Injured player quiz

[LaxRef]

As A1 brings the ball across midfield, attackman A2, away from the play, sprains his ankle and goes down, holding his ankle and screaming. The officials allow play to continue, and A1 feeds A3, who shoots. The goalie makes a save, and the officials blow the whistle to stop play for the injured player. The trainer comes on the field, and helps A2 get up. A2 takes a few steps and decides he is okay to keep playing and wants to stay in the game.

Q1: Did they stop the game at the appropriate time? If no, when should they have stopped it?

Q2: What should the officials do about A2 wanting to stay in the game?

Q3: What if team A had quickly gotten A2 off the field instead?

[AHSkeeper9]

im no expert on the rules but ill give it a shot.

1: id say it depends on how bad the screaming is, but its up to the official.

2: I would say that if the injury was serious enough to stop the game then the player should have to come out, then be substituted back in once play started.

3: if team A had gotten the player off the field quickly then play continues.

like i said im no expert, but thats what i think should happen

[Laxref_36]

As A1 brings the ball across midfield, attackman A2, away from the play, sprains his ankle and goes down, holding his ankle and screaming. The officials allow play to continue, and A1 feeds A3, who shoots. The goalie makes a save, and the officials blow the whistle to stop play for the injured player. The trainer comes on the field, and helps A2 get up. A2 takes a few steps and decides he is okay to keep playing and wants to stay in the game.

Q1: Did they stop the game at the appropriate time? If no, when should they have stopped it?

Q2: What should the officials do about A2 wanting to stay in the game?

Q3: What if team A had quickly gotten A2 off the field instead?

Answer 1. No. If Team A has the ball at midfield, blow the whistle.

You should blow the whistle immediately because: 1. The players health is in question (you can't tell without an X-Ray/MRI the extent of any injury. 2. There is no iminent scoring chance (as the ball is at midfield) and 3. A2 has a good chance of being involved in the scrimmage area and might sustain further injury. If the coach of A yells at you, your response should be:"Coach I'm looking out for the health of your player. If the B coach yells at you, your response should be: Coach I'm looking out for the safety of the players, I will always extend to you and your team the same courtesy.

Answer 2. If play is stopped for any injury that player Must be substituted for.

Answer 3. If the player stays away from the scrimmage area, can substiture "on the fly", and there is no chance of further injury, I'd let play go on.


I'm no expert either.

[LaxRef]

Answer 1. No. If Team A has the ball at midfield, blow the whistle.

You should blow the whistle immediately because: 1. The players health is in question (you can't tell without an X-Ray/MRI the extent of any injury. 2. There is no iminent scoring chance (as the ball is at midfield) and 3. A2 has a good chance of being involved in the scrimmage area and might sustain further injury. If the coach of A yells at you, your response should be:"Coach I'm looking out for the health of your player. If the B coach yells at you, your response should be: Coach I'm looking out for the safety of the players, I will always extend to you and your team the same courtesy.

Well, I suppose the real answer is "It depends." If Team A has the ball at midfield but is pressing a fast break, and if A2 is well away from the play, you might let play continue if you didn't think the injury was serious. And I guess A2 "screaming" could be an indication that he's in excruciating pain or that he's just highly annoyed.

If I thought delaying care for 30 seconds or so was going to jeopardize his health, or if there was any chance of play near the player, I'd kill the play.

The point I was going for here is that, unlike many players and coaches believe, you don't automatically stop play when someone gets injured if a team has a scoring chance. If they pull the ball back, then you definitely stop play.

Answer 2. If play is stopped for any injury that player Must be substituted for.

This was actually my main point: I don't think you have to sub for the player. However, if you don't sub for the player, I'm charging you a timeout. I base this on:

Any suspension of play because of an injured player, whether called by an official, coach or captain, shall not be charged as a timeout, if such player is removed from the field as soon as possible.

The converse of this is that if the player is NOT removed from the field as soon as possible, then the team WILL be charged with a timeout. Personally, I interpret this to mean that you can leave the guy in there, but you get charged a timeout.

Answer 3. If the player stays away from the scrimmage area, can substiture "on the fly", and there is no chance of further injury, I'd let play go on.

Here, I was still considering what happened after the play was stopped, and was intending to point out that Team A would not be charged a timeout. Your point is good, too, that if the guy can sub off the field then there's no reason to stop play.

This reminds me of a play in a college game last year. I was the trail, and I noticed one of the attackman at midfield with a bloody knee (not just skinned, but really bleeding). Instead of stopping the game, I just told him to sub out, which he did, so that was one fewer time we had to stop the game.

[CoachRob]

NFHS 4.27-3
Officials will restart play as soon as the injured player has been removed from the field. Free substitution is permitted.
a. If the attacking team is in possession of the ball in the goal half of the field, [delay sounding of the whistle] until the play is completed.

So, to me, as long as team A is advancing the ball beyond midfield, I don't stop play. If it's a loose ball, wait until possession. All is moot if A2 is in the scrimmage area: immediate whistle to protect the injured player.

The rule indicates the injured player must be removed from the field for play to restart, so I believe A2 canNOT remain in the game. In practice, I say "Coach, he was injured, and we stopped play for him. He's out of here so you can check him out. It's a player safety issue."

[Laxref_36]

NFHS 4.27-3
Officials will restart play as soon as the injured player has been removed from the field. Free substitution is permitted.
a. If the attacking team is in possession of the ball in the goal half of the field, [delay sounding of the whistle] until the play is completed.

So, to me, as long as team A is advancing the ball beyond midfield, I don't stop play. If it's a loose ball, wait until possession. All is moot if A2 is in the scrimmage area: immediate whistle to protect the injured player.

The rule indicates the injured player must be removed from the field for play to restart, so I believe A2 canNOT remain in the game. In practice, I say "Coach, he was injured, and we stopped play for him. He's out of here so you can check him out. It's a player safety issue."

Coach,

If the play is stopped for an injured player, a coach may take a timeout. Which would allow the player to stay on the field. The logic here is that the game has been delayed for a player injury and the officials must stop play. That stoppage is charged to the officials and the player must leave. If the team wants a timeout, the player may stay as now they are the reason for the delay.


Laxref_36

[CoachRob]

I agree. In the case given, however, the player A2 simply wanted to stay in the game, and there was no mention of a TO being requested. But certainly a TO allows automatic reentry as this in effect DOES remove the player from the field (to the bench for the TO) after which he returns with the team. The 2:00 is sufficient recovery time and allows the coach to check the player's injury status.

[LaxRef]

I agree. In the case given, however, the player A2 simply wanted to stay in the game, and there was no mention of a TO being requested. But certainly a TO allows automatic reentry as this in effect DOES remove the player from the field (to the bench for the TO) after which he returns with the team. The 2:00 is sufficient recovery time and allows the coach to check the player's injury status.

Well, that was kind of my point, which I tried to make in my "answer" post. To be explicit, the conversation would go something like:

Coach: Can I keep him in the game?

Me: He has to leave the game unless you call a timeout.

Coach: If I don't call the TO, when can he sub back in?

Me: Whenever you want, as long as he subs in legally.