Question:
If a player loses a boot during open play and continues to play on ( not just kicks the ball away or has a shot at goal) what should the referee do as the player could be putting himself at risk of injury.
If the referee stops play and asks the player to leave the field of play so that he can put his boot back on and then return with the referees permission, how does the referee restart the match.
Does he give a drop ball where the ball was when he stopped play or does he award an indrect free kick to the other side ?
USSF answer (May 26, 2008):
This answer of March 8, 2005 is still valid:
There is no need for the referee to stop the match if the boot was lost accidentally and did not disturb any other players. The player is expected to replace the boot as quickly as possible and get on with play. The referee neither needs to nor should ask the player to leave the field to put the boot back on. Aside from immediate danger, the loss of a boot should be handled the same way as is any issue of illegal equipment: advise the player to correct the problem during play and then, at the next stoppage, require a departure from the field only if the player could not or chose not to comply with the request.
However, if the referee does stop play for this incident, the only possible restart is a dropped ball, taken from the place where the ball was when play was stopped (subject to the special circumstances of Law 8).
