The Ref Stop

Duty of care?

Little Derek

Little Derek

New Member
Level 7 Referee
I was refereeing at a local 5 aside league last night, it's FA affiliated, anyway, blue goal keeper came off worse in a 50/50 but tried to run the foot injury off. After a few minutes he was no better and had to lean on the post to support himself. When it came to taking a goalies ball he said he couldn't and asked if a defender could take it, which is against the rules. They didn't have a sub to replace him with and I wasn't prepared to change the rules for him. After a couple more minutes I stopped the game and said I wasn't happy with him carrying on as he would only make a bad injury worse. His team mates kicked off because that would have left them with 4 vs 5. I got a centre manager who said she couldn't make him stop playing but then a sub turned up so the goalie left the pitch. I was later told he had either chipped a bone or broken his ankle or a bone in his foot. What would you have done?
 
The Ref Stop
it depends on their age group. If they are minors I probably would probably make him stop playing. But if they are adults, i wouldn't stop him from carrying on on if he wants to. That said i will not change competition rules in for him either
 
They were adults. My worry is that it may come back to me, as in most cases being a referee, it's one persons word against many, often angry team mates. At least in asking him to leave and bringing it to the managers attention I have a bit of comeback rather than not having any back up should they try and sue me or say I wouldn't let him leave, even though he was in agony etc etc.
 
Little Derek said:
They were adults. My worry is that it may come back to me, as in most cases being a referee, it's one persons word against many, often angry team mates. At least in asking him to leave and bringing it to the managers attention I have a bit of comeback rather than not having any back up should they try and sue me or say I wouldn't let him leave, even though he was in agony etc etc.
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Check out this link http://tinyurl.com/nyzp5uc. Pay particular attention to Decision 1 on Page 26 :)
 
Last edited:
Page 26 says: the referee
  • stops the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensures

    that he is removed from the field of play. An injured player may only return

    to the field of play after the match has restarted.

    Thanks for bringing that to my attention Pankaye, I wish the centre manager had known that rather than showing me up in front of players that I had to continue refereeing for 30 minutes by telling them that he doesn't have to leave the pitch if he doesn't want to.
 
Little Derek said:
Page 26 says: the referee
  • stops the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensures

    that he is removed from the field of play. An injured player may only return

    to the field of play after the match has restarted.

    Thanks for bringing that to my attention Pankaye, I wish the centre manager had known that rather than showing me up in front of players that I had to continue refereeing for 30 minutes by telling them that he doesn't have to leave the pitch if he doesn't want to.
Click to expand...

Both you and the centre manager are right

1. You made a different but equally valid point that you can have him removed. But this nor,ally applies to outfield players and you cause them to be removed so the game can go on.

2. You are not a doctor or medic so you cannpt decide whether he can carry on or not. if its a adult and he want to carry on then check out page 28

A referee (or where applicable, an assistant referee or fourth official) is not held liable for:

any kind of injury suffered by a player, official or spectator........ which is due...... to any decision that he may take under the terms of the Laws of the Game or in respect of the normal procedures required to hold, play and control a match.

Such decisions may include:

• a decision to stop or not to stop play to allow an injured player to be removed from the field of play for treatment

• a decision to require an injured player to be removed from the field of play for treatment
Click to expand...


Unless my take on this is totally wrong (and if anyone else disagrees please correct me)

1 You can ask him to leave the field of play to receive treatment.
2. If he insists on carrying on playing then you pretty much have to let him play unless you have reason to believe he doesn't;t have the mental capacity at that time to make such a decision. you cannot make special allowances for his injured state i.e. allowing a defender to take goal kicks because it is against competition rules
 
Not my problem. Especially whereas it isn't a life threatening injury. If he wants to play until he is a cripple, that's his choice and his manager's.
 
Bit like the high profile concussions we've seen lately. Even though the player has been knocked out, there is nothing the ref can do about it.
 
I thought this was a kids game at first. As Ryan says, he is an adult and if he says he is fine to play and there is no obvious and immediate danger to him or others (for instance blood everywhere), then let the guy carry on. odd situation.
 
Even in the case of children, it is the manager's problem, not mine; and if the manager won't stop it, surely his parents will step in at some point.
 
He's an adult, so ultimately it's his decision.

I do think that it's slightly different when kids are involved though. As referee, I think we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the players. As I said in another recent thread, I would be stopping the game and insisting that the injured player was taken off.
 
Matthew said:
He's an adult, so ultimately it's his decision.

I do think that it's slightly different when kids are involved though. As referee, I think we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the players. As I said in another recent thread, I would be stopping the game and insisting that the injured player was taken off.
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It makes all te difference in the world if kids are involved. With kids you can you do have bigger duty of care. it doesn't matter what your role is whether you are the ref, spectator, the kid's coach or the opposition coach, you have the duty of care to prevent abuse.
 
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