Question Number: 17315

Mechanics 10/14/2007

RE: Competitive Other

Eddie of Lancaster, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17274

Thanks so much for the answer Chuck. What you wrote makes sense. I am still wondering about the other case. What if I've stopped play for a throw-in, or some other reason?

Jennie is screaming holding her ankle. Now I know if I go and check on her and she says she's fine and I don't call a coach or doctor onto the field, then I can just restart with the throw-in. But what if I did call the coach on the field - do I require Jennie to leave the field and either be subbed or come back in after the restart?

This is what has had me a little confused. Law 5 is clear about if I stopped play for a serious injury. But in Additional Instructions, there is the instruction that: "as soon as the referee has authorized the doctors to enter the field, the player must leave the field, either on the stretcher or on foot. If a player does not comply he is cautioned for unsporting behavior."

I had always taken this to mean that if I called a coach or doctor on the field for an injured player - no matter why I stopped play, the player had to leave the field.

Then I had a ref buddy tell me to read ATR 5.9, which has this phrase in it..."If play is stopped for any other reason [than a serious injury], an injured player cannot be required to leave the field, but may be permitted to do so by the referee."

Well this is what had me a little confused. But now that October 12 memo has this statement in it... "A player for whom the referee has requested medical personnel to enter the field at a stoppage is required to leave the field and may return with the referee's permission only after play has resumed even if the stoppage was not expressly for the injury."

So that part of ATR 5.9 mentioned above has an exception, right? I MUST require a player to leave, even if I didn't stop play specifically for the injury, if medical assistance comes onto the field to tend to the player.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If medical personnel enter the field to assist a player, the player will have to leave and can only return after play restarts, with the referee's permission. This is what the October memo from USSF tells us. ATR 5.9 deals only with the situation where a player leaves under their own power with the referee's permission to seek treatment, not where medical personnel (defined as including a coach or trainer) enter the field. In the circumstance you gave above, it was correct to have the player leave the field. She could return as soon as play started or a substitution could be allowed. A referee may tell a player they are allowed on as soon as play restarts, or they can tell them they must wait for a signal from the referee. Woe be unto the player who returns without the permission!

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Eddie, I wrote the first answer on 17216 and was just as confused as you, but I have finally figured it out. Advice to Referees 5.9 is talking about all cases of injury, severe and not so severe. Suppose the referee felt that an injury was not severe so he allowed play to continue until the ball went out of play. At that time, the player is still on the ground. He goes over to check her and determines whether she does or does not need the help of the medic. If he calls the medic on, she must go off. If he does not, according to 5.9 she may be permitted to leave, but that is not required. The new memo emphasizes these points, but does not change them.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I, likewise, was confused. Bottom line is if you ask team personnel to come onto the field to check a player, that player must leave even if you stopped for something else. Of course in your example you'd still restart with the throw-in

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

ATR 5.9 addresses only the eventuality of stopping play because of a serious injury. There are no caveats other than the goalkeeper as mentioned in the Additional Instructions and Guidance. When you find Jennie down for the count and holding her ankle after the ball has gone to touch across the longer of the two field boundaries you know the restart of play is throw-in. That won't change if Jennie's coach comes on or not. The only thing that changes is whether or not Jennie must leave the field of play and that is determined by the coach entering or not.

Regards,