Question Number: 25595

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/13/2011

RE: Competive High School

Terence W. McGarvey of Kirksville, Missouri USA asks...

Toward the end of double overtime, a player scores winning the goal, the team starts to celebrate. The player who shot the winning goal takes off his shirt, and starts to run down the field. The center ref catches up to this player, and issues a yellow card for excessive celebration. I wondered at what point does the center ref authority end (since the game is over). I was told by a USSF official that the referee was in the wrong, the game was over, and he or the entire team could have taken off their shirts. Is this correct? I assume so since we are all under the same umbrella, FIFA. I know FIFA was cracking down on excessive celebration, but the game was over.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Although the referee's authority extends beyond the final whistle, there is no rule or reason that requires cautioning a player for excessive celebration when the match is over. The game is over (assuming the league was using golden goal/sudden death rules). One cannot 'excessively celebrate' the joy of winning the match.

Violence, taunting, or abuse language toward the opponent is different. The referee should punish that even when it occurs after the match. Under the laws of the game, the referee's jurisdiction extends to the period while the players are existing the field. (Note: high school rule states it as the field and surrounding area.)

Thankfully, the referee's mistake did not result in a second caution in the match for the player.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Terence
The decision depends, in my opinion, whether the game is in fact over. In the case of Kicks from the Penalty Mark where the winning penalty taker runs off to celebrate by removing his shirt the referee should simply ingore that situation as the game is over.
However in the situation where the referee has not ended the game and he plans to restart with a kick off then the referee has no choice but to caution. Indeed many referees to ensure that the goal decision is final usually insist on a kick off before ending the game formally. That deals with any unseen flag etc as once play restarts the decision cannot be changed.
If however the game is over with the last kick being the goal the removal of shirts would not be a cautionable offence. That though is a very rare sitaution.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Has time expired? How did the player know this? How did the USSF official know it? The game is not over until the referee says it is.

I can envision at least 2 scenarios in which this might happen:
1) The goal is scored, and the referee immediately thereafter indicates that the game is over. In that case, the shirt probably came off after the game, no caution needed. (Unless the referee saw the player take off the shirt before the final whistle.)
2) You mention 'double' overtime. All games played in accordance with the Laws of the Game would have two periods of overtime, if they had any at all. I suspect though, that this was not the case in this game. Instead, they were playing the old 'sudden death / golden goal' overtime periods. In that case, the game would be over at the exact moment a goal was scored, so any disrobing happened after the game was over. Now your USSF official should be more concerned that the competition was not being played in accordance with the provisions of IFAB/FIFA/USSF. Golden goal went away several years ago, and no competitions should be using them.

Or it's high school, as you say in your message header, and none of the USSF procedures apply. They were not under the FIFA umbrella, and your USSF official would have no stake in the matter.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

The referee's authority certainly still applies here, and the referee would certainly be within his right to caution the player for such an action, under the strict interpretation of the LOTG. The reasoning for the shirt removal caution would even support this.

But, I think common sense would dictate to leave it alone. They've just won the match, let them celebrate. Unless some intervention is needed (ie the player antagonising the opponents or spectators), then leave it be.

While the referee does have the authority to issue cards after the final whistle, I don't believe the purpose of that is to punish players for technical infringements of the laws - and really, nobody wants to see a referee intervene here.

I think this one comes down to understanding of the game and the referee's role moreso than a literal interpretation of the laws.

While the team can certainly remove their shirts as soon as the final whistle goes, it's the fact that this shirt removal is clearly done to celebrate the goal that gives the referee the right to caution. But, like I said, I believe he should've just let it be.

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

See Question: 25622