José María Sánchez Martínez halts play at Vallecas for thrown objects

José María Sánchez Martínez, the Murcian referee, was forced to stop the match for 10 minutes at Vallecas after a mass throw of balls and paper planes during the game against Athletic.

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, he followed the RFEF protocol for objects incidents. First, if the items are not considered dangerous and don’t hit anyone, the referee triggers announcements and asks the pitch delegate to warn the sector via loudspeakers and, if possible, the stadium screens.

If the throwing continues or becomes more serious, the match is halted and both teams are told to go to the dressing rooms, while the coordinator for security reviews the situation and further messages are broadcast.

The protocol also allows for an immediate suspension if a hard object hits a player, referee or another person, or if the incidents persist—and that call can be made not only by the referee, but also by the security coordinator.