Who's ready for the World Cup?

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by md4958

no, if the foul is not called immediately, it cannot be called retro-actively, "play on" is what is the commonly called by the ref in those instances. There are no time outs, and the only time the clock is stopped is when there is an injured player down that requires non-players on the field (medics/trainers).

Originally Posted by TheRiddick

Not true. Refs can call it after the play and I've seen them do that.

Sorry, Moe. Greg is correct. A referee will wait to see if an advantage is maintained. If within a few seconds, the potential advantage is lost, the referee can and will whistle the foul. If, however, the referee feels the advantage was realized and then the ball turned over, the foul is not called. Lots of latitude in judgment given to the referee.

Also, consider this scenario. A player is fouled and the foul is worthy of a yellow card. However, a clear advantage is given and the whistle is not blown for the foul. Attack continues, and eventually possession is lost and play continues. A full minute or two later, the ball goes into touch or over the end line. The referee can then appropriately issue the yellow.

And the clock is never stopped - even for an injury requiring medics/trainers. The referee will add (stoppage) time for any additional time he deems appropriate - including substitutions and dealing with misconduct.