USSF has issued a position paper on dealing with lost time. http://www.ussoccer.com/templates/i.../pdfs/position_papers/Managing_Match_Time.pdf
One of the key items in this paper is this statement: I have always thought that we were to add time for goals and substitutions. Here, this is saying that unless you feel the time taken is excessive, we're not to consider it time lost.
For FIFA, I have never been taught that we were to add time for goals and substitutions - except when you feel the time taken is excessive - which is infrequent. In high school, the clock stops with a goal, and restarts with the kickoff. The clock also stops for cautions, send-offs, PKs, and injuries. I take that into considerations when I have no stadium clock. High school also plays 40 minute halves instead of 45.
You are supposed to take the stoppage for a goal and substitutions. The key is not to add for more than what would be customary or usual. Therefore if teams scored and they whopped it up for a minute or two, you would add only 30 seconds.
I've always used that 30 second per goal "rule" like you mention. But the way I'm reading this position paper it's actually the opposite of what you say. Suppose everyone's back in place and ready to go after a goal within 30 seconds. In that case, by my reading of the position paper, we would NOT add any stoppage time. However, in your example, suppose we go through 90 seconds of milling around, etc. (without getting carried away enough to earn a caution). In this case, I'd add a minute of stoppage time -- i.e., the EXCESS above and beyond what you'd except it to take to get started. Is that how you're reading it and is that different than what you do now?
kev, the simple rule I use is to add the time with my stoppage chronometer. I don't like using arbitrary time measurements. Like you said, if the players make a quick substitution, I add only that time. However, if the subsitution is over say 30 seconds and in particular if it is a ploy to waste time, I add time for the additional stoppage. It seems to be the most practical approach to management of time.
Alberto, Maybe I'm just not understanding EXACTLY what you're saying. In the past, it seemed fairly obvious to me that higher level referees added on the entire time it took for substitutions and to reset after goals. For example, in a game with 1 goal, no injury stoppages and no substitutions in the first half, you'd see a minute added on. In the second half, again no injury stoppages, say 4 subs and 2 goals, you'd see 3 minutes added on. Now, what this position paper is saying is that we should NOT be adding on time for goals and substitutions UNLESS the time taken for them is excessive. And then, we should only add on that time BEYOND what is considered normal. I agree that you only add on the time that you actually measure. What I'm asking is what are you measuring? The entire stoppage say for a goal or just "excess" stoppage. Up to now, it has always seemed like the entire stoppage was added for things like goals and substitutions. Now they're saying we should only be adding excess stoppage. I'm not talking about injuries or how we deal with time wasting. I'm not trying to nitpick -- I just trying to clearly understand what I perceive to be a difference between the way it's been done up to now and the way this position paper is written. If there's no difference, then I'm misunderstanding one or the other.
The guidance quite clearly says that routine restarts after subs or goals are NOT lost time and the subject is lost time so I agree that it says we are not to add on for run of the mill restarts. My problem is that it also says that when "delays are excessive, however, the referee is obliged to take their length fully into account in timing each half" So what is "their length". In other words, if a 30 second goal restart goes to 90 because of too much celebration - chasing the ball, etc do you add 60 seconds - the length of the excessive delay, or 90 seconds - the length of the entire delay? Logic would argue that if you aren't supposed to add on the first 30 seconds in a routine restart that you should add only the time of the "excessive delay". Logic doesn't always win though in interpretation of the law. Jim
Kev to answer your question, I measure stoppage time from when the goal is scored to the point that play is restarted with a kick-off. For injuries and substitutions. I measure from when I recognize the signal from the senior Ar to the point the player reaches his playing position. If the intent is to limit stoppage time, then the USSF is not following the clearly established precedents of international footballing. Referees world wide add time as noted above. Is this an attempt to placate MLS and get games in under two hours?
BUMP! In youth games, I rarely add extra time for goals or substitution. I do it only when I think there is excessive celebration or excessive timewasting in substitution. I do add time for injuries, time wasting, or time lost for chasing balls down hills or into the woods. The way I read the USSF memo, I am doing it correctly. What do others add extra time for?
In a clinic by a FIFA referee he instructed stoppage time is always delt with using "minutes" as the base unit. You do not add time for every substitution or goal, but you do add 1 minute every time the restart is delayed from one. Whether the start of the game is delayed or not is ITOOTR. Also a good rule of thumb is to remember if there was any specific delays of game and roughly how long they lasted outside of goals and substitutions. Apply a few more minutes for those occurances based on how long you thought the delay was -- this is where having a stoppage time watch can help you out if you want to be specific. Basically the main point being made was that when informing the teams of how much stoppage time is added you tell them in whole minutes. Coaches understand that 1 minute may not refer to an entire 60 seconds, but between 0 and 60 seconds. 2 delayed goals and 3 delayed substitutions with maybe 1 instance of delayed restart could be 6 minutes of stoppage with the ref blowing the whistle after 5:20. The instructor also said this shouldn't be a major concern to dwell on.