Question Number: 12827

Law 7 - Match Duration 5/17/2006

RE: competitive High School

allen fincham of Des Moines, Iowa United States asks...

When a shot is attempted and then time expires, must the ball be in the goal before time expires to count as a goal?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Yes. The ball must be completely over the goal line and in accordance with Law 10 BEFORE time expires in order to count as a goal. It's not like basketball or football where if the shot or play gets off before the gun it counts even after the gun.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI allen,
my colleague is spot on. Although it is a deep seated agony and irritating as heck if the whistle goes to end the match BEFORE the ball crosses the goaline under the bar and between the posts no goal! While a referee can look for a less controversial way of ending a match as time is relative and rarely to the millisecond. It is as unfair to extend time for a goal to be scored if one team has successfully defended in regulation as it is to shorten the match to prevent a goal. Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Yup. Referees sometimes hear their watch beep, look down, realizes the game is over, try to find their whistle, find it, put it in their mouth, take a deep breath, take another one, blow. Game over. BUT the match had ended, not when you heard the whistle, when the referee realized time had expired. Granted these referees need to learn there are times to end matches and there are times to think of another time to end things.

What's a second or two between friends. That's what the attackers think when they score right before the whistle. The defenders think the same thing when the referee blows for time with the ball in flight towards an empty goal. It's all relative...

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Yes! It is not like basketball. When time is up, the whole ball must be own or no goal. This is true even if ball is on its way in. Most referee however would not end game right before ball is about to go in. I have seen a referee do that 1 time. He was almost plowed over by angry coaches, fans, and players after doing so. As Always,