Question Number: 33355

High School 5/16/2019

RE: HS High School

JIll Saunders of Carthage, North Carolina United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 22946

Hi-

What is your thought regarding a 3rd round high school game in the state playoffs when score is 3-2, in final seconds there's a shot on goal (no other touches), as ball is in midair the ref blows the whistle to end game, the keeper runs out of the goal and the ball goes in goal to tie the game?

Thanks

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jill
Timing in NFHS games is different from a FIFA game. Usually there is a match timer or visible timing device which once it reaches the last second of the game the game must be ended and the signal / whistle must be given.
So once the game clock here reached the allotted time in this instance when the ball was kicked the referee had no choice but to end the game. As the ball had not crossed the goal line before the signal no goal could be awarded.
If a game clock with a timer official is not used then the referee adopts the role of timekeeper in the same way as the timer. The exact same principle applies just that it is not as visible.
In FIFA games, timing is managed differently with a little discretion given to the referee in such instances. If it was a FIFA game the referee might have waited a second or so to see the outcome of the shot. The reason that can happen is that depending on the timing method used it is most times not exact. For instances a rough estimate is made for the time lost on the number of substitutes made. So a second or so can be found with that method.
Having said that some referees in FIFA use an exact timing method of stopping the watch for every single stoppage and once it reaches zero the whistle sounds no matter what. Much like the NFHS timing method.
I suppose it is tough luck that a second or so resulted in a goal being chalked off particularly after say 80 minutes of soccer. As to the merits of timing each code or sport has its own method. In rugby play continues even when time has fully elapsed until the ball goes dead not including an offence. I have seen games continue for 3/4 minutes because the ball did not go out play because the team that was behind had possession and kept it in play, hoping for a score.
In NBA a basket counts if it leaves the player's hand and time expires while the ball is still in the air, and the shot goes through the hoop.
In NFHS and college basketball, if there are three-tenths of a second or less left on the clock, players may not catch and shoot the ball for a successful score. A player may only tap or deflect the ball into the basket for the shot to be counted.

Summary is the goal did not count as it happened after play ended.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Joll,
if whistle goes before the ball completely crosses the goal line, entering the goal under the crossbar and between the posts its is dead ball as play was stopped prior to the goal itself. I thought there was a horn or siren tied to a time clock to end High school matches, just as in basketball? The only difference in basket ball if the ball was released on its way to the basket it could count after the final sound whereas in soccer not so much. Perhaps one of the panel member more astute in USA high school rules can weigh in here?

You need too grasp two essential things; - one - if a whistle goes, players stop playing, includes the keeper, if he is interrupted from his duties, he may not react to that incoming ball knowing it does not matter -two - There is nothing in the LOTG that state a referee MUST allow an attacking opportunity to play out before ending the match. It is not a decision to be taken lightly, we generally look for a less hostile method to end a match but if time was done, it was over. It is unfair to defend longer than the allotted time by extending the playing time to continue an attack. Just as it is unfair to shorten time so the allotted time is NOT used up. Its why we can add extra time for match delays & wasted time under many circumstances to be sure one team can not drag their feet to use up time unfairly. That said, while we generally can find a few seconds here and there to let play finish less controversially sometime the ball gets ping ponged, about glued to one teams foot as time expires as the clock strike zero and we blow regardless because time is used up.
Cheers