Macclesfield v Exeter City Matchday Thread..

[John William]

I was glad to see it..Too much nonsense these days about giving the ball back after the game is stopped for usually innocuous injuries.

Especially as the Laws of the Game specifically prohibit the Referee from insisting that drop balls are uncontested. Law 8 states:

Dropped ball

Any player may challenge for the ball (including the goalkeeper). There is no
minimum or maximum number of players required to contest a dropped ball.
The referee cannot decide who may or may not contest a dropped ball.

The FA's commentary on this says:

"The wording makes it clear that the referee has no authority to decide who can challenge for a dropped ball and/or where the dropped ball is to be kicked.

If, for ‘fair play’ reasons, the players agree who will kick the ball and where they will kick it, the referee can agree but it must come from the players – it can not be an instruction from the referee as the referee has no authority to do so as a dropped ball is a ‘neutral’ restart which is supposed to be ‘fair’ for both teams."

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-8---the-start-and-restart-of-play

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Interesting John..

Don’t get me started on players kicking the ball out for injuries & then wanting the ball back after said player has made a miraculous recovery.
We were daft enough to do that at Notts the other week,they are fighting for their lives & rightly in my opinion did not give the ball back.

 

[John William]

Interesting John..

Don’t get me started on players kicking the ball out for injuries & then wanting the ball back after said player has made a miraculous recovery.
We were daft enough to do that at Notts the other week,they are fighting for their lives & rightly in my opinion did not give the ball back.

Or as we call it, the "Lincoln Ploy". After the game at SJP they must have had a whole dressing room full of players with concussion and bandages around their heads.

 

[Billy The Fish]

More pain...

https://www.mtfc.co.uk/news/2019/april/11.04.19-goal-cam-exeter-city-h/


...awaits predictable response.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Or as we call it, the "Lincoln Ploy". After the game at SJP they must have had a whole dressing room full of players with concussion and bandages around their heads.

Exactly John.Breaks up play nicely if the other side are on top.

One I saw a few years ago at Chesterfield,we were on the attack a slight collision,the defender fell & was out of position then holds his head.Game stopped.The Physio came on & attended to his leg ! The player then got up with a huge grin on his face,talk about taking the pi55..

 

[John William]

Exactly John.Breaks up play nicely if the other side are on top.

One I saw a few years ago at Chesterfield,we were on the attack a slight collision,the defender fell & was out of position then holds his head.Game stopped.The Physio came on & attended to his leg ! The player then got up with a huge grin on his face,talk about taking the pi55..

Or the Tuesday night game at Wycombe where their player was injured just over the goal line right in front of us then rolled onto the pitch so the Ref stopped the game. That was the one where he allowed 12 minutes of injury time and Tom Nichols gave away a penalty in the 101st minute. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32199927

 

[STURTZ]

More pain...

https://www.mtfc.co.uk/news/2019/april/11.04.19-goal-cam-exeter-city-h/


...awaits predictable response.

He should have been weeded out ages ago, blokes not a footballer etc etc.

 

[Jason H]

Especially as the Laws of the Game specifically prohibit the Referee from insisting that drop balls are uncontested. Law 8 states:

Dropped ball

Any player may challenge for the ball (including the goalkeeper). There is no
minimum or maximum number of players required to contest a dropped ball.
The referee cannot decide who may or may not contest a dropped ball.

The FA's commentary on this says:

"The wording makes it clear that the referee has no authority to decide who can challenge for a dropped ball and/or where the dropped ball is to be kicked.

If, for ‘fair play’ reasons, the players agree who will kick the ball and where they will kick it, the referee can agree but it must come from the players – it can not be an instruction from the referee as the referee has no authority to do so as a dropped ball is a ‘neutral’ restart which is supposed to be ‘fair’ for both teams."

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-8---the-start-and-restart-of-play

I understand (but my have misread) that from next season there will no longer be contested drop balls?

 

[John William]

I understand (but my have misread) that from next season there will no longer be contested drop balls?

That is correct, we have already looked at this on these pages, there are several changes to the Laws coming next season including one to the handball law (that will IMO make the current confusion worse not better), and one that goal kicks need not leave the area before another player kicks the ball.

But referees should enforce and interpret the Laws as the are now, not as they will be in several months' time.

 

[Jason H]

That is correct, we have already looked at this on these pages, there are several changes to the Laws coming next season including one to the handball law (that will IMO make the current confusion worse not better), and one that goal kicks need not leave the area before another player kicks the ball.

But referees should enforce and interpret the Laws as the are now, not as they will be in several months' time.

Does this only apply to the defending side? I can foresee all sorts of problems around attackers deliberately obstructing goal kicks if not!

Agreed re: interpreting the laws as they are now.