Question Number: 21081

Law 7 - Match Duration 4/3/2009

RE: Under 11

Lupe Reyes of Woodward, OK US asks...

Ref blows whistle and calls hands on the goalie because he stepped across the line holding the ball. My son grabbed the ball and set it down to do free kick but the time was running out and when my son was about to kick it the ref blew whistle and said game over. My question is shouldn't he have gotten to kick the ball first and finish that play then blow the whistle.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Situational awareness comes to mind!
To call such a trifling foul means the infraction must have passed that doubtful stage either in distance, duration or repetition. If the match was near completion awarding a dfk free kick from what is likely a decent scoring area is a BIG deal. Only if the attacking team was mucking about could I see it as a possibility to let the time expire

That said time is up if time is up and the referee has decided it is so! ONLY if the free kick was a PK can the match be extended to take the kick!

This is total supposition but it could be the referee was uneasy about the initial call and used the time expiration to knock away that uneasy feeling or that he simply was unaware how close to the finish the match was!
Keepers releasing the ball back into play, to be guilty for a handling violation where the ball is marginally carried outside during the release is often not punished because it was trifling on its impact on play. To award the free kick, technically correct as it might be, it is a scoring opportunity from nothing and a loss of ball possession with no work on the part of the opposition and no real intent on the part of the keeper.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I would ask you why should the referee extend time just so your team could take a kick? How would you feel if your son was the opposing keeper and the referee, even though all time and added time had expired, allowed the other team to take a free kick? There is a strange belief that is almost universal that the attacking team should be allowed to finish it's attack even if all time has expired. This is absolutely unfair to the defending team. Once all time is gone the referee should, in the interest of fairness to BOTH teams, stop play.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Time expires when time expires. The referee adds time when it has been lost in a match. Once that added time has expired, the period ends.

Period.