A&H

Chelsea - Luton

Tealeaf

Tealeaf

Lighting the darkest hour
Staff member
Genuinely unsure on this, rather than clutching at straws. Second ball on the field as the quick throw is taken that directly leads to the first goal.

Goal cleared by VAR despite the second ball distracting at least 2 players momentarily.

The question is how would we define an impact on the active play?
 
The Referee Store
Haven't seen it. But I'd ask the question, if the second ball wasn't on the field, would the goal have been scored? The answer to the question has to be a judgement call by the referee. If the answer is no then disallow the goal.

For VAR it would have to be a more resounding 'no' to ask for a review.
 
Like I say genuinely curious. May be slightly over cautious but I always go for the safety first approach; calling back a restart when we end up with 2 balls on to avoid such situations.

Rare to see it in the professional game which is why I ask.
 
For me it doesn't interfere with play. The throw in happens in one direction, the extra ball enters in another. The goal would still have been scored if the extra ball wasn't there.

"allow play to continue if it does not interfere with play and have it removed at the earliest possible opportunity"

which was done so almost within the same motion as the throw in
 
Sounds very much like a goal from all descriptions. Safe refereeing can go too far and can backfire. The scoring team should not be unfairly disadvantaged and not all decisions which favour the attacking team are 'unsafe'
 
I'm sure the ruling now is that, if the second ball doesn't interfere with play, then the play continues...... with all the balls placed around the pitch now players are often collecting one quickly to take a throw whilst the original balls is still bouncing around.......so its down to the players to concentrate.
 
Mr Dean said:
Surely play shouldn't restart with an extra ball on the field?
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Play restarted at the same time as the ball entered the field up the other end of the pitch. Not sure the ref seen it but also no reason to stop. Can’t find a video of it.

1611499087535.png
 
Throw-in taker picks up a spare ball and take a quick. The ball that had gone out bounced off the sponsor board and back onto the pitch.

1611500073954.png
No interference for me but if you're going by the letter of the law the goal shouldn't have stood as play was restarted with an extra ball on the pitch?
 
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Both balls on the pitch for about a second and no where near each other so its a goal (and that's from a QPR fan!) and here's the confirmation from the LOTG;

"an extra ball, other object or animal enters the field of play during the match, the referee must: – stop play (and restart with a dropped ball) only if it interferes with play – unless the ball is going into the goal and the interference does not prevent a defending player playing the ball; the goal is awarded if the ball enters the goal (even if contact was made with the ball) unless the interference was by the attacking team – allow play to continue if it does not interfere with play and have it removed at the earliest possible opportunity"
 
PinnerPaul said:
have it removed at the earliest possible opportunity"
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The 'earliest possible opportunity' is during a stoppage in play, isn't it? Personally, I wouldn't allow play to restart with an extra ball on the field although the referee here probably didn't see the extra ball.

This is a problem with the multi-ball system. Players are looking at the ball which has just left the field of play and suddenly, as if by magic, the attacking team has another ball in their hands. Luckily, I don't have to deal with this crap at my level.

Edit: I do have to deal with other crap though
 
The problem here was that the game was restarted with an extra ball on the pitch, and I think had the officials seen it then would have had the throw-in retaken.

Interestingly, the FA Cup rules say that the multiple ball system cannot be used before the semi-final stage. Covid has presumably overridden that, but there doesn't appear to be anything in the Covid section of the rules stating as such.
 
On a more general point that has always bugged me and most of you....

Luton manager said he had been in football for 38 years and 'unless they have changed the rule or I don't know the rules.....' you can guess the rest!

Is football the only place where you can earn your living for 38 years and not know the 'rules'

Can any of you imagine working with someone who had been in a particular line of work for that long and he/she did something wrong because they 'didn't know the rules'?
 
PinnerPaul said:
On a more general point that has always bugged me and most of you....

Luton manager said he had been in football for 38 years and 'unless they have changed the rule or I don't know the rules.....' you can guess the rest!

Is football the only place where you can earn your living for 38 years and not know the 'rules'

Can any of you imagine working with someone who had been in a particular line of work for that long and he/she did something wrong because they 'didn't know the rules'?
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Agree, I've used the analogy that if a plumber didn't know the current gas safety rules and that caused an explosion the householder wouldn't accept that he didn't know the regulations. Why on earth is it seemingly accepted that professional footballers and their managers don't know the current laws of the game? It makes no sense.
 
Its not helped by the media. Manish on MOTD2 pointed out the law to Leon Osman and he just laughed and said, "Its still not right"

Manish even sounded surprised when he concluded " ......so the ref got it right" - well yes, that's his job - why on earth sound surprised!
 
Mr Dean said:
The 'earliest possible opportunity' is during a stoppage in play, isn't it?
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Not necessarily - if play is ongoing (which it was by the time anyone had a chance to notice the extra ball) then the earliest possible opportunity is straight away and well before the next stoppage. And again, that's exactly what happened here - the ball was kicked back off the pitch before the thrown-in ball had even reached the ground (see still image in post # 8).

Even had I noticed this ball as the throw was being taken, I would not have stopped play in one of my games since as specified in law, play should continue if the extra ball does not interfere with play (which it didn't).
 
Peter Grove said:
Not necessarily - if play is ongoing (which it was by the time anyone had a chance to notice the extra ball) then the earliest possible opportunity is straight away and well before the next stoppage. And again, that's exactly what happened here - the ball was kicked back off the pitch before the thrown-in ball had even reached the ground (see still image in post # 8).

Even had I noticed this ball as the throw was being taken, I would not have stopped play in one of my games since as specified in law, play should continue if the extra ball does not interfere with play (which it didn't).
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Totally agree - surprised there is so much discussion - two balls 'in play' for about a second. No one would even think about it on a grassroots game.
 
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