Powers & Duties of Soccer Ref

THE POWERS AND DUTIES
OF A SOCCER REFEREE

What does a soccer referee do? What is a soccer referee supposed to do?
What's the authority for what the referee does?

"Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed." This statement comes from The Laws of the Game, which are adopted by the International Football Association Board and published by FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. The 17 Laws of the Game establish the powers and duties of a soccer referee^1,2. Duties are not optional; They are specifically prescribed by the Laws, or stem from a mandatory requirement of the Laws specifically associated with referee action. The Laws describe the referee's powers in language that leaves the referee discretion to use the power or to refrain from doing so. The Laws are not written solely for the guidance of referees; The Laws define, describe and explain the Game, and impose requirements on all participants. Many of the Laws' requirements include no associated referee action and instead rely on the referee's broad duty to enforce the Laws and apply the Spirit of the Game³ that is the foundation of all of the Laws. Some of the Laws do not refer to any specific referee action, despite stating requirements for play and defining infractions of the requirements. It should also be noted that FIFA has promulgated specific interpretations of some aspects of the Laws that modify how these duties and powers will be applied. The following table lists the 41 duties and 16 powers of the referee that are specifically established in the Laws; As noted above, the referee will take actions in other regards because the Laws specify how the game is to be played. The entries in the table are organized according to the affected Law. Where a power or duty is presented below in a different order that as published in the Law book, a notation of the original location is added. The language is copied from the Laws of the Game dated July 2001, with sentence fragments rewritten as complete sentences and punctuation modified accordingly. Powers or duties involving caution or disqualification of players are presented in the appropriate color.

LAW 1 The Field of Play	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
		The Referee may decide that the condition of the field of play or its surrounds or that the weather conditions are such as to allow or not to allow a match to take place. (Law 5, Decision 1)
		The Referee may decide as to the condition of the fixtures or equipment used during a match including the goalposts, crossbar, and flagposts ... (Law 5, Decision 1)

LAW 2 The Ball	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The Referee ensures that any ball used meets the requirements of Law 2. (Law 5)

LAW 3 The Number of Players	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	If a substitute enters the field of play without the referee's permission, play is stopped, the substitute is cautioned, shown the yellow card and required to leave the field of play, and play is restarted with a dropped ball at the place it was located when play was stopped.
	If a player changes places with the goalkeeper without the referee's permission before the change is made, play continues, the players concerned are cautioned and shown the yellow card when the ball is next out of play.
	For any other infringements of this Law, the players concerned are cautioned and shown the yellow card.
	The Referee ensures 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. (Law 5)

LAW 4 The Players' Equipment	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The Referee ensures that the players' equipment meets the requirements of Law 4. (Law 5)	The Referee may decide to allow or not to allow a player to wear certain apparel or equipment. (Law 5, Decision 1)
	For any infringement of this Law, play need not be stopped; the player at fault is instructed by the referee to leave the field of play to correct his equipment; the player leaves the field of play when the ball next ceases to be in play, unless he has already corrected his equipment. Any player required to leave the field of play to correct his equipment does not re-enter without the referee's permission. The referee checks that the player's equipment is correct before allowing him to re-enter the field of play; the player is only allowed to re-enter the field of play when the ball is out of play.
	A player who has been required to leave the field of play because of an infringement of this Law and who enters (or re-enters) the field of play without the referee's permission is cautioned and shown the yellow card.

LAW 5 The Referee	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The Referee enforces the Laws of the Game.
	The Referee stops, suspends or terminates the match because of outside interference of any kind.	The Referee may decide to abandon a match for whatever reason.
		The Referee may decide to stop or not to stop a match due to spectator interference or any problem in the spectator area.
		The Referee may decide (in so far as this may be his responsibility) to allow or not to allow any persons (including team or stadium officials, security officers, photographers or other media representatives) to be present in the vicinity of the field of play.
		The Referee stops, suspends or terminates the match, at his discretion, for any infringements of the Laws.
	The Referee stops the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensures that he is removed from the field of play.	The Referee allows play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured. The Referee may decide to stop or not to stop play to allow an injured player to be removed from the field of play for treatment.
		The Referee may request or insist that an injured player be removed from the field of play for treatment.
	The Referee takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner ...	The Referee may at his discretion, expel [team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner] from the field of play and its immediate surrounds.
	The Referee ensures that no unauthorized persons enter the field of play.
	The Referee provides the appropriate authorities with a match report which includes information on any disciplinary action taken against players and/or team officials, and any other incidents which occurred before, during or after the match.
		The referee may change a decision on realizing that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee, provided that he has not restarted play.

LAW 6 The Assistant Referees	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The Referee controls the match in co-operation with the assistant referees and, where applicable, with the fourth official. (Law 5)
	The Referee acts on the advice of assistant referees regarding incidents which he has not seen. (Law 5)
	In the event of undue interference or improper conduct, the referee will relieve an assistant referee of his duties and make a report to the appropriate authorities.

LAW 7 The Duration of the Match	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The Referee acts as timekeeper and keeps a record of the match. (Law 5)	The referee may consent to alteration of the duration of the half-time interval, subject to the Laws.
		Allowance is made in either period for all time lost through substitution(s), assessment of injury to players, removal of injured players from the field of play for treatment, wasting time, any other cause. The allowance for time lost is at the discretion of the referee.

LAW 8 The Start and Restart of Play	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The Referee gives a signal for the kickoff to be taken.
	The Referee restarts the match after it has been stopped. (Law 5)
	A dropped ball is a way of restarting the match after a temporary stoppage which becomes necessary, while the ball is in play, for any reason not mentioned elsewhere in the Laws of the Game. The referee drops the ball at the place where it was located when play was stopped.

LAW 9 The Ball In and Out of Play

LAW 10 The Method of Scoring	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
		The Referee may decide whether a goal is scored or not. (Law 5 and Law 5, Decision 3)

LAW 11 Offside	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	For any offside offense, the referee awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.

LAW 12 Fouls and Misconduct	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The referee awards a direct free kick to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following six offenses in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force: kicks or attempts to kick an opponent; trips or attempts to trip an opponent; jumps at an opponent; charges an opponent; strikes or attempts to strike an opponent; pushes an opponent.
	The referee also awards a direct free kick to the opposing team if a player commits any of the following four offenses: tackles an opponent to gain possession of the ball, making contact with the opponent before touching the ball; holds an opponent; spits at an opponent; handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area).
	The referee awards a penalty kick if any of the above ten offenses is committed by a player inside his own penalty area, irrespective of the position of the ball, provided it is in play.
	The referee awards a penalty kick if, while the ball is in play, the goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, strikes or attempts to strike an opponent by throwing the ball at him.
	The referee awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team if a goalkeeper, inside his own penalty area, commits any of the following five offenses: takes more than six seconds while controlling the ball with his hands before releasing it from his possession; touches the ball again with his hands after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player; touches the ball with his hands after it has been deliberately kicked to him by a team-mate; touches the ball with his hands after he has received it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate; wastes time.	The referee may decide that a goalkeeper has not exercised possession of the ball where the ball rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper, for example after he has made a save.
	The referee also awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team if a player, in the opinion of the referee: plays in a dangerous manner; impedes the progress of an opponent: prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands; commits any other offense, not previously mentioned in Law 12, for which play is stopped to caution or dismiss a player.
	The Referee takes disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offenses. He is not obliged to take this action immediately but must do so when the ball next goes out of play.
	The referee cautions and shows the yellow card to a player if he commits any of the following seven offenses: is guilty of unsporting behavior; shows dissent by word or action; persistently infringes the Laws of the Game; delays the restart of play; fails to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick or free kick; enters or re-enters the field of play without the referee's permission; deliberately leaves the field of play without the referee's permission.
	The referee sends off and shows the red card to a player if he commits any of the following seven offenses: is guilty of serious foul play; is guilty of violent conduct; spits at an opponent or any other person; denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (This does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area.); denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the player's goal by an offense punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick; uses offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures; receives a second caution in the same match.
	The referee sanctions as serious foul play a tackle from behind which endangers the safety of an opponent.
	The referee cautions for unsporting behavior and shows the yellow card to a player using a deliberate trick to circumvent the Law while he is taking a free kick.
	The referee sanctions as unsporting behavior any simulating action anywhere on the field, which is intended to deceive the referee
	The referee disciplines a player who commits a cautionable or sending-off offense, either on or off the field of play, whether directed towards an opponent, a team-mate, the referee, an assistant referee or any other person, according to the nature of the offense committed.
	The Referee punishes the more serious offense when a player commits more than one offense at the same time	The Referee allows play to continue when the team against which an offense has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalizes the original offense if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time. (Law 5)

LAW 13 Free Kicks	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The referee indicates an indirect free kick by raising his arm above his head. He maintains his arm in that position until the kick has been taken and the ball has touched another player or goes out of play.

LAW 14 The Penalty Kick	DUTIES OF THE REFEREE	POWERS OF THE REFEREE
	The referee gives a signal when a penalty kick may be taken.
	The referee does not signal for a penalty kick to be taken until the players have taken up position in accordance with the Law
	The referee allows a penalty kick to proceed, despite the commission of an infringement of the Laws, and
	The referee decides when a penalty kick has been completed.

LAW 15 The Throw-In

LAW 16 The Goal Kick

LAW 17 The Corner Kick

LAW 18	(see note 4)

Note 1. Soccer people use the terms "Powers and Duties" as terms of art, equivalent to the more common expression "rights and duties" and in a way that is different from the conventional definitions of any official's "powers." It might be more strictly accurate to say the duties of the referee are to enforce the Laws of the Game and apply the Spirit of the Game, and the referee's powers consist only of judging events and conditions, stopping play or allowing it to continue, awarding possession of the ball under certain conditions, sanctioning misconduct, and recording and reporting events.

Note 2. The US Soccer Federation, in its training course for Entry-Level Referees, lists the following as the Duties and Powers to be taught to new referees:
Duties:
a. To enforce the Laws
b. To keep a record of the game and keep time
c. To ensure that no unauthorized persons enter the field of play
d. To restart the match after stoppage
e. To decide on the fitness of the ball
f. To ensure that the players' equipment meets the requirements of Law 4
g. To report on the particulars of the game to the proper authorities
h. To control the match in cooperation with the assistant referees and the fourth official
i. To act on the advice of the assistant referees regarding incidents the referee has not seen
j. To punish the more serious offense when a player commits more than one offense at the same time
k. To ensure that any player bleeding from a wound leaves the field of play
Powers:
a. To give the advantage if the offended team will benefit from it
b. Discretionary power to stop, suspend or terminate the game
c. To take disciplinary action against players guilty of cautionable and sending-off offenses
d. To stop the game for any infringement [of the Laws.]
e. To stop the game for serious injury
f. Allow play to continue on slight injury
g. To ensure that coaches/team officials behave responsibly
h. To reverse or change a decision, but only if it was incorrect and the referee realizes this prior to play being restarted
What the Referee Cannot Do:
Although the referee is empowered to terminate a match in the event of grave disorder, he/she has no power or right to decide that either team is the winner or loser.
The Referee's Most Important Duty:
To use good sense in controlling a game so that the players and spectators enjoy a safe, fairly-played game.

The US Soccer Federation has prepared a list of those acts which always constitute misconduct and thus require mandatory cautions. All misconduct requires a caution or send-off, but for some infractions there is referee discretion as to whether the act reaches a threshhold of misconduct or otherwise qualifies as misconduct. Once the referee judges that the act is misconduct, the authoritative guidance makes the sanction a matter of duty.

Note 3. The referee's role is to apply, protect and sometimes impose the game's values in anything to do with the game, and to personify the Spirit of the Game. A referee must enforce the Spirit of the Game at all times, perhaps even above the Laws of the Game. The Laws make explicit provision for this, defining unsporting behavior, i.e., violation of the Spirit of the Game, by a player as cautionable misconduct. You may wish to read more information and commentary on the Spirit of the Game.

Note 4. There are only 17 official Laws of the Game. Most referees recognize as Law 18 the duty to Use common sense. There is an alternative Law 18, asserted by no few people with an authoritarian view of refereeing: The Law is what the referee says it is. This latter version is very much unsporting and politically incorrect but will nevertheless apply during a game.

Last modified on
January 24, 2002

The introduction, commentary or interpretations at the top of this page and in Notes 1, 3
and 4 are the author's, and may not reflect the official positions of soccer's governing bodies.