Question Number: 18282

Law 7 - Match Duration 1/23/2008

RE: Competitive Under 15

Sherazam Tiwana of Lahore, Punjab Pakistan asks...

This question is a follow up to question 112

hey
this recently happened in one of our school league matches and has since caused much controversy. Lets call one team . team A and the other . Team B.. rite. Team A scores an early goal.
Now we were in extra time of the 1st half and there is a throw in being taken. just as the throw in is taken . the ref blows the whistle, in less than a second, a team B player shoots towards goal. Team A's goalkeeper leaves the ball thinking that the game is over. the ball bounces and lands in the back of the net. Team B starts celebrating while the team a runs to the ref to protest. the ref in the end says that he blows the whistle BEFORE the ball was kicked but says that the ball is going towards goal so he lets play resume... in the end after all the protesting, the goal still stands... is this a goal ???

thanx a lot

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

No, it is not a goal. Once the referee blows his whistle, play is stopped - period, even if the referee decides he blew the whistle too early - too bad. The only restart option for the referee on an early whistle is a dropped ball, because it was his oopsie/mistake. What you describe as the referee's actions here are unacceptable and would be protestable if the game was one which counted in league play.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

No. This referee is WAY wrong. Once the whistle blows the half or game is over. I agree with Ref Maloney

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

You should protest this result to the competition committee. The referee has admitted his error by his own words, and the comittee should disallow the goal, at the very least, perhaps they will even order the entire match replayed. (I hope you do not mean that a protest was filed and that the referee's decision was upheld, because if that is the case then you're team was jobbed.)

I wonder, why did the referee blow the whistle in the first place, for full time? Then he saw a goal was scored and though "aww cookies" and decided to give the goal under pressure??

Once the whistle sounded, the game should have been over, if the referee thought time expired, OR play should have been resumed with whatever restart is required by law (in order to know this, we need to know WHY play was whistled dead.)

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

The idea that this is a just outcome is beyond an acceptable mistake or learning experiance. Flat out wrong this referee needs to READ the laws of the game not just run around with a whistle. Once he signaled the stoppage, no goal can be scored. Whether you can protest the outcome often depends on what type of league, within a certain time frame and often a monetary amount to register the complaint. It would be good to have someone in authority to pass on the correct method to this referee preventing further inconsistancies.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Interesting we have two questions from a local we don't ordinarily see anything and the questions are similar. Could this be the same match? Law 7 - The Duration of the Match gives the referee the the task of adding time lost. Law 5 tells us the referee acts as time keeper.

Now it seems the League in which this match was played might have taken that right. So be it. Well done to the league for adding something that is unable to be sorted out within the Laws of the Game.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

The referee really screwed up. The game ends when the referee ends the game. He can end the match at any time except before a Penalty Kick is taken. If the referee blew the whistle to end the match, then the goal should not stand.