Soccer Ettiquette Question: Giving the ball back to the opposition

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In summary, there are some circumstances where a team will elect to give the ball back to the opposition. This can happen when there is an injury on one of the teams, or when there is a disagreement over a hard tackle.
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berkeman
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I've seen this in local elite team play, and have seen it at least twice in the World Cup matches going on now (amazing come-back win by Germany yesterday, BTW). There seem to be some circumstances where a team will elect to give the ball back to the opposition, based on something that happened in the course of play.

I've found one situation online, where there is an injury to a player on team 1, and team 2 ends up with the ball and can attack the other way, but decides to stop play so that the player on team 1 can get looked at. Team 2 kicks the ball out of bounds to stop play, and after things are resolved, Team 1 inbounds the ball but send it back into the back court to team 2 to continue play. Very nice.

https://coachingamericansoccer.com/features/sportsmanship-upon-injury/

But I think I've seen at least one instance in my local teams' play where there was a disagreement between the teams over a hard tackle where one team got the advantage and the referee did not call a foul, but it was contentious enough that the team that tackled decided to kick the ball back to the other team. Is that part of soccer/futball etiquette?
 
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This is a gentlemen's agreement and meanwhile expected behavior. It's not part of the rules, and I think it became "usual" in the 80's. A player that won't follow this code normally gets booed by the spectators.

Btw., it's neither soccer nor futbol. It's football. The other game is handegg; or Rugby if played properly. :biggrin:
 
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fresh_42 said:
This is a gentlemen's agreement and meanwhile expected behavior. It's not part of the rules, and I think it became "usual" in the 80's.
Which one? The injury one, or the contentious hard tackle one?
 
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The referee can also stop the play action, which he does if e.g. there is blood to be seen or another severe injury. In this case the game will be continued by a ball drop between two players like a face-off in Hockey. But in this case, the player of the team who hasn't had the ball before normally takes no action to win the face-off.
berkeman said:
Which one? The injury one, or the contentious hard tackle one?
The gentlemen's agreement. The tackles had been harder in the past.
 
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Often if there is a seriously injured player on the field who ever has the ball can put it out of play so the injured played can get help. The opposing team then gets the ball and instead of playing it, they will knock it back to the other team's defense or keeper giving back possession. It's an unwritten rule.
 
  • #6
And yes, it appeared around seventies or eighties. I don't remember when it happened for the first time, but I remember it being discussed by commentators as a novelty.
 

1. How do I know when to give the ball back to the opposition in soccer?

In soccer, it is considered good sportsmanship to give the ball back to the opposition when play has been stopped for an injury or other non-game related reason. This is typically done by returning the ball to the opposing team's goalkeeper or by passing it back to a player on their team.

2. What happens if I don't give the ball back to the opposition in soccer?

If you do not give the ball back to the opposition when play has been stopped, it is considered unsportsmanlike behavior and can result in a penalty or disciplinary action from the referee. It is important to follow the rules of fair play and give the ball back to the opposing team when appropriate.

3. Can the opposition refuse to accept the ball back in soccer?

In some cases, the opposition may choose not to accept the ball back if they believe that the other team deliberately stopped play or if there is a dispute about the reason for stopping play. In this case, the referee will make a decision on how to proceed.

4. Is there a specific way to give the ball back to the opposition in soccer?

There is no specific way to give the ball back to the opposition, but it is considered good etiquette to return it to the player who had possession of it before play was stopped. If the ball was last touched by the opposing team, it is customary to return it to their goalkeeper.

5. Are there any other situations in which I should give the ball back to the opposition in soccer?

In addition to injuries or other non-game related stoppages, it is also considered good sportsmanship to give the ball back to the opposition if they purposely kicked the ball out of bounds to allow an injured player to receive treatment. This is known as "fair play" and is encouraged in soccer.

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