Question Number: 22068

Law 8 - Start and Restart of Play 9/24/2009

RE: Competitive High School

Karl of Portland, Oregon USA asks...

50/50 ball on defensive 40. Defender player hurts an ankle. Ball ended up goalkeepers hands and ref stopped play to attend to player still on ground at 40. What is correct restart of play once injured player is removed from the field and substitute brought on?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Dropped ball. Generally, since the keeper was in possession of the ball, the referee will drop the ball back to the keeper and it is not a contested ball. It is Fair Play.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
Agree with my colleague Ref Maloney. Blow the whistle to stop play. Announce to the players that 'I'm restarting with a dropped ball where play was stopped' and it probably will not be contested because of current fair play. In this case inside the PA
In the situation where the keeper had possession I would allow him to pick it up at the dropped ball.
I would also be reluctant to allow an attacker to kick the ball back unchallenged in a goal situation for fear of an error of the ball going into the goal. The only other advice is to ask the keeper not to kick the ball upfield until the ref has got close to the drop zone and also to ensure that after a lengthy delay that all players are aware of the restart maybe with a 'show' of the ball and maybe a 'wake up whistle' as I call it.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

NFHS High school rules are different. When play is stopped for injury, and one team is in possession of the ball, the restart will be an IFK for the team in possession.

Under the laws of the game, the restart is a dropped ball.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Ref Wickham is correct. The same is true for an inadvertent whistle, if one team is in control of the ball at that time it's an IDFK for that team where the ball was. It should also be pointed out that IF a dropped ball is ever awarded in a NFHS game, the ball MUST be dropped between 1 and only 1 player from each team. When playing by FIFA rules there are no requirements that anybody be involved at a dropped ball nor are there any exclusions so theoretically, all the players on the field could participate at a dropped ball or none.