Question Number: 27726

Law 5 - The Referee 9/3/2013

RE: Pro Adult

Elly of Melbourne, Vic Australia asks...

A season or two back, we had an incident in our top-level professional league where a player tore their ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament) - a very nasty injury, but not one where anyone was necessarily to 'blame'.

What was appalling was, the ref presumably thought the player was faking, as he wouldn't allow the stretcher to be brought on. The player was forced to literally roll and crawl off the pitch. (Granted, he was close to the touchline, but still...). I'm not usually quick to criticize refs, but in this particular instance, I was horrified.

(I should mention that I make no allegation of bias on the part of the ref, but it was still a horrible mistake to make. This ref was a 'rookie', officiating at only his fourth professional-level game).

My questions to you as refs are:

1.How do you tell the genuinely injured from the fakers? How should a ref ensure that he doesn't make this sort of mistake?

2. Would an ACL injury warrant an immediate stoppage of play, or is it something which can safely wait for the next stoppage? (It's usually not an injury resulting from a foul, to my understanding). Is there any danger in waiting?

3. My understanding is that refs don't usually comment on their decisions, for good reason. But with these sort of mistakes, unrelated to 'laws of the game decisions', would it be appropriate for a ref to later apologize publicly? What would you guys do if you discovered that you'd made a stuff-up of this sort?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Elly
At the Pro level there are all sorts of pressures on referees. Time in the game can influence decision making as can the mood of players, previous incidents, etc.
Players can get frustrated by players going down injured for no apparent reason and particularly close to the touchline. It can be interpreted as a way to delay the game and waste time. I stopped a very important game recently for a defender that was down in the penalty area and the opponents went apoplectic after the decision citing that as it was not a head injury that I should have allowed play to continue as they were on the attack. I erred on the side of caution as I was unsure if it was genuine or not. So to answer your questions:
1. Once a player is down injured most referees will form an opinion on the nature of the injury and how it happened. Head injuries get treated immediately for fear of breathing problems etc. Muscle strains or cramps can wait and it is a matter of seeing how the game is developing before stopping play. It is always dealt at the next stoppage or if play continues for a short while the game is usually stopped. I have also seen teams playing on when a teammate is down injured. Refs can take a cue from that.
2. A serious injury such as a leg break would necessitate an immediate stoppage and the referee has to take cues here from the player/s. A player going over on an ankle or pulling a hamstring are all very painful injuries as would be a ligament tear or rupture. Those can be difficult to form an opinion on quickly without the normal cues of a tackle, concern from players, etc.
I feel that the issue here is not about the treatment of the injury but rather about the referee understanding the serious nature of the incident.
3. Referees are forbidden from making public comment and can only do so with the permission of the relevant association. The referee may speak with the player and offer best wishes for a speedy recovery. My experience of players is that they rarely see the referee as a factor in the injury or its treatment. I've had loads of injuries in soccer over the years and I never considered the referee in any of them.
Clearly the most serious injury is the life threatening one such as that experienced by Fabrice Muamba and sadly by Miklos Feher who did not recover despite immediate treatment. Those situations strike the most fear in referees and ensuring immediate treatment. Thankfully those are very rare.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It can be hard. In fact, remaining still on the ground can be a form of dissent for a no-call by the referee.

Sometimes the clearest clues come from the other players who are nearby. If they are acting concerned for the safety of the player, the referee should stop play immediately and go check it out. The next step is critical: sprint to the player who is on the ground. That shows that you care about the player's safety.

Then, call for the coaches/trainers and move 20 yards a way. That shows that the player (and not you) should be the target of the coach's focus.