should not result in a red card.

According to the Laws of the Game, violent conduct is defined as a player using or attempting to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball.

Rice's behavior was deemed emotional. VAR only recommends a review when an on-field foul meets the red card standard, so the Video Assistant Referee did not intervene.

Former Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer stated on a program that the referee's decision was correct.

"Rice just got emotional, Caicedo gave him a little nudge," Shearer said. "I think the referee's decision was fine. It wasn't an overly aggressive action, and he didn't really kick the opponent hard."

What is the core difference from the Foden incident?

In the match against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Manchester City forward Foden fell to the ground after being challenged by Fernandes near the touchline. Fernandes then appeared to raise his foot and kick towards Foden, though his foot was also close to the ball.

In retaliation, Foden, who was lying on the ground, raised his foot and kicked Fernandes in the abdomen, causing the Portuguese player to fall. Referee Oliver immediately showed Foden a red card, while Fernandes received a yellow card.

After the incident, Webb stated that the decision was correct and Foden's action had crossed the line for violent conduct. Webb also mentioned that Manchester United captain Fernandes' retaliatory kick should have resulted in a yellow card.

"I agree that Foden received a red card for violent conduct. He kicked Bruno Fernandes in the upper body with force," Webb said. "Joao Gomes of Aston Villa was sent off for a similar action. This was an on-field decision made by the referee.

Upon review of the footage, Fernandes made a retaliatory kick, hitting Folen in the lower back. This action was more emotional and not violent conduct. Violent conduct must involve excessive force or brutality.

At full speed, his action did not meet the criteria for violent conduct and only warranted a yellow card. VAR cannot intervene to upgrade a yellow card decision to a red card.

If the on-field referee had completely missed the foul and not penalized Foden at all, then VAR could have intervened: firstly to check if Foden's action warranted a red card, and secondly to issue Fernandes a yellow card. But because the referee had already sent Foden off, VAR did not have the scope to take further action."

Graham Scott's Commentary (Graham Scott served as a Premier League referee for ten years and officiated over 100 matches as a Video Assistant Referee)

In football matches, what constitutes violent conduct has always been controversial. However, in Rice's action against Brighton & Hove Albion, I believe there is insufficient reason to impose a heavier penalty than a yellow card.

A red card for violent conduct requires excessive force or brutality, neither of which was present in Rice's physical contact with Caicedo. The action was provocative, emotional, and completely unnecessary, but it was not violent.

I suspect the referee did not clearly see the entire incident, but he should have noticed the two players arguing out of the corner of his eye. The fourth official appeared to have a direct view of the entire event and relayed the relevant information to the referee.

A key detail: he reached for the switch on his waist, which needs to be turned on to activate the microphone. Fourth officials usually keep their microphones off to avoid constant interruptions from the dugout interfering with the referee's concentration.

Whether making decisions on the field or reviewing footage, referees face a challenge in defining violent conduct: these incidents are rare, so there are few precedents to refer to.

Last season, three players were sent off for briefly pulling an opponent's hair, and three others received red cards for kicking an opponent in the groin area. Foden's action in the Manchester derby falls into this category.

Following the rule review this summer, the threshold for penalizing brief, unintentional hair-pulling has been relaxed. However, there is currently a general consensus in football that actions like Foden's should result in a straight red card. We await the latest findings from the Independent Major Incident Review Panel, which will be announced this week.

In the past year, only one incident was slightly similar to this situation: a player intentionally tripping or kicking an opponent who was already moving away from them. In the incident where Chelsea's Estevão fouled Leeds United's Gudmundsson, the force used was much greater, but he only received a yellow card.

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