Question Number: 25881

Law 7 - Match Duration 1/10/2012

RE: Competitive High School

Richard Smith of Monroeville, Pa USA asks...

Had i siuation in a game this past weekend. It was late in the game. One of my girls kicked a ball towards the net. Another one of my girls headed the ball towards the goal, just aftershe headed the ball, the buzzer went off and then the ball went into the goal. The buzzer definately went off after the ball weas headed and just before the ball crossed the goal line. The refs waved off the goal but could not tell me where to find a rule to support their call. I thought their ruling was correct, but have had parents and some of the girls on the team that feel if the ball is in the air when the buzzer goes off the play doesn't end until a save is made or goal is scored. I have searched through the rules ( I am also a certified ref) and cannot find anyplace where it says that the ball has to be entirely accross the goal line before the buzzer goes off to be a goal. Can you clear this up for me?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Richard
The rules state Rule 7 Sec 1 Art 4 that a period shall end at the expiration of time. The buzzer ends play so a goal cannot be scored after time has expired. As the ball has not crossed the line until after the game ended then a goal cannot be awarded.
If the referee is the official time keeper the whistle ends play in a similar way.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Ref McHugh cites the NFHS Rule. The 'ball in the air" is a basketball notion.

What is different about time in high school is that there is no power to add time. Time is fixed and inflexible. The referee may stop the clock, but when time runs out, the match is over. Under TLOG, the referee decides when time ends and can add time (even during added time). Even then, however, when the whistle blows, the match is over.

To be a valid goal, the ball must entirely cross the goal line before the match is over.

College (NCAA) follows the same approach. The ball entering the goal just after the buzzer is usually one of the questions on the annual referee test.