Question Number: 26600

Law 7 - Match Duration 8/5/2012

RE: Select Under 14

Mort Rubin MD of Mechanicsburg , PA USA asks...

Player on breakaway as time runs out. Defender takes ball away from ofensive player. Kicks ball to offensive player, referee continues game and offense scores.Goal allowed. Since ball changed possession game should have been over, no goal. The goal scored won game.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Why should the game have been over because possession changed? The game is over when all time has played out, including allowance for time lost. Only the referee knows when that time has played out.

And sometimes in key situations like this, it is more important for the referee to watch the play resolve rather than watch the last seconds tick off on his watch. If that means the game is played for a few seconds too long, so be it. There was probably a few seconds of wastage that hadn't been accounted for anyway.

Don't misunderstand me. The referee shouldn't extend the time just because a team is on attack or just because the ball is in a potentially advantageous situation for a team. But neither should the referee be a slave to the clock.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mort
The game ends when the referee signals by way of a final whistle that the game has ended. Until that whistle sounds play continues no matter who is in possession or where play is.
I don't fully understand what has happened here that would question the referee's decision. If the defender wins the ball and then loses it again to an opponent who scores a goal before the final whistle has sounded then that is clearly a goal without any debate. Why would loss of possession end the game?
If however play was ended with the referee sounding the whistle then play cannot continue.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Except in high school and college (which use a fixed clock and the referee stops the clock), the referee is required to add for time lost during the match (and the referee can add additional time during added time). It should be very rare for a match to end exactly when 45 minutes has elapsed. Only the referee knows how much time has been added. The final whistle is the indication that time has expired.