Question Number: 16602

Other 9/8/2007

RE: Rec Under 15

Jon of Wyckoff, NJ United states asks...

What are all of the times when the clock at a football game is started and stopped?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

In Association Football the clock starts when the ball is kicked and moved forward into play after whistle beginning the period of play. It stops at the end of the period of play plus any time the referee has added for time substitutions, assessment of injury to players, removal of injured players from the field for treatment, wasting or any other cause.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Halftime and the end of the game. Also between any overtime periods. Otherwise the clock keeps running, and the referee adds time on to the end of the period to compensate for time lost.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Please note "the clock" in a regular soccer/football game played under the auspices of USSF or AYSO, or even in the unaffiliated leagues, is kept by the referee on the field, backed up by her assistants. A referee learns quickly to never stop the watch, because it is too easy to forget to turn it back on, what with the speed of action and changes in the game. The more experienced or advanced referees will wear two watches for the "just in case" issues of batteries dying, etc. Some keep a running time and a stop/start time on different watches, and all should add time on at the end of a half for any time lost as noted in Ref Fleischer's response above. Only in American high school and college soccer is time kept on a stadium clock. Not allowing the referee to keep time can cheat the players out of much valuable playing time unfortunately.