Question Number: 30036

Law 3 - Number of Players 1/21/2016

RE: corporate Adult

Reuben Chambers of montreal, qc Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30033

Thanks for your replies.
The team arrived with not many players but enough to start the game.
I gave a red card to one guy for a head butt ... (!) That took them down to the minimum number...
The player got tackled and seemed hurt... (You never know for sure ;0) so called over the physio. The player was OK and fine go carry on... So I said he should go off but come on as soon as play started, and I'd wave him in...
Is this a lupole in the rules because it clearly says the player must leave the f.o.p. but doesn't say 'unless the team has the minimum number of players...' For example.
I understand if he couldn't carry on. I must abandon the game, bug dint understand why its s bug deal if I start play with him just waiting to step on to the f.o.p. from the side line.... Then he steps in once play is underway.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Reuben,
there are the LOTG and ROC but then sometimes there is just a referee trying to make a fun match work for a group of guys over the weekend and at times it is not as much fun as it should be lol

What you describe is the correct thing to do?

A player OFF the FOP with permission via his injury is STILL a Player ,he is still one of the 7. Once you are certain he IS going to return you restart and then wave him in from the touchlines. Easy Peazey
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Reuben
Never be a slave to the Laws in unusual situations and the Laws are not written for outlier situations. It is perfectly okay to restart with six players in the knowledge that as soon as the game restarts the seventh player is fit to return and he can be beckoned on to the FOP immediately making up the quota. No one is going to debate or challenge that and anyway it would be seen as trifling.
The former Q&As mentioned a situation where where the seventh player got injured and had to leave the FOP. It was advised to hold up the restart until it was clear that the player could continue.
*A player, from a team with only seven players, leaves the field of play to receive medical attention. What action does the referee take?*
The answer given was the match will stop until this player has received treatment and returns to the field of play and if he is unable to return, the match is abandoned. It did not mention how the return yet we can assume it is up to the referee to manage that.