Question Number: 21829

Law 10 - Method of Scoring 8/25/2009

RE: Other

Joan of Van Buren, Ohio USA asks...

If a ball is kicked before the final whistle blows and the ball enters the goal after the final whistle is it counted as a goal?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

No. Unlike other sports, the ball must have completely crossed the goal line at the moment time expires.

In games playered under the laws of the game, only the referee decides when time expires. In NCAA (college) and NFHS (high school), there usually will be a clock and horn to indicate that time has expired.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Nope, no goal, and noogies for the referee.

It is hard to believe there weren't even 5 seconds left unaccounted for that would have put the ball in the goal in added time. Mostly that is a ref who is too in a hurry to get to the tent, who is totally distracted from what is happening on the field (due to too much time looking at the watch) or to a hot date or whatever.

While the referee is the sole arbiter of the time, and there will be those instances when all time reasonably and unreasonably accountable for has been added and another second is too long, those are the 1 in 1000 games or even less.

Tough break.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The whistle is an indication by the referee that the game has already ended. The ball must completely cross the goal in accordance with Law 10 BEFORE play is stopped in order for the goal to count

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

If the whistle sounds to end the match BEFORE the ball has completely crossed the goal line under the crossbar and between the posts the goal CAN NOT count.

In point of fact a referee could nullify a last second goal claiming he dropped or broke his whistle or he looked at his watch incorrectly and BECAUSE he is the sole arbitrator of time as a fact of play and since no other restart had occurred the decision as unpopular as it might be could likely stand.

However, a referee can not CLAIM he blew the whistle by accident because as the accepted signal to stop play the match could be successfully protested!

Time is relative but rarely to the micro second. However, the needs of the match and the teams themselves dictate certain allowances or routes a referee could choose to take in those final few moments. It is as unfair to extend time to cheat the team which defended as it is to take away time from a team on attack. I tend to agree with my colleague Ref Maloney that we need to focus on the match circumstances not the second hand on our watch as we can usually end a match in a much less controversial style!

Cheers