Question Number: 22897

Law 7 - Match Duration 3/4/2010

RE: yOUTH Adult

Hogrod of Great Falls, MT USA asks...

You have awarded a corner kick. Before the kick can be taken, time runs out for the first half. What action should you take?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Go to halftime. Have a refreshing drink. Recharge and reconnect with your AR's.

Time is up when time is up, including allowance for all time lost. You do not need to extend time just for a restart. (Penalty Kicks are a different issue, see Law 7.)

It is far better to blow the whistle before the kick is taken than after. Decide when the ball is placed if there will be enough time or not.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Blow the whistle for the end of the half. One of the myths of the game is that the half/match cannot end if the ball is out of play.

That said, only the referee can decide when the match is over and how much to add for time lost during the match. It ain't over until the referee says it is over.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Hogrod, I have a little vibrator on my wrist watch and when that goes it is the end of the first half, even if it happened while the CK was being set up. Only I know when the time has expire; only I add time for injury and other things. Now if this happens when the ball is actually in the air common sense tell me to delay it a second or two. But theoretically when time is up it is a good time to blow for the half time break.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Hogrod
If time runs out then the referee signals the end of the half.
The ball does not have to be in play for the referee to end the half or the game.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The first half is over when the referee decides ALL time has expired including any time he added on. If that's before the team can complete the corner kick, the restart is a kick-off for one of the teams to start the second half.

The ONLY time the referee may allow play to continue after he has decided, is when a penalty kick has been awarded but time expires after the PK has been awarded but before the team can take the kick. In this case, all the players stay on the field but are told the ony 2 participants are the keeper and the player taking the shot who gets only one shot and may not kick the ball after a save by the keeper or if the ball rebounds to him off crossbar or goal post. It should be noted that the ball is in play until the referee stops play or the ball goes out of play. This is important because if the keeper stops a shot but the ball has backspin and heads right back towards the net, the keeper had best be alert as the ball may go backwards into the net and it should count as a goal