Question Number: 26243

Law 7 - Match Duration 4/25/2012

RE: competitive Adult

chris hughes of newcastle , england asks...

Can a referee blow the final whistle after a goal has been scored?... therefore not re-starting the game from a kick-off before blowing up?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
There is no reason why the referee cannot end the game after a goal has been scored.
Some referees though simply go with the restart and then blow up immediately for the following reasons
1. It offers an assistant referee the opportunity to inform the referee of any offence that happened before the goal was scored. If the match is ended by the referee immediately after the goal no decision can then be changed.
2. It brings order to the position of players in what might be a tense situation. By resuming positions for the kick off players are separated and maybe less likely in a difficult situation to confront each other.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Absolutely! The match is over when the referee decides it is. If all stoppage time has been accounted for there is no reason for the referee to allow a kick off to take place after a goal.

It's a common myth that a match cannot end while the ball is out of play. Many referees do allow a restart to take place to avoid conflict which is not only gutless but patently unfair to the defending team. What if in your example the referee,knowing all time had been used, allowed the kick off and a goal was scored? How would that have been fair to the defenders? bThe match was over but the referee allowed unlawful time and a goal was scored. Then what would he do? Allow another kick off?

The only way to be completely fair is to end the match when all allowable time has been played.

I realize I'm in the minority on this but I have never understood the logic of allowing play to continue after you know all time has been used just because there is a possible scoring opportunity. How is that fair to the defending team?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If all time is up, the referee should blow the whistle. There is no point on taking the kickoff and then immediately blowing the whistle. And there is no reason to artificially extend time to let the team that was just scored upon to 'have another chance'. Why should the other team have to defend against a possible goal when they have already defended for a full 90 minutes?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It rarely happens in a close match. The wise referee decides that time has elapsed after the kickoff. It avoids grumbles that the referee altered the result of the match by not ending it 10 seconds before the goal was scored.

But, that being said. It is proper under the laws to end the match in this way. Once the referee decides that time has expired, the match is over. It is a myth that the ball must be in play to end the match.