Question Number: 20731

League Specific 1/12/2009

RE: High School

John Kelly of Tampa, FL USA asks...

Restart After Injury:

Had an opportunity to watch a FL high school game last week and observed a decision by the center referee. It was a HS officiating crew with all three officials on the field. Team A had possesion with a corner kick, Team B defending. Ball sails through to the opposite sideline but possesion is maintained by Team A near the sideline. During the kick, a defender from Team B was inadvertently elbowed in the jaw, went down at the 6, bleeding and made no effort to get up. Team A had clear possesion yet not making any immediate attack. Center referee blows whistle to stop play for injured player. Player leaves field with substition made for Team B. Instead of a 1 v 1 drop or other fair play effort by Team B to kick the ball downfield for Team A possesion, the referee allowed a free kick for Team A near the spot (20) when play was stopped for the injured player. It was a clear advantage for Team A having a set piece just outside the box and subsequently scored a goal on the immediate free kick.

Question: Should the free kick been allowed or was another fair play option more appropriate? Team B coach did not protest call. Another fan in the stands noted that 'it's a high school rule' which was not clearly explained.

Thanks for your help. JK

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

The HS rules in the USA are different from any other code of rules or laws for the sport of soccer.

In HS if play is stopped for an injury with one team in clear possession of the ball, then the game is restarted with an indirect free kick to the team who had the possession when play was stopped. It might not seem fair to you, but it is correct by the letter of the HS rules, which is by definition the ONLY fair thing to do!

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Leave it to US High School to make it impossible to deal fairly with a specific situation. In the rest of the world a quick drop would have taken care of this if the players didn't already

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The referee was correct IAW NFHS High School Soccer Rules 2008-2009. This restart is incorrect in the real world but in the USA, under these rules, it is correct.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi John,
Yup as an aberration of the laws the NFHS felt that an indfk awarded to the team in possession of the ball at the injury stoppage was somehow fairer than a drop ball. This comes from trying to legislate sporting behaviour instead of allowing one team to stand up and do the right thing on its own.
This is a law change that needs to be undone!
One could offer to rewrite it to a drop ball that must be returned! :o)
This could effectively give the ball back to the team that had ball possession but in a non threatening position! The team that must return the ball is not likely to do it so a scoring opportunity is present although if one was taken away by the whistle they could choose to give it back in a better spot rather than boot the ball out of play or way back to the opposing keeper which is STANDARD in regular FIFA soccer as a voluntary sporting gesture not a mandated piece of law
Cheers