Substitutions
BEFORE the game, ask the coaches to have their substitutes ready to go at the halfway line. Also remind them that they need your permission before they can make their substitutions. You can indicate your permission with your voice or arm motions, or both.
DURING the game, when there is a stoppage in play that allows for substitutions, glance in the direction of the halfway line on the team side to see if there are substitutes ready. If there are Assistant Referees, the AR on the team side should give the substitution signal with the flag, and the AR on the other side should mirror that signal if the Referee is not looking at the team side of the field. This is a good way of keeping up with the substitutions and keeping the game flowing.
KNOW THE RULES. In BAYS and IN-Town games:
BOTH teams are allowed to substitute
Before a Kickoff (including after a goal or at half time)
Before a Goal Kick
THROW-IN
IF the team taking the Throw-In makes a substitution, THEN the other team can also substitute
If the team taking the Throw-In does not substitute, then the other team CANNOT substitute
NO SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED ON CORNER KICKS, DIRECT KICKS OR INDIRECT FREE KICKS
If a team makes a substitution for an INJURED player, then the other team is entitled to also make a substitution. You should ask the other team if they want to make that substitution, as they may not be aware of that opportunity.
Keep Track Of The Numbers: When all of the substitutes are on and the replaced players are off, do a quick count of the players on the field for each team before allowing play to proceed. Here, you might say "Coach, you have one too many players" or "Coach, you are a player short". You can use your voice to good effect and let the coaches know you are helping to keep the game fair.
Control the Restart: Play is always stopped when substitutions are being made. Use your voice to tell the players to "hold the kick" or "hold the throw" or just "wait" while the substitutions are being made. You may need to use your whistle to stop play. When the substitutions are done, you can use your whistle to restart play or use your voice to say "Play" or "Go ahead".
Yellow Card Rule: In BAYS and In-Town, if a player receives a yellow card, that player must be substituted at that time. They can return to the game at the next available substitution