Question Number: 30015

Law 7 - Match Duration 1/9/2016

RE: Elementary PE teacher Adult

Rochelle Munger of Vashon, Washington United States asks...

Hello my 5th grade intramural students are learning about ball scoring games, and the relationship to the game buzzer. For instance, in basketball if you shoot the ball, if the buzzer goes off to end a quarter/game/shot clock and your ball falls through the basket the score is good. The question for soccer is: if a kick of the ball occurs in the air towards the goal, and the buzzer goes off to end the 12 or match, and the ball goes into the goal after the buzzer sounds, is it a score? I said that I didn't think so, but we are checking with your expertise! Thanks - Students at Chautauqua Elementary Vashon Island, WA

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Rochelle ,
In USA high school soccer NFHS they use a clock and horn. If the ball has not completely crossed the goal line under the crossbar and between the posts prior to the horn sounding, as the clock ticks 0, we have no goal. In matches where FIFA rules apply the referee's final whistle is the signal for match end. NOTE I said ALL of the BALL must be inside if part was on the plane of the line, no goal.

The significant difference is a referee using a whistle has control and can wait until a shot taken or attacking opportunity has run its course before blowing. Where as a horn tied to a timer has no human intervention other than to stop the clock which prevents a horn from sounding.

Some will argue time is relative, not to the exact second when a match played that time is added for interruptions so a delayed whistle is ok. Others will argue the referee can extend time beyond what is fair after the team defending is caught out by that last second goal.

Just to clarify in the professional FIFA matches you will see they hold up a board to indicate the MINIMUM amount of time to be added. If it says 2 minutes ,time will go the full 120 seconds at the very least but extra seconds can be added as they do not show exact the 2 minutes 33 seconds the referee has on his count down timer as the REQUIRED added time amount based on his opinion of the match.

Plus if say 5 minutes extra was shown and a stoppage occurred 2 minutes into the 5 minutes that took 3 minutes to say deal with an injury, that 3 minutes is added on as well to where 8 minutes will be played.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Rchelle
Once the whistle sounds or the horn / buzzer sounds in NFHS the game is over and no further play is allowed. So a ball that has not crossed the goal line before the sound will not be allowed should it subsequently do so.
Does it happen very often. Well no and not very often in FIFA games as the timing is not exact down to the second. A referee can find a second or so see the outcome of a shot before ending the game.