Doug
05-15-2008, 12:35 AM
To: National Referees
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Instruction
State Directors of Assessment
State Directors of Coaching
From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Allowance for Time Lost
Date: April 22, 2008
Allowance is made in any period of play (including extra time) for time lost
through substitutions, assessment of injuries, removal of players from the field of play for
treatment, time wasting and any other cause. The specific amount of the allowance is at
the discretion of the referee, although the International Football Association Board
(IFAB) has advised that the full time lost due to injuries should be allowed. By tradition,
the primary focus of this provision in Law 7 is on delays in the restart of play which are
excessively prolonged. Among examples of "other cause" would be the need for the
officiating team to confer regarding the identity of players committing misconduct;
confrontations with officials; the removal of streamers, debris or other objects thrown on
to the field which interrupts the game; pitch incursions by spectator(s); and so forth.
In order to standardize the procedures by which "additional time" is being allowed in
a period of play, the following guidelines are adopted:
During the two minutes before the expiration of each period of play the Referee must
inform the Fourth Official, either visually or verbally, of the amount of time allowed.
This time shall be stated to the closest lower minute (i.e., 1 minute, 30 seconds will be
expressed as 1 minute).
The Fourth Official will be responsible for displaying this time at but not before the
close of the affected period of play. Number panels or an electronic substitution
board would be most commonly used for this purpose and the display of the
remaining time should be prominent.
Other Fourth Official duties (e.g., managing substitutions) must take precedence over
the display of time remaining.
In the absence of a Fourth Official, the referee will follow the above guidelines in all
respects but will convey the remaining time to the assistant referee closer to the teams
who will then so inform both coaches.
This minimum time does not indicate the exact amount of time left in the match nor
does it preclude more time being added to the allowance for any subsequent injuries or
additional delays (including time wasting). However, no further communication with or
by the Fourth Official will be necessary.
Once the indication of the minimum time allowed has been given by the Fourth
Official, this time cannot be reduced. It is the minimum expected by everyone involved
in the game. Referees are therefore to ensure that a period of play is not ended prior to the
expiration of the announced remaining time.
Clubs are reminded that the Public Address Announcer should announce There will
be a minimum of _____ minutes allowance for time lost. Official time is being kept on
the field by the referee.
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Instruction
State Directors of Assessment
State Directors of Coaching
From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Allowance for Time Lost
Date: April 22, 2008
Allowance is made in any period of play (including extra time) for time lost
through substitutions, assessment of injuries, removal of players from the field of play for
treatment, time wasting and any other cause. The specific amount of the allowance is at
the discretion of the referee, although the International Football Association Board
(IFAB) has advised that the full time lost due to injuries should be allowed. By tradition,
the primary focus of this provision in Law 7 is on delays in the restart of play which are
excessively prolonged. Among examples of "other cause" would be the need for the
officiating team to confer regarding the identity of players committing misconduct;
confrontations with officials; the removal of streamers, debris or other objects thrown on
to the field which interrupts the game; pitch incursions by spectator(s); and so forth.
In order to standardize the procedures by which "additional time" is being allowed in
a period of play, the following guidelines are adopted:
During the two minutes before the expiration of each period of play the Referee must
inform the Fourth Official, either visually or verbally, of the amount of time allowed.
This time shall be stated to the closest lower minute (i.e., 1 minute, 30 seconds will be
expressed as 1 minute).
The Fourth Official will be responsible for displaying this time at but not before the
close of the affected period of play. Number panels or an electronic substitution
board would be most commonly used for this purpose and the display of the
remaining time should be prominent.
Other Fourth Official duties (e.g., managing substitutions) must take precedence over
the display of time remaining.
In the absence of a Fourth Official, the referee will follow the above guidelines in all
respects but will convey the remaining time to the assistant referee closer to the teams
who will then so inform both coaches.
This minimum time does not indicate the exact amount of time left in the match nor
does it preclude more time being added to the allowance for any subsequent injuries or
additional delays (including time wasting). However, no further communication with or
by the Fourth Official will be necessary.
Once the indication of the minimum time allowed has been given by the Fourth
Official, this time cannot be reduced. It is the minimum expected by everyone involved
in the game. Referees are therefore to ensure that a period of play is not ended prior to the
expiration of the announced remaining time.
Clubs are reminded that the Public Address Announcer should announce There will
be a minimum of _____ minutes allowance for time lost. Official time is being kept on
the field by the referee.