Question Number: 22360

Law 5 - The Referee 10/25/2009

RE: Competitive Under 17

Jake Royd of Toronto, Ontario Canada asks...

Hello fellow referees,

My question concerns how a referee should best make use of his/her whistle. Would you be able to describe FIFA's approved/recommended use of the whistle for these situations (eg. three long whistle blasts)?

1. Goal is scored
2. Half time
3. End of regulation (when extra time is to be played)
4. Half of extra time
5. End of extra time (when KFPM are needed)
6. End of KFPM (winner has been decided)

I'm 90% sure of my own answers to these, I simply ask for the sake of clarification.

Additionally, I understand that FIFA may not explicitly describe these whistle uses, but it seems all FIFA refs have the same technique... I assume they must have learned it somewhere?

Thank you all very much in advance for your time.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Royd
It is called 'implicit knowledge' and over many years it has become accepted by players, coaches, spectators as the required whistle length and tone for each situation.
The whistle is a communication tool and it can be used to convey all sorts of instructions and messages. For instance the loudness of the whistle can be used to measure the seriousness of a foul. For example, the louder the whistle, the worse the foul is. Players will understand this.
As regards your question I do not blow for a goal unles the ball has come back into play. Half time is two long blasts, full time is three and the same for added time. I do not blow for ends to KFTPM.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Sometimes we need to read between the lines, Jake.

The 2009/2010 LOTG includes a very comprehensive Interpretations and Guidelines section for referees, and in it is a list under Law 5 of when the referee must blow the whistle and when no whistle is needed. You can find it on the FIFA website under Laws of the Game.

There will be times when the referee must blow the whistle which are not listed, and there will be times when the whistle is not blown when it is a listed time. This is normal. The principal remains true - blow when you need the teams' attention, and be careful not to blow so much the teams stop paying attention. Do vary the pitch and length of your whistles to 'speak' to the players about what you are calling.

You will always have to blow the whistle at the end of any period of play, but remember that KFTPM are not a period of play, they are simply a means to determine a winner.

The only time you need to blow a whistle when a goal is scored is if the ball has returned to play (i.e. it went in the goal quickly and came back out), and what you are really doing is signaling that the ball has left the field for a restart.