Question Number: 24808

Law 7 - Match Duration 4/12/2011

RE: County League Adult

MR of Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 0NB asks...

Hwn playing on a pitch that is not enclosed with the ball often disappearing down a bank or into a field, would it be normal for the referee to add on time on each occasion that the ball goes out of play.

If so would it be correct that the procedure should be applied in both halves and not just the first half.

Would there be a reasonable limit on this amount of time added

Is there a Law of the Game that covers this

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Coach.

Law 7 allows the referee to add for lost time, and it applies in each half. The referee has complete discretion under the laws regarding how much time to add. Practical considerations, however often limit added time. With tight schedules and a shortage of fields, a referee may not have the luxury of adding more than a few minutes.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Your question is a good example why the referee should approve a minimum of 2 balls before every match. I have refereed on fields where the ball would not only head into the woods but would end up floating down a creek. When at these field I would approve 4 balls before every game and very little time was wasted waiting for the out of play ball to be retrieved. These were youth matches and I sent parents to retrieve the balls.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
The amount of time the referee allows for time lost in either half of a game or in any overtime period for the reasons listed in Law 7 is entirely at the referee's discretion.
Many of the reasons for stoppages in play and thus "lost time" are, however, entirely normal elements of the game. This should be taken into account in applying discretion regarding the time to be added. The main objective should be to restore playing time to the match which is lost due to excessively prolonged or unusual stoppages.
If the referee believes that the ball was not readily available then he would be entitled to add on time for the time lost in both halves.