Set-Pieces - The Final Whistle

Home Laws Advice Fitness SiteMap Links Set Pieces Discuss Search corshamref.org.uk

Set-Pieces - The Final Whistle By Julian Carosi.
(A series of articles on how to officiate in a proactive way by improving how you deal with specific incidents and how to become a better Referee).
These ideas are not prescriptive; rather, they will hopefully give you some new things to think about, and encourage you towards adopting a consistent approach by dovetailing them into your own style of refereeing.

Introduction:

Firstly, let's look back a few years to two interesting incidents that occurred as the final whistle was blown.

Incident 1:
Benfica v Celtic - European Cup, 1969 (This was in the era when a drawn Cup game could be decided by the toss of a coin).
(Source 'He Always Puts It To The Right' by Clarke Miller. A history of the penalty kick.)

In November 1969, in the away leg of their European Cup quarterfinal against Benfica, in the Stadium of Light in Lisbon, Celtic conceded two goals. Three minutes into injury-time, Benfica's substitute, Diamentino, scored the equalizer with a header. Instead of putting the ball back on the centre spot and then blowing for full-time, as he could have done, the Referee, M. Van Ravens of Holland, picked up the ball and dashed off the field. No one knew whether the score was 3-3 or 3-2 to Celtic, and the confusion resulted in some ugly scenes in the players' tunnel.

It appears the Referee had locked himself in his dressing room and had it guarded by two Portuguese policemen. Then the great Eusebio, who had scored one of Benfica's goals but had gone off at half-time, burst into the corridor and had a heated exchange with several of the Celtic players. The upshot of all this confusion was that the Referee ordered thirty minutes of extra-time to be played. This ended goalless, and so the tie had to be decided by the toss of a coin.

Instead of calling the two captains to the centre spot after the goal was scored, the Referee made for the sanctuary of his dressing room, leaving 80,000 fans with an agonizing wait for the result. What happened next, and why not one but two further tosses of the coin were required, was later explained by Celtic's captain, Billy McNeill: `I was there, Coluna [Benfica's captain] was there, the Referee was there, and there were a few neutral observers.

The Dutch Referee announced that it was Celtic's captain, Billy McNeill's turn to guess heads or tails to see whether Celtic or Benfica would go into the quarter-finals. The Referee pointed out the two sides of his silver coin, flipped it into the air and after McNeill had said "Heads", down it came, and heads it was.

But the Referee had failed to catch it. The coin hit him on the foot, and bounced against the grey concrete wall of his little dressing room. It bounced from one wall to the other, rolled around the floor on its milled edge for what seemed an eternity, and then went twisting down.

Before it had come to a complete stop McNeill could see it was heads, and then the bedlam was let loose. The Celtic players knew by the shouts that they were through.

Incident 2:
At the European Championship of 1978 World Cup, Clive Thomas from Wales was the referee in the match between Brazil and Sweden. Whilst the ball was on its way into Sweden's penalty area from a Brazilian corner kick in the last minute of the game, Thomas blew the final whistle seconds before Zico of Brazil scored what might have been the winning goal in a 1-1 draw.

For those of you who prefer to end a half on the exact moment the second-hand reaches 45 minutes, as shown in the later example above, or those of you who have to adhere to other timed methods (such as the College clock), then there is no point in you reading any further as this advice will not be of any use to you. For the rest of us who prefer to stay clear of controversy, the following will hopefully give you a few ideas that can be considered.
Allowance for time lost:
The Law book asks us to add to the end of each half, any time that has been lost due to substitutions, assessment of injury to players, removal of injured players from the field of play, wasting time and any other periods when time has been lost. There is no guidance as to how much actual time we can add on for individual occurrences, as each one differs. As a rule of thumb, if you add on 30 seconds for each substantial occurrence, the players will readily accept it as a reasonable calculation.

Example 1: If in the first half, three substitutions were made, and there were two injuries that required assessment, add a minimum of 2 minutes to the end of the first half. Those of you who are mathematicians, will have already noted that it should be 2 and a half minutes, and not 2 minutes, i.e. 90 seconds for the 3 substitutions (3x30 seconds each) plus 60 seconds for the 2 injuries (2x30 seconds each). Of course, you will be correct; but the learning point here, is to recommend that you deal in whole minutes whenever you communicate the amount of time allowance you intend to play. In short, although at the end of the first half, you will play 2 minutes and 30 seconds of allowed time, the time will be communicated as 'a minimum of 2 minutes'. This is an important concept to understand, as it allows you a much greater flexibility to end the game at any point after 2 minutes, rather than on an exact second.

Example 2: If in the second half, there were 2 substitutions, and a 3-minute delay for crowd encroachment, then add a minimum of 5 minutes of time allowance to the end of the game.

The calculation of time allowance is not so much a 'rocket science' technique to be learnt, but more of a feel about what reasonable amount of cumulative time should be added. There are many acceptable stoppages in a game of football, for example, during the setting up of free kicks, goal kicks and throw-ins. It is not time lost in these types of stoppages that are added onto the end of a half, but rather the time lost due to factors that have no normal part in a game of football. The list is endless, but can also include the time taken to retrieve the ball when it passes over the goal line and rolls many metres down the hill at one end of the field, to an allowance of time lost because players have stopped to take a drink of water during very hot games.

It is not recommended that you stop and start your watch for every occasion whenever you want to add a lost time allowance period. If you watch the top Referees, they never stop and start their watches, yet they seem to be able to calculate a correct allowance. As a general rule, do not stop/start your watch, unless the stoppage time is expected to be of a long duration, such as when a player has a serious injury that requires several minutes of time to deal with.
If you are questioned about the amount of time allowance that you have used, try to have some idea as to how you calculated it. For example, if an irate winning team's manager approaches you at the end of a game asking why you added 5 minutes to the end of a Cup Final game, if you can remind him that in the second half there where 6 substitutions plus 4 injuries that required assessment, he will more readily accept your time calculation. This does not mean that you have to keep a meticulous record of time lost, but rather you should be prepared for such approaches from Managers of players whenever the time allowance is long or short, or when the importance of the result is crucial.

Finally, if you indicate a minimum of 3 minutes will be played, do not end the game before the 3 minutes have completely lapsed.

Blowing your whistle to end each half:
When you blow your whistle to end the game, use the signature tune of three separate blasts that has been used for many years - beep - beep - beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep, and then point towards the centre circle or towards the changing rooms. To differentiate the end of the second half from the first half, only use two beeps, i.e. beep, beeeeeeeeeeeeeep to end the fist half. Make sure that you blow your whistle loudly so that all of the players can hear it.

Where to stand when you end each half:
Be aware of where your exit point is whenever you officiate. If the game has gone OK, when you blow your final whistle, stand nearer to the exit point. This means that players will have to pass you as they exit, thereby increasing the number of handshakes that you could receive.
If the game has not gone so well for you, or you anticipate being approached by angry players or Club Officials, stand right on the other side of the field of play when you blow your whistle to end a half. This has several advantages. It allows you to retain a wide-angle view of players as they exit. It discourages approaches from angry players and officials, as they will have to cross the whole field width to challenge you, and it discourages negative remarks from the players as they exit. The fact that a player at half time crosses the whole width of the field of play to berate you is ammunition enough for a caution, even before the player has said any words to you.

If one team is unlikely to give you any trouble, and the other team is ready to lynch you, go and stand with the happy team when you blow your whistle to end a half.

If there is likely to be trouble between the Home team Technical Area and the Away Team Technical Area, place yourself nearby when you end the half. The same principle applies when an angry player has a grudge against an opponent; place yourself near the angry player. The principle behind all of these suggestions is that your close presence alone can prevent problems, and conversely your presence can invite problems. You therefore need to decide the best position for you to be (depending on circumstances), when you end each half. Every game will be different. The worse place you can be, is to be in a place that you have given no consideration to. In other words, be proactive, and think forward as each half approaches its end. Ask yourself - where is the best place for me to be when I end a half?

Wear two watches:
To ensure that you time each half correctly, most Referees wear two watches; one main watch, which they can stop and start to measure any time lost, such as lengthy injuries, substitutions, outside interference etc., and a second watch that they keep running all the time. The reason for this is so that if a Referee forgets to restart his main watch, he has a backup watch to refer to.

A further insurance is to note down the time of kick-off into your notebook at the beginning of each half. This is a useful tip, because if you get into a mess with both of your watches, at least you know roughly when the half should end. In other words, if the half starts at 3:10pm, you know that it should end at 3:55pm (plus maybe a couple of extra minutes for any time lost).

It is also useful if one of your watches runs time upwards, i.e. begins at 1 minute and ends at 45, and the other watch runs time down, i.e. begins at 45 minutes and finishes at 1. Using a watch that runs time down, is also useful for when players ask you how much time remains!

It is recommended that if you have a watch that beeps at 45 minutes, that you turn the beep facility off. This prevents those awkward moments that can occur at the end of a half, when a shot on goal enters the goal precisely at the same moment as your watch starts beeping. If players hear this (which they will) it can generate all sorts of problems for you. Is it a goal or is it not a goal? For the same reason, beware of players being able to see the time remaining on your watch face. Some watches have large numerals that can easily be seen by players. In short, don't put yourself in a position where you have to justify; (a) awarding a goal or (b) not awarding a goal, or (c) not adding a reasonable amount of time lost onto the end of a half.

If you really can't live without a beeping watch, try setting the beep at 50 minutes, at least then if you really do mess up with your timing and are unable to end the half (without reaching the beep) at the right time, you have a third insurance policy. But as a general rule, it is best not to have any beeps on your watch.

Decisions of the Referee.
Once you have terminated the match, the Laws do not allow a Referee to change a decision.

For example: The Referee blows his whistle to end the game. As he does so, he notices one of his Assistant Referees has his flag raised. On consultation, the Assistant Referee explains his raised flag to the Referee. A few seconds before the Referee had blown his whistle to end the game, the Assistant Referee had spotted a penalty kick offence! But the Referee is powerless.

Law 5: "The referee may only change a decision, on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match."

If you take the wording exactly as it is written, if the same incident occurred at the end of the first half, and let us say that the Referee was notified of this sometime during the half-time period, would the Referee be able to change his mind and award the penalty kick at the beginning if the second half, because he had neither terminated the match nor restarted play? And further to this, would extended time be allowed for the taking of the penalty kick at the beginning of the second half, or does the penalty kick form part of the 45 minutes allocated to the second half? As you can see, the scenario gets more completed!

Methinks that the wording should read: 'provided that he has not restarted play or terminated a half.'

The most important lesson here - is to increase your focus and awareness to maximum before you end each half.

Can you still show a red or yellow card after the game has finished?
The current Laws contain conflicting words on this subject.
Law 12 states:

'The referee has the authority to take disciplinary sanctions from the moment he enters the field of play until he leaves the field of play after the final whistle'

The chapter at the end of the current Law book entitled 'Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees' states:

'The Referee has the power to show yellow or red cards during the half-time interval and after the match has finished as well as during extra time and kicks from the penalty mark, since the match remains under his jurisdiction at these times.'

If the Referee has the power to show yellow or red cards after the match has finished, one can envisage a scenario of a red card being issued to a player who accidentally spills his drink over the Referee in the bar 30 minutes after the game has ended!

In reality, you can show a card from the moment that you step onto the field of play, to the moment you step off it after the game. And this is why it is important for the Referee to be the last one off the field of play at the end of the game. Any misdemeanours that occur outside of this must be reported as misconduct.

Assistant Referee considerations:
As part of your pre-match brief with your Assistant Referees, you should instruct them to meet up with you as quickly as they can once you have blown your whistle to end each half. There is a tendency for Assistant Referees at the lower levels of football to walk slowly towards the Referee, and to milk as many handshakes as they can on the way. Having your Assistant Referees swiftly alongside you has many benefits. It makes players and Managers think twice about offering you some inappropriate verbal comments, it provides you with two witnesses should anything go wrong, your two flanking Assistants will form a physical barrier either side of you which you will welcome if angry players are around, it looks professional, it sends out a message that the three match officials are one team and not three individuals, and it allows you to make quick verbal contact with your Assistants during what can sometimes be a fraught period, the list goes on��..

Dealing with Club Officials:
One of the greatest joys of Refereeing, is to award the away team a penalty kick that wins them the match at the very end of the game, and ten seconds later gingerly look to see where the Home Team Manager is standing waiting for you after you blow your whistle to end the game. You know that you have to pass him to make your way towards the changing rooms. You can guarantee, that an angry manager will always place himself in the only single exit point that you must pass through! He becomes the magnet that draws you in, and he has an uncanny ability to close off any other exit points that you would rather use to get into your changing rooms!

It is always best for Managers to give themselves a bit of time to cool down at the end of the game before they approach Referees. Time is certainly the best-known soother of tempers in situations where words will probably only add to the flames of passion. In circumstances where it is clear that an angry Manager is awaiting your exit, even the slightest delay by you, will calm him down a tad. As a Referee, your duty in these types of situations is to balance out the negative reactions of a quick exit, against the positive effects of giving the angry Manager a few moments to calm down. It is not a case of being brave and facing up to the Manager to prove how assertive and strong you are, it is about understanding the passions of the game and managing the situation so that the Manager is given as little chance as possible, to get himself into trouble, for he will surely do that. There are many things that you can do to delay your exit; you can retie your boot laces, tidy up the notes in your notebook, discuss matters with your Assistant Referees etc., all which can be made to look natural.

If you have no alternative but to approach where the Manager is waiting for you, be ready to have a few assertive phrases to use. If the Manger turns out to be pleasant and behaves well, then respond accordingly. If it is clear that The Manager is going to cause you nothing but grief, as you approach him, as he starts his tirade towards you, simply say something along the lines of;

"I'm sorry, but I'm not prepared to discuss matters with you at this very moment. If you still wish to have a word with me, I will speak with you after I have changed."

Do not let an angry Manager force you into dealing with his priority first, when your first priority is to reach your changing rooms in peace. In other words, you dictate what you want to do, and not the angry Manager.

At the end of the day, if an angry Manager insists on abusing you, then simply note down the details and politely and calmly inform the Manager that his actions will be reported.

Fetching the ball:
In some areas, and within some Competition Rules, the Referee is made responsible for collecting the match ball at the end of each half. Whilst this may be admirable in normal passive circumstances, it is perhaps not quite so admirable if the ball has rolled half a mile down the hill behind the goal, or if the ball is amongst a group of angry players from the team that you had just awarded a penalty against! In these types of situations, the ball is your last concern, and you will need to manage the situation, by either asking one of the home team contingent to retrieve the ball, or leave it where it is. There is nothing in the Law book that says that you are responsible for collecting the ball. Your responsibility in Law as far as the ball is concerned, is to ensure it meets the requirements of Law 2(The Ball) and to control the entry any replacement balls that may be used during the match. The Law does not expect you to traipse half a mile down the hill.

Penalty at the end of a half:
If you award a penalty kick at the very end of a half and the duration has to be extended, then let all of the players who are not involved, know that the half ceases as soon as the penalty has taken place. This prevents players from encroaching into the penalty area.

I hope that the above ideas have given you something to think about. None of them are necessarily mandatory, but some of them could save you a heap of grief!

Stay safe.

Julian Carosi www.CorshamRef.org.uk

Happy reffing.