1. Periods of Play                                Go back to the top of this page

A match must last of two equal periods of 45 minutes, unless otherwise mutually agreed between the Referee and the two participating teams. Any agreement to alter the periods of play must be made before the start of play and must comply with competition rules. The Referee should aim to commence the match promptly and on time.

Before the commencement of evening games where no floodlights are present, the Referee will need to make a judgement as to the length of time to be played each half (for example to reduce each half to 40 minutes because of insufficient light). Any change to the time must be made with agreement of both teams.

Before limiting the duration of a match, the Referee should consider such factors as the lateness of the kick-off, the time of year, and any dark cloud cover   which can have a drastic effect on the amount of light during early evening matches. Once a duration has been agreed, do not lengthen any periods because the weather just happens to clear up.

If it has been decided that the match will be less than 90 minutes, then each half must be equal in time. Playing less than 90 minutes may also be subject to Competition Rules, so the Referee will need to be conversant with the local Competition Rules before arriving at the ground - Rules normally mention the minimum time allowed. (e.g. minimum of 80 minutes in total allowed)

The Referee is the sole arbitrator in all aspects concerning time during a match - he also acts as the timekeeper.

"THE REFEREE IS THE SOLE JUDGE OF TIME"

After the end of a game, if a Referee suddenly realises that he has not played out the prescribed time, he will need to use common sense as to whether or not the teams should return to the field of play to finish off the remaining time. If a Referee plays over the prescribed time, then this must be reported to the appropriate League Secretary, giving as much detail concerning the scores etc. In this case, the Referee does not decide the outcome of a game.

The Referee must report late starts. But if a late start is due to a genuine reason, and the match is eventually played without too much delay and without any problems because of the delay - use your common sense as to whether or not you report the late start or not (or emphasise any genuine reason in your report).

The time (game) starts when the ball is in play (touched and moves forward) at the first kick-off.

The Assistant Referee can signal to the Referee when full time has been completed. Click here to take you to the Assistant Referee page section describing the types of 'time-down' signals used between between the Referee and his Assistant Referees to communicate time.

Modifications to the duration of periods of play stipulated in the Laws of Associated Football (LOAF) may be modified for matches concerning players under 16 years of age, for women footballers and for veteran footballers (over 35 years of age) and for players with disabilities.

Additional time -  is allowed for a penalty kick to be taken at the end of each half or at the end of any periods of extra time. As soon as a goal has been scored in "additional" time, the half is over. This period is sometimes referred to as "extended time" or "added-on time".

Allowance for time lost -  is the time aggregated on at the end of each period of play to compensate for time wasted or lost because of injuries, substitutions, time-wasting etc - this allowance for time is at the discretion of the Referee and must be included the end of each separate half concerned - and not totalled up to be aggregated on at the end of the second half only. (More details below).

Extra time - is used to decide the winner of a drawn game (e..g. Score 2-2), by providing further periods of play (usually two periods of 15 minutes) after the game (90 minutes of play) has been completed. Extra time is used extensively in Cup Competitions to decide a winner on the day, rather than have a replay. (see below for more detail).

Note: With regard to the method for determining the winner of a match, the IFAB ruled in favour of extra-time, consisting of two periods of no more than 15 minutes each, followed by kicks from the penalty mark. As a result, matches will no longer be decided by "golden goal' or "silver goal".
Therefore -the following two methods were taken out of the Laws in 2004/2005: 

• The Golden goal - ( the first team to score a goal in extra time will be the winner). 
• Silver Goal - (if a team scores in the first half of extra time, play carries on until half time. If the team is still winning by half time, then they win the game, else the second half of extra time if played in full).

2. Half-Time Interval                            Go back to the top of this page

Players are entitled to an interval at half-time. If during a half-time interval, 21 players agree to commence the second half without taking a break, but one player says that he wants to have a break, the Referee must respect that player's wish and allow an appropriate half-time interval. If both teams are in total agreement about not having a half-time interval, and the Referee is happy with this, then re-start the second half without taking the half-time interval. This can sometimes occur if the weather is very unpleasantly cold, and the teams wish to finish the match as soon as possible - or when there is no place to shelter from the rain.

3. Allowance for Time Lost                       Go back to the top of this page

Allowance is made in either period for all time lost through:

• substitution(s) entering and leaving the field of play. Try and hurry along any reluctant substitutions.
  
• assessment of injury to players. Err on the side of caution before making a judgement as to the severity of an injury. Aggregating time on at the end of a half is far more sensible than making a mistaken judgement  that could result in permanent injury of a player.
  
• removal of injured players from the field of play for treatment. If an injured player is near the touchline and is not seriously injured, ask them to move (or be moved) out off the field of play to receive treatment. This will allow the game to proceed with minimal time lost.
  
• wasting time. Do not hesitate to caution any player who is blatantly trying to waste time for whatever reason - including feigning injury.
  
• any other cause - such as crowd or spectator trouble, having to discipline officials, treatment for match officials, broken corner flags, a dog on the pitch etc....... You may also need to consider stopping a game temporarily due to adverse weather conditions such as thunder and lightning or a sudden hailstorm. If this occurs, then the Referee must ensure that the full time is eventually played when the players return to the field of play.

The 'Allowance for time lost' is at the discretion of the Referee and must be aggregated to the end of each half concerned. It is sometimes a good idea to show players that you are noting any lost time by raising up your wrist and holding or pointing to your watch. This sometimes has the desired effect on potential time-wasters, and at the very least will pacify the losing team players when a winning team are blatantly time-wasting towards the end of a match.

The allowance aggregated on at the end of each half for any time lost in the match is at the discretion of the Referee. There are other reasons to aggregating on time, other that those listed in Law 7 - such as delays in taking  kick-offs, throw-ins, dropped balls, goal kicks, corners, penalties, free kicks, and replacement of lost or defective balls. Time should not necessarily be aggregated on for these normal elements of the game.  The main aim of time allowance, is to restore playing time to the match that was lost due to excessively prolonged or unusual stoppages, or to compensate for any blatant time wasting.

Players will inevitably keep asking you (the Referee) for the 'time left' as a half nears its completion, be prepared to give players the information, but not at the expense of loosing your concentration on the game. Wait until it is safe to look at your watch before giving players this information. Do not attempt to supply 'time left' information to players during the flow of the game - it is so easy for a Referee to miss an incident by just looking at the watch for just a split second.

Rather than give the precise time, a quick look at the watch, followed by a vague statement by the Referee will usually suffice. For example:

"We’ve played about 40 minutes." or "Less than ten minutes to go." Or "Time's nearly up." or "We're inside the last five minutes." or "You better hurry up with that free kick." Or "A few minutes to go yet!"

Only the Referee really knows what time remains during a match: The only official clock is the stopwatch used by the Referee. Apart from the very top levels of football, the Referee is not obliged to inform teams (or anyone else) how much time remains during a match. Any publicly visible clocks can only show official time elapsed, and not the official time remaining, because only the Referee has the discretionary power to add time onto the end of the game, to compensate for time lost through delays.

Interesting Point concerning recording time in America - provided by Karl Arps Aug 2002:

The American  National Federation of State High School Associations provides rules for various competitive activities in schools for children aged 14 through 18. This includes Association football (soccer) NFHS soccer rules web site: http://www.nfhs.org/rules-soccer.htm . For many years, soccer at the high school (HS) level was played on American football pitches (identical to NFL fields) with the soccer field overlaid with yellow stripes. Because of football rules, there was always a stadium scoreboard available with a clock. Therefore, NFHS rules call for the time to be kept by a timekeeper provided by the home team. This is consistent with basketball and American football practice. (Note: for those few teams who have access to a separate, pure soccer pitch and no stadium clock, the time is kept on the field by the Referee, as in FIFA.) Time lost after goals or for injury are handled by the referee signalling the timekeeper who stops the clock. An unintended consequence of the stadium clock arrangement is that is a great bother and distraction for the referee to stop the clock for niggling delays.

Thank you to Karl for that insight. (Webmaster).

The Referee must be meticulous in his time keeping. Always wear two watches. Keep one running continuously, and stop and start the other watch to allow for lost time.  It is surprising how often a Referee forgets to restart his watch after stopping it to allow time for a player to be treated for an injury. Having a second watch, and noting the time of kick-of allows the Referee the option of completing the match within the proper timescales. It can be very disconcerting if you forget to restart your watch during a game - and suddenly realise that your watch is your only one available!!! Make a note of the time of kick-off in your Referee's notebook at the beginning of each half of play.

The Referee does not have the power to change any time rules if stipulated in Competition Rules.

The match is only over when the Referee says so. The Referee does not need to consult anyone else about how much time he should allow for stoppages accrued during the match -  not even the Assistant Referees if if doesn't want to!.

No one but the Referee knows exactly when time will run out and when he intends to end the game.

4. Penalty Kick                                 Go back to the top of this page

Additional Time

It is possible to award a penalty just before the end of a half. The Referee must then extend time to allow for the penalty kick to be taken or re-taken. This extended is officially know as 'Additional time'.
(This must not be confused with 'Allowance for time lost' which covers time aggregated onto the end of a half because of time lost during the game.)

If a penalty kick has to be taken or retaken at the end of a half, the duration of the half is extended until the penalty kick is completed. i.e. the half is not finished until the penalty has been completed.

See Question 14 below for an explanation of when a penalty ends in additional time.

The Laws of the Game still apply during periods of 'Allowance for time lost'   and 'Additional time'. Misconduct during these periods are treated 'as if' the misconduct had occurred during normal time.

5. Extra Time                                    Go back to the top of this page

To decide a winner, if a match is drawn at the end of full time, some Competition rules may provide for two further equal periods of time to be played. The conditions of Law 8 (Start and Restart of Play) will apply (e.g. a coin must be tossed to decide which goal each team will attack). Most Cup Competitions allow for extra-time, in the event of a drawn match. This is normally 15 minutes each way - but always check the competition rules beforehand.

Some competitions stipulate that if a match is still drawn after Extra Time has been played, the result will be decided by the taking of kicks from the penalty mark.

The duration of the following intervals, are at the Referee's discretion:

• between Full Time and Extra Time,
  
• between each period of extra time,
  
• prior to the taking of penalty kicks from the penalty mark to decide the outcome of a match.

Whilst the periods above are taking place, the players are still under the jurisdiction of the Referee (e.g. a replacement player is not allowed if any player is sent-off within one of these periods.)

6. Abandoned Match                                   Go back to the top of this page

An abandoned match is replayed unless the competition rules provide otherwise. The Referee does not decide the outcome of any abandoned match - including any match abandoned due to bad weather. The Referee must report an abandoned match to the appropriate authorities. It is the appropriate authorities who decide what to do about an abandoned match - and not the Referee. The appropriate authority is usually the Fixture Secretary of the League or Competition concerned.

If a Referee has to prematurely terminate a match for any reason (for example -  a blizzard, persistent thunderstorms, waterlogged pitch, excessive spectator interference, fighting between players etc.), the match is considered to be abandoned and the score is nullified unless the competition rules for that particular match provide that the score at the time of stoppage stands. Otherwise, a game ended prematurely by the Referee, is normally replayed in its entirety, irrespective of what the score was or the cause of its abandonment.

The Referee may temporarily suspend a game instead of terminating it. This may be done to allow a passing storm to clear away. In such circumstances, it is not necessary to abandoned the game, unless the stoppage time exceeds an inappropriate amount of time making it impractical to restart.

7.Questions and Answers             Go back to the top of this page

Question 1: The start of an evening match was delayed for 20 minutes. The Referee played a full 45 minutes in the first half. During the half time interval, the light begins to fade fast and the Referee said that he would only play 35 minutes in the second half - is he allowed to do this?

Answer 1: No. Law 7 clearly stipulates that each half must be of equal periods of time. Any changes to the length of these equal periods must be made before the start of play, and must be mutually agreed between the Referee and both teams. Most competition rules also stipulate the minimum time allowed for each half. For example, some competition rules allow for matches to be last a minimum of 80 minutes. In this instance, because the Referee had played a full 45 minutes in the first half, the second half must be of the same duration (45 minutes). If the fading light does not allow for 45 minutes' time to be played, then the Referee must abandon the game due to fading light, and report the circumstances to the appropriate authority.

Question 2: If the Referee has to abandon a match due to insufficient light, bad weather or any another cause, can he decide the result of the match?

Answer 2: NO. The Referee cannot decide the result of an abandoned match. The Referee should report the circumstances to the league authorities - they are responsible for investigating abandoned matches, and deciding whether the result stands, or if a replay is necessary.

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Question 3: In the last seconds of a game, an attacker was awarded a penalty. Just as the attacker was running up to take the penalty, the Referee blew his whistle for full time. Is this correct?

Answer 3: No. 'Additional time' is allowed at the end of each half for a penalty kick to be taken. The Referee was wrong to blow for full time. He should not end the game until the penalty kick has been completed.

If this was a free-kick (instead of a penalty), and if the free kick is delayed, the Referee may end the game before the free kick has taken place.

Misconduct during periods of 'Additional time' is treated as if the misconduct had occurred during normal match time.

Question 4: Is it left to the Referee’s discretion to decide whether time lost through injuries or other causes is to be added or not?

Time lost (where time can be aggregated on at the end of each half) can include:

a. deliberately kicking the ball out of touch with great force, requiring lengthy retrieval of the only readily available match ball.

b. goalkeepers taking too long when completing goal kicks.

c. throwers deliberately passing the ball to colleagues with the sole aim of wasting a few precious seconds.

d. players who are just about to take a free kick, decide that it is time to retie their boot laces.

e. players deliberately walking slowly to retrieve the ball when it has left the field of play.

f. substitutes deliberately walking slowly off the field of play - normally by the longest route.

g. players feigning injury and seeking treatment for non-existent injuries.

h players kicking the ball away after play has been stopped for an infringement.

i. players taking too long over free kicks, corners or any other restarts of play.

Legitimate forms of time lost during active play (where time lost is not aggregated on at the end of each half) are shown below:

a. players shielding the ball near the corner arc with their body, retaining the ball within their possession,  and making no attempt to advance the ball from such position. I hate players doing this - it is against the spirit of the game. I see it as a type time wasting against the 'spirit of the game' that always leads to confrontation. At the very least you could award an indirect free kick for obstruction - but only if the player is not playing the ball and it is not within playing distance.

b. keeping possession of the ball by legitimately passing to colleagues - with no attempt to score a goal or attack the opposition.

c. the goalkeeper deliberately keeping possession of the ball at his feet without picking it up.

'Allowance for time lost' during active play is not necessarily aggregated on at the end of each half for time lost for normal kick-offs, throw-ins, dropped balls, free kicks, and replacement of lost or defective balls. These are entirely normal elements of the game, and 'Allowance for time lost' should only be aggregated on if there are undue long delays in any normal restarts of play.

Some television sporting programs measure the amount of time the ball is in actual play during the 90 minutes of a game, and it can vary from 40 to 60 minutes, sometimes considerably less. A great deal of accepted time is lost when restarting play - but the whole of this time is not aggregated onto the end of each half - time to allow normal restarts is an  accepted part of the game of football. Can you imagine the Referee signalling to the Fourth Official, that 20 extra minutes will be played at the end of the second half! Notwithstanding this - there is general concern that not enough time is applied by Referees onto the end of each half to compensate for lost time.

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Question 5: If a team is losing 24-0 and is being humiliated by the opposition, can the Referee stop the game before full time has elapsed?

Answer 5: No. The game time must be fully played out in its entirety. The only leeway that the Referee has, is to limit any 'Allowance for time lost'  aggregated on at the end of each half. The Referee does not have the authority to shorten a game because of a one-sided score. It is very important in these situations, that the winning team do not taunt the losing team in any way. Players who are guilty of taunting weaker opponents should be cautioned for unsporting behaviour. There is nothing worse than being humiliated by some 'big headed' fools.

Question 6: Is there any way in which the manager or coach can productively probe the Referee's thinking about the extent of any 'Allowance for time lost' to be added at the end of each half?

Answer 6: Most high level games now require the Referee to indicate to the Fourth Official, the amount of aggregated time to be included at the end of a half. This information is then shown with electronic or manual time boards that show the number of extra minutes of time lost to be played out.

Of course, for the rest of us, we do not have such luxuries. Managers and coaches can sometimes get good information simply by asking the Referee - but this should be done during a break in play and not when the Referee is fully concentrating on the game action. The last thing managers and coaches should do is to inadvertently irritate the Referee. The Referee is not obliged to inform anyone (apart from the Fourth Official in top level games) about the time remaining in a game.

Question 7: Exactly what is meant by a "Golden Goal"?

Answer 7: The "Golden Goal" is no longer part of the Laws and was taken out on 1 July 2004. A 'Golden Goal' was another method of determining the winner of a drawn match. Instead of playing out a full 15 minutes each way of extra time, the first team that scores a goal in extra time is the winner, and this is why it is described as a 'golden goal'.

For example, if teams have drawn after a full 90 minutes of play and then go on to play two 15 minute extra time periods, and then one team score (a Golden Goal!) in the first minute of the first period of extra time, the game is over, and the scoring team are the winners - even though there are still 29 minutes extra time left to be played. Competition rules dictate the method to be used in deciding a drawn match.

The following is also no longer part of the Laws and was taken out on 1 July 2004. The Silver Goal - (if a team scores in the first half of extra time, play carries on until half time. If the team is still winning by half time, then they win the game, else the second half of extra time if played in full).

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Question 8: Can a Referee allow additional time after the game has ended to allow a ball already moving towards goal during the last second of play to enter the goal?

Answer 8: The ball is out of play at the precise moment that the Referee deems time to have expired. It can then take a few milliseconds to actually signal this to the players by blowing the whistle. The time difference between making a decision, and actually blowing the whistle, is long enough for the ball to travel over the goal line and into the goal.

Referees have learned by their historical mistakes, and rarely will you see the half end when the ball is anywhere near either goal. If a goal is scored right at the end of a half, Referees will sometimes wait until after the ensuing kick-off and at least a couple of more seconds before blowing the final whistle ending the half. Only the Referee knows how much lost time he/she is aggregating on at the end of the each half, so they can feel confident in allowing a little bit of additional time and common sense to prevail. Players also seem to respect this common sense approach. It certainly prevents some of the worst situations arising in the Referees' lot!

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Question 9: Is the Referee allowed to discreetly turn his watch on and off whenever the ball rolls out of the field of play, and whenever a player is injured or during substitutions?

Answer 9: Many Referees use this method for determining exactly how much 'Allowance for time lost' should be aggregated on at the end of a half. Some Referees seem to calculate the 'aggregated time lost' in their head, without having to start and stop their watch. Whatever method a Referee uses, he is the sole arbiter in all matters pertaining to time during a match. The main objective is to restore playing time to the match that is lost due to excessively prolonged or unusual stoppages.

Question 10: During a junior youth match of 35 minutes each-way, the Referee mistakenly blew for the end of the first half after only 30 minutes. Should he now play 40 minutes in the second half?

Answer 10: The half-time interval is not considered to have begun properly until the first period of play is properly completed. Therefore, if the Referee ends play prematurely (and if it is feasible) the teams could be asked to play out the remaining 1st half time as soon as the error is detected. Although the Laws stipulate that each half must be the same duration; if play has already restarted in the second half, before the Referee recognises his mistake, then the second half should still be the original 35 minutes (and not a compensated 40 minutes) - but this must be reported to the appropriate authorities after the game to allow them to make any adjusting decisions.

Note also: FIFA Law 7 Question & Answers 2004:
Question No.4: Can the referee compensate an error in the timekeeping during the first half, adding or subtracting time in the second half?

Answer: No.

Question 11: A player shoots towards goal, but the Referee blows for full time before the ball has wholly crossed over the goal line for a goal. Does the goal count?

Answer 11: The ball is out of play the moment the Referee signals that time has expired (except for 'Additional time' added on to allow a penalty to be taken). It does not matter that the ball was on its way towards an inevitable (or possible) goal. When the Referee blew his final whistle to end the game, the ball had not yet travelled across the goal line for a goal. In reality, this rarely happens, because Referees (especially the good ones) rarely blow the final whistle while an imminent scoring opportunity is underway. They can always find justification in some earlier delays to add on discretionary time to allow the move to complete. The reason for this, is to prevent any disputes (like the incident in this question) that will inevitably arise if the Referee blows his whistle whilst the ball is on its way towards the goal. There have been many famous disputes in the past, where Referees have disallowed very important goals because they have blown their whistle a milli-second before the ball has entered the net. Referees have learned by their historical mistakes, and rarely will you see the half end when the ball is anywhere near either goal. If a goal is scored right at the end of a half, Referees will sometimes wait until after the ensuing kick-off and at least a couple of more seconds before blowing the final whistle ending the half. Only the Referee knows how much lost time he is aggregating on at the end of the each half, so they can feel confident in allowing a little bit of time and common sense to prevail. Players also seem to respect this common sense agreement. It certainly prevents some of the worst situations arising in the Referees' lot!

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Question 12: A goalkeeper running back towards his goal, manages to thump the ball away for a throw in, thus preventing a certain goal. His action and momentum take him some way over his goal line and out of the field of play. An attacker exploits the situation and quickly takes the throw-in to a colleague who shoots and scores a goal. The goalkeeper is still making his way back onto the field of play. Should the goal be allowed to count?

Answer 12: Yes: No offence has been committed by the attacking team. The goal is valid. (But a more discerning Referee will have noticed the position of the goalkeeper, and will delay the throw-in until the goalkeeper is back in place. This is known as Common Sense, and playing within the Spirit of the Game).

Question 13: (From Karl Arps Aug 2001)

This year (Season 2001/2002) the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFS) America has instituted a rule change to award possession to the opponent if a team attempts a throw-in that fails to enter the field of play (apparently a serious time-wasting trick at the HS level). The advocates for this change argue that it saves Referees from having to caution players for a 15-second delay technique. Opponents argue that it is just a cover-up for poor Referee training and assessment. When you complicate the Laws of the Game by getting very specific regulations, you cannot think of everything, so you find you have to add more and more rules to plug the leaks. (In fairness, it probably is also a reaction to the American attitude that, if something isn't specifically outlawed, it must be legal.) I hate to see different associations take rules in different directions, because I believe it weakens the International flavour of the game. I would like to hear what others think, either regarding this individual rule or on the general topic. The NFS provides rules for various competitive activities in American schools for children aged 14 through 18. This includes Association football (soccer) NFHS soccer rules web site : http://www.nfhs.org/rules-soccer.htm   

Note: This is NOT a USA's National Association ruling, it emanates from the NFS and applies strictly to schools.

Answer 13: Interesting point from Karl. The NFS rule change to award possession to the opponent if a team attempts a throw-in that fails to enter the field of play is definitely against the FIFA Law 15 stipulations and understanding and is against the 'spirit of the game'. This type of change to the Laws would not be tolerated in England, At these young ages, it is more likely that if the ball does not enter the field of play because of the lack of skill, rather than an intentional act on the players part to not throw the ball in correctly. There are many occasions where players delay the taking of a throw-in to waste time, but time wasting by purposefully not taking a throw-in correctly is never seen in English Football. But any such time wasting techniques would simply be punished with a caution. The Laws of Football are so finely tuned, that there is a grave danger that if various Associations decide to tamper with the structure of the Laws, they will become difficult for players to understand. The idea of having a standard set of Laws, is to allow players to build up good practices to enable them to progress in the World-wide arena.

Many  thanks to Karl for the interesting question.

Question 14: When is a penalty-kick considered completed in the event of additional time being extended at half-time or full-time to allow it to be taken, or in the event of kicks being taken from the penalty-mark to determine the winner of a match?

Answer 1: (FIFA). There are three possible situations:

1. The player taking the penalty, kicks the ball which then:
   
   1. passes entirely over the goal-line, between the goal-posts and beneath the cross-bar.
      Decision: Goal, the penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   2. Goes over the boundary line of the field of play, either passing the goal-line or over the top of the cross-bar.
      Decision: The penalty-kick (or kick from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
      
2. The player taking the penalty, kicks the ball which, having rebounded from either goal-post or the cross-bar,
   
   1. passes entirely over the goal-line, between the goal-posts and beneath the cross-bar.
      Decision: Goal, the penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   2. passes beyond the field of play over the goal-line or over the cross-bar.
      Decision: The penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   3. rebounds back into play.
      Decision: The penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   4. rebounds back into play, hits the goalkeeper and passes entirely over the goal-line, between the goal-posts and beneath the cross-bar.
      Decision: Goal, the penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   5. rebounds into the field of play, hits the goalkeeper and passes beyond the goal-line or over the cross-bar.
      Decision: The penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   6. rebounds back into the field of play, strikes the goalkeeper and remains in the field of play.
      Decision: The penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   7. bounces onto the goal-Iine, between the goal-posts and beneath the cross-bar.
      Decision: The referee must wait until the ball's flight is finished and, if it passes entirely over the-goal-line, between the goal-posts and beneath the cross-bar, he shall allow the goal and terminate the extended time, if applicable,
      
3. The player who is taking the penalty, kicks the ball, which is touched or played by the goalkeeper
   
   1. who holds it firmly.
      Decision: The penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable,
   2. who fails to prevent the ball from entirely passing over the goal-line, between the goal-posts and beneath the cross-bar.
      Decision: Goal, the penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   3. who deflects it back into the field of play.
      Decision: The penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   4. making the ball rebound from one of the goal-posts or the cross-bar, hit the goalkeeper and pass entirely over the goal-line, between the goal-posts and beneath the cross-bar.
      Decision: Goal, the penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.
   5. who allows it to roll under him and pass entirely over the goal-line, between the goal-posts and beneath the cross-bar.
      Decision: Goal, the penalty-kick (or kicks from the penalty-mark) is over and therefore the extended time also, if applicable.

Question 16: What action should the Referee take if when a penalty-kick is being taken, the ball strikes the goal-post and/or cross-bar and bursts?

Answer 16:
(a) He should stop the game, asks for another ball and restart the game by dropping the ball,
(b) If the penalty-kick is being taken in additional time and the ball strikes the goal-post and/or cross-bar and bursts, the game ends. (FIFA)

Question 17: If additional time is allowed at the end of a half for a penalty-kick to be taken, may a goalkeeper be replaced before the kick is taken?

Answer 17: (FIFA) Yes, he may be replaced by another eligible player on the field or by a substitute provided the number of substitutions is not been exceeded.

Question 18: During additional time at the end of normal time for the taking of a penalty-kick, the Referee signals for the kick to be taken but before the ball is played a player encroaches into the penalty-area and the ball enters the goal. Should the penalty-kick be retaken?

Answer 18: (FIFA)
(a) If the infringing player belongs to the attacking team, the Referee should disallow the goal, and have the penalty-kick retaken,
(b) If the infringing player belongs to the defending team, the Referee should terminate the match.

Question 19: If a penalty-kick is awarded in additional time at the end of a half, does the Referee have to indicate that normal time has been completed?

Answer 19: (FIFA). No, but he may choose to advise the captains that the normal time has been completed.

Question 20: Is it true that the Referee in the middle estimates the added-on time?

Answer 20: Allowance for time lost - is the proper term. This the time aggregated on at the end of each period of play to compensate for time wasted or lost because of injuries, substitutions, time-wasting by players etc - this allowance amount for time is at the discretion of the individual Referee and must be included the end of each separate half concerned - and not totalled up to be aggregated on at the end of the second half only
Allowance is made in either of the half periods for all time lost through:
Substitutions entering and leaving the field of play: assessment of injury to players: removal of injured players from the field of play for treatment: wasting time: and any other cause - such as crowd or spectator trouble, having to discipline team officials, broken corner flags, a dog on the pitch etc....... and if you are very lucky a ‘streaker’.
There are many ways that a Referee can aggregate the time lost. Some start and stop their watches, some make a mental note of time lost. Some Referees add 30 seconds for each substitution. Some as you suggest may estimate the time.
The Referee is the sole timekeeper, and it is the Referee who decides what to add on. There is no set method for this calculation. Maybe there should be one.

Question 21: If a game is 23-0, can the Referee show a little bit of compassion and end the game early to prevent any further embarrassment to the losing team?

Answer 21: No!

You should never end a game early for the simple reason that the goals scored in a fully competed game (as opposed to the goals scored in a game ended prematurely) could have a disastrous effect on another team in the same league. And by that, I mean that another team may lose or win promotion, may get demoted or stay up because one game was never played through to its proper end.

This is one instance, when although common sense sounds like a good idea at the time, for the team’s involved, it may not go down too well with any other teams’ effected - because an extra goal scored may have made all the difference!

Law 7 is quite specific about the amount of time to be played, and it can only be shortened with agreement of both teams and before play has started and must comply with competition rules.

Question 22: Some Referees say that when the time and pre-calculated stoppage time is up, they immediately blow the whistle to stop play. Other Referees believe if the final shot towards goal is in the air, or the attacking team are pressing the attack close to the goal, they delay ending the game for a few seconds until the attacking move has finished. Of course, the danger of taking this approach is that very often a goal is scored, and the opposing team will argue that the Referee should have ended the game before the goal was scored. What is the official view on exactly when a Referee should end a game?

Answer 22: Law 7 ‘The Duration of the Match’ covers the different periods of play. ‘Allowance for time lost’, is a Law 7 term used to describe the increased time that a Referee can (at his discretion) add onto the 90 minutes, to make up for all time lost in the game through; substitutions; injury, removal and treatment of players; wasting time, or any other cause.

There is no (and never has been) a set time allowance for each of the many causes of time lost in a game. It would be impossible for the Laws to dictate this. The key to understanding and accepting the solution to this question is to accept that Law 7 allows each individual Referee to use his DISCRETION. The Referee is the sole arbitrator in all aspects concerning time during a match. This is a very simple philosophy that only becomes complicated when differences of opinion are argued – especially between Referees who have different viewpoints.

Some Referees try to end the game at a time when neither team has a clear scoring opportunity (Referees can always find justification in some earlier delays to add on discretionary time to allow the attacking move to complete). Others keep a mental note of how many minutes they will increase the 90 minutes by, or start and stop their watches, so that when this increased period ends, they stop the game. Some Referees estimate the increased time.

There is no set method for this calculation. In general, Referees have learned by their historical mistakes, and rarely will you see a period of play end when the ball is anywhere near either goal. This is not to say that this is the official policy, because those Referees who stop play immediately on the second that their increased time has come to an end are just as entitled to use their method as any other. There is no definitive answer, and like many of the Laws, Law 7 is written in such a way as to provide a framework that each individual Referee can manipulate to ensure that the game is played in the ‘spirit’ that it always has been. The argument about which method should be used, is more of a Referee ‘thing’, than a genuine players’ concern. Referees are the guardians of football, and as such, they should continue using their common sense in deciding how they as an individual interpret the Laws.

Question 23: If after the ball has entering the goal, and a goal has been scored in the last few seconds of a half, can that half be over immediately? Or does the Referee have to insist on a kick-off in the centre circle, before he ends play?

Answer 23: A period of play (one half) ends at the precise moment when the Referee indicates the end, by blowing his whistle loudly. The ball can be in play, or out of play. Full time (45 minutes + any additional time) is up when the Referee says it is up. It is possible for a goal to be scored in the 44th minute and 59th second (or even a little after that if the Referee has added time for stoppages). If this is the case, then there would not be enough time for the Referee to restart play by a kick-off in the centre circle.

Some Referees in this situation, like to allow the kick-off to take place, and blow for the end of the game as soon as the kick-of has been taken. The reasoning behind this, is that only the Referee knows how much time is left in a game, so he can allow a few seconds more for the kick-off to take place. This can sometimes prevent confrontation. (For example, when a goal is scored right at the end of a half, the defending players will very often query the time with the Referee, by insisting that the goal was scored after 45 minutes.) By allowing the kick-off to take place, the Referee has prevented any possible confrontation – and the players are not even aware of it!

But there is nothing in the Laws to say that a half cannot end as soon as a goal has been scored.

Question 24:  I am doing research for an article on "added-on" time in football matches. Could you let me know what the official line is with this. I understand that time added on at the end of a match consists of 30 seconds for each substitution made, and what other stipulations are included? Is it purely up to the referee and how does he indicate to the fourth official what time he wants to add? Does the Referee include injuries over a certain time period?

Answer 24. Law 7 states the following
Allowance is made in either period for all time lost through
a) Substitution(s)
b) Assessment of injuries to players
c) Removal of injured players from the field of play for treatment
d) Wasting time
e) any other cause
There is no official line of 30 seconds per substitute, it is simply up to the referee to stop his watch, as in all the stoppages referred to. The Referee, who is the sole timekeeper, usually signals the minimum amount of time remaining to the fourth official by indicating the minutes remaining after the regulated 45 by the number of fingers down the shorts. Sometimes, if near enough this will be transmitted by word of mouth. The fourth official must convey this message on exactly 45 minutes of course during 'additional time' there could still be substitutes, injuries etc., which will extend the time even further.
You may enquire about "any other cause". Included in this could be injury to a match official, lost ball in the crowd, repair to an appurtenance (including goal nets), remarking the penalty mark on a muddy pitch after a penalty kick has been awarded, an animal on the pitch, a streaker, and removal of any item thrown on the pitch.
(Source Referees Association).

Question 25: In a cup game that is to be decided by taking of kicks from the penalty mark, can the Referee toss a coin to determine which goal is to be used if there is a dispute between managers and players? Can the referee then toss again which will determine that the winner will take the first kick?

Answer 25: In the Laws of Association Football it is stated that the Referee chooses the goal at which the kicks from the penalty mark to decide the result of a match are to be taken from. He alone decides and there is no tossing of a coin to satisfy managers. There is no advice issued on which end to use. However, common sense should prevail, i.e. ground conditions, location of spectators etc..
(Source Referees Association)

Question 26: If a team is delaying the restart of the second half by remaining in the changing rooms at halftime (even after the Referee has blown his whistle to signify the restart of the game) what further action can the Referee take?

Answer 26:  As far as Law 7 is concerned, it states that the halftime interval shall not exceed fifteen minutes, and that Competition rules must state the duration of the halftime interval.

But we all know that this is not always possible. In fact here in England, players have recently complained about the 20-minute halftime break being stipulated during televised games, to extend the advertising and half time discussion slot with the ’panel of experts’!! Twenty minutes is too long for halftime, because players start cooling down after 15 minutes, and this can effect their performance.

At the lower levels, players rarely go over 15 minutes on purpose. In fact, teams are usually willing to get back playing as soon as possible. But as you say, it can be very frustrating for a Referee to have to keep signalling for the teams to get back onto the field of play for the commencement of the second half. In most cases, it’s just a mater of perseverance by the Referee. Apart from reporting the offending team(s) to the appropriate authorities after the game, there is not really much the Referee can do during the period of the game. A Referee could consider applying a caution for ‘unsporting behaviour’, but this could only apply to an individual (or a number of individuals) and not to the team as a whole. The Referee could also start the second half, as long as at least seven players from each team are on the field of play. This would certainly make the missing players hurry out of their changing rooms! If there is a tight schedule to adhere to (for example, during a tournament) then one option would be to decrease the length of the second half. But this could be advantageous to a winning team  - and it is not really permitted in the Laws of the Game.

In short, if a team has overstayed their allowance during the half time period, the Referee should make it clear by either speaking to the players or encouraging them to come out by blowing the whistle very loudly. If a delay is overly long, the Referee can state to the captain(s) (or the manager/coach) that he will be sending in a report to the appropriate authorities, after the game. A caution for ‘unsporting behaviour’ can be considered if the captain has already been verbally asked by the Referee to get his team back, but does not do so within a reasonable amount of time.

Thanks to Sevyka for this question. (WebMaster).

Question No. 27: The duration of a half is extended for taking a penalty kick. After the ball is kicked (and in play) an attacking player (not the penalty taker) who was in the correct position, commits an act of unsporting behaviour. How shall the Referee decide if:

Question 34: "When does play actually stop? Is it as soon as the Referee makes a decision to stop play in his mind? Or does play only stop at the precise moment when the Referee blows his whistle?

Answer 34: There will always be a delay between the Referee 'making his mind up' to stop play, and the act of physically blowing the whistle. This delay is not an excuse for the Referee to change his mind should two separate (but not simultaneous) infringements occur in very quick succession. For example - Yellow player impedes Red player. Referee decides in his mind to stop play and award an indirect free kick to the Red team. ("Law 12 - an indirect free kick (IFK) is awarded to the opposing team if a player impedes the progress of an opponent.") But before the Referee has actually blown his whistle to indicate a stoppage of play - the Red player violently kicks the ankle of the Yellow player. The Red player should be sent off for committing a (Law 12) 'Violent Conduct' offence. Play should be restarted with an indirect free kick to the Red team, for the initial offence of impedance. It is very important to note, that Referees' 'honesty' is paramount when making decisions of this nature. In other words - because the Referee had already agreed 'with himself' to stop play for the original impedance offence, he should NOT restart play with a (DFK) direct free kick (for the Violent Conduct offence) to the Yellow team. In cases where two offences are committed simultaneously by a player, Law 5 allows the Referee to punish the more serious offence. In cases where two offences occur in quick succession, the Referee is still obliged to issue the correct punishment. But he should not restart the game based on the second (DFK) incident, just because he was unable to get the whistle to his mouth quick enough to stop play immediately at the first (IFK) incident. 

The only exception to this is if following the first incident of impedance of the Red player, play continues to the advantage of the Red team, and the Referee applies (in his mind or by signalling) the advantage clause. In this case, because the Referee had allowed play to CONTINUE following the impedance offence, if he subsequently stops play because the Red player kicks the Yellow player - the restart is a direct free kick to the Yellow team. 

To summarise this scenario - if the Referee stops play (in his mind or by blowing his whistle) for the impedance, the restart is an indirect free kick to the team being impeded against (irrespective of what happens after the impedance.) If following the impedance offence, the Referee applies the advantage clause (in his mind or by signalling), play can be restarted in accordance with the nature of the subsequent, second offence (a direct free kick for Violent Conduct in this example.)

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