Question Number: 18977

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 5/4/2008

RE: Under 14

danny of glasgow, rutherglen k asks...

The opposition player strikes the ball from around 20 yards out , the ref then blows the whistle for offside , the ball goes into the net ( during this the players of course stop because the ref has blown ) and the ref gives the goal we question this decision to which the ref turns round and says "yes I can change my decision after the whistle has been blown , surely this can't be right as my players have stopped asuming the ref has stopped the game .

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Surely you are correct. The ball is out of play the instant the referee blew his whistle. If the ball went into the net after the whistle there can be no goal. AT this point the referee has 2 choices only: 1. give the offside, 2. restart with a dropped ball for an inadvertant whistle. In no case may he award a goal. Since he did award a goal, the game is protestable as the referee was not within Law to award the goal.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Danny what we see hear is a referee admitting he whistled too soon because he wants to ignore the face HE stopped play! This is a huge faux pas because the match stops when the whistle sounds. Anything happening after the match is stopped is so much "should have been". Your players didn't assume the match had been stopped they relaxed BECAUSE it was stopped.

This one should fall to the protest committee for resolution because the referee misapplied the Law.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Danny,
generally no certified referee in his right mind could concievably award a goal after blowing a whistle to STOP play BEFORE that ball had completely crossed the goal line under the cross bar, between the posts and then claim he could change his mind after a whistle was blown.

I question whether this referee guy has a mind to make so foolish a statement when it has no bearing on the facts. He signalled to all to stop play for whatever reason (you say offside) then play is stopped and MUST in law be restarted for WHY play was stopped.
That stoppage is a DROP BALL for an inadvertant whistle if he does in fact change his mind about an offside. The stopage clearly affected the outcome if a keeper or other players clearly gave up trying to stop the ball. It could be our referee thought no action would prevent the ball from crossing the goal line but it simply not a defendable position in law and as a misapplication of law it is protestable.

This concept is no different then if a referee incorrectly signalled an indfk with the arm up the keeper sees the arm and allows the ball to enter the goal untouched then the referee says I change my decision it was not an indfk but was a dfk so we will allow the goal. It simply cannot be done!.

Although I have seen a goal awarded in a high profile match for a rebound off a deliberate handling incident just as the ball was crossing the goal line. It was a slightly premature whistle that was likely for the foul of handles the ball deliberately with all DOGSO criteria certainly present and in absolute law that defender was required to be sent off shown a red card with a pk to follow, instead the referee awarded the goal only cautioned showed the yellow card to the defender and a kick off ensued. The defenders were glad they were not down the player the other team happy with the goal so in that match it slid on by as acceptable no protest filed although the assessors and referee review board watching the video ripped him a new butt hole the size of which was shall we say impressive!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

This was an error on the referees part. He should have done a drop ball for the inadvertent whistle.