Whistle Signals

A referee blows the whistle — Short, long or a series: the whistle tells its own story.

The whistle is the referee’s voice. Listen to the most common signals and learn what they usually mean, then try the listening game. The sounds are created on your device.

Start or restartOne short blast starts the match, restarts after a goal or lets a free kick be taken.

FoulOne sharp, quick blast stops play for an offence.

Serious foul or penaltyOne long, strong blast shows that something important has happened.

Half-timeTwo long blasts are often used at the end of the first half.

Full-timeMany referees end the match with two short blasts and one long one.

The Laws of the Game do not fix exact whistle patterns. These are common habits of referees.

Listening game

Press “Listen”, then choose what the whistle means. Five rounds.