Question Number: 18969

Law 7 - Match Duration 5/3/2008

RE: competive Under 13

Andre Ofori of Merton, WI USA asks...

the offical end of game is in seconds...the ref. allows the corner kick the ball is in the air and ball hits a defender and goes in...the ref. blows his whistle as the ball was in the air...they called off the goal. Is this a correct ref. call? Please advise. Thanks Andre

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Andre, if the whistle has sounded to end play for any reason or as in this case, signify the end of the match NO goal can be awarded if that ball has not already completely crossed the goal line under the crossbar and between the posts prior to the whistle. Time is relative and rarely to the micro second but I remind you it as unfair to defend longer than neccessary as it is to not play the full and correct time.
MY opinion only,
if a corner to be taken has insufficent time to ocurr then simply end the match before it occurs as letting it go and then immediately stopping via the whistle with the ball such a manner will only create bad feelings. Mind you if a team dawdles when time is short they might create their own problems by their own actions. Hustle and the referee allows the kick and a bit of wait and see . Dawdle and switch kickers or not run to retrieve the ball well maybe you COULD have just place the ball and go BECAUSE only on a PK is a match permitted to run BEYOND its schedualed duration
We generally look for less controversial ways to end a match when possible but it is over when the referee decides it is over and as a fact of play one team is happy the other sad, such is the result in competative situations. A referee must remain focused on the play not be caught looking at his watch as he blows the whistle.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The game is over when the referee says it is. One wonders why this referee allowed the corner kick to take place if he wasn't going to allow the ball a chance to go in the net

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Yeah, the referee is correct in Law, is he right? -- NO! End it before the kick or wait until the outcome, best leave the nit picking to monkies in a zoo...

Regards,