Drop ball. How are your leagues handling it?

[Tealeaf]

It’s put an end to “But we had the ball” (or more accurately “But weeee had the baaaaaallll!!!!!”) tantrums.

You were in possession, you get it back. It’s made life easier tbh. I just make a point of telling the opposition that the other side will be able to play on straight away and so they’re ready

 

[Grayson]

Once saw a young ref (who, to be fair, may well have just been a player roped into it), not so much drop (a contested) ball as bounce it into the deck so hard it shot about 20 yards away six foot in the air. Quite admired that restart tbh

 

[Big Cat]

Once saw a young ref (who, to be fair, may well have just been a player roped into it), not so much drop (a contested) ball as bounce it into the deck so hard it shot about 20 yards away six foot in the air. Quite admired that restart tbh

I had a collision with a player today and was incapacitated by the big fella lying on top of me in the mud. I offered to exchange numbers with him after the game and had no choice but to blow for a dropped ball as the player was impeded by my amorous nature and I missed 3 or 4 seconds of the game whilst I recomposed. Very embarrassing

 

[socal lurker]

It’s put an end to “But we had the ball” (or more accurately “But weeee had the baaaaaallll!!!!!”) tantrums.

You were in possession, you get it back. It’s made life easier tbh. I just make a point of telling the opposition that the other side will be able to play on straight away and so they’re ready

Yes and no. The ball doesn’t go to who had possession, it goes to who last touched—most often the same, but a minor deflection could result in a turnover to the other side. And of course, it doesn’t solve the problem for those rare occasions where an attacker had the ball in the PA, which always goes to the GK.

 

[RobOda]

Development league today and twice I had a drop ball (for injury) that the team kicked it back because the manager told them to... For the second one the player shouted "But we had the ball", which was correct and was exactly why I stopped it, but the manager overruled him to send it back to the opposition.

I don't know, what's the point?

 

[Ben448844]

Two drop balls this weekend. One after stopping the game for a head injury and one today when the ball hit me. Both times I set up for an uncontested drop ball and both times a player from the opposite team came and offered to kick the ball back to the goalkeeper and both times the opposition wanted them to do that too. I just let them do it, it's just easier for everyone.

I know that in theory the opposition could be pulling a fast one and start an attack after offering to kick the ball back. But that rarely happens (seen it once as a ref but never as a player in 23 years). If they did pull a fast one id just bring it back for any reason I could think off. It's so much better to allow the opposition to give it back to the keeper. Football expects that. It's also a good way to bring the temperature down of a game. The opposition feel that a sporting gesture has occurred.

 

[RobOda]

Two drop balls this weekend. One after stopping the game for a head injury and one today when the ball hit me. Both times I set up for an uncontested drop ball and both times a player from the opposite team came and offered to kick the ball back to the goalkeeper and both times the opposition wanted them to do that too. I just let them do it, it's just easier for everyone.

I know that in theory the opposition could be pulling a fast one and start an attack after offering to kick the ball back. But that rarely happens (seen it once as a ref but never as a player in 23 years). If they did pull a fast one id just bring it back for any reason I could think off. It's so much better to allow the opposition to give it back to the keeper. Football expects that. It's also a good way to bring the temperature down of a game. The opposition feel that a sporting gesture has occurred.

I like the idea, but definitely not worth doing if you're getting assessed!

Hopefully by next year they will get their heads around it. I actually am that bothered about it, I might start telling the managers how it works pre-match.

 

[Ben448844]

I like the idea, but definitely not worth doing if you're getting assessed!

Hopefully by next year they will get their heads around it. I actually am that bothered about it, I might start telling the managers how it works pre-match.

If I'm being assessed it'll be by the book like everything else. But it seems so pointless when it wasn't an issue before they changed the law. Neither side likes the idea of an uncontested drop ball, it just doesn't seem right. Letting the opposition kick the ball back just worked.

Not sure I'd bother discussing it with managers pre match..

 

[Russell Jones]

If I'm being assessed it'll be by the book like everything else. But it seems so pointless when it wasn't an issue before they changed the law. Neither side likes the idea of an uncontested drop ball, it just doesn't seem right. Letting the opposition kick the ball back just worked.

Not sure I'd bother discussing it with managers pre match..

Can totally understand the temptation to take this easy, seemingly uncomplicated way out. Problem is that we need to help players 'get' the new Laws and all of us properly enforcing them in Year 1 is the best route to achieve this.
I've probably had about 10 drop balls so far this season. In 8 of the 10 I've needed to explain to both teams what the new Law entails (Most of these games were at Contrib level). It's hard work but if we stick at it I'm sure it'll get much better understood as time goes by.

 

[socal lurker]

Please don’t be last week’s ref. If you just do waht’s easy, it means it takes longer to get the players to understand what is right.

 

[Nij]

Two drop balls this weekend. One after stopping the game for a head injury and one today when the ball hit me. Both times I set up for an uncontested drop ball and both times a player from the opposite team came and offered to kick the ball back to the goalkeeper and both times the opposition wanted them to do that too. I just let them do it, it's just easier for everyone.

I know that in theory the opposition could be pulling a fast one and start an attack after offering to kick the ball back. But that rarely happens (seen it once as a ref but never as a player in 23 years). If they did pull a fast one id just bring it back for any reason I could think off. It's so much better to allow the opposition to give it back to the keeper. Football expects that. It's also a good way to bring the temperature down of a game. The opposition feel that a sporting gesture has occurred.

I'd offer to do that as the defender too, it means the opposition get the ball in their own box instead of potentially my half.
Why would any attacker let them do it, when it puts the ball way back there instead of up here?

If you don't want them to "pull a fast one" - don't let them have the chance and then waste everybody's time and confuse the players by bringing it back.

 

[Ben448844]

Please don’t be last week’s ref. If you just do waht’s easy, it means it takes longer to get the players to understand what is right.

What about the 6 second law for goalkeepers. Keeper being slightly off his line for penalties. Encroachment. Going over and checking player equipment at every substitution on a Sunday morning game where roll on roll off subs can mean 15-20 substitutions a game. Make sure the playing coming on doesn't enter the FOP before the other has left. Different coloured sock tape at Sunday League level.

There's lots of laws that we don't enforce to the letter of the law, or completely ignore like the 6 second law. I explain the new drop ball law but when the players offer to kick it back to the keeper why look a gift horse in the mouth? It's a nothing situation.

Offering to kick the ball back to the keeper
.....Spirit of the game

 

[JamesL]

What about the 6 second law for goalkeepers. Keeper being slightly off his line for penalties. Encroachment. Going over and checking player equipment at every substitution on a Sunday morning game where roll on roll off subs can mean 15-20 substitutions a game. Make sure the playing coming on doesn't enter the FOP before the other has left. Different coloured sock tape at Sunday League level.

There's lots of laws that we don't enforce to the letter of the law, or completely ignore like the 6 second law. I explain the new drop ball law but when the players offer to kick it back to the keeper why look a gift horse in the mouth? It's a nothing situation.

Offering to kick the ball back to the keeper
.....Spirit of the game

There is an ulterier motive to the team wanting to kick it back. They withe get the chance to launch it all the way back to the keeper instead of havi g to defend, what is now, a set piece.
There's no spirit of the game to it, its all self preservation.
As a player would you rather have the chance to play the ball back to the keeper, or would you rather the ball be dropped to your opponent who can start an immediate attack?
Players aren't as dumb as some of them look

 

[Ben448844]

There is an ulterier motive to the team wanting to kick it back. They withe get the chance to launch it all the way back to the keeper instead of havi g to defend, what is now, a set piece.
There's no spirit of the game to it, its all self preservation.
As a player would you rather have the chance to play the ball back to the keeper, or would you rather the ball be dropped to your opponent who can start an immediate attack?
Players aren't as dumb as some of them look

As a player until the age of 33, from academy until 15, county senior standard and then amateur, I've got a pretty decent idea of how players think. You're right, they aren't as dumb as they look and are always looking to gain an advantage. But kicking the ball back after an injury is just something we all did/do. It's just the accepted procedure, No alterior motive. Ref tells you to kick it back to the keeper (I know they shouldn't but they did as it just works), people clap a bit and you move on. As a striker (until I got 30) it was usually me who knocked it back to the keeper if one of the opposition's defenders or midfielders were injured. Never saw a single issue in 23 consecutive years of football matches.

I did have an issue in a Sunday League match whilst refereeing, where a player dribbled with the ball after the drop as a 'joke'. Next time I'll just blow the whistle and bring it back, lesson learnt.

 

[JamesL]

I would argue you have been lucky as a referee and very sporting as a player.
Get all sorts of little tricks like over hitting for throw ins. Kicking it and then chasing it down once the keeper has it getting him to rush and maybe force a mistake.. Anything to swing it back their way. Not always but just some of the things I have seen.
For what it's worth I dont like the new drop ball law. Causes more issues than it solves.
But that is how it is now and we have to get on with it. The only thing it does do is gets the game moving again, sometimes very quickly
Most confusion players/have about laws of the game are mis application or wilful neglect by referees. By carrying on the same old way as before, it just creates confusion when the referee who does it properly turns up

 

[Ben448844]

I would argue you have been lucky as a referee and very sporting as a player.
Get all sorts of little tricks like over hitting for throw ins. Kicking it and then chasing it down once the keeper has it getting him to rush and maybe force a mistake.. Anything to swing it back their way. Not always but just some of the things I have seen.
For what it's worth I dont like the new drop ball law. Causes more issues than it solves.
But that is how it is now and we have to get on with it. The only thing it does do is gets the game moving again, sometimes very quickly
Most confusion players/have about laws of the game are mis application or wilful neglect by referees. By carrying on the same old way as before, it just creates confusion when the referee who does it properly turns up

I played in the south Manchester Sunday Leagues for 15 years, sporting players......I've seen it all fella. There's probably very little I haven't experienced.

What about all the other laws we ignore? What when a referee turns up and applies one of those laws properly as listed above?

 

[JamesL]

I played in the south Manchester Sunday Leagues for 15 years, sporting players......I've seen it all fella. There's probably very little I haven't experienced.

What about all the other laws we ignore? What when a referee turns up and applies one of those laws properly as listed above?

Sorry, I wasn't necessarily having a dig at you in answer to your questions, refer to my above post. We make a rod for our own backs. We are all guilty of it with various laws that we don't apply.
If you w at to open a thread about the laws we ignore/misapply I will probably cut and paste the same response.
Fact is, there has been aaw change. How will the law change ever be accepted when Last weeks ref (not name calling here)just let us play it back.
I've had dropped balls result in a goal. I am then the baddy for doing it properly as again last week's ref let them play it back the old school way.
There has been a change to law as clearly the lawmakers wanted there to be a change. My opinion is that 1) it might deter feigning injury to get playstopped.
2) it gets the game moving again without the fan fare.
There is the option of changing the laws currently ignored, if they really want to do something about it

 

[Kes]

I happen to think that the new drop-ball law is one of the few simpler and more sensible amendments to the LOTG we've had to take on this season.

 

[socal lurker]

What about the 6 second law for goalkeepers. Keeper being slightly off his line for penalties. Encroachment. Going over and checking player equipment at every substitution on a Sunday morning game where roll on roll off subs can mean 15-20 substitutions a game. Make sure the playing coming on doesn't enter the FOP before the other has left. Different coloured sock tape at Sunday League level.

There's lots of laws that we don't enforce to the letter of the law, or completely ignore like the 6 second law. I explain the new drop ball law but when the players offer to kick it back to the keeper why look a gift horse in the mouth? It's a nothing situation.

Offering to kick the ball back to the keeper
.....Spirit of the game

Every time refs want to make up their own rules, they cite 6 seconds. the overwhelming view in soccer is that the violations are trifling. That's not close to the same thing as deliberately conducting an improper restart. The fact that you wouldn't do it when being assessed means you know it is the wrong thing to do. IFAB, for better or worse (I think worse, but they didn't ask me), make a deliberate change to how DBs are supposed to be done. And we should follow that, not take the easy way out. I don't like the new DB rule, but every time a ref (and especially good ones) deliberately does an improper restart, it makes it harder for the game to adjust, as the ref doing it right gets grief. I'd urge you to reconsider ignoring the new Law.

I did have an issue in a Sunday League match whilst refereeing, where a player dribbled with the ball after the drop as a 'joke'. Next time I'll just blow the whistle and bring it back, lesson learnt.

And you have no authority to bring it back, which is one of the reasons IFAB made the change. By ignoring the Law, you set yourself up to ignore it again.

 

[Justylove]

I’ve had no issues with the new approach. Had a situation on Saturday where the attacking player went down and the ball was just outside the penalty area on the left hand side of the pitch. He was holding his head so stopped game. A bit of player management and the right restart was done, uncontested to the attacking team who then put the ball into the box and had a header on goal.

It wasn’t an issue, just needs managing right from the time that you blow the whistle to stop play, right up until the restart.