A&H

Ready to play Dodgeball?

The Referee

Well-Known Member
The new law changes come into effect today including the award of a drop ball when the ball touches the referee and possession changes.

So, when a player with the ball has nowhere to go and can't find a teammate, what will he do? Smash the ball at the referee.

Am I missing something or has IFAB really not thought this through?
 
The Referee Store
The new law changes come into effect today including the award of a drop ball when the ball touches the referee and possession changes.

So, when a player with the ball has nowhere to go and can't find a teammate, what will he do? Smash the ball at the referee.

Am I missing something or has IFAB really not thought this through?
How close are you going to be to play for this to happen? Too damn close in my opinion.
 
And the law effects do not go into effect immediately —they go into effect for competitions that start beginning today
The law changes are now in force. They go into effect whenever the competition organiser decides they do, as long as that is no later than the start of their next.
Organisers of a competition that is currently in progress could have chosen to use them the whole way through already, or to pick them up at any time between starting and the changes or between the changes and the end, too.
 
While it wont be as bad as the OP makes it out to be, I can see how some players taking advantage of it from time to time. This is one of those laws that will take at least another couple of adjustments to get it right.

For example I'd like to see 'last deliberately played' in place of 'last touched'. Imagine a long pass from penalty area by a defending player takes a slight unexpected deflection of an attacking player just outside the penalty area, still on its way to a team mate but it touches the referee and goes to the an attacking player. It would be against the spirit of the changes for the attacking team to get possession.
 
I'm not saying it will occur often; the point is that it can happen and it will happen and I think it's an unfair way of maintaining possession.

I don't see the harm in treating the referee like a goalpost (as long as goalkeepers don't clean their boots on me); at least everyone knows what the deal is: play on if the ball hits the referee but it's a good idea not to kick the ball at the referee in the first place.
 
Back
Top