From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Handling Injuries
Date: October 12, 2007
An incident at the first U.S. Soccer Development Academy Fall Showcase
tournament led to extensive discussions regarding the correct referee actions
to be taken when a goalkeeper and opponent are injured. The lack of a single
clear answer among the many experienced observers gathered there is the reason
for this position paper.
Injuries pose numerous difficult decisions for the referee. On the one hand,
soccer is a game of continuous action in which stoppages are and should be
infrequent. On the other hand, player safety is an obvious matter of
concern. Since stopping play may be beneficial for one team, an added issue
is the possibility of a player simulating an injury or its degree of severity
in an effort to gain that benefit.
Law 5 establishes several basic principles regarding player injuries:
- If, in the opinion of the referee, the injury is serious, play must be
stopped.
- If, in the opinion of the referee, the injury is not serious, treatment
of the injury is delayed until play is stopped for some other reason.
- If the referee stops play for an injury, the injured player must leave
the field and cannot return until play is restarted and the referee gives
permission.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), in its Additional
Instructions and Guidelines (AIG) which accompany the Laws of the Game, has
clarified certain issues:
- An injured player may not receive treatment on the field unless the
injury is "severe" (immediate medical attention is needed).
- An injured goalkeeper is not required to leave the field and may receive
treatment while on the field.
- The refusal of an injured player to leave the field despite being
required to do so is a cautionable offense (unsporting behavior).
- The removal of an injured player must be swift but safe.
- The referee may signal permission for medical personnel (including
stretcher-bearers) to enter the field to assist in the players removal from
the field (or to provide emergency first aid).
Referees should keep in mind the following additional guidelines regarding
the handling of player injuries:
- A player may seek assistance and treatment off the field during play if
given permission by the referee to do so (permission is also needed to
return to the field, which may occur during play).
- A player who is injured may leave the field for treatment and return to
the field before play resumes if the stoppage was not solely for that
players injury and if medical personnel were not called onto the field by
the referee to aid the players removal.
- Medical personnel for purposes of these guidelines includes any team
official who has responsibility for the player in the absence of available
trained medical staff.
- If a goalkeeper is seriously injured as a result of a collision with a
teammate or opponent and the teammate or opponent is also injured, all
players injured in the collision may be treated on the field and are not
required to leave the field.
- A player for whom the referee has requested medical personnel to enter
the field at a stoppage is required to leave the field and may return with
the referees permission only after play has resumed even if the stoppage was
not expressly for the injury.
Evaluating and balancing these factors must be done quickly and fairly,
with appropriate regard for the age and skill of the players. In all cases of
doubt, the safety of the player must be the referees primary concern.
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U.S. Soccer Federation, 1801 S. Prairie Ave, Chicago IL 60616
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