Question Number: 28234

Law 5 - The Referee 3/4/2014

RE: Competive Adult

Kil Timmers of Zwijndrecht, Netherlands asks...

Rule 5:
A referee may only change a descision on realising that it is incorrect provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.

a)Also after the whistle of half-time?
b)Only on field of play or also when they are already in the locker-room?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kil
Once the referee ends the game no further decision can be made. That is why many referees are careful about ending the game on a goal. Some will restart the game which allows time to change the decision should that be needed say through the intervention of an assistant or the 4th official.
On the question of half time the Law is mute on changing a decision. A timing error can be corrected immediately and most will not have a problem about the referee restarting and playing out the correct timing. However changing say a goal decision during the half time break is unheard of and I would certainly advise extreme caution in changing any game decision other than timing during half time.
It is why most referees wait for a restart to be taken to end a game. Once restarted the referee can't go back beyond that decision except for a timing issue as that decision happened after the restart.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Law 5 gives the referee the power to change a decision until play has restarted, and IMO allows the referee to change a decision based on information provided by the assistant referee after the whistle has blown for half-time (and until the kickoff for the second half). But, this power should be exercised with great discretion as the players may not accept a decision that is delayed, and may be concerned about the potential for outside interference in the referee's decision after so long a break.

Indeed, the most common error in youth play that is corrected after the referee blows the whistle for half-time is the reminder from the assistant referee that the referee blew the whistle at 25 minutes and the match requires 30 minutes halves. The referee should inform the teams, go back and finish the first half, and then take a half-time break at the proper time.

Once the match is terminated, however, the referee cannot fix any errors on the field (the match is over) and the referee must include the circumstances in the match report.