Kicking the ball out of play when an opponent is down...

[duffer]

Bristol City have written to all the other clubs in the league and said they won't be kicking the ball out for injuries.

"Somebody goes down and sometimes it's tactical, because people try and gain an advantage, and sometimes it's genuine," said Bristol City manager Lee Johnson.

"We just decided as a club that we're going to make a rule for the 46 games that we're going to let the referee manage the game."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49251887

What do we think? I agree with Bristol City. Leave it to the refs, avoids any confusion.

 

[Kostur]

Look at Bristol City being able to write. Sad.

 

[Thunderhead]

Bristol City have written to all the other clubs in the league and said they won't be kicking the ball out for injuries.

"Somebody goes down and sometimes it's tactical, because people try and gain an advantage, and sometimes it's genuine," said Bristol City manager Lee Johnson.

"We just decided as a club that we're going to make a rule for the 46 games that we're going to let the referee manage the game."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49251887

What do we think? I agree with Bristol City. Leave it to the refs, avoids any confusion.

Totally agree, and I also believe players know when it's a really serious non head injury

 

[sun_tzu]

Bristol City have written to all the other clubs in the league and said they won't be kicking the ball out for injuries.

"Somebody goes down and sometimes it's tactical, because people try and gain an advantage, and sometimes it's genuine," said Bristol City manager Lee Johnson.

"We just decided as a club that we're going to make a rule for the 46 games that we're going to let the referee manage the game."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49251887

What do we think? I agree with Bristol City. Leave it to the refs, avoids any confusion.

Yeah... But equally Bristol city players are gonna get 7 shades kicked out of them now

 

[Skills]

Good decision.

 

[Guapa]

Totally agree.Stupid unwritten rule, never should have taken off.Play to the whistle.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Good. Play to the whistle. Game stops for a head injury only.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Bristol City have written to all the other clubs in the league and said they won't be kicking the ball out for injuries.

"Somebody goes down and sometimes it's tactical, because people try and gain an advantage, and sometimes it's genuine," said Bristol City manager Lee Johnson.

"We just decided as a club that we're going to make a rule for the 46 games that we're going to let the referee manage the game."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49251887

What do we think? I agree with Bristol City. Leave it to the refs, avoids any confusion.

Coming from north Bristol, I’m blue and white squares through and through, so clearly don’t like the red half of Bristol...

However, they are absoubtly spot on, and I hope other clubs follow the lead - the ball should NOT be kicked out if a player is on the floor until the ref blows the whistle - unless someone’s leg is hanging off...

This has been abused for so long - it’s considered unsporting not to kick out the ball (mental), when infact most of the time it’s a player who is faking it on the floor (being in-sporting).

 

[duffer]

Coming from north Bristol, I’m blue and white squares through and through, so clearly don’t like the red half of Bristol...

However, they are absoubtly spot on, and I hope other clubs follow the lead - the ball should NOT be kicked out if a player is on the floor until the ref blows the whistle - unless someone’s leg is hanging off...

This has been abused for so long - it’s considered unsporting not to kick out the ball (mental), when infact most of the time it’s a player who is faking it on the floor (being in-sporting).

Gashead!

I lived on Gloucester Road a million years ago when I was a student there.

 

[Rado_N]

All teams should do this, it's the way it's meant to be and shouldn't need a letter.

If the ref doesn't stop the game, carry on.

 

[Needham]

Writing to each club is exercising an ironic courtesy about a plan to exercise discourtesy. Should have just put it out on Twitter with an emoji making the wankers sign.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Gashead!

I lived on Gloucester Road a million years ago when I was a student there.

Shhhhhh. But yes!

 

[KristianMackle]

Yes! I agree. Let the referee do his job, let the players play. All football clubs should follow suit. It's bad sportsmanship but I want to win. I'll worry about the optics later

 

[17Larsson]

Nice idea

 

[Nick7]

Agree with them. Referee should control it

 

[Mb194dc]

Good decision.

Agree, when footballers and managers had honour and would only go down if actually injured, putting it out made sense.

Recently it's being exploited to stop counter attacks. Even the head injury rule is being abused to artificially stop the game...

Leave it to the referee..

 

[Kostur]

Yeah now watch their players lose their shit as one of theirs is injured on the pitch, ref doesn't stop the game and the opposing team doesn't kick it out.

I agree with the idea itself, mind.

 

[BobbyManc]

Refs do need to get better at stopping the game as well. Especially when there is not an attack developing. If a player is down injured and there's a genuine chance it might be serious and need treatment then the game should always be stopped. It's often pretty easy to tell when a player is milking it.

 

[AlwaysRed66]

How will Liverpool cope if that rule was implemented by all teams.

 

[Handré1990]

Good, it should be the refs decision.

 

[ThierryFabregas]

Seems very unsporting, reminds me of this though:

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

If players and managers weren't insufferable cheats we wouldn't need to have this conversation.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Good on them.

Few things in football more annoying than when it's obvious an opposition player is exaggerating an injury and your team still puts the ball out of play for them.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Although a better and more challenging idea is for the opposing team to put the ball out of play off of the "injured" player so they get to retain possession.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Although a better and more challenging idea is for the opposing team to put the ball out of play off of the "injured" player so they get to retain possession.

 

[Njord]

 

[Smores]

Honestly doesn't seem like such a huge issue that it warrants dropping one of the few fair play elements to the game.

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Although a better and more challenging idea is for the opposing team to put the ball out of play off of the "injured" player so they get to retain possession.

This should be an official rule

 

[Copa Mundial]

 

[Casanova85]

It's always the ref's decision (and ultimately his fault).

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

It's always the ref's decision (and ultimately his fault).

The reality is somewhat different.

 

[stevoc]

Fair play to them hopefully other teams follow suit.

 

[PTSTSL]

If the play is away from the injured player, why stop it at all?

Works fine like that in Rugby.

 

[Snow]

Since they written to every club it's fair play in itself. I don't mind, never been angry at clubs not kicking the ball out. It's only really if a team kicks the ball out and later in the match the opposition teams doesn't return the favor that I'm annoyed but in general it's up to the ref to stop the game unless the player notice an injury that the ref hasn't.

 

[Casanova85]

The reality is somewhat different.

The ref can stop the game at will.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

The ref can stop the game at will.

It’s not that the ref can’t stop the game, there’s no argument about that, and most of the time they won’t - but there seems to be this bizarre tradition/courtesy/requirement for the team in possession to kick the ball out - when then is no need, and no indication from the ref, and in most cases it’s because a prima donna cheating twat is rolling around on the floor because he has dislodged his tampon.

 

[Cloud7]

I agree with this. On more than one occasion I’ve seen a player go down, especially when the other team is about to counter attack, and thought that this player has just done this hoping that the other team will kick the ball out. Considering the level of diving and theatrics in the game these days, it’s not a stretch to think players will go down like this, hoping the ball is kicked out, to gain an advantage. How many times has a player gone down only to be completely fine a few seconds later?

Fully agree with Bristol on this.

 

[Tiber]

Totally fine with this if it isnt a serious injury

 

[711]

If I played for Bristol and saw someone injured I'd kick it out. Hate me, I don't care.

 

[tenpoless]

Sounds like me in high school, or just pick up the ball.