Question Number: 20495

Mechanics 11/11/2008

RE: Rec Under 14

dagny of frisco, texas united States asks...

when shouldn't you blow your whistle?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

From the new Instructions for Referees and Assistants from FIFA for 2008/2009, p. 78:

Use of whistle
The whistle is needed to:
? start play (1st, 2nd half), after a goal
? stop play:
? for a free kick or penalty kick
? if the match is suspended or abandoned
? when a period of play has ended due to the expiration of time
? restart play at:
? free kicks when the wall is ordered back the appropriate distance
? penalty kicks
? restart play after it has been stopped due to:
? the issue of a yellow or red card for misconduct
? injury
? substitution

The whistle is NOT needed to:
? stop play for:
? a goal kick, corner kick or throw-in
? a goal
? restart play from:
? a free kick, goal kick, corner kick, throw-in
A whistle which is used too frequently unnecessarily will have less
impact when it is needed. When a discretionary whistle is needed to
start play, the referee should clearly announce to the players that the restart may not occur until after that signal.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Most of the time.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Dagny,
The whistle is tool of control and is used to convey a message or complete a task. Just as a hammer or screwdriver can be used with varying degrees of successes to do many thing other than their PRIMARY tasks, the hammering in of a screw or using a screwdriver as a lever it is NOT a good idea!
If you consider the whistle as a tool compared to a multi bit screwdriver with Robertson, Philips or flat or star or even Allen key style of various shapes and sizes to fit many specific NEEDS! The whistle itself as your primary tool is used in short and long bursts and in soft and loud tones to signal stop and start when it is necessary to do so. The communication of the whistle sends messages both clear and or subliminal to players as to what the referee requires or perhaps showing them what he is reluctant to do.
A weak ass whistle barely heard from the centre circle to call a pk in the penalty area is going to be ignored or thought derisively by any who should see such a stoppage as unsellable or irresponsible.
Hammering a whistle for a ball that clears the crossbar by 60 feet and travels 50 yards out of play is going to get you stared at for what in thunder was that for??? Some thing are self evident, other things require intervention, a smart referee knows the whistle as a tool is only effective if it is used by a craftsman not a play toy!
Cheers