The problem of managing injury time
The problem of managing injury time and its resultant Time Added On, is becoming deceptive in our football matches. A referee is allowed by the Laws of the Game to stop or not to stop play to allow an injured player to be removed from the field of play for treatment.
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In the case of a goalkeeper, he is treated on the field of play, since a game of football cannot go on without him.
Players appear to have taken an undue advantage of this aspect of the law and often misuse it to either deliberately delay play and/or to actually stop play when their team is under pressure. But referees who know the law and their “left from their right” should be able to cure this practice which is becoming very irritating for opposing players and football fans. The Laws of the Game empower our referees to “ALLOW FOR THE FULL AMOUNT OF TIME LOST THROUGH INJURY TO BE PLAYED AT THE END OF EACH PERIOD OF PLAY” The referee is also required to 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 reenter 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 reenter 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 the requirement to leave the field are 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.
• A severe injury has occurred, e.g. swallowed tongue, concussion, broken leg and more than one offence occurring at the same time
Explanation of the new ruling
It is widely seen unfair that an injured player who is being checked by a trainer/doctor has to leave the field giving the offending team a numerical benefit.
Our league has reached a crucial stage. It is hoped that our referees would implement the laws to the letter.
