Question Number: 35838

Law 8 - The Start and Restart of Play 12/14/2024

RE: Semi professional Other

Paul Gyde of Rugeley, Staffordshire, Staffordshire United Kingdom asks...

Goalkeeper goes down, no foul given, ref stops play with the ball going out for an attacking throw in.. The ref restarted the game with a drop ball in favour of the defending team, was this the correct decision?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Paul
The answer hinges on when the referee stopped play.

If the referee stopped play before the ball was kicked out of play the restart is a drópped ball to the team that last touched the ball at the position where it last touched a player, an outside agent or, as outlined in Law 9.1, a match official. Inside the penalty area the goalkeeper gets the ball at the DB.

If play was not stopped the restart is the ball out of play normal restart such as a throw in, goalkick, corner kick etc.

Now this restart was amended a few seasons ago to limit the need for a team to kick the ball out of play which was an attempt to limit the need for the so called Fair Play restart where the ball is given back by the opponents of the team that kicked the ball out of play that was the team in possession.
In some instances that did not happen which created ill feeling and difficulty for the game. It also limited the need for a request to put the ball put of play which perhaps did not happen, with the decision now resting with the referee.

With a goalkeeper down on the ground the expected decision is to stop play. That should happen once the referee becomes aware of the injury and the goalkeeper staying down on the ground.

So there can be all sorts of permutations here including the goalkeepers team kicking the ball out of play deliberately, the referee stopping play before that happens or the injury only becoming apparent after the ball has gone out of play as part of normal play such as a regular clearance.

In the scheme of things in the past it was common for the throw in to be thrown back to the injured players team and then maybe the ball kicked back into the other half if it was felt it was the sporting thing to do.
The easier approach is to stop play, deal eith the situation and give the ball to the team that last touched the ball through a drópped ball.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Paul,
Merry Christmas

if the referee has allowed play then THAT throw in is the correct restart.

If the whistle sounds -before- the ball has gone into touch off the FOP then a DB to the team last touching the ball.

If it was inside the defending PA then the keeper gets to have it!

Cheers