Referee Mechanics and Procedures
The key elements for successful Referee crews are:
1. Good training in the rules
2. An understanding of the "spirit of the game"
3. A good understanding of the "mechanics" of game management, signalling and decision making.
The rules of the game are outlined on another page - click here to read it.
The spirit of the game is difficult for me to put into writing and is open to interpretation depending on your background. However this website might help - click.
This page aims to deal with "Mechanics" or how the Center Referee communicates with assistant referee's (and very occassionaly in youth soccer the "fourth official") and visa versa.
Rather than list them all we have stored the US Soccer Federations "Guide to Procedures" (2008/9). This is a large 47 page PDF file that takes a few moments to download/open. Click here to do so.
The contents of it are displayed below, this will allow you to quickly find the relevant section in the PDF (just type the page number you want in the page number field and press enter)
GENERAL MECHANICS..........................................................4
PRIOR TO THE GAME............................................................6
Arrival At The Field.................................................................6
Inspections and Instructions....................................................6
Pre-Game Conference..............................................................7
Fifteen Minutes Before Kick-Off............................................7
Prior To Kick-Off.....................................................................7
During Minute Before Kick-Off..............................................8
KICK-OFF..................................................................................9
DURING PLAY.........................................................................10
General Positioning
Referee and Assistant Referee...................................................10
Fourth Official.........................................................................12
Monitors Benches And Technical Areas...................................13
Equipment Problems, Bleeding Or Blood On The Uniform.......14
Injuries...................................................................................15
Goalkeeper Possession/Punt..................................................16
Throw-In, Referee’s End of Touch Line................................17
Throw-In, Assistant Referee’s End of Touch Line................18
Offside...................................................................................19
Goal Kick...............................................................................20
Corner Kick, Referee’s Side Of Field....................................23
Corner Kick, Assistant Referee’s Side Of Field....................24
Goal.......................................................................................25
Apparent Goal To Be Disallowed.......................................27
Fouls Observed By Referee...................................................28
Fouls Not Seen By The Referee But Indicated
By Lead Assistant Referee................................................ 29
Fouls Not Seen By The Referee But Indicated By
Trail Assistant Referee........................................................30
Free Kicks - General Positioning...........................................31
Play On, Advantage Applied.................................................35
Penalty Kick..........................................................................36
Penalty Kick Indicated By The Assistant Referee.................37
MISCONDUCT.........................................................................38
SUBSTITUTIONS....................................................................40
TIMING.....................................................................................42
END OF THE GAME...............................................................43
MATCH DEBRIEF...................................................................44