The Ref Stop

Dropped Ball

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ladbroke8745

RefChat Addict
I have just downloaded the new app that IFAB have brought out and despite having a quick glance previously on the laws of the game, I have had a proper read this time.

So, the dropped ball scenario.

The updated laws suggest, unless I've read it wrong, that we now drop the ball to one person.
This could be the keeper if the drop ball is required in the area, or to a player from the team that last touched the ball.

Is this correct? No more contested dropped balls? Not that we see many contested these days.

Dropped ball
  • If play is stopped inside the penalty area, the ball will be dropped for the goalkeeper
  • If play is stopped outside the penalty area, the ball will be dropped for one player of the team that last touched the ball at the point of the last touch
  • In all cases, all the other players (of both teams) must be at least 4m (4.5yds) away
  • If the ball touches the referee (or another match official) and goes into the goal, team possession changes or a promising attack starts, a dropped ball is awarded
Also, on the last one, I assume the ball is "re-dropped" if the ball touches the referee and does any of the things mentioned ie goes into the goal, goes to opponent or favours the receiving ball with a promising attack (following being touched by the ref). Question here is, would you re-start if the player plays it quickly (legally, ie it bounces first before playing) but against you and starts a promising attack or play on as you are part of play?
 
The Ref Stop
@ladbroke8745 you are correct, contested drop balls are a thing of history from tomorrow. In terms of the second query, you would do exactly as you assume - if the ball hits the referee and it starts a promising attack the ball stops being in play and a further drop ball takes place.
 
But what if it hit the referee after the ball has bounced, and then the player plays the ball.
The written part makes it sound like it applies before the player has played it.
 
I'd say that it still going to be a further drop ball as the next subsequent action is a player generating an attacking move after the ball strikes the referee. Therefore the criteria for the ball to be out of play and a drop being needed is met.
 
ladbroke8745 said:
But what if it hit the referee after the ball has bounced, and then the player plays the ball.
The written part makes it sound like it applies before the player has played it.
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If I understand what you're trying to say correctly, I think you're misreading it. The last bullet point isn't talking about these scenarios occurring when the referee drops the ball, they're talking about them happening during the normal course of play.

Of course they could also happen in the way you describe after the ball had been dropped, but that's not the likely or intended scenario.
 
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Peter Grove said:
If I understand what you're trying to say correctly, I think you're misreading it. The last bullet point isn't talking about these scenarios occurring when the referee drops the ball, they're talking about them happening during the normal course of play.

Of course they could also happen in the way you describe after the ball had been dropped, but that not the likely or intended scenario.
Click to expand...

That's what I wanted clearing up.
Thanks.
 
I tried the new rules in a game friendly game on Saturday, incident in the penalty area that meant the game had to be stopped, no foul play just an injury after 3 players came together. Injury dealt with, everyone happy so uncontested drop ball to keeper, all fine and dandy. Apart from the keeper picked it up. I was unsure what to do then, it wasn't a pass from his own player, he didn't have it in his hands previously so allowed to pick up or not?
 
Gamespoiler said:
I tried the new rules in a game friendly game on Saturday, incident in the penalty area that meant the game had to be stopped, no foul play just an injury after 3 players came together. Injury dealt with, everyone happy so uncontested drop ball to keeper, all fine and dandy. Apart from the keeper picked it up. I was unsure what to do then, it wasn't a pass from his own player, he didn't have it in his hands previously so allowed to pick up or not?
Click to expand...

I don't see why you wouldn't allow it. It's a restart and anything that occurred before is null and void in the sense of how the ball comes to him or her.
Plus, technically, you've passed it to him or her.
 
After you dropped the ball, it was in play. So ask yourself the question - is a goalkeeper allowed to pick the ball up during play, inside their own penalty area?
 
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Gamespoiler said:
No such thing as a silly question apart form this one. Cheers folks
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Before qualifying, one would see the keeper pick up a dropped ball and one wouldn't bat an eyelid. Sometimes after qualifying, a 'brain fart' can twist newfound knowledge against the beholder. If you catch a whiff of such an event, look around and do what 'football expects'!
 
ladbroke8745 said:
That's what I wanted clearing up.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Also, I think understanding these changes is not helped by the way the wording you've quoted is shown. Those 4 bullet points do not appear all together in the laws in the manner shown in your post. The first 3 are from Law 8, the last one is from Law 9. The 4 clauses are not meant to be read together.

A fuller extract of the Law 9 wording which makes the meaning clearer, would be:
The ball is out of play when:
[...]
• it touches a match official, remains on the field of play and:
• a team starts a promising attack or
• the ball goes directly into the goal or
• the team in possession of the ball changes
In all these cases, play is restarted with a dropped ball.
Click to expand...
 
Gamespoiler said:
I tried the new rules in a game friendly game on Saturday, incident in the penalty area that meant the game had to be stopped, no foul play just an injury after 3 players came together. Injury dealt with, everyone happy so uncontested drop ball to keeper, all fine and dandy. Apart from the keeper picked it up. I was unsure what to do then, it wasn't a pass from his own player, he didn't have it in his hands previously so allowed to pick up or not?
Click to expand...
The question was answered above.

I can't remember the last time I dropped the ball in the penalty area and it was contested even with the old laws. Never forced it. Occasionally I get an attacker saying I'll pass it to the keeper and I say you can just leave it to the keeper to pick it up if you want and they walk off.
 
And I think I've just seen a prime example of why the law was changed.

England on edge of area, Swiss player down on edge, central, ref stops play and restarts with dropping the ball. Swiss player restarts by kicking it down the field and we've gone from a promising attack to having to defend possession back in our own half.
 
I presided over the new Laws yesterday for the first time. Had two dropped balls and both teams kicked it back to the opposition. Footballers do not realise how absurdly conflicted they are in their behaviour :confused:
 
Big Cat said:
I presided over the new Laws yesterday for the first time. Had two dropped balls and both teams kicked it back to the opposition. Footballers do not realise how absurdly conflicted they are in their behaviour :confused:
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Can guarantee you try to drop the ball to the side in possession, and they’ll want the other side to have it “we had the ball they need to kick it back to us”.
 
I do sympathise with this confusion. The whole point of a dropped ball is that it was always (technically) a neutral restart, with a whole raft of conventions outside the LOTG that came about to formalise who kicks the ball back to who in what situation. If you're going to do that, why not just switch them all to IFK's and be done with it, rather than introduce a 4m exclusion zone out of nowhere?
 
It's pretty easy, where the team that has possession is obvious you drop it to them. If it isn't clear, you aren't sure, and both teams are saying they should get the ball, you drop it to the defending team. Far better to incur a few complaints from the attacking team than you drop it to the attacking team and they score within 5 seconds.
 
Big Cat said:
I presided over the new Laws yesterday for the first time. Had two dropped balls and both teams kicked it back to the opposition. Footballers do not realise how absurdly conflicted they are in their behaviour :confused:
Click to expand...
If the players don't understand the intent of the new law (and many won't) then to start with, you're going to have to explain it to them. Just say something along the lines of, "Your team had the ball when I stopped play, I'm giving it to you, you don't have to give it back to the other team." In the Women's World Cup games you can see the referee taking a few seconds every time a dropped ball occurs, to explain the procedure to the players (they also do the same whenever a wall is formed). Until everyone gets used to this - which could take up to a season or so, referees will need to explain it.
 
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