What situations require a "drop ball" by the ref?

[irod]

My son's HS game last night had two instances where the ref signalled a "drop ball". Just what are some of the situations where this is done?

Thanks
Irod

[njref]

My son's HS game last night had two instances where the ref signalled a "drop ball". Just what are some of the situations where this is done?

Thanks
Irod

If the game is stopped and there is no rule that tells us who gets to restart play. Some common examples would be when the game is stopped while the ball is in play for an injury or an inadvertent whistle or outside interference (spectators, dogs, wildlife, etc) or bad weather. Some less likely examples might be a game stopped while the ball is in play because the ball deflates, or the goal blows over, or the referee gets an important cellphone call.

Actually, most referees have "hands free" phones now so the last type of stoppage should no longer happen.

Some referees use drop balls when the referee can't tell who sent the ball out of play. Many would consider this bad form by the referee, on a par with stopping the game to take a cellphone call rather than allowing the game to continue while using the hands free feature....

NJRef

[irod]

NJref, thanks.

Ref whistled what seemed to be a foul between my son and another player. No indication who committed the foul, but the ref gave a drop ball. Since I'm on the side line, I can't see what happened. My son didn't think the drop ball was correct. Question: Is it possible to have a "double foul", where two players are seen to be fouling each other, but it is not clear to the ref which fouled first, thus the drop ball? I realize this is a "had to be there" situation in order to know what happened. I don't recall the ball going out of bounds, but it may have.

By the way, I have heard a ref's cell phone go off, while he was center reffing a game. He just let it ring.

Irod

[refmike]

Another standard condition for a dropped ball is when the game is stopped for a misconduct that occurs off the field of play, such as by a sub or a player who has left the field and then does something illegal.

Many refs give a drop ball when they can't decide who committed a misconduct first. This is against USSF policy, which basically says no two things can happen at the same time so the ref must make a decision.

[Ref Flunkie]

Actually, most referees have "hands free" phones now so the last type of stoppage should no longer happen.

I dont' know why, but this had me rolling on the floor laughing.

[whitehound]

NJref, thanks.

Ref whistled what seemed to be a foul between my son and another player. No indication who committed the foul, but the ref gave a drop ball. Since I'm on the side line, I can't see what happened. My son didn't think the drop ball was correct. Question: Is it possible to have a "double foul", where two players are seen to be fouling each other, but it is not clear to the ref which fouled first, thus the drop ball? I realize this is a "had to be there" situation in order to know what happened. I don't recall the ball going out of bounds, but it may have.

By the way, I have heard a ref's cell phone go off, while he was center reffing a game. He just let it ring.

IrodNo..you pick the first foul and then the most serious.....you cant just drop the ball.

[Bill Archer]

Except in extenuating circumstances, (ball deflates, nuclear attack, etc.) most of the Referees that I know consider a drop ball to be an admission of failure.

[Chubbywubby]

My son's HS game last night had two instances where the ref signalled a "drop ball". Just what are some of the situations where this is done?

Thanks
Irod
The fact that this was a high school game produces a couple of other dropped ball situations in addition to those mentioned previously. From the NFHS 2004-5 Rule Book, Rule 9, Section 2, Article 1: "The game is restarted with a drop [sic] ball: a. when the ball is caused to go out-of-bounds by two opponents simultaneously; b. when the ball becomes deflated; c. following a temporary suspension of play for an injury or unusual situation in which no team has clear possession of the ball; d. when simultaneous fouls of the same degree occur by opponents." Paragraphs (a) and (d) permit HS refs to get out from having to decide who last touched the ball before it left the field, or who fouled first. :rolleyes:

[ThrashBoy]

This happened in a U.S. Open Cup match this past year (third round):

An attacking player crossed the ball from the right over the keeper but stayed in play.
As the ball was rolling towards the inline for a goal kick, one of the ball boys picked up the ball before it had crossed the line (this was about five yards from the corner flag).
Instead of awarding a goal kick for the defense or a drop ball for the defense, the referee awarded a drop ball FOR THE OFFENSE!

Fortunately the attacker showed some class and kicked it out for a goal kick, but that call was not nearly the worst from that game.

[Gary V]

An attacking player crossed the ball from the right over the keeper but stayed in play.
As the ball was rolling towards the inline for a goal kick, one of the ball boys picked up the ball before it had crossed the line (this was about five yards from the corner flag).
Instead of awarding a goal kick for the defense or a drop ball for the defense, the referee awarded a drop ball FOR THE OFFENSE!A ball boy is outside interference. The correct restart is a dropped ball. Players from one team, both teams, or neither team may participate. Perhaps the ref was slightly anal in his application of the Laws, but the offense kicking the ball directly over the line for a goal kick restored the game to where it would have been had the ball boy not interfered. Sounds like a good solution to me.

Paragraphs (a) and (d) permit HS refs to get out from having to decide who last touched the ball before it left the field, or who fouled first.In addition to adding dropped ball situations, NFHS also takes some away. For what would be a dropped ball in FIFA, NFHS substitutes an IFK if a team is in clear possession of the ball.

[HoldenMan]

irod - if there's a simultaneous foul by two players, or the ref simply doesn't like something about the tackle for whatever reason, but there isn't actually a foul, then some refs will simply blow the whistle and drop ball - which is dead wrong. One example of this is when youth players go into a tackle hard - I've seen refs award a drop ball for this. Not allowed!

If both players are fouling each other then you have several options:

1)Award the FK against the player who started it
2)Consider it to be a mutual/trifling/50-50 foul and play on (often seen when 2 players are running along holding each other - as long as they both doing the same thing, may as well play on, unless one of them takes it too far, or you think that you have to pull it up, in which case you'll prob go with point 1
3)If 2 fouls are committed simultaneously but one is more severe you'll award the FK for the more serious foul.

Obviously you have to use each of those depending on the situation and use your best judgement

[Ref Flunkie]

irod - if there's a simultaneous foul by two players, or the ref simply doesn't like something about the tackle for whatever reason, but there isn't actually a foul, then some refs will simply blow the whistle and drop ball - which is dead wrong. One example of this is when youth players go into a tackle hard - I've seen refs award a drop ball for this. Not allowed!

If both players are fouling each other then you have several options:

1)Award the FK against the player who started it
2)Consider it to be a mutual/trifling/50-50 foul and play on (often seen when 2 players are running along holding each other - as long as they both doing the same thing, may as well play on, unless one of them takes it too far, or you think that you have to pull it up, in which case you'll prob go with point 1
3)If 2 fouls are committed simultaneously but one is more severe you'll award the FK for the more serious foul.

Obviously you have to use each of those depending on the situation and use your best judgement


Remember, this was a HS game. Your suggestions are true for standard FIFA/USSF matches, but you have to look at HS soccer as a seperate kettle of fish. Mmmmmm, sushi.....

[irod]

The fact that this was a high school game produces a couple of other dropped ball situations in addition to those mentioned previously. From the NFHS 2004-5 Rule Book, Rule 9, Section 2, Article 1: "The game is restarted with a drop [sic] ball: d. when simultaneous fouls of the same degree occur by opponents." Paragraphs (a) and (d) permit HS refs to get out from having to decide who last touched the ball before it left the field, or who fouled first. :rolleyes:

I would "think" this is it. No one appeared to know what was going on. Very well could have been simultaneous fouls.

Hey, thanks to you all for the responses.

Irod

[MassachusettsRef]

This happened in a U.S. Open Cup match this past year (third round):

An attacking player crossed the ball from the right over the keeper but stayed in play.
As the ball was rolling towards the inline for a goal kick, one of the ball boys picked up the ball before it had crossed the line (this was about five yards from the corner flag).
Instead of awarding a goal kick for the defense or a drop ball for the defense, the referee awarded a drop ball FOR THE OFFENSE!

This is actually great refereeing and great player management. You had to have a drop ball, because the ball never left the field. If he had dropped it directly to the defense, they'd be under pressure immediately. So, he probably had a few quiet words and arranged the fair result: having the defense cause what would have happened (a goal kick) had the ball boy not interfered.

[ThrashBoy]

This is actually great refereeing and great player management. You had to have a drop ball, because the ball never left the field. If he had dropped it directly to the defense, they'd be under pressure immediately. So, he probably had a few quiet words and arranged the fair result: having the defense cause what would have happened (a goal kick) had the ball boy not interfered.

We didn't disagree with the decision of giving a dropball. The problem was that both teams knew that ball was going to go out, and nobody was going to make any attempt to keep the ball in play.
We figured that the referee would give the defending team the dropball and that the attacking team would simply fall back to the midfield as if it were a goal kick. We were just surprised because the dropball was relatively close to the penalty area and the player could have made a decent attempt on goal if he wanted to.

Anyways, that wasn't the worst call from that game.
The worst was when the attacking team lifted a long ball towards the area, and the attacker SWUNG HIS ARM AND BATTED THE BALL 10 yards to his right to another attacker. I quickly looked towards the referee to see where he was, and he couldn't have been more than 5 yards from the play.

[whitehound]

Question:
ball in play, game stopped to caution a player on the bench for dissent. what is the restart? I went with the play stopped solely to deal with misconduct IFK.......thought about a dropped ball........since the team that got the card wanted one and was screaming for it..........it wouldnt have affected the game either way but I want to know.
PS>.....I did try and look it up. :)

[Gary V]

Question:
ball in play, game stopped to caution a player on the bench for dissent. what is the restart? I went with the play stopped solely to deal with misconduct IFKIf it was a player on the bench, there to to correct equipment or get treatment for an injury, the correct restart is an IFK from the position of the ball.

If it was a sub or ex-player (previously played, but subbed out) on the bench, the correct restart is a dropped ball. That probably isn't directly defined in the Laws, because there is very little in the Laws that addresses non-players (which this person is at that time). The subs and ex-players are under the control of the referee (as opposed to spectators who are not), but are still treated as outside agents for any forms of interference in the game.

[refmike]

I beg to differ with Gary V. ANY stoppage in play required by off-field activity (including a sub illeagally stepping onto the field) is restarted by a dropped ball from where the ball was at the the time of the stoppage.

This is not properly covered in the laws, which often speaks of an IFK but the assumption in the laws is that infractions happen on the field by players.
Off field situations are covered in many Q&A and Advice sections and are part of the unwritten spirit of the game.

[Gary V]

I beg to differ with Gary V. ANY stoppage in play required by off-field activity (including a sub illeagally stepping onto the field) is restarted by a dropped ball from where the ball was at the the time of the stoppage.
You are correct, I misremembered.

[whitehound]

You are correct, I misremembered.I am still a little confused. It was unlimited subs. The player/manager/dissenter was a named substitute who had not come on the field to play yet but had submitted his passcard b4 the game.