Referee Injury

[DeanoMT10]

Evening all.

Advice sought please.

During my game this afternoon I suffered my very first muscle pull. I’ve managed 34 years on this planet without one, but today my calf finally pinged in the 60th minute.

(This was a low level vets game).

Have to say. Both sets of players were great.
Now, moving on. I hobbled on for the remaining 30mins mostly in the centre circle and doing the best I can.

In truth. It was agony.
Having not had this before.
What do you do if you suffer an injury mid game?

Does it get abandoned?
Do they play on without you by means of another party?

I had no idea but was happy to do my best with what was given.

 

[es1]

At that level, find a willing volunteer to do it.

I've come off mid game before but happily had a mate watching who stepped in to ref in jeans!

 

[Hilly1618]

My calf pinged after about 15 mins of a game whilst being observed for a 6-5 promotion some years back now. Game was already feisty and had 2 very young assistants on each line. Soldiered on game got worse, cards galore, got slaughtered by the assessor in front of the young assistants, left some of my kit behind after the game as well. Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing Should have come off injured but was more concerned about protecting the two young assistants.

 

[RustyRef]

If you've pulled or torn something to extent that you are in severe pain and can't run you really need to go off. It isn't going to get any better, and there's every chance you'll turn a grade 1 or 2 strain into a grade 3 and end up being out for months.

The game wouldn't be abandoned, both clubs would have to mutually agree on someone to replace you. If they didn't and the game didn't carry on they would likely both be charged for causing the game to be abandoned.

 

[DeanoMT10]

Thank you all for the advice and stories!
It’s always appreciated.
Lesson learned.

 

[lincs22]

My calf pinged after about 15 mins of a game whilst being observed for a 6-5 promotion some years back now. Game was already feisty and had 2 very young assistants on each line. Soldiered on game got worse, cards galore, got slaughtered by the assessor in front of the young assistants, left some of my kit behind after the game as well. Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing Should have come off injured but was more concerned about protecting the two young assistants.

In this situation, if you felt that the assistants couldn't take over and there was nobody willing to step up, you would have to abandon. It would be left to the league to resolve, as they appointed unsuitable assistants to the match (as they didn't have the experience to referee).

If you are injured and make it worse, your recovery time will be increased, making you even more unavailable for the league.

This sometimes happens just after a new referees course, when they are trying to get the young lads involved in adult football

 

[ARF]

Get it looked at by a professional. A few years ago something in my calf went 10 minutes from the end of a game (I too limped through rather than coming off). Thought I'd just pulled it, couldn't run for nearly a week, was back reffing a week and a half after it happened, ended up having multiple issues in that leg where other parts were having to overcompensate for the weakness. Went to a sports injury clinic about 18 months ago, they said it looks like I'd torn part of my gastroc and it hadn't healed properly.

Lessons: 1) if you're injured, get off the pitch; 2) get it properly looked at!