Question Number: 18250

Law 7 - Match Duration 1/15/2008

RE: All levels Other

Ben Hunt of Vacaville, CA USA asks...

How to handle restarts just before the half or the end of a game. When you call a foul, ball goes out or any other stoppage in play with seconds left, I understand how to restart play but how long should you allow play to go on? Scenario, ball goes out of touch w/ 10 seconds left. Do you need to allow the throw-in to occur or can you just end the half/game. When there is a foul, I call it and restart as appropriate allow a few seconds to go by, then signal half or game over.
Lastly, when there are seconds left and an attack is developing I usually wait to see what happens to the attack before blowing the whistle. Is this appropriate? I'll add this is usually during a close game, when one team is up by a couple goals, it wouldn't matter so I call it.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Ben, you MUST allow added time for whatever time was lost during the half. Once that time is up, you blow your whistle. It is a myth that you have to allow any restart. The ONLY time where you continue past this is if you've awarded a penalty kick. The kick must be taken even if all the added time has expired. I'll ask you this, in a close game with one team attacking, why is it fair to add additional time beyond that you have already added? I understand almost everyone does this but it seems to me patently unfair to the defending team.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Ben when there is an infraction of the Laws or the ball crosses a field boundary a restart of play is necessary. Thing is, when time plus any additional time has expired the match is over and the restart of play can't happen. It is perfectly acceptable to end the match at a stoppage. I do. However, I do not end things until the players have retrieved the ball! Reason? They're a lot younger and can chase the ball easier -- when they come back with it I'm waiting and ask they give it to me. Then I blow for time.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

Ben, Think of it like this.... you have 10 seconds left in the half and the ball has left the field of play for a throw-in. The time it took for a player to retrieve the ball back to the touch line for the throw in is for all intents and purposes "suspended" time. Once the throw in has taken place, you "continue" your count down from 10 seconds. This of course is all sort of integrated in as "added" time. Continuing to use your scenario, a referee will only heap upon themselves much hate and discontent if, with 10 seconds left, the wait for the player to retrieve the ball and just as the player is about to throw it in, the referee ends the half with the claim that the 10 seconds have now elapsed. This, for me is different than if time has already elapsed and the ball has just left the field of play....then I do the same as described by Ref Fleischer.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Ten seconds left - I'll assume that includes compensation for any time lost previously in the half. The ball goes out, and the player takes 8 seconds to retrieve the ball and get back to the spot where the throwin should take place. As Ref Hoelscher suggests, you should give that player the full 10 seconds left in the game, not just 2. But suppose the player comes up to the line, and then dawdles about for 4 or 5 seconds before she even looks like she is going to take a throwin? Or calls over to her teammate to take it (I guess the teammate has a mighty throw or something) and they waste another 3 seconds? Oops, time's up, they used up their chance. Blow the whistle and collect the ball they so kindly retrieved for you.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Ben,
in any match it is as unfair to award extra moments to defend just as it is unfair to add extra moments to attack because the defending team has in fact done its job! That said it is crucial to ensure we platy the full 45 minutes per half as instructed to by law so a legitimate attacking chance is not lost. Time is relative but rarely to the micro second! It is a reflection of your understanding of the reality of the needs of each match to not create a problem but not shy away from the hard decision if required!

An attack that is in progress is often allowed to be completed even though time has in fact expired because of the mistaken belief we should ONLY end a match when the ball is away from the nearest goal.

That is a generalization and to be fair MOST times we look for less controversial methods of ending a match then a ball headed into the goal. Sometimes a ball is glued to the attacking team's foot and we must simply end the match as it is! That said we blow a ball is crossing the goal line we will get 50% relief and 50% extreme rage!


In cases of lopsided matches, or the attacking team dawdling or farting around we can choose to end the match without considering the time to retrieve the ball. If a team hustles then my watch ticks a bit slower. If the restart location is inside a defending third as opposed to releasing an immediate attack again we could think of the match needs! ONLY on an PK can time be EXTENDED to finish play. We award time lost as discretionary amount as stated in law 7.

Youth and grassroots matches unfortunately get robbed of precious playing time by tight schedules, tournament or league stipulations, a lack of extra balls available to replace the ONE out of play, unlimited subs and general apathy at following the correct sub procedures or less than stellar coaching tactics to use up time.

Cheers