A&H

Open Age Injuries

The Don

New Member
As a spectator at non-league games, I am usually annoyed at instances of injuries where: 1. The referee and or players call for the player in possession to kick the ball out of play so that an injured player can be attended to and 2. When the physio/medical person has been called on to the field to attend to an injured player and successfully ‘treats’ him, the player is told to leave the field only to be called back on seconds later.

Having checked the Referees duties under the Laws of the Game, I find…

INJURIES
  • allows play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is only slightly injured
  • stops play if a player is seriously injured and ensures that the player is removed from the field of play. An injured player may not be treated on the field of play and may only re-enter after play has restarted; if the ball is in play, re-entry must be from the touchline but if the ball is out of play, it may be from any boundary line.
The bold and underlined sections are mine.

I was just interested in where the referee get his/her authority from to act on the two examples I have outlined. Many thanks.
 
The Referee Store
As a spectator at non-league games, I am usually annoyed at instances of injuries where: 1. The referee and or players call for the player in possession to kick the ball out of play so that an injured player can be attended to and 2. When the physio/medical person has been called on to the field to attend to an injured player and successfully ‘treats’ him, the player is told to leave the field only to be called back on seconds later.

Having checked the Referees duties under the Laws of the Game, I find…

INJURIES
  • allows play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is only slightly injured
  • stops play if a player is seriously injured and ensures that the player is removed from the field of play. An injured player may not be treated on the field of play and may only re-enter after play has restarted; if the ball is in play, re-entry must be from the touchline but if the ball is out of play, it may be from any boundary line.
The bold and underlined sections are mine.

I was just interested in where the referee get his/her authority from to act on the two examples I have outlined. Many thanks.
Referees should not be asking for the ball to be kicked out of play. Players can ask if they wish, of course.
If the referee believes that the injury is serious they should stop play immediately.
If you read the rest of Law 5 you will understand that the injured player has to leave the field of play once a physio has entered to attend to the player by assessing the injury (with a few specific exceptions)
This is sometimes a short period off, or may be longer if treatment is required off the field.
On-field assessment is required to reduce the likelihood of an injured player worsening their injury by trying to leave.
 
Referees are never calling for the ball to be kicked out of play.

To answer your points though:

1) Play hasn't been stopped. The ball is out of play. No referee is instruucting this, entirely players' choice.
2) Match officials are not doctor/physios (etc) - player injuyy assessed, then removed from pitch. That's where our duty of care ends.
 
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Thanks for that. It was just that I have seen referees at, say Sunday League level, telling players to kick the ball out.
The other point that I was making was that, even though it should not be allowed, the medical person comes on and successfully treats the player such that he is fit enough to continue but is required to leave the field only to be called back on within a few seconds.
I agree with your point about assessment but more often than not the player makes a full recovery after being treated on the pitch.
 
One of my favourite lines is after I stop a restart because a player is on the ground and it turns out they have cramps.
Can be sure that an opposition player will yell out "you can't stop play for cramp, get on with it".

Did you know that the guy laying motionless on the ground was only cramping from 40 yards away?
You are a wizard.

A quick line of something like, I'm not stopping the game for you to stretch gets them going again
 
" imo it looked serious so i stopped the game, not taking chances with injuries, would have stopped just the same had that been you went down"

covered
 
Thanks for that. It was just that I have seen referees at, say Sunday League level, telling players to kick the ball out.
The other point that I was making was that, even though it should not be allowed, the medical person comes on and successfully treats the player such that he is fit enough to continue but is required to leave the field only to be called back on within a few seconds.
I agree with your point about assessment but more often than not the player makes a full recovery after being treated on the pitch.
The intention around requiring the injured player to leave temporarily was aimed at reducing the number of times when a team winning but under pressure had a player go down "injured", the physio come on, lengthy treatment and a consequent reduction in pressure on the defence.
The physio and player should be encouraged to leave the field of play to complete the treatment if safe/possible to do so.
Over time, it has become a regular feature that treatment takes place on the field,, which gives rise to a delay and the player going off until play restarts, often a few seconds later.
Sunday football has a lot of referees who turn out every week, which is very welcome, but are not always up to date with the laws of the game and/or have their own interpretations.
 
The intention around requiring the injured player to leave temporarily was aimed at reducing the number of times when a team winning but under pressure had a player go down "injured", the physio come on, lengthy treatment and a consequent reduction in pressure on the defence.
The physio and player should be encouraged to leave the field of play to complete the treatment if safe/possible to do so.
Over time, it has become a regular feature that treatment takes place on the field,, which gives rise to a delay and the player going off until play restarts, often a few seconds later.
Sunday football has a lot of referees who turn out every week, which is very welcome, but are not always up to date with the laws of the game and/or have their own interpretations.

Guilty

Its out of proportion to compare the medically qualified skills and experience and accessories of the Manchester United club doctor with, Big Bob of the Flying Swan, already doubling up as sec and flagman, and whom by time reaches the player, the leg break has healed.

Like I guess the vast majority of my colleagues, perfectly aware of procedure I envoke spirit of the game here, many factors considered, inc where on the pitch and consistency should an opponent later suffer the same fate

its not practical, or, best game managment, or in cases of youth, more so with personal experience of females, to insist, try to enforce, the removal from the pitch prior to treatment continuing

senior game, i get as close to the procedure as possible
grass roots pub kids, as the situation dictates at the time

Having the correct knowledge is essential to referee, knowing when and where to apply it is essential to referee your individual game

nobody wants to see a grass roots referee cause a scene over treatment to an injury at a pub game, its perfectly managable

very much like the subs procedure, there is knowing it, and, carrying it out
 
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