Question Number: 20123

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 10/1/2008

RE: Select Under 13

Sarah K of San Antonio, TX USA asks...

Good morning -
Was reffing a U12B select game Sunday. Blue was attacking and inside Red Penalty area but outside Goal Area. A Red player goes down (no foul) and is laying flat on the field in the midst of a group of players attempting to play the ball. I blew the whistle for the injury and to protect the downed player. I checked on the player and he got up and was able to continue play, so I restarted with a drop ball at the approx location where the ball was when I whistled. Last night, the coach came to me on the practice field and asked if I'd 'been talked to about the call.' He insisted that you never restart with a drop ball in the Penalty Area; it must be taken outside the 18. Have I missed that somewhere? I asked a couple other refs and both said they would have taken it out of the 18 so as not to give the attacking team the advantage, but I thought the Law says it takes place where the ball was unless inside the Goal area. Please help me out here...

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

You are correct. You did the right thing and you even recognize that the drop cannot occur within the goal area, good for you, it is clear that you understand the law.

The other refs are making things up as they go regarding what they think is fair... that is not correct.

The coach is very incorrect in saying that you must move the drop to the outside of the penalty area.

Do not fret, you can stand on your good knowledge and they can all just fade away in their lack of it.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

You were quite right, and those other guys, well, they need to attend a good recert class or something.

One thought, though. There is nothing in the Laws which says a dropped ball has to be done between players of opposing teams, that only one player from each team has to be present or anything other than the referee drops the ball and it is in play when it hits the field. It is simply a method for restarting play when play has been stopped for a reason (such as injury) where there is no other proscribed restart in the Law.

There is nothing that says you can't drop it back to the keeper of the red team, and put the game back where it was when the whistle stopped play. I say this because although I know your instinct was to protect the player and I am not disagreeing with it, but as a referee you also have to think about the consequences of stopping play in such a sensitive area unless there is clearly a serious injury that needs immediate attention.

If possible, and I know it is not always possible when a player's safety may be at risk, the referee might choose to let play go on for a few seconds and see if the ball gets cleared away. Another thing you can do is to yell loudly 'Careful, guys!!' But what you cannot do is what your colleagues suggested, which is to take the ball outside the penalty area to drop it. Sheesh. I'm sure they said it was within the spirit of the game, right?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Well done on stopping play to protect a downed player. You might ask yourself, was this player Playing In A Dangerous Manner? You mentioned there was no foul, but didn't describe what injury there might have been. An unlikely possibility, you were there and you mention an injury; I'm just bringing it up for thought purposes.

Also, if you stop play for an injured player, he must leave the field of play at least until the restart. He can't just say, 'I'm OK.' He should have told you that before you stopped play.

Our local rec league had a [probably illegal] provision that all dropped balls were to be taken outside the penalty area. When I was on the subcommittee that revised the operating rules, I made sure we went back to FIFA-standard. But I'm sure whoever wrote the rule in the first place didn't just think this up on his own. Most likely he heard it from some old warhorse of a coach, passed down from generation to generation, as a myth of how things should be. Perhaps Sarah's coach heard the same myth, or perhaps her league rules perpetuate it.

It makes sense that a dropped ball could be done inside the PA. Often the ball is dropped directly to the goalkeeper, who can then pick it up for distribution. That couldn't be done outside the PA.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You missed this because it is in a publication apparently only available to coaches called Things Only Soccer Coaches Believe To Be True. The other referees you spoke with must have had a copy to be able to spout such nonsense.