The Light Was Yellow Sir
Well-Known Member
I have always believed that play shouldn't routinely be stopped by either team for an injury the referee has deemed none serious. He does this by not stopping play.
In the FIFA laws of the game, there is a section called "interpretation of the laws of the game and Guidelines for Referees". This makes it absolutely clear that, other than for serious injury, NO player should be treated within the field of play. The full guidance is below. It begs the question, why is it not enforced? If it was, much of this fakery would surely stop.
Mind you, the laws still confirm that a goalkeeper can only hold the ball for six seconds and that using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures is a sending off offence, which also makes you wonder how certain players stay on the pitch every week!
Thought it was interesting, given the Villa post match discussion.
The referee must adhere to the following procedure when dealing with injured players:
In the FIFA laws of the game, there is a section called "interpretation of the laws of the game and Guidelines for Referees". This makes it absolutely clear that, other than for serious injury, NO player should be treated within the field of play. The full guidance is below. It begs the question, why is it not enforced? If it was, much of this fakery would surely stop.
Mind you, the laws still confirm that a goalkeeper can only hold the ball for six seconds and that using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures is a sending off offence, which also makes you wonder how certain players stay on the pitch every week!
Thought it was interesting, given the Villa post match discussion.
The referee must adhere to the following procedure when dealing with injured players:
- play is allowed to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is, in the
opinion of the referee, only slightly injured
- play is stopped if, in the opinion of the referee, a player is seriously injured
- after questioning the injured player, the referee may authorise one, or at
most two doctors, to enter the field of play to assess the injury and arrange
the player’s safe and swift removal from the field of play
- stretcher-bearers should only enter the field of play with a stretcher
following a signal from the referee
- the referee must ensure an injured player is safely removed from the field of
play
- a player is not allowed to receive treatment on the field of play
- any player bleeding from a wound must leave the field of play. He may not
return until the referee is satisfied that the bleeding has stopped. A player is
not permitted to wear clothing with blood on it
- as soon as the referee has authorised the doctors to enter the field of play,
the player must leave the field of play, either on a stretcher or on foot. If a
player does not comply, he must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour
- an injured player may only return to the field of play after the match has
restarted
- when the ball is in play, an injured player must re-enter the field of play
from the touch line. When the ball is out of play, the injured player may re-
enter from any of the boundary lines
- irrespective of whether the ball is in play or not, only the referee is
authorised to allow an injured player to re-enter the field of play
- the referee may give permission for an injured player to return to the field
of play if an assistant referee or the fourth official verifies that the player is ready
- if play has not otherwise been stopped for another reason, or if an injury suffered by a player is not the result of a breach of the Laws of the Game, the referee must restart play with a dropped ball from the position of the ball when play was stopped, unless play was stopped inside the goal area, in which case the referee drops the ball on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the ball was located when play was stopped
- the referee must allow for the full amount of time lost through injury to be played at the end of each period of play
- once the referee has decided to issue a card to a player who is injured and has to leave the field of play for treatment, the referee must issue the card before the player leaves the field of play
Exceptions to this ruling are to be made only when:
- a goalkeeper is injured
- a goalkeeper and an outfield player have collided and need immediate
attention
- players from the same team have collided and need immediate attention
- a severe injury has occurred, e.g. swallowed tongue, concussion, broken leg
- if play has not otherwise been stopped for another reason, or if an injury suffered by a player is not the result of a breach of the Laws of the Game, the referee must restart play with a dropped ball from the position of the ball when play was stopped, unless play was stopped inside the goal area, in which case the referee drops the ball on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the ball was located when play was stopped
- as soon as the referee has authorised the doctors to enter the field of play,