The Ref Stop

"HEAD INJURY REF... F-IN HEAD INJURY"

T

The Ginger Ref

Well-Known Member
Level 7 Referee
https://www.tiktok.com/video/7441705046636563745

I am so conflicted with this video! Probably more so because this club have started their own smear campaign against the ref on TikTok.

Every ounce of my refereeing knowledge and every word in the LOTG is telling me to stop the game because it is most likely a head injury.

But there is something about the player going in recklessly, making contact and then hitting the deck whilst the opposition are on a promising attack which leads to a goal (mainly because the defending team stop playing).
 
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The Ref Stop
My personal view is that a referee should stop the game for a head injury BUT that referee has no question to answer if that team concede a goal while the referee hasn't stopped it. He has serious questions to answer if the player has a serious head injury and he didn't stop it. But the purpose of the law isn't to stop teams defending a man light when one gets injured, it's to get people with serious head injuries immediate treatment.
 
Unfortunately this is what cheating has done to the game.

Generally you need to air on side of caution in these scenarios, but it’s all too common you see players feign injury. I’ve said it plenty of times before; football is in no way an honest sport. They would rather win at all costs than have any sort of pride.
 
It is a tough one. In the supply league I see players go down screaming with minimum contact when they know they are going to get hit on the counter. The bench is immediately screaming it is a head injury ref before the player has hit the ground.

Everyone knows what they are doing. On the list of things that are annoying but nothing you can do about it. E.g keeper going down whilst the team enjoy a nice tactic break.
 
In a youth game recently I stopped the match as the boy was lying on the deck holding his hands on his head - I didn't see any collision. Apparently it was his leg that had a slight injury. His teammate was in the box about 6 yards away from the goal area when I blew, but not in an attacking position. As it was, it had to be a drop ball restart to the opposition keeper as it was in the PA. I was surprised I didn't get an earful from the coach for it, but I think with youngsters and head knocks it is seen as pretty much a no-brainer in stopping the game. As for adults they have a bit more nous about creating situations where they can make 'injustice' if it suits.
 
I hate these situations but that does look like definite head contact there to me.

It’s a scenario where you don’t need the game stopped because a physio running on there is going to have no impact and if the ball does come back over then there’s no promising attack anymore and you can stop the game.
 
Had one of these as assistant on a step 5 game this year. 9 v 5 went to head the ball and both fell on the floor. 9 got up and started running towards goal, 5 looked up and saw the danger then clutched his head and lay down. 9 scored; cue mayhem! The ref saw it exactly the same as I did as we were both close to the incident and he allowed the goal to stand. On this occasion we knew exactly what the defender was doing. Once he had the physio look at him he played the next hour with no problems.
 
OnlyUseMeWhistle said:
I hate these situations but that does look like definite head contact there to me.

It’s a scenario where you don’t need the game stopped because a physio running on there is going to have no impact and if the ball does come back over then there’s no promising attack anymore and you can stop the game.
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For newer referees, I am sure @OnlyUseMeWhistle was not advocating allowing a physio on with play continuing, as that is not allowed.
 
OnlyUseMeWhistle said:
I hate these situations but that does look like definite head contact there to me.

It’s a scenario where you don’t need the game stopped because a physio running on there is going to have no impact and if the ball does come back over then there’s no promising attack anymore and you can stop the game.
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Except if you are allowing treatment you must stop the game for that to happen. Otherwise it ends up like that other sport with medical people all over the pitch 😄
 
Martiju said:
Except if you are allowing treatment you must stop the game for that to happen. Otherwise it ends up like that other sport with medical people all over the pitch 😄
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ChasObserverRefDeveloper said:
For newer referees, I am sure @OnlyUseMeWhistle was not advocating allowing a physio on with play continuing, as that is not allowed.
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Ffs I knew how this would read 😂

Yes I’m arguing for a change in the law/guidance to allow this in these circumstances. Currently of course you must stop the game
 
santa sangria said:
If there is a ”smear” campaign then this should be reported to the league so they can deal with the club/officials/players involved.
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Very easy for a Club to mount a smear campaign these days.
The league or anyone else looking at this will no doubt also consider the players continued participation in the game (was he substituted, did he play on etc).. Pity the isn't a clip of the game after this incident. Any subsequent post match medical treatment is also relevant.

As previously stated, played 'honesty' cannot be relied upon.

These scenarios for a referee are always a case of being "damned if you stop the game - damned if you don't"
 
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It looks like a potential serious injury, when a player goes down and doesn't move the alarm bells are ringing.
 
Unfortunately players and gamesmanship have caused this and referees are now in an impossible position. When I was observing at grass roots level earlier this season I heard a manager telling his players to go down holding their head if there was a counter attack and he would get the referee's attention to get the game stopped. It is choreographed cheating, pure and simple.
 
What about if some form of concussion protocol was introduced? If game has to be stopped for a head injury, it is mandatory for the player “down” to leave the pitch for a minimum of 10 mins to be assessed? Player could be replaced by a sub for that time whilst the assessment takes place.

Wont happen, but might stop some vexatious incidents
 
ChasObserverRefDeveloper said:
For newer referees, I am sure @OnlyUseMeWhistle was not advocating allowing a physio on with play continuing, as that is not allowed.
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Given the likely severity of this injured player's plight, I'd not be taking umbrage with a physio performing emergency care without permission even if I was mad enough to play this advantage!

It was a bit nuts to play on given the force and nature of the collision. I bet the next few minutes were character building for this poor 'man in black'
 
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RefJef said:
mandatory for the player “down” to leave the pitch for a minimum of 10 mins to be assessed?
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I would be interested to see how this would go down in a game as you would have to specify the parameters for there to be less arguments from the benches, I can already imagine a player having to go off because of this and then the benches letting all hell go loose if they concede due to being a man down.
 
Samuel said:
I would be interested to see how this would go down in a game as you would have to specify the parameters for there to be less arguments from the benches, I can already imagine a player having to go off because of this and then the benches letting all hell go loose if they concede due to being a man down.
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I might be wrong but in Scotland we're bringing in concussion subs (an extra sub opportunity) for this scenario.
 
Samuel said:
I would be interested to see how this would go down in a game as you would have to specify the parameters for there to be less arguments from the benches, I can already imagine a player having to go off because of this and then the benches letting all hell go loose if they concede due to being a man down.
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We saw exactly how they would react when Man City conceded a goal with De Ligt off the pitch getting his bloodied head sorted. It resulted in the Darren Ferguson suspension being discussed in another topic. And the referee was 100% right in this case as there was a lot of blood.

Although what @RefJef was suggesting is they could bring on a sub whilst the 10 minute assessment took place, so they wouldn't be a man down
 
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