What should the referee do if a player shouts at a teammate and then deliberately pushes him to the ground?

In the scenario where a player shouts at a teammate and then deliberately pushes him to the ground, the referee's decision needs to address the severity of the actions taken by the player. The act of deliberately pushing a teammate is categorized as misconduct that breaches the principles of sportsmanship and player safety.

Stopping play is essential in this case to address the inappropriate behavior. Since this incident involves a deliberate physical action between players of the same team, the correct course of action is to stop play, handle the incident according to the Laws of the Game, and then restart the match with a direct free kick. This approach ensures that the referee takes a firm stance against physical misconduct, even when it occurs between teammates, upholding the integrity of the game.

Restarting with a direct free kick indicates a recognition that the conduct was not simply a part of normal play and requires disciplinary action. In contrast, allowing play to continue or issuing a warning would undermine the gravity of the incident and potentially encourage further misconduct. Similarly, opting for a penalty kick would not be applicable since the offense did not occur against an opposing team member within the context of a foul warranting that type of restart.