Question Number: 24068

Law 5 - The Referee 10/3/2010

RE: Competitive Under 15

Sung Ku of Pasadena, CA Los Angeles asks...

Game ends in a controversy:

With home team down by a goal and time running out in the 2nd half, home team takes a corner kick. There are about 18 players in the box. The ball bounces off of a player and a home team player heads the ball into the net. The CR signals goal scored and as the home team players celebra the tying goal, the CR blows a long whistle signaling the end of the match.

Both team's players walk off the field and prepare for post-game handshake when refs approach coaches and reverses the last goal as a 'no goal' citing an offside violation. The CR explains while he did not notice an offside violation when he signaled the goal and then declared the game over, an AR approached him after the game and claimed there was an offside violation by the home team.

Can teh refs reverse calls or non-calls made during a match AFTER signaling the end of the game? If so, then are all calls made during games subject to postgame analysis for corrections?

Thank you!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
As play has not restarted the referee can change his decision based on additional information that he receives from an assistant referee. Also has the match ended while there is an outstanding AR signal to be dealt with which is brought to the referee's attention immediately? So in this case the referee IMO is entitled to do what he did.
Now the referees mechanics left a lot to be desired and it caused all the controversy.
First off he should have been watching his AR to pick up any signal that he made such as to confirm the goal or to signal for an infraction. If there was a signal he should have interpreted that and IMO restarted with the indirect free kick. That would have informed everyone that the goal was not allowed.
Second part is you do not state who the first player to play the ball was? if that player was a defender then it cannot be offside. If it is a forward then there must not have been any defenders on the goal line with the attacker that headed the ball in an offside position.
Finally it is another example why I recommend to referees that after a goal at the end of the game, the match should be restarted. Once it restarts no decision can be changed. It also afford ARs the opportunity to intervene on any missed flag/decision.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

I'm going to disagree with Ref McHugh on this one. Law 5 states:

'Decisions of the referee
The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including
whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are fi nal.
The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or, at his
discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth offi cial, provided
that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.'

While the referee should not have terminated the match, the fact remains that he has.

The referee cannot disallow the goal after blowing for full time. The goal should have stood.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

This same question has appeared on Jim Allen's official USSF Q&A site. Terminate is the same as ended so the referee cannot change his call.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 24086