Duties

Powers


As a referee, you have the authority to:

  • Punish infringements of the laws of the game

  • Refrain from giving advantage to the offending team

  • Caution players for misconduct (Yellow Card)

  • Send off players for serious offenses (Red Card)

  • Reverse a wrong decision before the play has restarted

  • The referee has discretionary power to stop, suspend, or terminate the game for infringements of the Laws or because of outside interference of any kind

Decisions of the Referee regarding factors of play are final

You are in control of the game, you have the right to dismiss any spectator, player, or coach

Remember that these powers DO NOT include the power to declare a winner or a loser of a game that has been terminated!

Referee Duties


The following duties are typical of what a referee does:

  • Enforce the laws of the game

  • Control the game, in cooperation with the Assistant Referees

  • Coordinate and pay attention to your ARs throughout the match so no calls are missed

  • Act as timekeeper and a recordkeeper of the match, and report on the particulars of the game

  • Ensure the field, ball, and player's equipment meets the requirement

  • Wear a distinctive uniform to make it clear what your role is

  • Signal the re-commencement of the match after any stoppage

  • Allow no one to enter or leave the field without permission

  • Don't interfere with the game with regard to trifling offenses

  • Caution players, coaches, or spectators for engaging in unsporting-like behavior

  • Stop the game if, in the referee's opinion, a player is seriously injured; or allow play to continue until ball is out of play if, in the referee's opinion, a player is slightly injured

  • Ensures that a player bleeding from a wound leaves the game until the wound is properly attended to and there is no more bleeding

  • Enforce to the concussion policy (a player CANNOT return to the game after head trauma)

NOTE: Blow your whistle LOUD so that everybody hears it. This is the most common complaint of new referees.


Assistant Referee (AR) Duties


The following duties are typical of what an assistant referee (AR) does:

  • Signal the ball out of play or Restart

    • Restart Goal/Corner Kick, Throw-In (Run toward Midfield line, Point horizontal at field, 45 degrees toward corner, 45 degrees upward in restart direction)

  • Signal for Substitution (Hold horizontal and overhead)

  • Signal for Offside (Straight up, then point to the field based on distance: low, medium, high)

  • Signal when misconduct or any other incident has occurred out of view of the Referee (Wave flag overhead)

  • Assist in the control of the game as directed by the Referee.

  • Indicate foul was inside the penalty area (Skirt)