Stopping play for "head knocks"

[Greenbeard]

Just watched the highlights of last night's debacle. I am refraining from commenting on Hibs' performance.
Instead, I want to flag the immense bucket of worms we now have with referees stopping play at the slightest sign of a "head knock".
Last night is the first time I have seen the referee stop play just because the Ross County captain made a bit of a mess of an attempted clearing header which glanced of his head and he then went down like a ton of bricks holding his head with a wee roll added in for good measure. He even had a wee glance up to see what was happening before resuming his pained pose. Absolute con and should be the subject of retrospective action for cheating.
I totally get that the authorities had to be seen to be doing more about head knocks, especially given all the ongoing litigation threats in rugby, but a solution needs to be found to those who con the ref into stopping play like this. One deterrent would be to make it obligatory for any player who stays down with a "head knock", and which prompts the ref to stop play, to leave the field of play. This could be for a 2min assessment at pitchside or, as in rugby, for a temporary sub to come on while a more rigorous assessment is undertaken. I think in rugby they get up to 15minutes to do this.
Something needs to be done otherwise we'll eventually be moving towards every defensive header potentially being the cause of the game being stopped.

[Carheenlea]

It’s become a defensive tactic now and teams are taking advantage of this to break up or halt opposition attacks.

Go down with a “head knock”, however slight, and it’s effectively a free kick. The one where Jair took a shot and hit the Ross County player on the head is a case in point. Free kick to Ross County from where Jair took the shot.

[SteveHFC]

That's the way I see it as well just a tactic to stop play along with the 2 balls on park that's we never had before

[I'm Spartacus]

Are we just going to ignore the fact that Porteous was the worst offender (pre-Scotland selection). Every time he lost a header in the box he would collapse into a ball until play was stopped.

Safe to say there are far greater things to complain about, but I'm not for pointing fingers at defensive tactics in our current situation.

[MWHIBBIES]

It's ridiculous. If you go down with a head knock off for 5 minutes full evaluation. Would stop it immediately

[OldEast]

This is what I always wanted VAR to do, cut out blatant cheating. Should be used after the game at the request of either manager if faking injury is suspected. The refs are incapable of sorting this problem which is becoming a regular occurrence.

[ShetlandHibby]

One of my pet hates. If video evidence shows that their was no contact with the head and a player goes down to waste time then a retrospective ban should be handed out. Porto is a regular offender and it annoys me. Was it last year against hearts that the ball hit his hand and he went down holding his head?

[Benny Brazil]

Frustrated the hell out of me last night - why does the team with the supposed head injury get the ball - happened at least twice when we were attacking - not sure on the rule but making it a 50/50 drop ball would maybe cut it out as well

[JimBHibees]

It's ridiculous. If you go down with a head knock off for 5 minutes full evaluation. Would stop it immediately

Good point. 3 out of their back 4 all went down with imaginary head knocks. Clearly a tactic

[OstKurve Hibs]

[QUOTE=OldEast;7156208]This is what I always wanted VAR to do, cut out blatant cheating. Should be used after the game at the request of either manager if faking injury is suspected. The refs are incapable of sorting this problem which is becoming a regular

This has to happen, I remember 5 times of the top of my head county players went down holding their head/face when there was no where near any contact to those parts of the body, that Lacovitti counted for 3 of them. Hes pathetic, also have to agree with the other poster r.e porto doing the same, we cant moan about others doing it to us when hes at it aswell.
Football is become more and more brutal to watch as the seasons go on.

[WeeRussell]

It's ridiculous. If you go down with a head knock off for 5 minutes full evaluation. Would stop it immediately

Actually like that idea, maybe 5 minutes a bit long but make it enough for players not to consider doing it to milk time.

I guess the argument against it could be players being encouraged to carry-on and not flag for treatment when they’re carrying potential concussions.

[Real Emerald]

Just watched the highlights of last night's debacle. I am refraining from commenting on Hibs' performance.
Instead, I want to flag the immense bucket of worms we now have with referees stopping play at the slightest sign of a "head knock".
Last night is the first time I have seen the referee stop play just because the Ross County captain made a bit of a mess of an attempted clearing header which glanced of his head and he then went down like a ton of bricks holding his head with a wee roll added in for good measure. He even had a wee glance up to see what was happening before resuming his pained pose. Absolute con and should be the subject of retrospective action for cheating.
I totally get that the authorities had to be seen to be doing more about head knocks, especially given all the ongoing litigation threats in rugby, but a solution needs to be found to those who con the ref into stopping play like this. One deterrent would be to make it obligatory for any player who stays down with a "head knock", and which prompts the ref to stop play, to leave the field of play. This could be for a 2min assessment at pitchside or, as in rugby, for a temporary sub to come on while a more rigorous assessment is undertaken. I think in rugby they get up to 15minutes to do this.
Something needs to be done otherwise we'll eventually be moving towards every defensive header potentially being the cause of the game being stopped.

I totally agree and the solution of a player leaving the field to be assessed sounds like a good one. It’s now being used as a tactic to waste time, break down or stop play.

[snedzuk]

I totally agree and the solution of a player leaving the field to be assessed sounds like a good one. It’s now being used as a tactic to waste time, break down or stop play.

Same as them taking any momentum away by running round their cones first at the start of the second half - however if we're two up we don't need to worry about any of that.

[Real Emerald]

Are we just going to ignore the fact that Porteous was the worst offender (pre-Scotland selection). Every time he lost a header in the box he would collapse into a ball until play was stopped.

Safe to say there are far greater things to complain about, but I'm not for pointing fingers at defensive tactics in our current situation.

Doesn’t matter who it is, it’s a poor tactic being used to stop play or waste time. It is terrible to watch and it starts to undermine the proper valid reason it was introduced. If someone has a genuine head knock that required play to be stopped he should be made to leave the field for a couple of minutes. It would stop it being used as a spoiling tactic and ensure the welfare of the player. Regardless of who they play for.

[hibee-boys]

It’s become a defensive tactic now and teams are taking advantage of this to break up or halt opposition attacks.

Go down with a “head knock”, however slight, and it’s effectively a free kick. The one where Jair took a shot and hit the Ross County player on the head is a case in point. Free kick to Ross County from where Jair took the shot.

Couldn’t make it to the game last night, dodged a bullet there. He gave a free kick to Ross County for a striking a ball that hit their player on the head, you serious? Surely it should be a drop ball if he’s stopped play for a head knock🤷🏼 Surprised he wasn’t booked for hitting the ball too hard, this head knock nonsense is turning games into a joke. Off the field evaluation for any suspected concussion would sort it out. Drives me nuts when Porteous does it as well so this isn’t green tinted specs. We’re there to try and enjoy a football game not watch these clowns dive about at any opportunity.

[Real Emerald]

Couldn’t make it to the game last night, dodged a bullet there. He gave a free kick to Ross County for a striking a ball that hit their player on the head, you serious? Surely it should be a drop ball if he’s stopped play for a head knock🤷🏼 Surprised he wasn’t booked for hitting the ball too hard, this head knock nonsense is turning games into a joke. Off the field evaluation for any suspected concussion would sort it out. Drives me nuts when Porteous does it as well so this isn’t green tinted specs. We’re there to try and enjoy a football game not watch these clowns dive about at any opportunity.

I think the flag had gone up for offside and that’s why a free kick was awarded. There was an uncontested dropped ball to them in the first half when play was stopped for another ‘head knock’ and Hibs were in possession though. It’s getting out of hand with some of these teams now. I notice Hearts are good at it too.

[theonlywayisup]

It's ridiculous. If you go down with a head knock off for 5 minutes full evaluation. Would stop it immediately

I've been saying that for years. It's medically unlikely that someone can go from rolling about on the ground complaining of a head knock to then run around a full pace two minutes later. If someone is concussed, then they should be off for 5 minutes to evaluation how bad or not the head knock is.

In the past, it used to be an attacking defender at a corner falling himself to ground as he knew he would never get back into position as an attack broke away to the goal that he should be defending. :grr:

[GreenNWhiteArmy]

Same for all injuries and substitutions - situations are being manipulated to waste time (all clubs do it)

Rugby has it spot on. Play around it, get them off the pitch for assessment and subs can be made without the need to stop and waste 30+ seconds

[The Harp Awakes]

I lost count of the times a Ross County player went down last night with a head knock. Polaxed one minute and a miraculous recovery the next.

2 of those occasions was where the County player headed the ball. If we're now getting into a situation where players are going down after heading the ball and the ref then stops play, this will inevitably lead to heading being banned from the game. Otherwise the game will get stopped every couple of minutes as defenders try to pause attacks.

Secondly, on each of these 2 occasions, Hibs were in possession when the ref stopped play, but play then restarted with the ref giving possession to Ross County. Has there been a rule passed where the defending team gets the ball in those situations, or is this just blatant incompetence or cheating by the ref :dunno:

[I'm Spartacus]

Doesn’t matter who it is, it’s a poor tactic being used to stop play or waste time. It is terrible to watch and it starts to undermine the proper valid reason it was introduced. If someone has a genuine head knock that required play to be stopped he should be made to leave the field for a couple of minutes. It would stop it being used as a spoiling tactic and ensure the welfare of the player. Regardless of who they play for.

A mandatory 3 minute concussion assessment and they leave the field of play.

[MelbourneHibees]

Every team does it. Needs binned.

[HibsGW]

This was a nonsense yesterday, there’s absolutely nothing a ref could do now if someone just goes down every time they header the ball, the ref is obliged to stop the game and according to last night, hand the ball over to the defending team, something needs changed about it.

[Danderhall Hibs]

Yeah - football needs to take head knocks seriously. Which should mean head assessments and independent assessment of players who try to avoid showing they’ve had a knock. Compulsory assessment off field which takes as long as it takes, minimum 5 mins.

Soon stop all the fake ones.

[basehibby]

Just watched the highlights of last night's debacle. I am refraining from commenting on Hibs' performance.
Instead, I want to flag the immense bucket of worms we now have with referees stopping play at the slightest sign of a "head knock".
Last night is the first time I have seen the referee stop play just because the Ross County captain made a bit of a mess of an attempted clearing header which glanced of his head and he then went down like a ton of bricks holding his head with a wee roll added in for good measure. He even had a wee glance up to see what was happening before resuming his pained pose. Absolute con and should be the subject of retrospective action for cheating.
I totally get that the authorities had to be seen to be doing more about head knocks, especially given all the ongoing litigation threats in rugby, but a solution needs to be found to those who con the ref into stopping play like this. One deterrent would be to make it obligatory for any player who stays down with a "head knock", and which prompts the ref to stop play, to leave the field of play. This could be for a 2min assessment at pitchside or, as in rugby, for a temporary sub to come on while a more rigorous assessment is undertaken. I think in rugby they get up to 15minutes to do this.
Something needs to be done otherwise we'll eventually be moving towards every defensive header potentially being the cause of the game being stopped.

It's not so much the stopping of play for a head knock that's mad as the ludicrous and plainly unfair practice of gifting the ball to the defending side even if they were NOT in posession. This is an open invite to cheats and playactors to drop to the ground and roll about when their team's under pressure. This actually happened TWICE last night with Hibs losing out on posession in the opposition box both times and it's no exageration to say that it could actually have affected the outcome of the game. Doubtful considering we would have struggled to score in a bag of fannies - but undeniably a possibility.

[B.H.F.C]

It’s become a defensive tactic now and teams are taking advantage of this to break up or halt opposition attacks.

Go down with a “head knock”, however slight, and it’s effectively a free kick. The one where Jair took a shot and hit the Ross County player on the head is a case in point. Free kick to Ross County from where Jair took the shot.

That one was actually offside against Jair.

Because of VAR they do that thing of not putting the flag up. Linesman flagged as soon as the chance was gone (although it coincided with the the boy going down).

I agree with the general point though. It’s becoming increasingly common for someone to stay down when defending free kicks and corners.

[CentreLine]

That one was actually offside against Jair.

Because of VAR they do that thing of not putting the flag up. Linesman flagged as soon as the chance was gone (although it coincided with the the boy going down).

I agree with the general point though. It’s becoming increasingly common for someone to stay down when defending free kicks and corners.

Just watched the highlights and no surprise, he was on side.

[JimBHibees]

Just watched the highlights and no surprise, he was on side.

Yep clearly onside. The rule is though if game stopped and ball is in the penalty box the ball goes to the goalie irrespective of who is in possession when game stopped.

[percy veer]

Good point. 3 out of their back 4 all went down with imaginary head knocks. Clearly a tactic

It is 100 percent a tactic, livi have a sign hand signal to go down injured And waste Time, all the ref needs to do is book someone as soon as it starts and it will stop

[Broken Gnome]

The time it happened in the first half - Porteous free kick, rebound bobbled around the box and Hibs were in possession - was given back to County's keeper. The only real explanation is that the ref didn't want to give Hibs possession back so near to County's goal, and he did the 'easy' thing instead.

[Itsnoteasy]

Are we just going to ignore the fact that Porteous was the worst offender (pre-Scotland selection). Every time he lost a header in the box he would collapse into a ball until play was stopped.

Safe to say there are far greater things to complain about, but I'm not for pointing fingers at defensive tactics in our current situation.


100%

[Helensburghhibs]

The time it happened in the first half - Porteous free kick, rebound bobbled around the box and Hibs were in possession - was given back to County's keeper. The only real explanation is that the ref didn't want to give Hibs possession back so near to County's goal, and he did the 'easy' thing instead.

If play is stopped with the ball in the box then it is given yo the keeper, irrespective of who was in possession. That id the rule currently

[Carheenlea]

If play is stopped with the ball in the box then it is given yo the keeper, irrespective of who was in possession. That id the rule currently

So effectively a free kick to the defending team. Basically a cheats charter.

[green day]

So effectively a free kick to the defending team. Basically a cheats charter.

You could say that, but its a dangerous game to play feigning a head knock in the box.

If the ball is pinballing around and a defender tries it on the ball could be in the net before the ref even calls a halt to play.

[Carheenlea]

You could say that, but its a dangerous game to play feigning a head knock in the box.

If the ball is pinballing around and a defender tries it on the ball could be in the net before the ref even calls a halt to play.

You see a lot of it mind - players staying down, their fans and team mates shouting at ref then attacks are halted. Danger over, give it the looking groggy patter while sat getting “treated” then up and back at it with ball back in your possession.

It’s a defensive tactic encouraged by industrial managers.

[Squealing pig]

Instant subbed til full assessment , no point taking risks on serious matter

[evy]

This is what I always wanted VAR to do, cut out blatant cheating. Should be used after the game at the request of either manager if faking injury is suspected. The refs are incapable of sorting this problem which is becoming a regular occurrence.

To continue the rugby comparisons, there is similar in rugby already, but not used for fake injuries. The coaching staff of both teams can submit requests to the citing officer to look at incidents that the matchday officials may have missed. The referee can also put in game incidents 'on report' to be looked at further.

[Argylehibby]

I think the flag had gone up for offside and that’s why a free kick was awarded. There was an uncontested dropped ball to them in the first half when play was stopped for another ‘head knock’ and Hibs were in possession though. It’s getting out of hand with some of these teams now. I notice Hearts are good at it too.

It is wrong but I think the theory behind it is that when the player is hit is the point that play technically stops and therefore that was the last player in possession.

[macca70]

Instant subbed til full assessment , no point taking risks on serious matter

Then you'll find teams bending this rule to suit.

If they have no subs left to use, striker goes down holding his head to allow a defender to come on for last 5 mins of a game whilst the player is supposed to be off being assessed.

The new rules/guidance they have implemented for head knocks/concussion seem to be applied as and when it suits. I have seen many players appear to have suffered a serious head knock then they have been allowed to carry on.

[Greenbeard]

Legal action spreads to football per BBC Sport story.
Dementia and sport: Group of former players to take legal action against football's governing bodies.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63594737