Question Number: 22771

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 1/29/2010

RE: Under 18

steven of Sydney, nsw Australia asks...

Can the referee just stop play if the ball gets trapped on the ground with a few players on the ground and others trying to get the ball and restart play with a drop ball ?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Steven
Yes the referee can do that. In fact it is the only and safest decision in those situations. They are indeed rare but can happen.
Generally though in these situations there tends to be one player at fault who has fallen on the ball and he tries to play the ball on the ground. This is what starts the chain of events with perhaps another player falling afterward. The first player on the ground has played in a dangerous manner as there are opponents close by who want to kick/play the ball. The player on the ground has committed a foul and play should be stopped immediately and the restart is an indirect free kick. That is a safe decision as well even though the player will protest that he done nothing wrong. The ref may have saved him from a hefty kick. It also can prevent the chain reaction or worse.

Answer provided by Referee Tom Stagliano

Referee Steven

Referee McHugh's answer is correct for all situations involving field players.

However, if the player trapping the ball to the ground, is a goalkeeper in his own penalty area, then the referee will whistle play stopped to prevent any injuries, and restart with an IFK for the goalkeeper's team because the players pinning the goalkeeper to the ground were preventing the goalkeeper from putting the ball back into play.

One must be careful with a goalkeeper diving to save the ball, trapping the ball to the ground (goalkeeper and the ball are both stationary) and then players are trying to get to that ball.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Yes, a dropped ball is appropriate when the referee stops play even though no one has infringed the law.

Sometimes in these circumstances, the referee determines that one player on the ground has committed the indirect free kick foul of playing in a dangerous manner.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Unless this is a recreational skill level game, it is hard to imagine U18 players in a pile that would require the referee to stop play, restarting with a dropped ball. However, if it is the referee's decision that no player was at fault, and for safety's sake, play should stop and restart after the players have sorted themselves out, then that is an acceptable result.

As my colleagues have noted, a player who, even through no fault of his own, ends up on the ground covering up the ball in such a manner that no opponent can play the ball without danger of injuring him should be called for playing in a dangerous manner and an IDFK awarded to the other team.

Please note that playing in a dangerous manner cannot be awarded when two teammates get tangled up. The offense is awarded because the player in question is keeping an opponent from being able to play the ball safely.