Question Number: 23222

Law 5 - The Referee 4/30/2010

RE: Select Under 12

Doug Dressman of Goshen, KY US asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23051

Was there not a recent directive from USSF for referees to do more to manage dealing with injured players and not have teams kick the ball out of play? I thought we were instructed to quickly check on a player and if we had to stop play to do so that the player must leave the field of play whether they were injured or not.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

There is a 2009 directive on dealing with injured players. It calls for referees to stop play in case of serious injuries. It says this about teams kicking the ball out of play:

'Since the referee will only stop play for "serious injuries," it is the responsibility of
each team to determine whether to continue to play or to play the ball out of play.
A team with an injured player who continues playing assumes the responsibility
in the event they lose possession of the ball. Similarly, a team is not required to
play the ball out of play when an opposing player has been injured (a non-serious
injury). It is hoped that "fair play" will prevail.'

The prior question addressed high school rules, however, which have different provisions for dealing with injuries than under the laws of the game. For NFHS, the referee may stop play, confirm the player is not injured and so long as the referee has not summoned trainers/coaches, the player does not have to leave the field. OTOH, if the referee determines that a player in injured, the player must leave the field regardless of the reason play was stopped or whether trainers were summoned.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The previous answer had to do with a high school game, which as I'm sure you know, has different interpretations and procedures for some things, one of which is injuries.

In USSF, if play is stopped to address an injured player, the player will have to leave the field, and cannot return until the ball is in play and the referee has beckoned him back onto the field. The only exception is if it is the keeper who is injured, the keeper is not required to leave the field. Another player injured in the same play as the keeper will not be required to leave the field either.