Question Number: 14563

Law 7 - Match Duration 12/8/2006

RE: Adult

Lealem Berhanu of Khartoum, Sudan Sudan asks...

This question is a follow up to question 5008

If a referee ends a game before 90 minutes (say at 85th, 8, 87, 88 minutes) what is FIFA's regulation regarding this error?

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The league must go with what is reported and make a decision. The league will use factual information provided to them and make a decision. I will add that if the referee notices it before the teams leave, it would be in the referees best interest to call the teams back...announce to captains how many minutes are left, and resume with a dropball or whatever the restart was when the referee ended the game.

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Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

Bring the teams back on to the field and finish the half. If that is not an option, a supplemental report must be included with the game report describing the incident. The league board will then decide how to proceed from them.

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Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

When addressing this question the referee must consider if a first period of play is ended early and the second period has begun AND THEN this is discovered. The match is abandoned and a report written.

The first period of play does not end until the second starts. The teams may be called from the locker room to complete the first period if play has been stopped before half time.

Regards,

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