Question Number: 23862

Law 7 - Match Duration 9/1/2010

RE: select Under 14

james behling of Lexington, SC United States asks...

Time had expired at the end of a game while an attacking player shot the ball while the ball was in the air. The referee disallowed (it went in) the goal because he said he blew the whistle before it went in. Right or wrong call?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi James
Right call as when the referee has decided that time has expired that is the end of the game. If the ball in the air and it has not wholly crossed the goal line before the final whistle then no goal has been scored.
Having said all that IMO it is poor mechanics by the referee to allow the situation to happen. Stopping the game in this fashion causes all sorts of problems and the referee would have been better to have ended the game a few seconds sooner. The issue then does not arise and allowing the extra few seconds only causes rancour. Technically correct but not the 'best' decision for a game.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Right call, but.

The match ends when the referee blows the final whistle. Unlike other sports, a goal cannot be scored unless all of the ball has crossed the goal line when the match ends. There is no 'in the air' provision.

The laws of the game grant the referee complete discretion to decide when the match ends (by adding for time lost during the match) in the hope that the referee will use the discretion wisely. Most referees will end the match before the ball is kicked or after it lands. Blowing the whistle when the ball is in the air, on the way toward the goal, usually indicates that the referee was watching the watch rather than watching play.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

This was a 'right' call. The game ends when the referee decides it has and this is indicated by the whistle. However, I would question wiseness of the referee's decision. Would have been better to end before the shot was taken