Question Number: 27983

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/7/2013

RE: rec Under 18

Kirk of roanoke, va roanoke asks...

This question is a follow up to question 27978

If a bottle is thrown to the player from a spectator or if a player is drinking the water during play. What actions should an official take? issue an caution to the player?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kirk
Its really up to the referee to decide based on the circumstances.
If a persons tosses a bottle to a player to take a drink and it does not cause any issue for the game then perhaps a warning is suffice about throwing water bottles on to the field of play.
If a player takes a drink at a boundary line and it has no effect on play which is going on elsewhere on the field then again no issue.
Where action has to be taken is where a player is endangered through the action of throwing a bottle into a crowd of players or the player leaves the field of play without permission or a player has a bottle in hand while playing. Leaving the FOP without permission and playing with an object in hand such as a bottle are cautionable offences.
On the throwing issue the referee would be entitled to remove the thrower from the surrounds of the FOP if he deems it to be acting in an irresponsible manner.
In general taking a drink is not be a problem in the game when done so close to a boundary line.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Throwing anything onto the field of play is not a good idea for many reasons, the most obvious being possible injury to a player. If no one near the player receiving the bottle and the player either drinks quickly and tosses the bottle back or runs to the touch line and drinks from there, likely no action taken by the referee other than a talking to to the player.

Players are supposed to go to the touch line if they want to drink but remain on the field of play.