Question Number: 18322

Law 7 - Match Duration 2/2/2008

RE: Ex pro Adult

Danny Vaughan of North Vancouver, BC Canada asks...

Hello once again !!

Here I am scratching my head wondering the rules for injury time in the professional leagues. If the fourth official holds up a sign that indicates 3 additional minutes injury time how could the referee play on into four minutes. I thought that you could not add on to injury time if nothing significant happens in that injury time.
Could you please explain this, I'm sure I am wrong but I need a pro to explain.

Regards, Danny Vaughan

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Danny,
the time displayed is APPROXIMATELY the amount of time wasted and if 3 minutes turn into 4 it is not so unusual if 3 minutes turned into 8 serious question could arise. As to what poses a significant reason to see more time required once the time displayed has begun that lies with the referee opinion of the events he witnesses.
Sometimes the communication for how much time is related occurs prior to a new event that might add a bit more. It is a also a tendency to not end a match during an attacking sequence. While I personally disagree with this ideology I understand the fact we as referees try not to create more controversy by recalling a goal scored just after the whistle sounds. In high school and college I believe a time clock has replaced the arbitrary referee match conclusion timeframe.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Remember Danny it's not INJURY time. It's any time wasted that the referee has to add. Injuries are but one of the many possibilities that account for added time

Answer provided by Referee Nathan Lacy

The REFEREE makes the final decision regarding when to end the match. Not the 45 minute clock. Not the "estimated time added" clock. Not the commentators. Not the coaches. Not even the ARs. The referee. I have been in matches where an injury occurs during the added time and numbers such as "3" minutes added as an estimate turn into "6" in order to deal with getting them off the field and so forth. Some teams, in fact, use the tactic of feigning an inury solely for the purpose of wasting that added time and, hopefully, ensuring their win (or tie). We as referees, of course, need to be aware that this tactic might be being used and adjust accordingly. All the best,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Danny - what a great question! Law 7 says the referee will make allowance for time lost through substitutions, assessment of injury to players, removal of injured players, wasting time or any other cause, at his discretion. It is not an exact science and varies from game to game, half to half, but it is one of the referee's very important functions. Too little education time is spent teaching referees what they should make allowance for regarding lost time and that accounts in part for the wide disparities in how much is added or not added in games. Note it does not say we MUST make allowance only that allowance will be made at our discretion - an important distinction.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Law 5 establishes the referee's duty as time keeper. Law 7 tells the referee he will allow for time lost for things like substitution[s], checking on players who lie about seemingly dead, the time it takes to remove the bodies, wasting time and all those other things that make up "any other cause".

Believe me adding time lost is important and it's an art getting it right. Imagine you as a nominated substitute for your country's team and the manager finally decides to substitute a player. You are the gent he points to. You report to the fourth and he tells the senior assistant. Next stoppage you're going in for five minutes AND your first cap! The next stoppage is due to an injury with 4 minutes to full time. The score is 7 for your side and 2 for their side. You are chomping at the bit to get in if only for a short time.

It takes 7 minutes to stretcher off the visiting player who jumps off the stretcher as soon as it clears the field. The referee knowing there is no chance of the visitors running out winners looks at his watch and blows for time.

So... what do you tell your grand children Danny, when they ask why you played for Canada and never got your first cap? All because the referee couldn't be bothered with allowing the players their full measure of time to play.

Same thing applies to the referee who is going to add 3 and stuff happens where six are wasted during that additional 3 minutes. He must allow for time lost, that's the Law. The last thing to remember is what Ref Lacy said, the referee is the one to add the time not the fourth official.

Regards,