Question Number: 22169

Law 7 - Match Duration 10/5/2009

RE: Select Under 15

Dave E of Clarkston, WA USA asks...

Playing Soccer at twilight.

What is your advice for officiating select league matches scheduled in the early evening this time of year?

We have some 5:30pm matches later this month. Sunset is about 6:15pm where I live.

Is it generally safe to allow games to continue after sunset? Our fields do not have lights.

Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

What are the times for the half? Certainly seems odd, no breaks shortened halves, play until the referee finally decides enough is enough? The players will want to finish the match, the coaches will not want to reschedule so it makes a referee responsible to say no seem like a chump? On a dark cloudy or rainy day certainly even more likely to not finish? League officials need to rethink games that push this envelope! There is insufficient time to add lost time or start late or take care of any minor set backs. My suggestion start earlier or make a league policy that you play until a horn sounds closing all fields at whatever time that is in the matches going on! Results stand at that time! Or gather the cars and turn on the head lights been there at time or two
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If you and the players can't see the ball you MUST terminate the match.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

There is a short window between sunset and darkness (the US Naval Observatory's website provides the three types of twilight) where play is possible.

The referee must decide when it is unsafe to play, and shouldn't defer to young players (who always want to play) or coaches (who usually don't want to reschedule the match). If your assistant referees can't see each other clearly or the the referee can't see clearly either goal from the halfway line, it is well past the time the match must be called. Safety first.

It is useful to know the local rules of competition for uncompleted games. The referee shouldn't be the only one who knows whether it makes a difference whether you reach halftime or play one minute of the second half. (The seasoned referees always seem to know how much of the match needs to be played before the referee fee must be returned.) The trap, however, comes from trying to stretch out another 4 or 5 minutes. When it feels unsafe, it is. Trust your gut.

Finally, there's no way that an U15 match can be completed in the window allowed. What is the league's expectation with respect to these matches?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If your league is unwise enough to schedule games in the evening when there is not enough daylight, you have two choices:
--- Inform the teams that there will not be enough time to play full length, and decide amongst you ahead of time to shorten the halves accordingly
--- Play for as long as you feel it is safe to keep going, and abandon the game at that point. The league will have to decide on the outcome of the game. If you choose this option, you should decide a time when it is "almost" too dark, and then announce, "It's getting dark; X more minutes" (X somewhere between 2 and 5). That way you have established a defined time to end the game, rather than basing it on circumstances. Nobody wants you to end the game when they have just tied it up. But if you told them ahead of time, there should be less of a problem.

The US Naval Observatory website has a feature in which you can get a table of sunset time at any location. You can use this to show the coaches why you won't be able to get the full game time in.