Question Number: 35755

League Specific 10/15/2024

RE: Rec Adult

Doug Crawford of Folsom, CA United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 35744

At the end of a tournament final game I had a crazy situation. Rules said time is only added in "extraordinary" situations which of course if vague.
90 seconds before the end of the game white commits a foul and I award blue team a direct free kick close to the center circle, over 40 yards from goal. Score is 0-0. Blue player requires help from coach, and takes 120 seconds to leave the field. I allow play to be restarted w DFK 30 seconds after time has elapsed, considering this "extraordinary".
The kick goes in the goal directly! Blue parents, subs, and coaches charge onto the field cheering as they think the game is over and they won. I blow the whistle repeatedly and finally get their attention and clear the field except 22 players.
Blue coach is upset that I am violating tournament rules by adding time - I can't remember what I said but maybe quoted the "extraordinary" rule.
I thought it was unfair to add only 5 seconds for a free kick to one team, and not add the rest of the needed extra time.
I decided to add 30 more seconds. At the kickoff the white team goalie came up for the kickoff, took a shot on goal, which went directly to the blue goalie. Play continued and I ended the game in 30 seconds w blue team still the winner.
If it happened again I would announce the time before the free kick - or end regulation time and start the two overtime periods as in the tournament rules.
Lesson learned! Suggestions? Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Doug,
Match duration at grassroots tournaments is regulated pretty hard due to the scheduling and field availability. A referee can temporarily suspend play for an injury. So restart the time once the free kick restarts the match is perfectly reasonable. In cases where time issues are so convoluted, I think it best to -STATE- specifics so neither team is under any misunderstanding. The LOTG do state that ONLY on a PK can time be extended past the match duration. In this case perhaps a announcement at the DFK restart "Coaches this is not the last play of the game. I am adding for the injury time lost!" be it 1 minute 90 seconds whatever! The fact they scored directly, thinking the match was over created the problem! The announcement could perhaps have solved or explained it? "Lets get to the kick off spot lickety split,. Teams leading like to waste as much as they can at match end!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Doug
Thanks for sharing the scenario.

I would say that injuries are part of the game and the Laws allow for time lost for such can be added on.
Where a competition rule exists to prevent added time I would say that an injury would not be in my opinion *extraordinary* in the meaning of lost time in the same way as substitutions are not accounted for. Sure there could easily be previous injury situations in the half that were not allowed for? It so happened right at the end yet that makes little difference. Okay the time taken was lengthy and that is a judgement call to decide the reason for that.

So for me unless the injury was feigned as an attempt to run down the clock or there was some truly extraordinary situation such as outside interference I would be ending the game when time expired.