Question Number: 19969

Law 18 - Common Sense 9/16/2008

RE: Select High School

Warren Duzak of Nashville, Tenn USA asks...

An attacking player with the ball and a clear goal-scoring opportunity loses, say, his shinguard or shoe and continues forward.It seems to me that since player safety is our paramount concern play must be stopped even if it takes away a goal-scoring opportunity. Most refs I ask disagree, but I can't see a goal-scoring opportunity as any defense if a player is seriouly injured from being allowed to play, even briefly, improperly equiped. I wouldn't want to be in a lawsuit where that was my defense. What say the pros??

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Players are expected to follow law 4 compulsory equipment but we also understand that through occasional circumstances the odd bit of clothing will come off or apart usually a shoe lace or shinguard. I could tell you a funny story or two about no shorts but thats another topic. ;o)
As for what the pros say it really is about what the laws state as pro and recreational the laws remain constant for the most part and certainly in these cases.
If you sift through the jargon you can reasonably conclude that if something falls off through an accident and there is a subsequent immediate play on the ball chances are the referee NEED NOT stop play. Once the referee address it, as in you fix that, the player MUST correct before he can continue.
A player on a breakaway blows a shinguard or shoe and is free and clear on the goal I would be hard pressed as referee to stop play and award an indfk and caution because I was yelling wait you need to put your /shinguard /shoe back on before you shoot. If I REALLY felt that he was continuing to play in an unsafe manner than PIADM could be used as a reason to stop play award an INDFK but no caution is required.

Basic Equipment
The basic compulsory equipment of a player comprises the following
separate items:
? a jersey or shirt with sleeves ? if undergarments are worn, the
colour of the sleeve must be the same main colour as the sleeve
of the jersey or shirt.
? shorts ? if undershorts are worn, they must be of the same main
colour as the shorts
? stockings
? shinguards
? footwear
Basic equipment guideline
If a player loses his footwear accidentally and immediately plays the
ball and/or scores a goal, there is no infringement and the goal is
awarded because he lost his footwear by accident.
Other equipment
A player may use equipment other than the basic equipment provided that its sole purpose is to protect him physically and it poses no danger to him or any other player.

Infringements and Sanctions
In the event of any infringement of this Law:
? play need not be stopped
? the player at fault is instructed by the referee to leave the field of
play to correct his equipment
? the player leaves the field of play when the ball next ceases to be
in play, unless he has already corrected his equipment
? any player required to leave the fi eld of play to correct his equipment must not re-enter without the referee's permission
? the referee checks that the player's equipment is correct before
allowing him to re-enter the fi eld of play
? the player is only allowed to re-enter the fi eld of play when the
ball is out of play
A player who has been required to leave the field of play because of an infringement of this Law and who re-enters the fi eld of play without the referee's permission must be cautioned.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

While the safety of the players is always a prime concern of the referee, it is in balance with the other demands of the game, including proper enforcement of the Laws, the skill level of the players, and the spirit of the game.

The game is full of risks of many kinds. Allowing a player to continue to play for a short period of time without a piece of equipment is not generally a big risk, and if it becomes one, play will stop.

A referee is not exposed to liability by allowing the game to continue in such situations because there is no bright line which says the referee must stop play if a player doesn't have on all of the required equipment at any moment. The referee is doing his job, the Laws and/or rules if HS have not been broken or even bent, and it meets the reasonable person test. If a reasonable person would continue to play or allow play to continue, then there is no negligence to punish.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 19994