Question Number: 25970

Law 7 - Match Duration 2/14/2012

RE: Under 19

Prasant of New Delhi, Delhi India asks...

can the ref blow the half-time whistle when the ball is out of play or does does he have to wait for the game to resume?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Prasant
There is no requirement for the ball to be in play to end the game. The game ends when time is fully expired
However in games where there are three officials involved, some referees make a point of restarting the game. When the game restarts any decision that is made such as the award of a goal cannot be reversed. It can be reversed up to the point of the restart which allows ARs time to intervene.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

There is no requirement that the ball be in play for the referee to blow the whistle to end the half or the match.

It is common for the referee to wait. In amateur matches, the referee usually retrieves the ball at the end of the match. Staying on the field can sometimes avoid issues with spectators and allows the referee to focus on the participants and not on the location of the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

When does the referee decide all time given for the game, plus any extra time is up? At that moment, the game is over which is announced with the whistle. Whether the ball is in play or not is irrelevant.

However, the wise referee might choose to wait a few seconds to make sure she isn't missing an exciting play while looking at her watch. What a travesty it is when the whistle is blown just a fraction of a second before the ball goes into the goal! We are not perfect timekeepers - we were never meant to be - so there is a wee bit of wiggle room on how much time we add.