Question Number: 12914

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 5/29/2006

RE: Club Under 13

Dan Dickinson of Essex Junction, Vermont USA asks...

Are there guidelines or procedures a referee must use when performing a drop ball to restart play ? During a recent tournament the referee was restarting play after an injury stoppage inside the goal area. He initially positioned himself to do what I would consider a 'normal' drop ball (ie standing between the two players so that he could drop it between them). He then proceeded to rotate the ball around his waist and then dropped it behind his back. By doing it this way he caused confusion with the two players involved in the drop ball and also screened the goalies view of the ball and opposing palyer which resulted in a goal.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Dan,
it is as straightforward as one could hope and I have no idea why a referee would think he could gain style points for doing it in a way that you describe. It is wrong plain and simple! If it is dropped within the goal area it is wrong again. No dropball can take place closer than 6 yards away from the goal EVER! The only thing I see correct is if play is stopped SOLEY to deal with an injury the dropball restart is 100% correct
We drop the ball as shown in the diagram in the laws. We watch to see it impacts th ground first. On this occassion that the referee may have felt that players were not doing so and rather than continue to warn, caution or redo the drop he dropped it so it would hit the ground first.
Some referees feel that one team or the other should not participate in certain dropball situations. While at times understanable that is not our call. I have seen and done drops strictly to one player often the keeper after a save where he is hurt or in alike situations. Drops to a single player are not against the law as the number of players present could be 0 to 22. The thing is we cannot order players away if they wish to participate. Fairplay and ethical conduct are to be admired and encouraged rather than mandated.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

This is not an accepted way to drop a ball. The ball may be dropped without any player present. I also have dropped the ball back to the keeper if there's a situation like Ref Dawson describes. Never should a referee drop the ball inside the goal area anyway. The ball should come out to the six yard line if 2 players are there to contend for it, no one player should be given such a huge advantage as occured here.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

This is the written policy of US Soccer as stated in Advice to Referees is quoted:

8.5 DROPPED BALL

There is no requirement that players from both teams?or that any player?must take part at a dropped ball.

A dropped ball must be "dropped," not thrown down. The referee should hold the ball in the palm of the hand at waist level with the other hand on top of the ball. At the proper moment, the referee
should then pull away the hand beneath the ball and let it drop, taking care that the players do not play it until it has hit the ground. If the dropped ball leaves the field without having been played, the ball must be dropped again where it was previously dropped. The goalkeeper may participate at dropped balls.

If the referee stops play because two players have simultaneously committed fouls against each other, the correct restart in this limited and rare event should be a dropped ball where the ball was when play was stopped (subject to the special circumstances of Law 8). Referees should take care not to use this option as a means of avoiding a difficult but necessary decision as to which player committed an offense first and which player retaliated.

The referee must not use the dropped ball to restart play as a crutch in those cases where there is some question about the correct restart. The referee must make a decision and announce it firmly.

End Quote

In my opinion turning away from two players who insist on playing the ball before it hits the floor should be considered only if talking to them has not worked twice. It is a last resort. It is in lieu of getting out the yellow hankie.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

First of all, the ball should never be dropped inside goal area. Drop ball occurs at the point on the top of the goal area parallel to where ball was when play stopped. Next, the referee should always drop the ball at his/her waist level with one hand on top and one hand below ball. Then he/she removes the bottom hand and players must wait for ball to hit ground. If a player plays it first, the b all must be dropped again. As Always,