Question Number: 15343

Other 5/1/2007

RE: Travel Under 14

Bob Black of Sandy Hook , Ct usa asks...

when a player is injured on the field and the Referee stops play, what is the correct thing for the players to do? I have been coaching for 12 years, Recreation Soccer, and have always been instructed, and I have instructed my players to take a knee where they are on the field. My Daughter's U-13 travel team huddles up in a circle on the field while the injured player is attended to. Then they take time to get back into position on the field before play re-starts, which wastes game time. This past weekend, both teams huddled up when a player was injured during a tournament and the referee counted down fom 5 and just dropped the ball on the field while both teams were still huddling and there was a mad dash for the ball. can you tell me what the proper procedure is and if there are any rules governing what should be done? Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

"Take a knee" was invented to keep the players from huddling around the injured player. It allows the people who need to treat the injury to access the player.

If a team can manage to not crowd around the injured player without going to a knee, all the better. They can use the time to talk amongst themselves, perhaps to go over to the sideline and have someone hand them a water bottle, or even to talk to the coach (assuming he's not attending the injured). Note: In US high school games, "coaching" during an injury stoppage is prohibited.

If the game was stopped solely to deal with the injury, the correct restart is a dropped ball. There is no required number of players who have to participate - 0, 1, 2, 22, it doesn't matter. (Again, except for US HS, which mandates one from each team. Although if it was HS, we might also be restarting with an indirect kick.) The referee should announce that play is about to begin - which observant players will already know - and get on with it.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Bob,
While I cannot fault your concern for injured players I find the taking of knee and huddles are not truly a good idea. Heading to the touchline and getting a drink and or some tactical instruction IF play is stopped to attend to an injured player is certainly a reasonable thought. That is because if the injured player is TREATED on the field that player MUST leave the field before play resumes so we can easily accommodate getting back into position because that is the key moment to be aware of to redeploy.

The drop ball restart is only if play was stopped soley to deal with the injury while the ball was in play. If play continued to a natural stoppage and then the injured player was considered the restart remains.
Dropped Ball
A dropped ball is a way of restarting the match after a temporary stoppage that becomes necessary, while the ball is in play, for any reason not mentioned elsewhere in the Laws of the Game.
Procedure
The referee drops the ball at the place where it was located when play was stopped.

Play restarts when the ball touches the ground.

(You may note there is no talk of who or how many players must be in attendance) What a referee cannot do is prevent an opponent from contesting the drop ball by telling him not to participate. We might recommend in the interest of fair play certain options but we cannot force that option although we can drop the ball quickly to a single player


First off, on a crappy day why do you want to be on the ground with a knee? I sooner see them trying to get warm, if cold or a drink if hot. Secondly it is referee's discretion whether to stop play. A slightly injured player goes down some of his teammates take a knee but the opposing team continues to play wondering then they too start taking a knee play is stopped they had ball possession. The referee who thought there was no need to stop play as the player was not seriously injured now feels forced to stop play and a drop ball restart is contested? How is that fair? What if only some players take a knee and the opponents blow by them with the ball not wanting to stop play?

The opposing team could decide to play the ball out as a choice! The team receiving the benefit of the opponent's choosing to play the ball out could return the ball back as part of the unwritten tradition of fair play as sporting conduct

For play to halt every time a player hits the deck is unnecessary in my opinion. Safety is not compromised just because a tear is shed
Do not misunderstand, we hear a bone snap or see a head injury and play stops immediately there will hardly be a moment's hesitation in a serious matter. . The lower ages get a hug and a pick--up far to correct a sniffle far easier than a u-18 match. However, a referee could ask are you ok can you continue and determine play should continue for the time being, not stop not take away a scoring chance or attacking opportunity.

To be sure it is at the pro ranks where diving and faking injury is an art but as a tactical rest and recover method, it is unfortunately ingrained becoming into the grassroots level as well.
Cheers

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