I firmly believe this (and the Clive Thomas incident) are why the LOTG needs to change around the end of the half/match. If FIFA want referees to wait for the final attack, then the LOTG needs to reflect this - otherwise this referee has done nothing wrong by law. Though Clive Thomas was even less wrong IMO!
And really, the only defence for the 'last attack' thing is that stoppage time is best guess only.
It gets fun when refereeing games with an instruction not to have stoppage time - where I spent most of my time refereeing, all matches except local first grade had that instruction written into the referee's handbook (which outlined the details of all the different grades). In those cases, I would have no problem blowing the whistle as the ball was about to fly into an open goal - and have done so (with far fewer problems than you may think). Because there, allowing that extra 1-2 seconds to change the result of the match is just unethical and unfair, IMO. But that's because time in those games is accurate down to the second.
With stoppage time? Well, it's so vague that it's justifiable.
Incidentally, I've noticed that at the top tiers there seems to be a firm idea of 'don't blow for time when the ball is out' - always play the GK. Why? What's the point? Just a nuisance of mine.
Although at grassroots sometimes you want to - hot tip is to blow for time when the GK is taken rather than just after the shot was taken that sends the ball into the creek, if you're responsible for the match ball (or it's half time)!
I agree with others that the ref should have blown it at the time of the GK rather than wait here. I wonder if the ref didn't realise that time had expired, looked down and realised she was clearly over time? It's a bit unusual to end it in this fashion
Just had another thought! Does the game stop when the whistle is blown, or, has blown?
Because its still blowing as the ball is over the line!!!
Neither. When the ref decides to blow. Eg if the ref decided to blow but dropped the whistle, then the ball went in the goal, it's no goal!