Question Number: 30868

Law 4 - The Players Equipment 10/7/2016

RE: Professional

Haji Hussain Jan of Muscat, Muscat Oman asks...

If footwear of a player goes off while kicking the the ball and hit opponent, and kick taker has the advantage. If a ref should do?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Haji,
a player who loses his footwear is required to fix it. The issue is MUST we get him to do so immediately? NO but with a caveat only temporarily. As to a flying boot actually striking an opposing player who then allows the one shoe kicker to continue his run, our opposing player momentarily put off by such an occurrence and thus our shoeless fiend gains an advantage chances are I could stop play as it is a careless act , in my opinion, for a boot to fly off on its own. A bit different if you get a heel stepped on . Just playing with sock feet momentarily, as to get a shot away or pass can be permitted provided no serious challenge is forth coming as it would be a case for PIADM.
So to sum up, a lost boot, play could continue momentarily but a boot actually striking another player, hard to let that slide if it actually affects play. I adopt a drop ball restart or an indfk against depending on my view of the event
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Haji
When a boot flies off during a kick it is normally an accident and not intentional. Now when it interferes with play the referee will have to stop play if it disadvantages the opponents such as a goalkeeper moving to avoid the boot. My advice is that it can be a dropped ball restart from where the ball was when play was stopped or as some have suggested it could be carless play by the player with PIADM and an IDFK restart.
I have seen plenty of boots come off and never had to stop play due to the boot interfering with play.