Question Number: 20949

Law 7 - Match Duration 3/9/2009

RE: Challenge Under 13

Rick Oliver of Clayton, NC USA asks...

During a U-12 soccer match the forward beats the defender and was either in the act of shooting or had just shot the ball towards the goal when the Referee blew his whistle to end the game. The ball did not cross the goal line until after the referee blew his whistle. Does the goal stand as continuation of play or is it disallowed because it did not cross the goal line when he blew the whistle. The ball did cross the goal line when the referee blew the whistle for the second time.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

When the whistle blows (the first time) the game is over. Whatever else happens next, like the ball entering the goal, doesn't count.

The referee is the sole arbiter of the time in the game, and if all the time necessary has been added, in the referee's opinion, the game is done.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Do I hear some basketball terminology in your question?

Anyway, the time is up when the referee decides it is. The whistle is just a public way for the referee to announce that time is up. Typically there is at least a split-second gap between that decision and the time the referee puts air into the whistle, so it isn't even really the sound of the whistle that ends the game.

However, in a soccer match, regardless of what is happening at the time, if the referee decides that time has ended, it's over. No exceptions. So in the case you present, the goal could not, would not, and did not stand.

Of course the referee also has the power to decide and the duty to add on time to the match when it has been lost for a set of specific circustances. Some referees may have found an extra second or two of lost time before stopping the game. But remember they are only supposed to add the correct amount of time. Giving more than the proper amount of time would not be fair to the team defending at that moment, just as it would be unfair to the attacking team to short them time they were due.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The game is over when the referee decides it is. He then blows the whistle to signal the game has ended. The ball has to be completely over the line in accordance with Law 10 before the referee decides play has ended. In your case, there can be no goal as the ball had not completely crossed over the goal line between the posts and under the bar when the referee stopped play.