Question Number: 17461

Mechanics 10/22/2007

RE: Select Under 15

Mark of Westport, CT USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17398

If I read this correctly, one of the instances at which a whistle is to be used is to restart play after a) dealing with misconduct, b) injury, or c) substitution.

In the case where I have stopped play to deal with an injury the correct restart would be a drop ball.

My normal mechanic, after the injured player is taken care of and any substituions made, is to call the player(s) over for the drop ball, remind them that the ball must first touch the ground before he/she/they play it, and then drop. I take it the whistle would come before I call the players over yes?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

A dropball restart does usually not require a whistle. The ball is in play wnen it hits the deck. A whistle at a drop ball restart serves no useful purpose. One might blow the whistle prior to get attention and get your butt over here. Not all stoppages where injuries are required to be treated are drop ball restarts. Generally there is a bad foul attached with a possible card and a free kick in there somewhere.
The injury, sub, misconduct are all reasons to intervene and delay any other normal restarts.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

I agree that there is no need for a whistle for a drop ball. If the referee stops play for a substitution or to issue a card, then usually a whistle is needed to restart. In the case of a drop ball, make sure that everyone is ready to go and then drop it.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

There is no real need for a whistle at a dropped ball. However, I always blow the whistle just before I drop it. I have rationalized this mechanic as though it says to the players - if you were gabbing about your trip to the mall or the pub after the match, you might like to stop doing that and pay attention, the game is about to resume.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If play is stopped solely for an injury, the restart is a dropped ball. There would be no need for a whistle, because the whistle is to notify a player that she may proceed with a restart. At a dropped ball, the referee is initiating the restart. Although as my colleagues state, you may want to blow the whistle before the restart to let everyone know it is happening.

However, there could be many other situations where there is a defined restart, but that restart has to be delayed because of an injury. The injury might have been seen as other than serious, and the ref allowed play to continue until the ball went out of play for another reason. In that case, the ref will not allow a restart to proceed immediately. The ref's signal, usually a whistle, would be required to let everyone know that play may now proceed.