Ep. 12 Laws 5 and 6
Preface notes
- Law 5 and 6 are the referee and the other match officials
- Show notes will be on webpage socceraperspectiveforparents.com
- If follow along go to notes and link will be there so you can go to the Laws of the game
Laws of the game
- Law 5: The Referee
- 1) Authority of the referee
- Ref has full authority to enforce Laws of the Game in connection with the match
- As far as the match is concerned the ref is the ultimate authority
- 2) Decisions of the referee
- Refs will make their decisions according to the Laws of the Game and within the ‘spirit of the game’ to the best of their abilities and based on their opinion.
- They have the discretion to act within what the Laws allow
- Any decision the ref makes are final and the ref decisions and those of other match officials will always be respected
- Once a ref has restarted play, they cannot change that decision even if they realize it was an incorrect call or get advice from another match official. The same apply if they have called the end of a half, extra time, or left the field of play or abandoned the match.
- If he only left the field of play to instruct players to return, he can change the call. (Following does not apply to youth due to VAR) The same applies if ref is leaving to go to referee review area (where they go to watch and review a play to get the call right).
- Only if another match official had seen and tried to communicate an offense to ref and were able to for whatever reason can a disciplinary sanction be issued after a restart. The restart associated with the sanction does not apply.
- Example: saying if a linesman or someone tried to tell the center of an issue that needed to be carded or something like that and gets ref later. Ref can go back and card that player but it wont change how the kick was taken since it was already taken
- Play may keep going if ref is incapacitated with the other match officials until the ball goes out of play
- 3) Powers and duties
- Ref:
- Enforces Laws of the Game
- Controls match with help of other match officials
- Is timekeeper, keeps record of match and provides match report to appropriate authorities
- Match report includes disciplinary action, incidents that occurred before, during, and after the match, score, etc.
- Supervises and/or indicates restart of play
- Advantage:
- If a foul occurs ref will call advantage to allow the team that did not commit the foul to continue with play if they are able to benefit from the play continuing. If the play does not end up benefitting the none offending team, or a few seconds has passed then play is stopped and the foul is called.
- Disciplinary action:
- When more than one foul occurs at the same time the more serious foul is punished
- Gives players disciplinary action when they commit a foul
- Authority to discipline starts from the time pre-match inspection happens until the match ends, this includes extra-time and pks (reason extra time and pks are added is technically you could say that the match has ended when extra time starts). If anything happens before this the ref can prevent any player that got a sending off offense or red card from playing in the game. Ref is to report any misconduct.
- Power to issue cards, yellow (warning) and red (sending off), temporarily send players off if the competition allows it (think sending someone to the box in hockey, I think it’s a blue card in arena) and controlling players entering the field from the match start, including half-time, extra time and PKs (penalty kicks to settle match).
- Can issue warnings or yellow cards and send off or red cards to team officials. If sent off they must leave field of play and the immediate area, this includes the technical area (Ep 10 Laws 1 and 2, if you need refresher on what the technical area is). If the person that committed the offence cannot be identified, then senior coach present in technical area will get the sanction. If it is a medical official and team has no other medical official, they may remain in the area and work on players who need them
- May take advice of other match officials if they have not seen an incident
- Injuries
- If play only slightly injured play may continue until ball is out of play
- If player seriously injured play is stopped and ref ensures player is removed from field. Player cannot be treated on the field and can only reenter after play has restarted
- If ball is in play they have to reenter from touchline, if ball is out of play, they can reenter from boundary line.
- Exceptions to this are:
- A goalie is injured
- A goalie and another player have collided and need attention
- Players from the same team have collided and need attention
- A severe injury had occurred
- A player is injured from a physical offense where the opponent is cautioned or sent off and the assessment/treatment is quick
- Any player that is bleeding must leave the field. May only reenter once ref is convinced bleeding has stopped and no blood is on the equipment. Ref must signal for player to return to field.
- If docs and stretcher bearers are allowed to enter field by ref to treat player, player must leave field of play either on stretcher or on foot. If player does not leave, he must be cautioned
- Card must be shown to player by ref that committed foul before leaving field for injury or treatment of injury.
- If play is stopped just for injury or an injury happens with no foul and play is stopped for it, a drop ball is used to restart play
- Outside interference
- Will stop, suspend, or call the match if:
- Floodlights are inadequate
- If a spectator throws and object that hit a match official, player, or team official. Ref can then continue the match or choose to suspend or abandon depending on how severe the incident is
- Someone blows a whistle that interferes with play. Play is stopped (if it hasn’t already) and restarted with a drop ball
- An extra ball, object or animal enters the field, ref must:
- Stop play (restarted with a drop ball) if it interferes with play
- Unless ball is going in goal and it doesn’t prevent a defender from playing the ball. If goal is scored, it is awarded (even if contact was made with the ball) unless it was by the attacking team
- Have it removed at the earliest opportunity if it doesn’t interfere with play
- Does not allow unauthorized people to enter the field
- 4) Video assistant referee (VAR)
- Does not apply to youth so well skip unless someone ask for a break down
- 5) Referee’s equipment
- Compulsory equipment
- Whistle
- Watch
- Red and yellow cards
- Notebook (or other means of keeping records)
- Other equipment
- Refs may use
- Communications equipment to communicate with other match officials
- EPTS or other fitness monitoring equipment
- May not wear jewelry or any other electronic equipment to include cameras. This also applies to other ‘on-field’ match officials
- 6) Referee signals
- Will try to provide them in the show notes. If you can’t find them, there go to show notes that will be on the webpage and follow the link in the online sources section which will take you to a place where you can download and look at them in the actual Laws of the Game
- Quick descriptions though
- 7) Liability of match officials
- Refs or other match officials are not held liable for:
- any injury suffered by player, official, or spectator
- damage to any property
- any loss suffered by individual, club, company, association, or other body, which is due or may be due to any decision taken under the terms of the Laws of the Game or in respect of the normal procedures required to hold, play, and control a match
- Such decisions may include a decision:
- That the condition of the field or its surroundings or that the weather conditions are such as to allow or not allow a match to take place
- To abandon a match for whatever reason
- As to suitability of the field equipment and ball used during the match
- To stop or not stop a match due to spectator interference or any problem in spectator areas
- To stop or not stop play to allow an injured player to be removed from the field for treatment
- To require an injured player to be removed from the field for treatment
- To allow or not allow a player to wear certain clothing or equipment
- Where the ref has the authority, to allow or not allow any persons to be present in the vicinity of the field. Includes team or stadium officials, security officers, photographers, or other media.
- Any other decision taken in accordance with the Laws of the Game or in conformity with their duties under the terms of FIFA, confederation, national football association or competition rule or regulations under which the match is played
- To sum it up, you can’t sue a ref for anything they do or don’t do related to the match. So, you can’t sue them for injuries, lost money because you didn’t play a game and a bunch of other stuff.
- Law 6: The Other Match Officials
- Other match officials are two assistant referees (linesmen), fourth official, two additional assistant referees, reserve assistant referee, video assistant referee (VAR) and at least one assistant VAR (AVAR).
- May appoint these for a match. Usually during youth, the most you will see is a center ref and two assistant referees (linesman)
- All these are to assist the Referee, but Referee has final decision
- Referee, assistant referee, fourth official, additional assistant referees, and reserve assistant referee are ‘on-field’ match officials
- All match officials are under the direction of the referee.
- If one commits undue interference or improper conduct, referee will relieve them of duties and report to appropriate authorities
- ‘On-field’ match officials assist referee when they have better view of play and must submit a report to appropriate authorities on any serious misconduct or incident that occurred out of view of referee and other match officials. Must advise referee and other match officials of report being made.
- ‘On-field’ match officials assist ref in inspecting the field, balls, and players’ equipment and if any problems have been resolved. Also assist in keeping time and recording goals, misconduct, etc.
- Competition must state who replaces match official who cannot start or continue a match or any other associated change. Particularly the replacement of the referee if they cannot start or continue.
- 1) Assistant referee
- Indicate when:
- Whole ball leaves field of play and which team gets a corner kick, goal kick, or throw in (talk about whole ball really quick)
- Player in an offside position may be penalized (talked all about that in another episode, Ep. 9 offsides)
- When someone wants to substitute
- During PKs they watch to see if goalie left the goal line before ball was kicked and if the ball fully crosses the line for a goal. If the additional assistant referees are appointed, they line up with penalty mark.
- Also assist in monitoring the substitution procedure
- May also help in controlling the 10 yard or 9.15 m distance required for kicks by entering the field.
- 2) Fourth Official
- They assist with:
- Supervising subbing process
- Checking player’s and sub’s equipment
- A player’s re-entry once approved by the referee
- Supervise replacement balls
- Shows how much extra time the referee is going to have at the end of halves and extra time
- Informs the ref of any irresponsible behavior in the technical area
- 3) Additional assistant referee
- They indicate:
- When the whole ball passes over the goal line to include for goals
- Which team gets a goal kick or corner kick (don’t know why they word it this way)
- Watch if goalkeeper moves off goal line before ball is kicked and if whole ball crosses line for a goal during goal kicks.
- 4) Reserve Assistant referee
- Just there to replace any assistant ref or fourth official that is hurt
- 5) Video match officials
- Not going to see in youth. For education purposes they are just there to help ref in the center by reviewing film and having it ready to go when the ref calls for it. They can’t overrule the ref; ref has final decision in any call.
- 6) Assistant referee signals
- Will try to get on doc on forums but same thing for ref applies here.
- Quick description
- 7) Additional assistant referee signals
- Same as above
Things of note
- Show notes are at webpage
- Link will be there as well for Laws of the Game to download
- Got an email up if you have any questions, comments, concerns, soccerpodcastforparents@gmail.com
- Next week will be Laws 5 and 6, The referee and other match officials, like Assistant Refs or linesman. Depending on length of those two I may add in Law 7 but we’ll see how it goes.
Online Sources