Question Number: 13378

Law 7 - Match Duration 7/20/2006

RE: Competitive Under 19

Samuel Kornfield of San Francisco, CA United States of America asks...

This is going to sound stupid coming from a referee of 6 years experience... but here goes:

If an injury/substitution/altercation etc. occurs within stoppage time at the end of a half, is more stoppage time added on top of the stoppage? Could I say the word "stoppage" any more? It seems to me like sometimes in pro games, a team will make a substitution in extra time with three minutes given. The substitution will take almost a minute, but play ends when the clock hits 3:00. Is that right?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Sam as referee you ensure the full amount of time is afforded players in both periods of play. MLS [you say pro and I assume] has this thing about referees NOT adding time in certain instances, even though the Laws of the Game require it. Yup, they do...

So, what do you do on your match? If you are doing kids on a Saturday and time is crunched, as is usual, no time is [should be] added unless you are the last match of the day -- lets all keep the schedule close to on time, right?

On another match if you, the only time keeper, have thought it necessary to allow X additional minutes and Coach Mr. Wastesumtime decides he needs a substitute in that additional time then the X minutes you thought necessary become X+whatever he wasted! Easy thought process to come up with that one... He will be unhappy and might have a word to say but time allowances are not his discretion but yours and his life just got harder. One would hope the winning goal is scored in the time he wasted! Coaches really come all unpuckered when that happens!!!

Bottom line: just because MLS does it one way it doesn't mean that way is correct in Law.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Laws state time is added for all time lost. The amount of time is at the discretion of the referee. As Mr. Fleischer said age level will make a difference here. In youth games where we have many games on a field in 1 day, we will probably not add any time. If an injury occured the lasted 3-4 minutes in stoppage happend in a major game, my guess would be the referee would add the time back on.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You may certainly add more time during stoppage time. Suppose, for example, you decide at the end of regular time that 3 minutes are to be aded. Then, 1 minute into stoppage time, a player is seriously injured and it takes a full 5 minutes to get him off the field. Would you blow the whistle once he was off? Would you end the half while he was being attended to? No. That wouldn't be fair as you decided 3 minutes needed to be played.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Samuel,
the only stupid question is one unasked. Now you know the answers and can comunicate accurate information to the next referee you talk too. Recieving proper information and instruction and seeking clarification is a GOOD thing not bad or something to beat one's self up over.
LAW 7 allows a referee to determine just how much is how much? As you apply common sense to the situations under which you labour under tine crunched field schedualing and tournaments you adjust what the laws say you COULD do and with what is required to !

Allowance for Time Lost

Allowance is made in either period for all time lost through:
substitution(s);

assessment of injury to players;

removal of injured players from the field of play for treatment;

wasting time;

any other cause.

The allowance for time lost is at the discretion of the referee.
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 15499