Question Number: 35729

Law 7 - The Duration of the Match 9/29/2024

RE: Competitive Adult

David Little of Milton Keynes , Bucks UK asks...

Saw a match this afternoon. In the last minute the goalkeeper elbows an opposition player in the face. Referee gives the goalie a red card. He doesn't award a penalty but instead blows the final whistle to end the match.
His explanation was that the time on his watch had run out.
Should he have awarded a penalty?
Dave

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi David,

Thanks for your question.

Technically speaking, time does end when the referee has decided that time ends.

For example, say the referee's watch indicates time is up. As the ref brings the whistle to their mouth, they alled, so the ref wouldn't award a PK.

Was that what happened here?

If the incident occurred just before time is up, then the LOTG states the match is to be extended to allow for the PK (but not for a FK).

From your description, it does sound like perhaps that's what should have happened.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi David
Thanks for the question.

As tbe dismissal red card happened BEFORE the final whistle the decision should have been the award of a penalty kick. The Law book is absolutely clear that time can be extended for the taking of a penalty kick. It is the one exception for a time extension.

One can be picky in that the whistle only signals the decision yet most referees would not end a game in that way. There are examples of games being ended with a whistle say before a goal which them cannot be awarded yet rarely a goal being disallowed because the decision to end was made before the whistle.

Now a referee can still dismiss a player after the final whistle. That obviously has no impact on the outcome of the game just that the player is suspended for subsequent games depending on the sanction.

For what its worth if the non award of penalty at the end of the game due to time expiring after the offence while the ball was in play had a bearing on the outcome of the game it is a protestable decision based on an error in Law by not extending time to take the penalty kick.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI David,
if time had ALREADY expired, the elbow is considered violent conduct and the referee can show a red card after the match duration when still on the FOP. The suspension for further games beyond the next match would be decided upon by the disciplinary committee once they ruled on the match report turned in by the referee.

As my colleagues alluded to while time is discretionary & rarely to the exact second, the match duration is a signaled (usually by the whistled ending), once the allotted match time has passed. In rare cases, if the whistle is broken or drópped or a watch reads incorrectly or if the referee is distracted and time expires without being aware to end it correctly it could be argued that time had expired previously and what occurs after is not part of the match. As my colleague mentioned it could be the referee was already in the process of stopping play? The keeper perhaps had made a save or the shot missed time expires and THEN the elbow incident becomes a VC (violent conduct ) action not a foul action? Perhaps the awarding of the PK by the referee would be welcomed by the attacking team for sure, yet his match his decision his reputation. It certainly will be scrutinized and perceptions of unfairness or allegations of such likely, but the odd referee digs themselves into a needless hole every now and then without actually trying too!

That said the LOTG definitively state that a PK foul allows the match to be extended to take that opportunity even if it was at the last second of regulation time.

The fact the referee awarded a red card for the action shows it was seen!
The decision now is what time was it when was it seen?
Had ALL match time expired and then the elbow struck? VC and no PK.
If it was just a DFK outside the PA just as the match expired you might get away with not taking it but seriously it would not sit well as stopping time and adding a wee bit is within the discretionary powers of a referee
If there was a few moments of time still left as the elbow was struck during active play by the LOTG if that was "inside" the PA, as a DFK foul, thus upgraded to PK status it 100% MUST be awarded, as time is legally extended to take that PK! There maybe no resumption of normal play with only the PK kicker & opposing keeper involved but that PK MUST be allowed! So goal or no goal. THEN, the match ends.

If the referee admits to the DFK foul occurring during the match, was inside the PA thus a PK restart, if he admits or it can be neutrally proven there was only a few seconds left, then there is grounds for a protest as a misapplication of the LOTG. While there is likely a time limit and cost associated to bring such a case before the disciplinary committee it should be pursued if it truly affected the outcome of the game or standings within the league.
Cheers