A&H

Junior/Youth Injured players

Gabriel

Gabriel

Well-Known Member
In youth football, which is what my refereeing is heavily based around due to still being Level Y, I stop play almost instantly for injuries as I recognise they are really young children and safety has to be priority. I know injured players normally have to leave the pitch, but in youth football (mini-soccer in particular), I nearly always let them stay on. Does anyone think I should make them go off, or at least manage it differently?
 
The Referee Store
At youth I tend to keep them on the pitch, add a bit of time if necessary. If it is a cup game at the top end of youth I'd apply the leaving the pitch a bit more rigorously.

At OA I also tend to be reasonably flexible. I will often ask the oppo capt if he wants me to enforce the leaving the pitch or if they are happy for them to remain on. I don't think anyone has asked for it to be enforced as it goes both ways. If it's cup then I get them off.

When I do County League then it's definitely off the pitch, but I think that is their expectation anyway - coaches will (almost) always wait to be told they can enter and will typically remove their player to the side anyway.

I think what we need to do is be sensitive to the needs of the game and the players. No one wants to see someone acting like an EPL ref in an U13s game on a Sunday morning. What does the game expect.
 
I don't really see the benefit to ignoring this rule and I never have personally (though I haven't ever reffed mini soccer). In youth football they typically have unlimited/rolling subs so they could just bring a sub on if they were bothered. I just tell them I will wave them straight back on but it's the rule that they need to step off.
 
Gabriel said:
In youth football, which is what my refereeing is heavily based around due to still being Level Y, I stop play almost instantly for injuries as I recognise they are really young children and safety has to be priority. I know injured players normally have to leave the pitch, but in youth football (mini-soccer in particular), I nearly always let them stay on. Does anyone think I should make them go off, or at least manage it differently?
Click to expand...
I think you're doing fine your way.
 
Your approach is fine for mini soccer including 9v9. Once they go 11v11 at u13 I would be asking them to leave the pitch and come on upon your signal. Remember though do not do this if the player making the challenge that caused the injury has received a card for the challenge and don’t do it for goalkeepers. Good luck sounds like you’re doing a great job.
 
Dicky Herts said:
Your approach is fine for mini soccer including 9v9. Once they go 11v11 at u13 I would be asking them to leave the pitch and come on upon your signal. Remember though do not do this if the player making the challenge that caused the injury has received a card for the challenge and don’t do it for goalkeepers. Good luck sounds like you’re doing a great job.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. I have never refereed U13's or above yet but I do have an U13 game in a couple of weeks so will make sure to do this. Thanks again.
 
Dicky Herts said:
Your approach is fine for mini soccer including 9v9. Once they go 11v11 at u13 I would be asking them to leave the pitch and come on upon your signal. Remember though do not do this if the player making the challenge that caused the injury has received a card for the challenge
Click to expand...
That's again, circumventing the LOTG though.

A player fouled and requiring injury treatment for which their opponent is cautioned or sent off, can remain on the field after treatment but only if the treatment is over quickly. If it's not over quickly, ie around 20 seconds after the ref has had time to carry out the disciplinary sanction to the offender, then the injured/treated player still has to leave the field. ;)
 
Kes said:
That's again, circumventing the LOTG though.

A player fouled and requiring injury treatment for which their opponent is cautioned or sent off, can remain on the field after treatment but only if the treatment is over quickly. If it's not over quickly, ie around 20 seconds after the ref has had time to carry out the disciplinary sanction to the offender, then the injured/treated player still has to leave the field. ;)
Click to expand...
Fair enough. Would you do that at under 7s then?
 
Kes said:
To be honest mate, any qualified "referee" doing 6 and 7 year olds needs their head looking at!! :D 😁 :p
Click to expand...
Well to be honest, I don't think we do. I do those games to get my confidence up after I was abused to the point I considered not going back. The police actually got involved on that occasion. I wouldn't sanction a player with a card at those ages, but I'm also not going to make them leave the FoP. Completely unnecessary comment. The people doing those games are just as competent as anyone else. You are forgetting Level Y's are NOT ALLOWED to do adult games.
 
With the whole 'only if the treatment is over quickly' - what defines quickly? Is it meant to be that if the treatment is over by the time the disciplinary sanction is over? or otherwise?
 
RefereeX said:
With the whole 'only if the treatment is over quickly' - what defines quickly? Is it meant to be that if the treatment is over by the time the disciplinary sanction is over? or otherwise?
Click to expand...
The answer to this question is in the Laws of the game book ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kes
Gabriel said:
Well to be honest, I don't think we do. I do those games to get my confidence up after I was abused to the point I considered not going back. The police actually got involved on that occasion. I wouldn't sanction a player with a card at those ages, but I'm also not going to make them leave the FoP. Completely unnecessary comment. The people doing those games are just as competent as anyone else. You are forgetting Level Y's are NOT ALLOWED to do adult games.
Click to expand...
Dry your eyes please.
My comment was to Dicky who is around 60 years old, not a youth/teenager like yourself. In any event, 14, 15, 16 ... whatever age you are, my own opinion (to which I'm perfectly entitled) is that kids of that age don't need a qualified referee for their games. Just a responsible adult with a rudimentary knowledge and a sense of fair play. What you choose to do with your choice of games is up to you. No offence was intended. Okay?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top