Question Number: 21571

Law 7 - Match Duration 6/20/2009

RE: select e-lic. Under 15

mike of Three Rivers, MI. USA asks...

When ending a game and a player is taking a kick one on one advantage should thr ref call the game or allow the advantage.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

When to end a game has to do with fairness. Many people (referees included) believe you should never end a game when there is an attack going on. The referee has the responsibility of adding time lost during the half. There is a good deal of flexibility inherent in that. Rarely if ever is the EXACT amount of time added. Hence, there is the argument that adding a few extra seconds, even if all time has expired , so a shot on goal may be taken is not only reasonable but preferable. So the belief goes even if every last second the referee has added is gone, we should let the attack continue. Further, since we would do this at both ends of the field, it's fair to everybody. My take is, how is it evenly remotely fair to the defending team to extend play beyond what is added just to give the attacking team a chance to score? In every other sport, and in US High SChool soccer, there is a clock and when the horn goes off, that's it. Why should soccer be any different. The only fair thing to everybody is to stop play when ALL time has expired. I grant you this probably won't be done if a shot has already been taken, but, again, adding time for the attacking team's benefit is no different then SUBTRACTING time in favor of the defending team. No one has ever suggested that if there's an apparent shot about to be taken the referee should STOP play early but there's no difference to me. Either extending or shortening play for the benefit of one team is inherently unfair.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

My colleague Keith and I both are in agreement it is as unfair to extend as it is to shorten but we do not look for ways to make life hard on the pitch.

The referee discretion of ending time is well established historically! Even if you do not have a count down watch or you have signalled 2 minutes added time this does not mean 100% you will end the match exactly on the counter timer beep or exactly at two minutes.
You COULD do so but time is relative but rarely to the micro second and at the SOLE discretion of the referee as to exactly when time is up.

To blow for time as the ball is headed into the goal will not go well at the post game review no matter how justified in law you are to end the match. To be fair there are usually other moments not so dramatic to end the match on!

You do not watch the watch but focus on the game and the players and the ball. You should be able to be AWARE of the time and ready to end the match appropriately.

You do not allow play to continue just because the losing team has ball possession but you might grant them a finishing move for an attempt on the goal. Where as if the team that was winning had ball possession we might end the match a bit quicker as the need is not so great. I prefer to have the ball close to me at the end as I am responsible for returning it so rather then end the match with a ball out of play I will allow the ball to be returned into play then end. Same as if the ball is in the area of contentious coaches one could wait a moment for that ball to be well away so not have to be close by and hear some more nattering.

On a scoring opportunity like a corner or a last ditched free kick since we can not extend time EXCEPT for the PK we could however suspend time and then restart once the ball is in play.

For example a ball is hammered out for a corner kick at 10 seconds. If the team taking the kick are say down a goal and HUSTLE to retrieve that ball set it and get it into play I am likely to allow them to retrieve the ball and not restart that 10 seconds until it's on its way towards the goal. If they were well ahead or dragging their feet then not so likely time runs out and no corner occurs. If there was a shot that was saved with a second left as I withheld the whistle then I could reasonably end play before the corner thinking they had there moment and the defending team should not have to defend again.


Teams that hustle and do not engage in time delay tactics get full marks by me to not end time arbitrarily. Those that do engage in lacklustre efforts to get play restarted or seek to drag time out get no help from me if time is winding down but will find more added time other than for severe shortages injury etc... as a base amount is tacked on only if the other team requires it!

A ball out of play at the elite level because of the constant stream of additonal balls is minimal compared to grassroots with a single ball. If allowing a last second goal I usually restart with a kick off and a few seconds rather than end the match as I get less flack from a team that was just scored on since they are hustling to get the ball in play. Referee can use their wits at times to deflect the flack when possible!
Cheers