Question Number: 19570

Law 7 - Match Duration 7/5/2008

RE: Under 17

Steven of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

Say it's a corner before the ball is in play time is up. Should you let the corner be taken or blow the whistle for half-time/Full time?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

You have a decision to make.

Was all time up, including any allowances for lost time, before the kick is ready to be taken? If so, blow the whistle before the kick.

Is it possible that there are a few seconds remaining for time wasting that you hadn't taken into account? Then allow the kick to be taken, and blow the whistle a few moments later.

What you don't want to do is blow the whistle immediately after the kick has been taken, while it's on the way toward the goal. You cannot have been so exact in your timekeeping to know there might not be a few seconds left. Allow the immediate threat generated by the corner to expire, and then blow the whistle. Note that I didn't say add on a whole lot of time to allow for multiple rebounds and additional shots. Just one immediate threat.

And don't use a beeping watch - you want to be the one to know when time expires. You want the players to know when the game is over. If you aren't disciplined enough to have a feeling for time and know when to look at your watch, then get a vibrating watch to remind you.

Those couple extra seconds you might need to add? You got them at the beginning of the half when you started your watch just before you signalled the kickoff. Then you know you didn't forget to start your watch.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You answer your own question. You are the referee. Time is up when you say it is. You state in your question that time is up. If time is up, why would you allow the corner kick to proceed?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Time is relative and rarely to the micro second but you as referee have the discrestionary power to think about the exact expiration of a match duration. Only on a PK is time permitted in law to be extended to finish this free kick. All other free kicks, of which a corner is but one type do not meet that requirement.

If time is up or a tick or too is left then no corner should be taken unless you are prepared to allow the attack to have at least an opportunity to score. Just ask our friend Clive Thomas who blew off a corner as it was headed into the goal claiming time had expired at a World Cup venue between Brazil and Sweden . No more matches for him and as right as he can point to law to be correct it was a bad match decision.

There is little gained to allow the corner to be taken then blow the whistle as the ball is headed into the goal area except a lot of needless frustration. Added time is not extra time but time misused in regulation play that is required to be played. Once you as referee are satisfied that the required match duration has been accomplished play is stopped the match or half is over!

Look at the way the team hustles to take the kick or their whole style of play in the match. Is the score 6 to 0 in favour or 1 to 0 against? Was this team wasting time at 1 to 0 but at losing 2 to 1 or tied at 1 to 1 they are suddenly frantic to continue play? It is as unfair to expect a team that has successfully defended to play a few MORE seconds as it is to not play the required seconds!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

This is the referees decision. The laws state we only need extend the game for a PK. Thus if all game time plus added time is up, then the referee has the right to end the game.