Question for the Refs...

You are centering a U14 Flight I/Gold game. In the dying moments you award a free kick in the attacking third in shooting range of the goal. As the player takes the free kick, time expires. Do you:

a) Whistle the game over as the ball is in the air, or;
b) Let the free kick/rebound/clearance/etc. happen and then blow the whistle.

Does your decision change if...
The game is tied?
The team taking the free kick is a goal down?
The team taking the free kick is a goal up?
 
I'm not looking at watch when the kick is being taken, so I can't see if time is up. Nothing about the game situation changes that.
 
You are centering a U14 Flight I/Gold game. In the dying moments you award a free kick in the attacking third in shooting range of the goal. As the player takes the free kick, time expires. Do you:

a) Whistle the game over as the ball is in the air, or;
b) Let the free kick/rebound/clearance/etc. happen and then blow the whistle.

Does your decision change if...
The game is tied?
The team taking the free kick is a goal down?
The team taking the free kick is a goal up?
in an USSF match, time is up when the center referee's watch says it's up. high school and college are different. we also0 have the option of adding time to the end of a match for a number of things.
 
You are centering a U14 Flight I/Gold game. In the dying moments you award a free kick in the attacking third in shooting range of the goal. As the player takes the free kick, time expires. Do you:

a) Whistle the game over as the ball is in the air, or;
b) Let the free kick/rebound/clearance/etc. happen and then blow the whistle.

Does your decision change if...
The game is tied?
The team taking the free kick is a goal down?
The team taking the free kick is a goal up?

A free kick is a free kick. The score has nothing to do with when I blow the whistle.
 
I like wise am not looking at my watch for the kick, as I don't have to. When my timer goes off, the game is done. It does not matter what the score is, or who is shooting.
 
As long as I am the one with the official time, I will let the kick take place and give a couple seconds for rebound etc... then blow the whistle and yell at both coaches.
 
You are centering a U14 Flight I/Gold game. In the dying moments you award a free kick in the attacking third in shooting range of the goal. As the player takes the free kick, time expires. Do you:

a) Whistle the game over as the ball is in the air, or;
b) Let the free kick/rebound/clearance/etc. happen and then blow the whistle.

Does your decision change if...
The game is tied?
The team taking the free kick is a goal down?
The team taking the free kick is a goal up?

I am not looking at my watch until the ball is cleared out. Besides I am sure there was some stoppage time for injuries, cards, whatever. No one knows the official time except the CR, so when the whistle blows to end the game that is when the CR has decided the half/game is over.

Any referee that chooses a) and blows the whistle while the ball is in the air traveling toward the goal area is a complete idiot.
 
Thanks refs! Interesting to hear your feedback.

In the game in question, the kick was struck, ref blew the whistle while the ball was in the air, and the ball went past the keeper into in the back of the net. Thankfully, it didn't impact the outcome of the game, our team (taking the kick) was up a goal anyway.

I'm the team manager and while I was collecting the cards, etc., I asked the ref whether the goal counted. He said, "No. Time was up, the game was over." I asked why he didn't either stop the game before the kick, or wait until the "play" had ended, he said, "I blew the whistle when time expired."
 
Thanks refs! Interesting to hear your feedback.

In the game in question, the kick was struck, ref blew the whistle while the ball was in the air, and the ball went past the keeper into in the back of the net. Thankfully, it didn't impact the outcome of the game, our team (taking the kick) was up a goal anyway.

I'm the team manager and while I was collecting the cards, etc., I asked the ref whether the goal counted. He said, "No. Time was up, the game was over." I asked why he didn't either stop the game before the kick, or wait until the "play" had ended, he said, "I blew the whistle when time expired."
See surf refs post.........
 
If time is up or expiring as the kick is being taken, I wouldn't make the other team have to defend for very long. Also not fair to them to have to defend extra time. I had a parent yell at me once in a REC game because I ended a half when a team had the ball in the attacking third of the field. Something like, "you never blow the whistle to end a half when the ball is in the attacking third". I just ignored.
 
Another area it seems that could use some rules guidance. The Laws are clear on this point...when time expires it expires (with limited exceptions such as added time). But US Soccer should provide guidance over what it exactly it wants its refs to do as the answers seem all over the place. See the following for a good discussion:

http://www.askasoccerreferee.com/stopping-play-and-the-end-of-time/


From that link: "Time is up when it is up but, in a match governed by the Laws of the Game, no one knows for sure when this is except for the Referee and, as the Referee, you must be able to justify to yourself whatever you come up with."
 
He said, "No. Time was up, the game was over." I asked why he didn't either stop the game before the kick, or wait until the "play" had ended, he said, "I blew the whistle when time expired."
OK, so it didn't impact the result (although might matter in goal differential, depending on if it's flight 1 or Gold). So what's the rest of the picture that we're missing? Did the team ahead take 30 seconds to set up the free kick? Were they told that it would be the final play and then they took their time anyway? That, I could see as the rationale to just decide time was up. ("OK, players, you are satisfied with the win. I get it.") Maybe.

SurfRef, above, gets it right though. :)
 
OK, so it didn't impact the result (although might matter in goal differential, depending on if it's flight 1 or Gold). So what's the rest of the picture that we're missing? Did the team ahead take 30 seconds to set up the free kick? Were they told that it would be the final play and then they took their time anyway? That, I could see as the rationale to just decide time was up. ("OK, players, you are satisfied with the win. I get it.") Maybe.

SurfRef, above, gets it right though. :)

It's what I'm saying. We need to launch a campaign to have Surfref appointed to draft up the USSF guidance for referees. He'd be awesome.

The inconsistency though is one of the things that drives parents mad (from the other thread on improving ref situations). I'm not saying that's justification for parents to overreact. I'm just saying that for people (most of all of which have never played at a high level, if at all) that may understand the basics of the laws of the game but not the inconsistencies, it's what irritates them.....I heard one parent tell me over the weekend "if I wanted me kid to be tackled like that I would have signed him up for football".
 
Another area it seems that could use some rules guidance. The Laws are clear on this point...when time expires it expires (with limited exceptions such as added time). But US Soccer should provide guidance over what it exactly it wants its refs to do as the answers seem all over the place. See the following for a good discussion:

http://www.askasoccerreferee.com/stopping-play-and-the-end-of-time/

US Soccer and Cal South do provide good training on time management. At our July 2018 referee association meeting Time Management was the subject. Law 7 does cover Duration of the Match and the third line item addresses Allowance for Time Lost. The referee may add time for substitutions, injured players, wasting time, yellow and red cards, water breaks, and "any other cause. If no 4th official the CR is supposed to announce the minimal time additional time which time may be added to that if there is a reason. If there is a Penalty kick, the game cannot be stopped until the PK is completed. We had an interesting training at RPD that showed during the WC that each game only had active play for 54 minutes (not exactly sure of the minutes but it was close to 54) of the 90 minute games. The lost time was for throw-ins, setting up for set plays like goal kick, free kick corner, substitutions, injuries, etc. So, there are plenty of reasons a referee can use to justify adding time.
 
It's what I'm saying. We need to launch a campaign to have Surfref appointed to draft up the USSF guidance for referees. He'd be awesome.

The inconsistency though is one of the things that drives parents mad (from the other thread on improving ref situations). I'm not saying that's justification for parents to overreact. I'm just saying that for people (most of all of which have never played at a high level, if at all) that may understand the basics of the laws of the game but not the inconsistencies, it's what irritates them.....I heard one parent tell me over the weekend "if I wanted me kid to be tackled like that I would have signed him up for football".

No new guidance is needed. The guidance is already there and taught to referees. In San Diego there are two very good referee associations that provide quality training. There is also RPD (Referee Professional Development) once a month that provides advanced training. The problem is that maybe 200 referees of the 500+ in San Diego county go to training on a regular basis.
 
No new guidance is needed. The guidance is already there and taught to referees. In San Diego there are two very good referee associations that provide quality training. There is also RPD (Referee Professional Development) once a month that provides advanced training. The problem is that maybe 200 referees of the 500+ in San Diego county go to training on a regular basis.

I have my meeting tonight! Got to say that between juggling a full time job, kids' homework, and errands, it's a drag to get out there...I don't need the money, but I can see refs who are only in it for the cash and who might be struggling to juggle families or 2 jobs blowing it off. Unless you really want to climb the pyramid (either as a pro career or a hobby), or your kids have moved on and you just want to stay involved in the game, I can see why folks would want to do the minimum. The dilemma is that with the nonsense that goes on the field, you risk turning off those that are the most passionate about it and really like to do it.

The SD may be different, but during training I got various answer to the question of the end time. I'm not sure the consistency is as tight as you think (this thread alone demonstrates) but that info is certainly also not being communicated to the parents/spectators for what they should expect game-to-game.
 
I have my meeting tonight! Got to say that between juggling a full time job, kids' homework, and errands, it's a drag to get out there...I don't need the money, but I can see refs who are only in it for the cash and who might be struggling to juggle families or 2 jobs blowing it off. Unless you really want to climb the pyramid (either as a pro career or a hobby), or your kids have moved on and you just want to stay involved in the game, I can see why folks would want to do the minimum. The dilemma is that with the nonsense that goes on the field, you risk turning off those that are the most passionate about it and really like to do it.

The SD may be different, but during training I got various answer to the question of the end time. I'm not sure the consistency is as tight as you think (this thread alone demonstrates) but that info is certainly also not being communicated to the parents/spectators for what they should expect game-to-game.
Not be a jerk or anything but..... I don’t referee games for the parents and their ignorance of what’s going on isn’t my concern. The game is for and about the players who have a much better understanding of what goes on than do their parents. I always communicate with the players and explain decisions, let them know what my thinking is on calls, and make sure they know they’re what’s important about the job I’m doing. Parents being frustrated about not knowing things isn’t my concern at all. That being said, if a parent approaches me with a question after a game I’m more than happy to give a short explanation time permitting. And, to be honest, parents who have seen enough soccer to know how refereeing can be, good and bad, are usually complimentary to me after games.
 
Baldref has great points. Last Saturday me and the players knew exactly what was going on since I was talking the whole game during play, and after fouls. Things like "no foul", "good tackle", "That's not a handball". They all knew where they stood in terms of what I was allowing or not. The parents on the other hand? They were all certain that the game was out of control, and that boy using his shoulder was going to kill their son...
 
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