"Assessed or Treated on Pitch"

[Lucarelli99]

Hi there,

Had a top of the table clash in an U15 league, a testy game with both sides trying to garner every possible advantage but all went well in the end.

Just one incident I'd like to ask about. Player goes down with an ostensible injury. In youth leagues here it is the convention to stop the play for an injury regardless of severity owing to youth player welfare.

When I stop the play it turns out he's suffering from cramp, another player helps him stretch it out and no formal entry for treatment from the sidelines is needed. Because the process took a little while I make him stand off to the side before waving him back on, this causes a little bit of consternation that is soon forgotten from the opposition because he hasn't been formally treated. It is forgotten about very quickly but it raises the question when reflecting on the game and preventing any controversy that could come from a repeat of this situation (i.e opposition scores whilst he's still absent from play)

The law says that a player who is assessed or treated on the pitch must then leave to be waved back on, but from what I can see this definition is a little bit ambiguous. Does "assessment" have to be carried out by an outside body or does this just mean the player is being checked for an injury? Should he have to leave if he isn't assessed by somebody from the sidelines? Should I just wave somebody on regardless to cover myself on this front?

Cheers

 

[wazztie16]

Hi there,

Had a top of the table clash in an U15 league, a testy game with both sides trying to garner every possible advantage but all went well in the end.

Just one incident I'd like to ask about. Player goes down with an ostensible injury. In youth leagues here it is the convention to stop the play for an injury regardless of severity owing to youth player welfare.

When I stop the play it turns out he's suffering from cramp, another player helps him stretch it out and no formal entry for treatment from the sidelines is needed. Because the process took a little while I make him stand off to the side before waving him back on, this causes a little bit of consternation that is soon forgotten from the opposition because he hasn't been formally treated. It is forgotten about very quickly but it raises the question when reflecting on the game and preventing any controversy that could come from a repeat of this situation (i.e opposition scores whilst he's still absent from play)

The law says that a player who is assessed or treated on the pitch must then leave to be waved back on, but from what I can see this definition is a little bit ambiguous. Does "assessment" have to be carried out by an outside body or does this just mean the player is being checked for an injury? Should he have to leave if he isn't assessed by somebody from the sidelines? Should I just wave somebody on regardless to cover myself on this front?

Cheers

Assessed or treated would be by a qualified person i.e physio, if no proper physio then manager etc (e.g Sunday League).

If it's just cramp and another player helps with the stretch then I wouldn't be making the 'injured player' leave the FOP.

Hope this helps.

 

[OldNavyRef]

Only stop the game for head injuries or emergencies.

If anyone says anything to you. Tell the players they can kick it out if they want.

There is a common understanding that under a certain age (I'd guess around U12s/13s) players don't typically feign injury and they are a lot more delicate than us, so younger kids, would get the game stopped by me.

But U15s know what they are doing, and they replicate what they so on the TV more so. If the player just sits their self down for a stretch or a roll around, that isn't really your position to get involved.

Only send a player to the sidelines if any staff come on the pitch. Otherwise record the time for extratime (commonly know as injury time )

 

[one]

ostensible injury

Hope you don't mind using this in the future.

In terms of your question, the ambiguity in law gives you some flexibility. Use context, common sense, and what the law was put there for to make a decision.

Few things to consider:
. Following common practice for the league on when to stop injury and different age levels etc. as you have.
. Can you add added time inline with comp rules?
. Temperature of the game, score at the time, how long left, and your feel for gamesmanship
. Is this the first time for the player or for his team, or for the game that this has happened?
. Being consistent
. How quick did he get back up

Sorry I didn't give you a black and white answer but IMO one size does not fit all in this case.

 

[RustyRef]

Only stop the game for head injuries or emergencies.

If anyone says anything to you. Tell the players they can kick it out if they want.

Not sure I'd recommend that approach, as long as play is in a neutral area with no chance of an imminent attack it is safer just to stop play. Avoids a potential argument where one team kicks it out and the opponents don't then give it back, especially these days with uncontested dropped balls.

 

[RyantheRef]

If nobody from the technical area entered the field of play to assess or treat the injured player, then he does not need to leave the field of play.

 

[RustyRef]

If nobody from the technical area entered the field of play to assess or treat the injured player, then he does not need to leave the field of play.

That isn't strictly correct. Once the referee authorises treatment the player has to go off, even if the physio doesn't actually enter onto the pitch.

 

[OldNavyRef]

Not sure I'd recommend that approach, as long as play is in a neutral area with no chance of an imminent attack it is safer just to stop play. Avoids a potential argument where one team kicks it out and the opponents don't then give it back, especially these days with uncontested dropped balls.

I think it somewhat depends on the level of play. If the players are that bothered over cramp they can kick it out themselves.

Some decent sides base their game plan on knocking the ball around the defence and then pouncing on the other side when people are out of position. If you stop the game when their attack is triggered, they will go ballistic and you'll only encourage players to go down to stop teams playing off triggers.

Example, team A commits more players to an attack than normal, they see the team B keeper collect the ball, so team A striker audibly makes pain noise and goes down holding leg (to try and stop the keeper launching the ball towards team As outnumbered defence). Ref stops game because the keeper had the ball, so why not.

But fully agree, if the game is slow and no one is doing anything, maybe stop it. But I personally don't do it. Unless I deem there to be an emergency. It is somewhat common for me to stop the game for a potential emergency, maybe once every games, and I get somewhat bothered when the player immediately stands up and walks off.