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Junior/Youth What was right choice?

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steamydaz1966

New Member
Level 7 Referee
U16's today. Green v Blue. Player for either side go 50/50 for the ball on half way line 10 yards from the touch line/coaches area. Neither player collided or touched the ball. Green player slipped, feet from under him, he was horizontal in the air and came down flat on his back and head with a loud squeal and an equally loud thud. Blue got the loose ball and went to play on but my concern was for the green player. As I blew he jumped up immediately blaming the blue player had took him down. I disagreed along with the coaches but the green player asked why I blew. My reply was for his health and safety as he hit the ground really hard. When he'd got his wind back I asked him to pass the ball back to the blues as a sporting gesture. He again questioned why?
What would have you guys done? Thanks.
 
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Drop ball is the correct restart.

You cannot insist it is uncontested or that green play it back to blue.....but you can suggest it would be the sporting thing to do. If they choose to ignore you, not much you can do.
 
Thanks @Padfoot. I thought the lad would have been grateful I stopped play to make sure he was okay. He did hit the ground with a whack. I blame these plastic pretty blades they all want to wear. Lucky it was grass.
I'm glad I made the right choice. Thanks for your help.
 
Padders is spot on.

The way I remember it is quite simple - if you stop the game for any reason whatsoever while the ball is in play, and no offence has been committed by either team the correct restart is always drop ball.
 
Pretty much spot on.

It's always more difficult when these things happen in front of dugouts too. Emotions are heightened.

Never be afraid to stop a game if you feel a player is genuinely injured. Especially junior football.

I tend to use a certain phrase during a drop ball if I feel it should be passed back to a keeper.

'Obviously I can't tell you what to do, but perhaps the fair thing to do would be to pass it back to the keeper?' Works 99 times out of 100.

Another little tip with a drop ball is if you think you can get it to be uncontested always take it. Reduces the chance of getting kicked, hit with the ball or the players kicking each other and all hell breaking loose. Or an unlikely break away goal by either team that means you will be blamed for stopping the game.

I had a game today with 5 drop balls (all injuries), 3 of which were contested in the middle of the field. Had to retake the 3 contested 3 times as they just couldn't grasp the 'let it bounce' part of it. Looked terrible.
 
I did my first contested one in a while the other week.....'What is the Goalkeeper doing?' And drop! (It was in corner so both had to look away from me. There was no kicking!
 
As others have said, you can't force a contested DB but you can manipulate it, say, by dropping it before the other team has a chance to realise you're about to drop the ball. Particularly useful if you're dropping it to the keeper.
Sounds like you did the right thing in stopping play
Darius said:
I did my first contested one in a while the other week.....'What is the Goalkeeper doing?' And drop! (It was in corner so both had to look away from me. There was no kicking!
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Why did you do that?
 
By time players turned around I had dropped ball, it had bounced and we could carry on with the game.
 
I use a different technique if it's contested.

'Gents there are two rules here: 1. The ball is in play when the ball touches the ground. 2. Don't kick me.'
 
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Low skill level. High likelihood of someone getting kicked and it flaring off, also I had zero doubt they wouldn't let all bounce!!!
 
I can honestly say I've never seen anything like that happen from a drop ball. At all skill levels, fouls are extremely rare.

Have you considered the possibility that one would turn around and see the ball first, run off, and be hacked down by the bloke who was upset that you tricked him?

If they don't let it bounce then so be it. Retake and work out how to get it going from there. If you can mange to hold the ball from the top, then even if you have to drop it about a foot from the ground...
 
"Gents, the ball is active once its touched the ground. If you kick each other, its a yellow. If you kick me, its a red. You ready?"
 
We seem to see referees at the elite level 'instructing' players what to do with dropped balls a fair bit, and players getting very cross if they don't, which can't make it easy for refs at a lower level. I wonder if elite refs get guidance that suggests it's the right thing to do, or if it's something that's grown up by convention?
 
steamydaz1966 said:
Thanks @Padfoot. I thought the lad would have been grateful I stopped play to make sure he was okay. He did hit the ground with a whack. I blame these plastic pretty blades they all want to wear. Lucky it was grass.
I'm glad I made the right choice. Thanks for your help.
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It's funny you should say that. I used to wear bright boots as a kid. When I play now, my studded boots are black and orange, my mouldies are white.

I snapped my mouldies on Tuesday playing on a 3G pitch. I usually ref in my Black and orange boots but decided I should really get a plain black pair... I went up to Sports Direct and I was so annoyed at their lack of choice for referees and people that don't like bright colours... They had Adidas World Cup's for £100 or Nike Tiempos for £80. The only two sets of black boots!!!

For playing foots, I'm okay spending £100-£150 on a pair because they last me a season.. I'm not so willing to spend that much on a set of boots that all I'm going to do is run in, with no kicking of a ball. Instead, I opted for another pair of Nike Tiempos, Black on the outside with a white tick, 1/3rd white on the inside with a black tick. I would have ordered a set of black ones online but I had a county cup game yesterday so wanted to look a bit more professional... ironically this game was postponed!!
 
DB said:
It's funny you should say that. I used to wear bright boots as a kid. When I play now, my studded boots are black and orange, my mouldies are white.

I snapped my mouldies on Tuesday playing on a 3G pitch. I usually ref in my Black and orange boots but decided I should really get a plain black pair... I went up to Sports Direct and I was so annoyed at their lack of choice for referees and people that don't like bright colours... They had Adidas World Cup's for £100 or Nike Tiempos for £80. The only two sets of black boots!!!

For playing foots, I'm okay spending £100-£150 on a pair because they last me a season.. I'm not so willing to spend that much on a set of boots that all I'm going to do is run in, with no kicking of a ball. Instead, I opted for another pair of Nike Tiempos, Black on the outside with a white tick, 1/3rd white on the inside with a black tick. I would have ordered a set of black ones online but I had a county cup game yesterday so wanted to look a bit more professional... ironically this game was postponed!!
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I got my Pumas from Sports Direct. Very comfortable. Black and white. £30.
£80 for a pair of Nike Tiempos indeed!! :eek: They must be paying you matlows way too much!! :D

Wassamarrawiya?!! :D
 
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Sondico Flair - 100% Black - currently on sale at £14.50 at Sports Direct. I have a pair that I bought at the start of the season for £25.00 and they are comfortable.
 
I've only ever played in Adidas and Nike. They have to be tight-fitting around my feet. I did try some Puma's on but they were too wide. I don't like being able to feel that I'm wearing boots, I'm the sort that can't stand having anything on my feet :confused:
 
Adidas Copa Mundial......best boots I've ever had for reffing in.

Yes they cost £80 but with proper care they should last 3 seasons for reffing purposes.
 
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