The present invention provides methods and systems for decoding a data burst in a communication system. A data burst, including a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) blocks, is received. At least one FEC block of the data burst is decoded. Thereafter, it is detected if one or more errors are present in the at least one FEC block of the data burst. Upon detecting one or more errors in the at least one FEC block, the method halts the decoding of the data burst. In response to detecting the one or more errors, a retransmitted data burst corresponding to the data burst is received. One or more FEC blocks of the data burst may be combined with corresponding one or more FEC blocks of the retransmitted data burst. The one or more FEC blocks of the data burst includes the at least one FEC block that had the one or more errors detected as present. Thereafter, the decoding of the retransmitted data burst is commenced starting from the at least one FEC block that had the one or more errors detected as present in the previous transmission.