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What does it mean when the referee blows his whistle and points at a goal?

The referee has seen a foul and is awarding a direct free kick against the goal he is pointing to.

Quickies

Did you know …

that before 1878 and the advent of whistles on the playing match, umpires communicated signals to the players by waving a handkerchief, a stick, or by shouting?

How do players know when a penalty kick is awarded?

When a referee points directly at the 18 yard (16.5 metre) area, he is awarding a penalty kick. The referee will usually run to the penalty spot, stop beside it and point straight down at it with his hand.

Why do games that are not tied at the end of regulation time often go longer?

One of the unique things about soccer is that during a match no one on or off the pitch knows exactly how long the match will go. That’s because the referee is the official timekeeper, and while regulations state that a match consists of two halves of 45 minutes each, with a mandatory break at halftime, they also state that the referee has discretion to add also state that the referee has discretion to add time to the end of each half for any stoppage of play. While the rules for games like hockey, basketball, and American football include provisions for stopping the clock (such as after a goal, or for out of bounds), the clock for a soccer game never stops, except for the during the halftime break. The referee is under no obligation to tell anyone how much additional time will be added to each half. The clock runs out only when the referee says so.