Dropped Ball - Procedure

Dropped ball is a method of restarting play if play was stopped by the referees for reasons other than infringing of the Laws of the Game. Instances are like serious or bleeding injuries, disturbances by outside elements (spectator, coach, etc.) or accidents (cross bar or goal post broke, unfavorable weather conditions).

The referee drops the ball at the place where it was when play was stopped. The ball may not be played until it touches the ground and if it leaves the field directly, without touching any player, the ball shall be dropped again. Any player may challenge for the ball and no minimum or maximum number of player required to take part in a dropped ball. The referee may drop the ball even if only a player is there. The referee cannot decide who may or may not take part in a dropped ball. Is the whistle needed in a dropped ball?

Often referee misunderstand with guidelines given by FIFA: Whistle is needed to restart play after it have been stopped due to the issue of cards, injury or substitution. The whistle here is not to stop the game but to hold the game for the reasons mentioned. You don't stop play for substitution, do you? It is because you stopped or hold the game you have to get every one's attention again by using the whistle. So if you stopped play for a serious injury or bleeding injury, you need to dropped the ball but no whistling is needed. The ball is in play the moment it touches the ground. Reminder: Referees should not stop play for minor injury. Cramp is not a serous injury so game need not be stopped.

Vying for FIFA MAtch Official?

Vying for FIFA Match Official? Yes! Why not? Every referee should have a dream or aspiration to be at the top in his refereeing career. The highest level of refereeing in the country is the FIFA status. Maldives is allotted THREE FIFA Referees and FIVE Assistant Referees. Referees should be doing matches in the country's highest league to be considered.
The Referees Committee shall nominate referees to fill the list. The proposed referees shall be at least 25 years old (23 years old in the case of assistant referees) and shall not reached the age of 45 on 1 January of the year for which they are nominated. The candidates shall have passed the appropriate FIFA Fitness test related to the list they belong to within four months prior to the deadline for nomination for the lists of international referees and assistant referees. They shall also have passed a medical examination.
FA shall supply FIFA with the rankings of the proposed referees based on the marks obtained at national level. These ranking shall apply only to first division matches at which they have officiated. With these ruling, other referees who obtain good performance higher than the current officials may stand a chance to be nominated and chosen by FIFA. Good luck to all!.

Trio at their Best to set Benchmark

Dhivehi Football League commenced with the MILO Charity Shield 2010 on the 11 March 2010. VB Sports Club and Victory Sports Club gave their best performance and won the heart of the football fans. Quick exchange of attacks and five goals scored were the ingredients of an entertaining match. Trio AFC Elite Match Officials, Ali Saleem, Ahmed Ameez and Ibrahim Thaufeeq shown a superb performance. Ali Saleem was always on top of the game with his fast movement and good anticipation. His decisions were mostly accepted with two penalty awarded with no protest. Both his assistants were also always up with play and showed full concentration and assistance to the referee. FAM hopes that this performance from the trio will be a good benchmark to all other referees in their duties in this season. AFC Elite Fourth Official, Ali Adil also made his presence felt in the match. Many junior referees will given their break in this league to perform and to improve further in their career. The cooperation from the players, team officials and football fans in absorbing mistakes (if any) in the aim to assist in development of referees in this country. Thus, the vision to see a Maldivian referee in the World Cup will a reality.

Beach Soccer to Maldives

FIFA will be holding a coaching and refereeing course in Male in July 2010. The aim is to promote and develop this game in Maldives, a country of many islands with beautiful sand beaches. 15 coaches and 15 young referees will be selected to participate in this course. With this initiative, FAM hopes to put Maldivian soccer in the world beach soccer map in the future.

Beach soccer is played on surface of sand, levelled, free of rocks, shells, and any other object that may offer risk of injury to the players. The field is 115 x 90 feet in dimension. Each team consists of four players and a goalkeeper with no off-sides. Unlimited substitutions allow for fresh legs at all times and keeps the game moving fluidly throughout all three 12-minute periods. A beach soccer game always has a winning team. In the event of a tie an overtime period is played, followed by penalty kicks if the tie remains. Beach soccer is indeed quite different in play and strategy than traditional soccer and offers the opportunity to develop unique skills away from the grass game. It is no wonder that top-flight professional teams the world over have begun to utilize sand pitches at their facilities for this very reason: playing beach soccer makes a better soccer player.
Read: http://www.beachsoccer.us/index.php/benifits-of-beach-soccer.html
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Beach_Soccer_World_Cup for more information.

FAM Preparatory Seminar for Referees

Football Association of Maldives had just completed the 4 days seminar (1 - 4 March 2010) to prepare all the football referees for the new seasons. 48 referees applied to be registered but only 28 attended this seminar. The practical sessions were held in the Henveiru Ground while the theory sessions, in FAM Seminar Room. The practical sessions were handled by FIFA Futuro Instructors, Ahmed Abeer Ismail and Mohamed Saeed. They were assisted by FIFA Referee Ali Saleem and FIFA Assistant Referee Ahmed Ameez.
Practical sessions include refereeing and assistant referees skills, fitness training, offsides problems, positioning, handling of misconducts and difficult situations in games. Theory sessions include review of problems faced in the last season and ways to overcome, offsides problems, rules and procedures, briefing by competition and referees department.
24 football referees passed the fitness test and will be ready for the new seasons. 26 FUTSAL referees passed the FUTSAL fitness test. A special fitness test will be held for referees who are injured or away for courses.
With senior and new referees in the current referees list, the Referees Department hope and expect a positive path of development toward creating more quality referees in Maldives. Courses will held every year in Male for football (September) and FUTSAL (May) to increase the pool of referees in Male. Referees in other island will also be given fitness test to have them registered so that development will be total and equality of opportunity for development. Island who need to have their own referees can apply to FAM for courses to be held in their island.