The Ref Stop

Drop Ball Ceremony

Harey

Harey

Member
Hi,

Sorry quick question about a Dropped Ball.

Having refereed a number of Youth Games, the recommendation had been to me is that if a player is injured at this level (in addition to a head injury) you stop play for their welfare if they look is some discomfort.

When play restarts, and only one team is happy to contest the dropped ball (by returning to the opposition) do you still go through ceremony of dropping the ball, or just let them play from the ground?

Thanks
Chris
 
The Ref Stop
Harey said:
Hi,

Sorry quick question about a Dropped Ball.

Having refereed a number of Youth Games, the recommendation had been to me is that if a player is injured at this level (in addition to a head injury) you stop play for their welfare if they look is some discomfort.

When play restarts, and only one team is happy to contest the dropped ball (by returning to the opposition) do you still go through ceremony of dropping the ball, or just let them play from the ground?

Thanks
Chris
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They will moan (particularly at open age), but it is important that you are in control of the restart. Yes, it needs to be dropped and touch the floor before it can be played.
I had one player recently that dropped it for himself and played it back to the keeper. Might seem trivial, but I called it back. I am in charge of the game, not the players.
Furthermore, playing from the ground sends the message that you gave a free-kick, when you did not.
 
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Harey said:
Thanks @JH you raise a great point about it looking like a free kick. I will stick to the ceremony.
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Also remember:

"The whistle is NOT needed to:
restart play from:
most free kicks, and a goal kick, corner kick, throw-in or dropped ball"

I'd call it a rookie mistake but I've seen professionals do it plenty of times. Just make sure the players are ready (mistake I made recently).
 
JH said:
Also remember:

"The whistle is NOT needed to:
restart play from:
most free kicks, and a goal kick, corner kick, throw-in or dropped ball"

I'd call it a rookie mistake but I've seen professionals do it plenty of times. Just make sure the players are ready (mistake I made recently).
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I see so many refs do this. Drop ball then blow whistle...infuriating.
 
JamesL said:
I see so many refs do this. Drop ball then blow whistle...infuriating.
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Ciley Myrus said:
Yip, ball is in play when it touches the ground. So, anybody prone to whistling after this point, be interesting to hear why? As logcally the whistle would mean to stop play.
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As @bester rightly pointed out:

"The whistle is needed to:
  • restart play after it has been stopped for a:
  • injury"
Despite the laws saying a whistle is not needed for a dropped ball, it also says it is not needed to restart from throw-in - but you still whistle before the throw if it follows an injury. Therefore whistle, then drop ball after injury is correct (something I didn't realise!).

However, drop ball THEN whistle is completely wrong and I've seen that a few times!
 
JH said:
As @bester rightly pointed out:

"The whistle is needed to:
  • restart play after it has been stopped for a:
  • injury"
Despite the laws saying a whistle is not needed for a dropped ball, it also says it is not needed to restart from throw-in - but you still whistle before the throw if it follows an injury. Therefore whistle, then drop ball after injury is correct (something I didn't realise!).

However, drop ball THEN whistle is completely wrong and I've seen that a few times!
Click to expand...


Nope, I beg to differ on the interpretaion of that and as ever, each to own

And, you do not want the whistle anywhere near your mouth at a drop ball, unless the idea of all your teeth coming out of your back passage in the days to come
 
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Ciley Myrus said:
Nope, I beg to differ on the interpretaion of that and as ever, each to own

And, you do not want the whistle anywhere near your mouth at a drop ball, unless the idea of all your teeth coming out of your back passage in the days to come
Click to expand...

I don't see what there is to differ on. A whistle is needed for any restart after an injury (or sub or caution)--that is black and white. The whistle you are making is for the end of the injury delay (or substitution, or caution....) not for the DB itself. So the whistle can be (and IMO opinion should be) well before you drop it--not only because you don't want the whistle in your mouth, but because the whole point of the whistle is to make sure everyone knows the game is going to restart after the delay.
 
Ciley Myrus said:
Nope, I beg to differ on the interpretaion of that and as ever, each to own

And, you do not want the whistle anywhere near your mouth at a drop ball, unless the idea of all your teeth coming out of your back passage in the days to come
Click to expand...
It's pretty black and white on this one I think, I was just unaware of it. A whistle is required for any restart after an injury - this overrides the section of 'whistle is not needed for'. Don't know what your point is about whistle near your mouth, surely you whistle (take the whistle away from your mouth...) then drop, not all in one go?
 
JH said:
It's pretty black and white on this one I think, I was just unaware of it. A whistle is required for any restart after an injury - this overrides the section of 'whistle is not needed for'. Don't know what your point is about whistle near your mouth, surely you whistle (take the whistle away from your mouth...) then drop, not all in one go?
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Crossed wires here.
 
socal lurker said:
I don't see what there is to differ on. A whistle is needed for any restart after an injury (or sub or caution)--that is black and white. The whistle you are making is for the end of the injury delay (or substitution, or caution....) not for the DB itself. So the whistle can be (and IMO opinion should be) well before you drop it--not only because you don't want the whistle in your mouth, but because the whole point of the whistle is to make sure everyone knows the game is going to restart after the delay.
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This is the crossed wires. Not confusing, whistle AS YOU do the drop ball
Whistling to indicate you are about to begin the drop ball procedure is totally different
I had image in my head of folk whistling as they dropped the ball
Which is not far fetched as, this happens.
 
JH said:
As @bester rightly pointed out:

"The whistle is needed to:
  • restart play after it has been stopped for a:
  • injury"
Despite the laws saying a whistle is not needed for a dropped ball, it also says it is not needed to restart from throw-in - but you still whistle before the throw if it follows an injury. Therefore whistle, then drop ball after injury is correct (something I didn't realise!).

However, drop ball THEN whistle is completely wrong and I've seen that a few times!
Click to expand...
Tbh I think this is poorly written law that have made you think this. The laws say when a whistle is needed. And then go onto say that a whistle is not needed for a dropped ball. So I'd argue that it isn't needed at all as dropped balls are excluded after the requirement following an injury.
A dropped ball is ceremonial enough to not require it. How many other restarts begin with the referee holding the ball?
 
JamesL said:
Tbh I think this is poorly written law that have made you think this. The laws say when a whistle is needed. And then go onto say that a whistle is not needed for a dropped ball. So I'd argue that it isn't needed at all as dropped balls are excluded after the requirement following an injury.
A dropped ball is ceremonial enough to not require it. How many other restarts begin with the referee holding the ball?
Click to expand...
"The whistle is needed to:
restart play after it has been stopped for a:
•caution or sending-off
•injury
•substitution"

"The whistle is NOT needed to:
• restart play from:
•most free kicks, and a goal kick, corner kick, throw-in or dropped ball"

I originally thought the same as you James, but do you blow to restart from a throw after a sub or injury? Yes you do. Why is drop ball different? It says whistle is not needed for throw, but you do?

I believe the law is saying 'unless there are other circumstances' a whistle is not required.
 
I interpret that as, the whistle after injury is so THEY can resume playing, whereas with a drop ball WE are already restarting the game by the dropping of the ball thus negating the need for whistle.

I have honest never came across a whistle for a drop ball in xx years of top flight football, grass roots, yes. Which leads me to my belief someone is taking the laws to mean something that they don't, and am happy to side with my distinguished peers.
 
Ciley Myrus said:
I interpret that as, the whistle after injury is so THEY can resume playing, whereas with a drop ball WE are already restarting the game by the dropping of the ball thus negating the need for whistle.

I have honest never came across a whistle for a drop ball in xx years of top flight football, grass roots, yes. Which leads me to my belief someone is taking the laws to mean something that they don't, and am happy to side with my distinguished peers.
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The problem is that we have to interpret something that could be written so simple. They can't even write when to blow the whistle without contradicting themselves...
 
JamesL said:
Tbh I think this is poorly written law that have made you think this. The laws say when a whistle is needed. And then go onto say that a whistle is not needed for a dropped ball. So I'd argue that it isn't needed at all as dropped balls are excluded after the requirement following an injury.
A dropped ball is ceremonial enough to not require it. How many other restarts begin with the referee holding the ball?
Click to expand...

I think that is an entirely untenable reading of the Laws here. The law is the same for DB as for GK, CK, or TI, so nothing in the laws is distinguishing whether a whistle is needed after an injury/sub/caution based on the ceremonial level of the restart.

Just as, following a sub before a throw-on, a whistle is not needed for the throw in, but it is needed because play is restarting after a sub, when play is stopped for an injury, a whistle is not needed for the dropped ball, but it is needed because play is restarting after a sub.

If this were not true, the requirement of a whistle "to restart play after it has been stopped for a . . . injury" is totally meaningless--as the DB is the way in which play is always restarted if it is stopped for an injury.

(This does point out some of the poor drafting, however--play is never actually stopped for a substitution; a substitution takes place during another stoppage. But I think, while poorly written, the intent is very clear: if play is restarting after an injury/caution/sub, the whistle is the formal way that a referee says "we're done with all that and about to start playing again." The fact there is a DB/TI/GK/CK doesn't change that.)

All that said, is it the end of the world if you fail to properly bow the whistle first? Not really--as you said, the DB is already pretty structured and sends the message. So it is technically incorrect to not blow the whistle, but if everyone is actually ready, hardly the worst mistake most of us will make in a game. (And I will confess that though I think this is a black and white requirement, I have caught myself forgetting to do so on occasion.)
 
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