Question Number: 22484

Character, Attitude and Control 11/9/2009

RE: competitive Adult

gab of sherbrooke, Québec Canada asks...

The striker and the keeper were both going for the loose ball at the top of the box. The striker touched the ball before the keeper, but the players collided. I think there was no foul on the play, but the keeper stayed down. The ball went to a player from the striker's team behind her. I let the play continue until it went out of bounds and the keeper was still down. What should have I done?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

It could appear there maybe a foul by the keeper, if the keeper actually ran into the striker but never contacted the ball but you were correct to not make any call if there was no foul and to apply advantage if there was!
Although the laws say to stop play only if the injury appears serious, once you noticed the keeper was NOT responding and not able to perform the duties as keeper you really need to consider stopping play a bit quicker than say if it was a player . In cases where we think a player is only a bit winded or needed a few moments to recover from a knock it is hard to justify as a functioning healthy keeper is vital to the team interest and fair play .
If the scoring opportunity was immediately put away I likely allow the goal but given the circumstances here I doubt I let play continue more than a brief lets wait and see moment!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The Laws say we must stop play if there is a serious injury. They don't say we cannot stop play if we think there has been an injury which needs investigation. If the keeper gave you cause to worry, stop play.

Since these were adults, we have a little more leeway with whether to stop or not, unless the injury involves blood, obviously broken or traumatized parts, or loss of consciousness all of which equal serious injury - stop NOW! But that doesn't appear to have been the case, so using your judgment to wait and see is fine.

I agree with Ref Dawson that given the sequence of events it is most likely there was either no foul or that the foul was on the keeper. Either way, you can still allow play to continue or apply advantage and allow play to continue unless it needs to be brought back.

A keeper down on the field does not equal playing without a keeper, any more than a keeper off the field retrieving a ball and who throws it back to the field can complain when the opponent takes a quick kick before he is back - the defense had a keeper, he's just not involved in play at that moment.

Since you were there and observing the play, it appears you made a good decision based on the facts at hand. Those choices are: do nothing - let play continue, apply advantage, stop for the injury (dropped ball restart), or call a foul and have that restart (after the keeper is seen to).

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Sometimes players get hurt; sometimes that player is a goalkeeper. That doesn't turn the player into a non-player and doesn't turn the keeper into a non-keeper. The goalkeeper is the one with the funny shirt on, whether that person is acting like a keeper or not.

The Laws of the Game provide several examples of infringements made by various players at restarts. Several times it is the goalkeeper taking the restart, such as for throw-ins and corner kicks. A goalkeeper taking such a restart isn't acting much like a goalkeeper - she's way out of goal, even off the field - yet she is still the keeper. Similarly, a keeper who is down on the ground with the wind knocked out of her is still the keeper.

Now of course if it was a serious injury the referee should stop play immediately. The seriousness meter should be set appropriately for age level and competition level. But if the referee wouldn't have stopped play for a less-than-serious injury for any other player, the ref shouldn't stop it for a slightly injured but hurting goalkeeper. Sometimes that's just the breaks.

If we stopped play every time the keeper went down, keepers would be flopping on the ground far worse than any of the PK-begging divers we see in the game today.