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Referee (football)
Encyclopedia
A referee presides over a game of association football. The referee has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and the referee's decisions regarding facts connected with play are final, so far as the result of the game is concerned.
The referee is assisted by two assistant referees
(formerly known as linesmen), and in some matches also by a fourth official or even a fifth official. The fifth official was first introduced by FIFA
in 2006. The match officials utilise a positioning system known as the diagonal system of control
. UEFA
have also trialled the use of additional assistant referees who have jurisdiction over the goal areas and help interpret incidents in the immediate goal area or if the ball has crossed the goal line in the act of scoring a goal.
The vast majority of referees are amateur
, though they are usually paid a small fee and/or expenses for their services. However, in some countries a limited number of referees – who mainly officiate in their country's top league – are employed full-time by their national associations and receive a retainer
at the start of every season plus match fees.
Referees are licensed and trained by the same national organisations that are members of FIFA. Each national organisation recommends its top officials to FIFA to have the additional honour of being named a FIFA official. International games between national teams require FIFA officials. Otherwise, the local national organisation determines the manner of training, ranking and advancement of officials from the youngest youth games through professional matches.
Powers
Duties
to indicate the commencement or restart of play, to stop or delay play due to an infringement or injury, or to indicate that time has expired in the half. The whistle is an important tool for the Referee along with verbal, body and eye communication. The use of whistles is not mandated by the Laws of the Game.
The whistle was not mentioned in the Laws of the Game (LOTG) until very recently. The LOTG simply mentions the referee should signal certain events. In 2007, when IFAB
greatly expanded the LOTG Additional Instructions section, a full page of advice on how and when the whistle should be used as a communication and control mechanism by the referee became available.
Before the introduction of the whistle, referees indicated their decisions by waving a handkerchief. The whistles that were first adopted by referees were made by Joseph Hudson
at Mills Munitions in Birmingham
, England
. The ACME Whistle Company (based at Mills Munitions Factory) first began to mass produce pea whistles in the 1870s for the Metropolitan Police Service
. It is frequently stated the referee's whistle was first used in a game between Nottingham Forest
and Sheffield Norfolk in 1878; however no such fixture is known to have taken place between the two clubs in that year.
, new jerseys were introduced that gave officials a choice of burgundy, yellow or white, and at the same time the creation of the Premier League in England saw referees wear green jerseys: both changes were motivated by television considerations. Since then, most referees have worn either yellow or black, but the colours and styles adopted by individual associations vary greatly. For international contests under the supervision of FIFA, Adidas uniforms are worn because Adidas is the current sponsor. FIFA allows referees to wear five colours: black, red, yellow, green and blue. Along with the jersey, referees are required to wear black shorts, black socks (with white stripes in some cases), and black shoes. The badge, which displays the referee's license level and year of validity, is often affixed to the left chest pocket.
All referees carry a whistle, a watch, penalty cards, a data wallet with pen and paper, and a coin for determining who gets the first kick-off in each half. Most are encouraged to have more than one of each on them in case they drop a whistle or a pen runs out and so on. Often, referees utilize two watches so that they can use one to calculate time lost for stoppages for the purposes of added time. At the highest levels, referees wear a two-way radio to communicate between each other and assistant referees use electronic flags, which send a signal to the referee when the button is pushed. Specific guidelines concerning the use of technology are written by FIFA and IFAB to aid referees as to when they can and cannot (or should not) be used.
in 1581. In this description of "foteball" he advocates the use of a "judge over the parties". In the modern era, referees are first advocated in English public school football games
, notably Eton
football in 1845. A match report from Rochdale
in 1842 shows their use in a football game between the Bodyguards Club and the Fearnought Club.
The referee is assisted by two assistant referees
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
(formerly known as linesmen), and in some matches also by a fourth official or even a fifth official. The fifth official was first introduced by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 2006. The match officials utilise a positioning system known as the diagonal system of control
Diagonal system of control
The diagonal system of control is the system of positioning used by match officials in association football...
. UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
have also trialled the use of additional assistant referees who have jurisdiction over the goal areas and help interpret incidents in the immediate goal area or if the ball has crossed the goal line in the act of scoring a goal.
The vast majority of referees are amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
, though they are usually paid a small fee and/or expenses for their services. However, in some countries a limited number of referees – who mainly officiate in their country's top league – are employed full-time by their national associations and receive a retainer
Retainer agreement
A retainer agreement is a work for hire contract. It falls between a one-time contract and full-time employment. Its distinguishing feature is that the employer pays in advance for work to be specified later...
at the start of every season plus match fees.
Referees are licensed and trained by the same national organisations that are members of FIFA. Each national organisation recommends its top officials to FIFA to have the additional honour of being named a FIFA official. International games between national teams require FIFA officials. Otherwise, the local national organisation determines the manner of training, ranking and advancement of officials from the youngest youth games through professional matches.
Powers and duties
The referee's powers and duties are described by Law 5 of the Laws of the Game. These include:Powers
- stopping, suspending or terminating the match, at his discretion, for any infringements of the Laws;
- stopping, suspending or terminating the match because of outside interference of any kind;
- stopping the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensuring that he is removed from the field of playAssociation football pitchAn association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
. An injured player may only return to the field of play after the match has restarted; - allowing play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured;
- allowing play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time;
- taking disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offences. He is not obliged to take this action immediately but must do so when the ball next goes out of play;
- taking action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds.
Duties
- enforcing the Laws of the Game;
- controlling the match in co-operation with the assistant referees and, where applicable, with the fourth official;
- ensuring that any ball used meets the requirements of Law 2;
- ensuring that the players' equipment meets the requirements of Law 4;
- acting as timekeeper and keeping a record of the match;
- ensuring that any player bleeding from a wound leaves the field of play. The player may only return on receiving a signal from the referee, who must be satisfied that the bleeding has stopped;
- punishing the more serious offence when a player commits more than one offence at the same time;
- acting on the advice of the assistant referees regarding incidents that he has not seen;
- ensuring that no unauthorised persons enter the field of play;
- indicating the restart of the match after it has been stopped;
- providing the appropriate authorities with a match report, which includes information on any disciplinary action taken against players and/or team officials, substitutions and any other incidents that occurred before, during or after the match.
Whistle use
Referees use a whistleWhistle
A whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
to indicate the commencement or restart of play, to stop or delay play due to an infringement or injury, or to indicate that time has expired in the half. The whistle is an important tool for the Referee along with verbal, body and eye communication. The use of whistles is not mandated by the Laws of the Game.
The whistle was not mentioned in the Laws of the Game (LOTG) until very recently. The LOTG simply mentions the referee should signal certain events. In 2007, when IFAB
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
greatly expanded the LOTG Additional Instructions section, a full page of advice on how and when the whistle should be used as a communication and control mechanism by the referee became available.
Before the introduction of the whistle, referees indicated their decisions by waving a handkerchief. The whistles that were first adopted by referees were made by Joseph Hudson
Joseph Hudson (inventor)
Joseph Hudson was an inventor in Birmingham, England during the late 19th century andthe founder of J Hudson & Co in 1870, later to become the world largest whistle manufacturer ....
at Mills Munitions in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The ACME Whistle Company (based at Mills Munitions Factory) first began to mass produce pea whistles in the 1870s for the Metropolitan Police Service
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
. It is frequently stated the referee's whistle was first used in a game between Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Sheffield Norfolk in 1878; however no such fixture is known to have taken place between the two clubs in that year.
Uniform
Modern day referees and their assistants wear a uniform consisting of a jersey, badge, shorts and socks: until the 1950s it was more common for a referee to wear a blazer than a jersey. Traditionally that uniform was almost always all black, unless one of the teams was wearing a very dark jersey in which case the referee would wear another colour of jersey (usually red) to distinguish himself from both teams. At the 1994 World Cup finals1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, new jerseys were introduced that gave officials a choice of burgundy, yellow or white, and at the same time the creation of the Premier League in England saw referees wear green jerseys: both changes were motivated by television considerations. Since then, most referees have worn either yellow or black, but the colours and styles adopted by individual associations vary greatly. For international contests under the supervision of FIFA, Adidas uniforms are worn because Adidas is the current sponsor. FIFA allows referees to wear five colours: black, red, yellow, green and blue. Along with the jersey, referees are required to wear black shorts, black socks (with white stripes in some cases), and black shoes. The badge, which displays the referee's license level and year of validity, is often affixed to the left chest pocket.
All referees carry a whistle, a watch, penalty cards, a data wallet with pen and paper, and a coin for determining who gets the first kick-off in each half. Most are encouraged to have more than one of each on them in case they drop a whistle or a pen runs out and so on. Often, referees utilize two watches so that they can use one to calculate time lost for stoppages for the purposes of added time. At the highest levels, referees wear a two-way radio to communicate between each other and assistant referees use electronic flags, which send a signal to the referee when the button is pushed. Specific guidelines concerning the use of technology are written by FIFA and IFAB to aid referees as to when they can and cannot (or should not) be used.
History
Referees in football are first described by Richard MulcasterRichard Mulcaster
Richard Mulcaster , is known best for his headmasterships and pedagogic writings. He is often regarded as the founder of English language lexicography.-Educational achievements:...
in 1581. In this description of "foteball" he advocates the use of a "judge over the parties". In the modern era, referees are first advocated in English public school football games
English public school football games
During the early modern era students, former students and teachers at English public schools developed and wrote down the first codes of football, most notably the Eton College...
, notably Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
football in 1845. A match report from Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
in 1842 shows their use in a football game between the Bodyguards Club and the Fearnought Club.
See also
- List of football referees
- Assistant referee (association football)Assistant referee (association football)In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...
- Diagonal system of controlDiagonal system of controlThe diagonal system of control is the system of positioning used by match officials in association football...
- Misconduct (football)Misconduct (football)Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the...
- FIFA World Cup refereesFIFA World Cup refereesAfter the 2006 FIFA World Cup 332 referees have conducted World Cup matches. Joël Quiniou is the referee with most matches . 19 referees have conducted the 19 finals.-Referees in finals of World Cup:...
- FA Cup Final refereesFA Cup Final RefereesFA Cup Final Referees are the referees chosen for the FA Cup Final, the deciding game in the English football competition; the FA Cup.-Selection:...