Injured Players- Leaving the field after receiving treatment

[ref11]

Some help with this scenario please:

There is an aerial collision between two outfield opposition players. Both players have treatment and one player is fit to continue but the other is stretchered off the field. He needs to be substituted. My question is according to law shouldn't both players have to go off the field as they've received treatment therefore the player that is fit to continue waits off the field till he's called back on and the substitution is held till the next stoppage in play (or maybe it can be done straight away as it's not technically the same player coming back on?). Or should you just do the substitution as soon as the injured player is stretchered off and allow the opposition player to stay on the field?

Hope that makes sense. All suggestions welcome.

 

[Tino Best]

LOTG or common sense. This thread could go on for a while. My first reaction is that both players have to leave FOP.If the stretchered players team subsitute is ready why not let the subsitution happen and let the other injured player on at the same time. I think then you have used common sense and the LOTG but I could well be wrong.

 

[Mooseybaby]

Is this a hypothetical situation or are you referring to the incident during the first half of Chelsea vs Hull, where Gary Cahill and Ryan Mason clashed heads resulting in Mason being carried off on a stretcher after a 9 minute delay?

 

[mikedn]

If a player receives treatment he should leave the field of play ( except the goalkeeper) and wait to be allowed on..... Last year i had a player receive a head injury, he received treatment on the pitch and i told him to leave the field of play as he had received treatment...... also i can then see he is able to carry on..... i always say to the player if you have any further problems with the injury ( all injuries.. but especially the head) go down and i wil stop play. I allowed him back on and he looked fine, but 10 minues later he was some 6 feet from me and he said " ref, i don't feel well" I immediatly stopped play and he was taken off.... albeit stumbling.... He was taken to hospital and found to have concussion... you can NEVER be too careful with head injuries...

 

[JamesL]

Just apply common sense here and caution the player going off on a stretcher and restart play with a direct free kick. The other injured player can then stop on...simples - no?

 

[jofusref]

if the cards come out the un injured player stays on otherwise the both go off simples

 

[Peter Grove]

I think the main point at issue in the OP is the timing of the substitution for the injured player. Although it might seem slightly unfair in these particular circumstances, I can see no reason in law why the substitute has to wait to until a subsequent stoppage. As soon as the injured player has left the field, the substitute can enter, assuming he is ready to do so. The opposition player who was treated for an injury and has left the field, can only come back on after play has restarted. In the circumstances, you would probably want to ensure that this player gets back on the field relatively soon.

In fact, if you allow the injured/treated player back on as soon as play has restarted but make the substitute wait till the next stoppage, he might have to wait ten minutes or more which hardly seems equitable either, especially when there is no compelling reason in law to force a delay.