Would you have allowed that ?

[mikedn]

During the match yesterday a player whacks the ball clear but going off for a throw, ball goes some 20-30 feet into the air and comes down like a rocket and hits this little (maybe 4 yrs old) boy on top of the head and sends him flying.... ball out of play will be a throw. A player runs over shouting " Can i see if he's alright?"(obviously his son) I say yes and hold up play the little boy looked stunned and i though he might have got an injury.
A couple of other players walked to the line but stayed on field to check also. At this point being only yards away i did approach the mother and father(player) and asked if he was alright (medics?)
Apart from the crying and the shock he was ok, whereupon players were clapping, so we returned to the pitch and resumed the game.
Would you have held up play?

 

[Hartlepool_ref]

I would've done the exact same thing mate. It's obviously an accident and it's happened to a "spectator" but at the same time it's a concern to one of the players on the pitch wih the person concerned being a small child.
It sounds like the other players understood what was going on too so it hasn't affected your match control or anything.

 

[Jacko]

Sounds like you did the right thing. The players were concerned and you showed empathy. Well done.

 

[SM]

Sensible thing to do mate - Top marks. Would only have caused bad feeling if you hadn't allowed it.

 

[mikedn]

I would have done it no matter the age of the child though............

 

[SM]

37?

 

[Hartlepool_ref]

I once reffed a game where an old fella was hit in the face with a ball and we took a min to make sure he was okay as it was a grandad of one of the players.

 

[Beezer]

Common sense must prevail

 

[RegalRef]

Definitely right. We referees are not immune to compassion. Unless it's one of those pansies on the pitch

 

[Mewcenary]

Well done!

 

[mikedn]

37?

if he was 37 he would have been effin and blinding at us................