The Ref Stop

A whole new GLT experience 🤔

Are you reffing today?

  • Yes, Game on

    Votes: 13 76.5%
  • No, Going home

    Votes: 4 23.5%

  • Total voters
    17
A summer league pitch I officiate in. The ball frequently hits the tree......

The players actually stop when it does and the "unofficial" rule is, we simply drop the ball and whoever had the ball at the time, the other team boot it back to the goalie

has been this way for years......
We are like that in my other sport(rugby) at my local club. The trees overhang one of the 3 pitches and its been adopted as a local rule, if the ball hits the tree, play is restarted according to law
 
The Ref Stop
Where's the problem with a wiggly line, nothing about straight in dem laws........the definition of a rectangle apart....but why be picky?
The ball's in play till the whole of it crosses the whole of the line.....
 
Women's FA cup is very different to grass roots. I've played games this season on a pitch with markings that were almost invisible. Quick chat about it, everyone wanted to play. I said that everyone will have to accept that I'm not superman and can't see lines that aren't there and that there will be times I'd get it wrong. Everyone agreed. During the game people did moan occasionally and reminded them of what unsaid at the start and that since no one has painted them during the game then I still can't see them sometimes. Had a laugh about it and got on with it. Would I play a semi pro game on it, no. But Saturday morning amateur stuff (the fair play league) or kids footy. Absolutely every time. I'm there again tomorrow as I am every fortnight and no doubt the lines won't have been repainted since before the snow but we'll manage and enjoy the game whatever.
I agree, but I was merely pointing out that a problem with pitch markings being incorrect or the pitch dimensions being wrong can be grounds for a match being replayed.

I have seen plenty of teams who have pressured a ref into playing a game, mainly when the state of the pith means that it should probably be postponed, only to start complaining when they are losing.

Not every team just goes out because they play for fun, quite a few teams take their games seriously, especially when it comes to things like county cup competitions, or at the end of the season title or relegation deciders.

It's those times when there's a chance it could cause you issues, although as I've said previously I've never seen a pitch with lines as bad as the ones shown in the OP so I doubt it would ever actually come up.
 
A summer league pitch I officiate in. The ball frequently hits the tree......

The players actually stop when it does and the "unofficial" rule is, we simply drop the ball and whoever had the ball at the time, the other team boot it back to the goalie

has been this way for years......

Yep, we have one similar near me. I get both captains/coaches in before, say if it hits it while still in play, drop ball. They know what's happening, no complaints when it does.
 
I agree, but I was merely pointing out that a problem with pitch markings being incorrect or the pitch dimensions being wrong can be grounds for a match being replayed.

I have seen plenty of teams who have pressured a ref into playing a game, mainly when the state of the pith means that it should probably be postponed, only to start complaining when they are losing.

Not every team just goes out because they play for fun, quite a few teams take their games seriously, especially when it comes to things like county cup competitions, or at the end of the season title or relegation deciders.

It's those times when there's a chance it could cause you issues, although as I've said previously I've never seen a pitch with lines as bad as the ones shown in the OP so I doubt it would ever actually come up.

I took alot of games very seriously. I'm glad you refered to county cups, I won 2 of them (somehow) :) But as an amateur footballer I am playing for fun whilst also taking it seriously. I can't think of a single team I played for where anyone having turned up for the game would want to go home because a goal line wasn't straight. Would not happen. We've travelled, there's no safety concern and we want to play but the referee isn't happy as the goal line isn't straight and wants to call it off......He'd be lucky if all the tyres were left on his car! To quote Bumble.....get on with the game
 
Yep, we have one similar near me. I get both captains/coaches in before, say if it hits it while still in play, drop ball. They know what's happening, no complaints when it does.

Curious how others have dealt with trees--and I agree the most important thing is for everyone to know the rule in advance, whatever it is to be.

In the US, the discontinued Advice to Referees classified things like trees as part of the field--but implied the rules of competition have a role in determining the difference between a pre-existing condition and an outside agent. (I thought this was one of the parts of the Advice that was based on old IFAB Q&A, but I'm not positive.) I had a field that I reffed on that had a tree overhanging near midfield. We always reminded the players before the game that the tree was no different from the grass and to keep playing. Was never a problem. (I have heard of, but never reffed on, fields with a tree overhanging a goal line--I'm not sure there is any good way to deal with that.)

1.6 Pre-Existing Conditions
Pre-existing conditions are things on, above, or overhanging the field which are neither dangerous nor movable and must be considered a part of the field. Examples include trees off the field whose branches overhang the field, wires running above the field, and covers on sprinkling or draining systems. Play does not stop merely because the ball makes contact with any pre-existing condition. If the ball leaves the field after contact with any item considered by the local rules of competition to be a pre-existing condition, the restart is in accordance with the Law, based on which team last played the ball.
 
Here in Southern California for some strange reason we don't have any full sized fields with roofs!

I would imagine that the facility would have an applicable "ground rule" Personally, I would hope that the roof would be high enough that keep playing would be the best answer, but I have no personal experience.
 
Ah, I imagined some Houston Dome or something similar !

Where I am, we give a drop ball. You always get one smartarse gk who wants to hit the roof!!
 
I know it's beside the point but this is not NOT in accordance with the law:

1.6 Pre-Existing Conditions
...the restart is in accordance with the Law, based on which team last played the ball.
 
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