Question Number: 20234

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 10/13/2008

RE: rec Under 10

kim of belleville, wi usa asks...

If our team had possesion of the ball and someone on the other team was injured(no penalty was called) and the ref stopped the game, who should get the ball and where?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If you were playing a high school game under NFHS, your team would get an indirect free kick at the place the ball was when the game was stopped.

Any other game, the restart is a dropped ball at the location the ball was when play stopped. In this situation, the team which did not have possession often gives the ball back to the other team, but that cannot be required. It's up to them to do the right thing for fair play.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

In rec soccer - under 10's... that is likely played under the FIFA laws of the game.

In that case, the game is restarted with a dropped ball, so neither team gets the ball, and the drop is done where the ball was when the ref stopped the game, subject to the special circumstances of law 8.

If the other team wants to kick it back to the team who had the ball, that would be nice of them and it is often done all over the world, but they are not required to do that.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If play is stopped for an injury it is restarted with a dropped where the ball ws when play was stopped unless inside the goal area in which case the drop takes place at the 6 yard line.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

When play is stopped solely for an injury, not a foul or misconduct the only legal restart of play is a drop ball at the spot where the ball was subject to the special circumstances in the goal area.

There is consideration in historical FAIR PLAY ethically supported behavior, which one team can decide to honor the reasonable assumption of who should get ball possession based on the circumstances . One team can voluntarily offer to withdraw from the affair completely as in a drop ball solely to the keeper or offer to kick it back or out so the opposing team can restart with the ball because it seems FAIR to do so. That said this is a Team/Player decision NOT a referees.
Cheers