Question Number: 28635

Law 18 - Common Sense 8/6/2014

Jason Anish of , asks...

In a BU16 game, the Blue Team is attacking the Red Team's goal when a Blue Team attacker unleashes a mighty shot. The Red Team's goalkeeper makes a diving save but in doing so is accidentally tripped by his own team's defender and the keeper falls to the ground awkwardly. The ball comes directly out to a Blue Team attacker who hits the post with his shot, with the ball then coming out to another Blue Team attacker who controls it and prepares to pass or shoot. The goalkeeper is still on the ground holding his ankle and writhing in pain. Should the referee allow play to continue or blow his whistle?

Thanks,
Jason

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jason
There is no right or wrong answer here. As this will all have happened quite quickly the referee will probably allow play to continue for the few seconds to allow play to finish. The goalkeeper can then receive treatment as quickly had play been halted.
Certainly the referee should not allow play to continue for any lengthy period and he should stop play within a few seconds.
I recall in a game a few season ago a clash of heads between an attacker and a defender. The ball fell to an attacker who controlled the ball and scored. Now the defender had received a nasty head injury which required him to be substituted from the game. He received treatment immediately the goal was scored and there would have been no question of play continuing. The goal had to be awarded though as play had not stopped nor did the referee have an opportunity to do as it all happened quite quickly.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Jason,

This is a tricky one. On one hand, we probably want to err a bit more on the side of stopping play if it's the keeper injured, simply because it's such a critical position.

On the other hand, if everything is happening within a few seconds, is that enough time for us to judge the severity of the keeper's injury? If we blow the whistle the moment the keeper appears to not be getting up, then we risk encouraging keepers to 'stay down' to prevent a goal.

The referee needs to make a judgement if it looks like the keeper is going to get up or not, and how much time has elapsed. If the player who collected the ball from the rebound controlled quickly then took the shot, then I have no problem with play continuing - happening within a few seconds, it's just too quick to really make a judgement on a keeper who isn't particularly seriously injured. If he looks to do something else, then it can make it tough for the referee