Watch and WHistle - Primer For Youth Soccer Referees PDF

24/06/2010 The Watch and the Whistle -- A Prime…
The Watch and the Whistle

A Primer for Youth Soccer Referees
by Christopher Seiwald
seiwald@perforce.com
www.watchandwhistle.org
$Date: 2010/06/02 $
Copyright 2004-2010 Christopher

Seiwald. You may use this work in
any way as long as you cite the title
and author as the original source.
Last updated 6/1/2010 with numerous
edits, including changed
interpretations on handling and
tackling, new mechanics for whistling
and ARs indicating PKs, and the
naming of Direct Free Kick vs Indirect
Free Kick fouls.
Short Version/ Long Version
Introduction
This is an introduction to youth soccer refereeing for people who know the game but don't know
how to officiate.
This document was started in 2003 by a 2nd year Grade 8 USSF soccer referee. Before I took the
18 hour referee course, I hunted the Internet trying to find a straightforward primer, but only found
oblique rule books and trails and tidbits of advice here and there. Even after I took the course and
knew the rules, I was still in the dark about the mechanics of actually refereeing a game.
So I decided to write this for aspiring referees looking for a primer to get them onto the field.
http://www.watchandwhistle.org/ 1/18
This document is not a replacement for the class, the vaunted Laws of the Game (LOTG), or real
experience, but it can give you the footing to get more out of them all.
This document describes FIFA's laws and its three referee system, called the diagonal system of
control, which uses a center referee (CR) on the field and two assistant referees (ARs) along the
edges. It does not describe high school soccer rules or its much disparaged dual system, which has
two referees on the field.
This document is written from the perspective of the center referee, but special mechanics for the
ARs are described as well.
This document is not authoritative. Sticklers should note that there is a well defined line of
authority on the Laws of the Game, and I am not in that line. I do my best to correct errors, but
none of this bears any official approval.
I update this document regularly to reflect the law changes and to incorporate suggestions. Email
me at seiwald@perforce.com.
Back to Top
Table of Contents
This document is broken into sections arranged roughly in the chronological order of your duties.
You can read them in order, but the sections are meant to stand on their own as well.
Introduction
Off the Field -- Practical Procedures
What a Soccer Field Looks Like -- Laws and Mechanics
The Arrival -- Practical Procedures
With Your Mind -- Background Information
With Your Body -- Practical Procedures
The Starts, Restarts, and Stops -- Laws and Mechanics
Offside -- Laws and Mechanics
Indirect Free Kick Fouls -- Laws and Mechanics
Direct Free Kick Fouls -- Laws and Mechanics
Learning to Recognize Fouls -- Background Information
Game Control -- Background Information
Misconduct -- Laws and Mechanics
Tie Breaking -- Laws and Mechanics
You Blew it -- Practical Procedures
The Departure -- Practical Procedures
Appendix: My Sources -- Background Information
Introduction
Off the Field -- Practical Procedures
The Arrival -- Practical Procedures
With Your Body -- Practical Procedures
You Blew it -- Practical Procedures
The Departure -- Practical Procedures
Each section has one of three forms:
Background Information: non-procedural information that should roll around your head
Practical Procedures: practical procedures and mechanics not related to the Laws of the
Game
Laws and Mechanics: the Laws of the Game, retold, along with mechanics
This is the Short Version with only the five Practical Procedures sections. There is also a Long
Version that includes all the sections.
Off the Field

Practical Procedures
Run
To referee you should be able to keep up with the play, and that means walking, jogging,
and sometimes sprinting. If you are otherwise out of shape, run a mile or two a few times
during the week.
You can get fancy and practice running backwards and sideways, as you'll do a fair bit of
that on the field as well.
Get the clothes
You need the uniform to referee: no one believes you without it. You need the official shirt
and socks, and passable shorts and shoes.
If you are only going to get one shirt, it will be probably be the default yellow, but see what
color is most often used in your league. It is supposed to contrast with the players. They also
come in red, black, blue, and green. To be really spot on, you'll want all of them so that you
can coordinate (hopefully in advance) with the other two referees. The shirts have a velcro
patch over the left pocket where you affix your referee badge (with the current year on it).
The socks are long black ones with either 3 white stripes across the top or the USSF logo
across the calf, and they are usually meant to fold over at the top.
Plain black shorts work, but the ones made for referees have the big pockets you need to
carry around the player passes and coin.
You should wear turf shoes or cleats, and they should be mostly black. White sneakers go
as well with a referee uniform as they do with a business suit.
Keep your shoes clean. Tuck your shirt in. Make sure your socks stay up. Respect starts
with the uniform; the better prepared and dressed you are when you walk on the field the
more the teams will honor your game.
www.lawfive.com and www.officialsports.com have all you need, but you'll probably want
to try shoes on at a local sporting goods store.
Get the equipment
You'll need red & yellow cards and two flags made for refereeing, and
then a watch, a whistle, a pen, a coin, and a water bottle.
The red & yellow cards are specialized. I keep the yellow in my right
front pants pocket, and the red in my right back pants pocket. Some
refs keep the yellow in their shirt pocket. Keeping them separate is a
good idea -- it's embarrassing to fumble or to get the wrong one.
When you're the center referee you supply the two flags for the ARs to
use. These are made for soccer, and the cheap ones seem to work as well as the fancy ones.
An easy-to-read watch with a stopwatch timer is a good start, but you might move up to
sports stopwatch. Prepared referees will wear two in case one goes out, even though it
looks a little funny.
Selecting a whistle is pretty trivial, but there are two things to keep in mind: first, if you are
next to another field, you might need a different sounding whistle to avoid confusing the
players. Second, a whistle with a pea in it can jam after lots of (salivating) use. There are
things more embarrassing than having your whistle wimper, but a pea-less whistle doesn't
jam. If you're like me, you'll start with one whistle and eventually work up a collection.
If you're not used to blowing a whistle, you probably won't blow it hard enough. Practice
once with a friend someplace outside.
There are whistles with neck lanyards, wrist lanyards, and fingerclips. I've tried all three (the
neck for only half a game), but currently just hold the whistle in my hand. That allows me to
whistle and signal at the same time if needed. I actually attach one of my watches to the
whistle, to get a better grip and an easy view of the time. I also keep a spare whistle in my
back pocket.
Get a pen with a clip, not a cap. I keep mine clipped inside my front right pants pocket;
some refs like theirs in their shirt pocket. Keep a backup pen in a different place.
For the coin toss at the beginning of the game the center referee is supposed to bring the
coin. Some referees pride themselves in their choice of coin, but a quarter works well and is
easily replaced.
Behave
Like cops and the mafia, referees stand by each other. Don't diss another referee, especially
while he's on the field officiating. In fact, eventually you'll find that the only people who want
to hear about refereeing are other referees. Different referees have different styles, levels of
tolerance and enforcement, and behind that different degrees of experience and plain ability.
If people solicit comments from you on another referee, just remember: we'll have perfect
referees when we have perfect players.
When you aren't actually officiating a game, go incognito. If you have to

wear your uniform around, at least cover up the shirt, especially if you
are standing around the field watching a game or waiting to officiate the
next. Strictly speaking, a referee's authority begins when he arrives at
the field and ends when he leaves, but he is only really on the hook
when he's in uniform. You don't want to get into the sticky situation of
having the authority over your game's players while not actually paying
attention to them.
Back to Top
The Arrival
After you arrive at the field, but prior to the start of the game, you have a ritual to go through. It
takes about 20 minutes.
Meet the other referees
Assuming you have ARs, introduce yourself and verify that you're the
center referee.
This is a good time to discuss the level of play you are expecting as well
as the level of play you all are accustomed to. There's a good chance
your ARs know a lot more or a lot less than you do, and your job as the
center referee may change to match. While most ARs can deal with the
ball going over the line, a novice AR may be nervous about calling
offside properly, and a seasoned AR can help call fouls in their
quadrant.
A lot of refs are subject to 2nd half dislexia: pointing the flag in the wrong direction just after
the teams change ends. It's good to get them to admit this so you know to double check
when your calls don't agree.
This document includes some advice for compensating for lesser ARs.
Deliver your pre-game instructions
Some mechanics for the ARs, especially how they interact with the CR, are left up to the CR
to spell out in "pre-game instructions." If you want your ARs to behave as I say they should
in this document, talk about these things:
Which diagonal you'll use (see "Diagonal System of Control").

Orchestrating substitutions (see "Substitutions").
Eye contact before signalling restarts (see "The Stare-Down for Restarts").
Eye contact when signalling anything else.
Penalty kick positioning (see "Penalty Kick").
Your pre-game instructions will get more specific once you've developed a style of your
own.
Gauge your players
Take a look at your players as they warm up. Are they what you were expecting?
Some of your officiating has to be modified for the level of play. For this document, I'll
describe play as low level, medium level, and high level. The following is a starter:
Low level: U10-U12 non-competitive

Mid level: U12-U14 non-competitive, U10-U12 competitive
High level: U16+ non-competitive, U13+ competitive
Boys generally play at a higher level of play than girls at the same age, and there are cultural
differences galore. But never adopt an attitude that girls or anyone else will always be civil
and fair, or you'll find yourself unprepared in the middle of a very physical game. To get the
best assessment, take a look at your players warming up.
The jog
Next plan on jogging around the perimeter of the field, inspecting at

least the four corner flags and two goals. For the goals the important
parts are that they are securely anchored, that don't have gaps in the
nets, and that the back of the uprights align with the outside edge of the
goal line.
Also look at the field itself: if you later trip in a hole or soft spot, you
have only yourself to blame. More importantly, by continuing with the
game you are judging the field to be a safe place to play.
It's not your job to correct the goals or the fields: coaches can patch holes in the nets and
cover holes or soft spots in the fields with cones.
Now's a good time to stretch.
Practice Your Aplomb
It's almost time to start talking to coaches and players, but before you do remember that the
next 5 minutes will leave an impression that may take the whole game to shake. So practice
your aplomb: be easy and brief. No one respects a jerk, nor do they respect a pushover. If
you are easygoing, you can avoid being a jerk. If you are brief, they can't peg you for a
pushover.
Resist the temptation to lecture the coaches or players about anything. Reminding them of
any rules at best suggests that you'll be oblivious to other rules and at worst insults their
intelligence. Any education they are to get from you is from the only clean way: by your
officiating.
Meet the coaches
With aplomb in mind, trot out and introduce yourself to the home team coach. A good, firm
handshake will reinforce that you are good, firm referee.
Make sure the home coach has given the game card to the visiting coach by now. You have
to verify the player names on the game card, so it has to be filled in by both teams.
If you are unsure of the duration of the halves, since it varies among the age groups, verify it
now. Ideally you've studied this and other parameters of the match beforehand, but better to
find out now than when on the field. It avoids one common mistake.
Then go meet the visiting coach, collect the game card (ensuring it at least has the player
names from both teams written on it), and tell the visiting coach it is time to check in.
If you are without ARs, you're going to need to recruit linesmen from the teams. If you need
only one, ask the visiting team. If you need two, get one from each team. Give the coach a
flag and ask him to give it to his selected linesman. You'll brief him just before the game
starts.
Player Check-In
If you have ARs, have them join you for the check-in.
Blow your whistle briefly if you need attention, and ask the players to line up for check-in. If
they've been practicing near the goal, having them line up on "the 18" -- the penalty area line.
Otherwise, you can just point to any nearby line and hope they fall into formation.
Get the player passes from the coach.
Now comes equipment inspection. There are a few things to check, and I do it in this order:
Shin guards. I just look down the line at each player's shins as it is pretty easy to tell if
they've got them or not. Most referees make them knock them with their knuckles,
and players may automatically do this anyhow. If anyone has socks slipping below the
tops of the guards, ask them to pull them up and remind them that socks must always
completely cover the guards.
Jewelry. Walk down the row, looking at fingers, wrists, ears, necks, and hair for any
jewelry. Technically none is ever allowed, but little girls who just got their ears pierced
will tape over the studs. Your league may allow that for low-level play, but it doesn't
fly beyond that. The players are usually accustomed to handing any contraband over
to the coach.
Shoes. Ask the players to lean back and show the tips of one shoe and then walk
down the row again, verifying that the shoes are safe: hard soled street shoes and
shoes with cleats at the tips are out, and if anyone has metal studs you probably want
to feel them to make sure they haven't been sharpened by walking on pavement.
Soccer shoes aren't actually required: they can play in sneakers.
Shirts. Some leagues insist that shirts be tucked in, and it can make it easier to spot
shirt pulls.
Roll call. Tell the players that when you call their name, they should turn around, showing
you their jersey number, and then stand to the side of the group still standing on the line.
(Jersey numbers are often marginalized at low-level play.) Step through the player passes,
calling their names, and verify their numbers on the game card. If a player is absent, ask if the
player is likely to show up later. Strike out names of any players not planning on showing,
and note names of players who may be late. If you have an AR helping you, this is a good
job for him.
If multiple players have the same jersey number, it is up to you to decide whether you can
(or need to) keep them straight, should discipline become a problem. This is generally not a
problem at low-level play.
Players left on the line -- those without player passes -- don't generally get to play, but that
depends on the state of your league's paperwork and their policy thereof.
Thank the players, wish them well, and head over to the home team to check them in. Put all
the player passes in your bag -- you don't want to run around with them in your pockets.
The Game Ball
After checking in the home team players ask the home coach for the
game ball. If it is high-level play, or there is nothing at the edge of the
field to keep the game ball from rolling forever, ask for three balls.
A properly inflated ball is actually quite hard. Except for any padding, it
shouldn't deflect much at all when you press it with your fingers. You
can get by with a softer ball on a hard surface, but an under-inflated ball
on tall or wet grass makes for a dull game. To make sure the ball isn't
out of round, spin it in the air and look for a noticable wobble. Coaches
aren't too bent out of shape when you ask for another ball, so don't be shy.
If you got three balls, give one to each AR to put behind the goals at either end. Put the
game ball in the center of the center circle.
Note that there are different sizes of balls (3, 4, and 5) for different ages. Make sure you've
got the right balls.
Brief the Linesmen
If you are the CR without a proper pair of ARs, you'll need to advise
the linesmen your coaches have chosen for you. Jog over to the guy
holding your flag, introduce yourself, and ask him:
a) Is he a referee?
b) Has he done this before?
In the answer to these two questions, you'll start to be able to determine

whether you've got good linesmen or lame ones. You won't know for
sure until the game starts. Assuming you've got a rank beginner, explain these things:
a) He can't coach (or talk to players on the field at all) while he holds the flag.
b) He should stay outside the touch line, between the halfway line and the goal line at
one end (see the discussion on the diagonal system of control, below).
c) The ball is only out of bounds if it goes entirely over the line. Many parents and
coaches are not facile with this subtlety of soccer.
d) If the ball goes out of bounds, he should hold the flag straight up.
Once you get your wheels and move to higher level games, you can stop here. While you're
still shaky you can enlist a little more help:
e) He can signal direction by pointing the flag at a 45 degree angle in the favoring
team's direction. If he knows how to signal for a goal kick or corner kick, do so. If he
is in doubt, he can hold the flag up with a blank stare.
f) If he's a uniformed, licensed referee that you feel you should trust, he can signal for
offsides as well, but you will only be considering, not following his signals. Do this at
your own peril.
The Coin Toss
Gather your team captains for the coin toss. You can just go to the center circle, whistle, and
yell "Team Captains!" but it's better to send your ARs (or yourself) over to invite them out.
In most cases, this is the only duty of the captains. Teams can offer more than one captain.
With your ARs neatly beside (or across from) you, introduce yourself and invite the captains
to do the same (to each other).
Ask which player from the visiting team will be calling the coin toss. Show him both sides of
the coin, and ask him to call it in the air. If you are coordinated you can catch it; otherwise
just let it fall to the ground.
Whoever wins the coin toss decides which end to defend for the
first half. The other team gets to kick off. Tell them who gets
what, and that you'll be starting shortly (usually a minute or two).
Write on the game card who gets the kick off.
Bid your ARs farewell. If you hold your hand out with your fingers curled, and your ARs
have done this before, you might find yourself doing the mysterious 3-way handshake.
Go!
Go stand on the halfway line outside the center circle. If players aren't assembling after the
coin toss, blow your whistle. If they still don't assemble, they might need a personal invite.
Once you have the 11 players on the field from either end, and the goalies appear to be in
position, note the start time on the game card and put it in your pocket. Set and start your
stop watch(es).
You may notice some referees ask the goalies if they are ready. I don't do this.
Look to your ARs, which should have positioned themselves along the touch lines for the
kick off. They should have their flags unfurled and acknowledge your nod.
Point your arm up in the direction of the kick and blow your whistle. Assuming they don't
bungle the kick (see The Kick Off, below) your game is underway!
Back to Top
With Your Body
The Big Run
In this section I talk about the event-less mechanics of referring a soccer game: the things you'll do
without ever having to blow a whistle.
"The Diagonal System of Control"
As the center referee, you'll be using the diagonal system

of control. That means as you move up and down field to
stay close to the action of the ball, you also move
diagonally across the field, so that your overall movement
goes from one corner flag to its diagonal opposite.
Meanwhile, your ARs are also staying close to the action

by moving up and down the touch line between the
halfway line and the corner flag across from your corner.
The ARs' positioning is to judge offsides, which puts him
level with or forward of all the action, save for the
goalkeeper.
Together this allows you to sandwich the play between you and the ARs, and if you stuck to
this exact positioning no play would ever be more distant from a referee than 1/2 the width
of the field. The fact that a kicked ball moves faster than you can run will leave you striving
for, but never exactly achieving, this positioning.
You'll never actually run just the diagonal. Instead, you'll stretch it constantly to get close to
the action or to stay out of its way. If you are trekking down the field chasing play, try to
move early behind and to the left of the ball. This will keep the action between you and the
(downfield) AR. This oval pattern will also keep you out of the center circle, a common spot
for getting beaned by the ball.
You get to pick which diagonal to follow. My directions are for going towards the corner on
the left, which seems most common. Try to get comfortable with either diagonal, or you'll
feel awkward when field conditions force you to switch. At pre-game you should tell your
ARs which diagonal you'll use.
Lead, Don't Follow
Your view is better if you can position yourself where the ball is going to be, rather than
chasing after it.
Of course, it wouldn't be much of a game if the future was foreseeable but, with experience,
you can predict the likely outcome of some plays. For example, a long shot to a decent
goalkeeper is likely to come back.
Players are in the same business of predicting play. Try following them (as a whole) instead
of the ball.
Predicting play gives you a chance to rest while the ball is being volleyed back and forth.
This is rest that you will surely need when your planning goes awry and you find yourself
sprinting to the far end.
Mind Your Distance
You want to be neither too close nor too far from the action: 10 yards is a good rule of
thumb. If your players are getting too physical, moving even closer assures them that they're
under scrutiny. Outside of 20 and you should be moving closer.
Proximity affords more than just better sight: you can hear better as well. Many fouls,
including handling the ball, are subtle enough that you'll need both your eyes and ears to
judge.
But get too close and you may become part of the action. There is nothing illegal about the
ball bouncing off of you, or players tangling up in your feet, but too much suggests that your
officiating is interfering with the game.
The other extreme, hanging around the center circle and trying to make calls from there, is
about as effective as watching the game on television and making calls from there.
You can stay both close to and out of the action by hiding behind a defender if the play
comes your way. Defenders tend to move towards the ball, unlike attackers who might back
over you trying to make space.
Watch the Action, Not Just the Ball
The biggest tendency of new referees is to watch the ball. For very young players, that is
probably sufficient, but much fouling -- pulling, pushing, charging -- occurs above the waist.
Try to observe the game as you would if you were a spectator (that happens to be very
close): unfocus on the ball and look at the whole of the action. With a lot of concentration,
but none of it directed at any one place, you can sense whether play is fair.
Never watch a ball kicked high in the air. No fouls happen there. Instead, focus on the
players where the ball is going to land.
Linger a Moment
Many fouls occur just after the ball is passed, and new referees miss a lot following the ball.
Linger a moment after the play to ensure that nothing untoward happens in the aftermath.
Many fouls are committed by players arriving late.
The technique of lingering at one play while anticipating the next is very important for higher
level play.
Be Snappy
It's hard to describe more succintly: your actions should be snappy. Not hard and fast, not
muddled and slow: a pace that never leaves the players waiting for your direction yet still
gives you time to make your due deliberations.
Once you make a decision, carry it out as cleanly and clearly as you can. Over time, your
convictions should catch up to your mechanics, but while you're getting started a good clean
delivery carries a lot of weight.
For cleanest delivery, stop before signaling, like the football referees do. Waving your arms
while running has an air of desperation.
You needn't grandstand. Your motions should be sufficient to make the signal, and little
more. It's not you that the spectators came to see.
Check Your ARs
Ideally, the play is sandwiched between you and your nearer AR: you and your AR should
be looking over the ball at each other. When that's not the case, as is usually the case, you
should take every opportunity to spot your ARs.
You should make eye contact with your ARs at every stop in play: first the near one who will
share your signaling, and then the far one to ensure nothing has gone awry. This is important.
The Stare-Down for Restarts
Without some planning, you and your AR are likely to signal opposing restarts, which slowly
erodes your credence. Most referees ask their ARs to "make eye contact before signalling,"
but it's really more like a brief stare-down.
Before signaling direction you and your AR should make eye contact. If you're sure of the
direction, go ahead and signal. If you're uncertain, hesistate just a little for his signal. If he
then hesistates, go with your best guess. Some ARs help by subtly pointing with a finger or
holding the flag low in the intended direction. At the end of this stare-down, you two will be
signaling the same way.
In rare cases you'll signal without regard for your AR. If you're going to surprise him and the
players, blow your whistle to call attention to yourself so everyoen sees your signal. If your
AR is already signalling the other way, some referees will make a "brush off" signal with their
hands, to indicate that the ball slightly brushed off a player before going out of bounds.
They'll do this regardless of whether there was a subtle brush off or the AR just has it all
wrong.
If your AR sees the ball go out of play and come back in, he can raise his flag vertically to
call your attention. You then go into the same stare-down procedure for direction.
For the sake of snappiness, you must glance frequently at the AR when the ball is near the
lines. Once you get a feel for each other's timing it'll look as beautiful as synchronized
swimming.
Seasoned ARs are used to this, but it is still a good topic for your pre-game instructions.
The Watch
As the referee you are the sole keeper of time in the game of soccer,
and your watch is the only one that matters.
The clock never stops in soccer, but you can add "extra time" for
certain situations: injury, slow substitutions and deliberate delays (usually
by the winning team). You don't add time for normal play: ball out of
bounds, goals, etc.
Because you add extra time rather than stopping it, and because
sometimes you need to record when (in what minute) something happens, you should have
your stopwatch count up rather than down.
Between keeping the clock, adding extra time, and being the sole judge of the fact of time,
you have total control over the length of the game. But you don't control the rules, so your
facts better add up: if you end a 45 minute half at 48 minutes, you should be able to convince
yourself that 45 minutes of regular time and 3 minutes of added time have passed.
At the end of regular time you should announce how much time you'll be adding. After you
do this, you better add at least that much. At other times, if players or coaches ask about the
remaining, you should answer loudly and approximately. Answers like "about 10" or "less
than 5" are enough for their planning.
One of your ARs should back you up on timekeeping, and together you can confirm time by
holding fingers against your shorts or shirt to indicate the number of minutes left. Best to do
this around two minutes. Your ARs closed fist means time is up, which you should only see if
your watch breaks.
The Whistle
A whistle is not a guitar, but you can make it speak. Here's what I do, and it seems pretty
common:
Whistles
Short or medium beep: to restart play. Think "go!"
Quick short beeps: to prevent a restart, like when a substitution is

taking place or the throw-in is from the wrong direction. Think
"but but but but but..."
Medium: to stop for a foul or injury; to bring players on the field

at the start or after halftime. Think "stop."
Long: to start the game very ceremoniously. To stop for a serious

foul. Think "stowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwp!"
Medium then long: half time. Think "half tiiiiiiime"
Twice medium then long: game over. Think "that's the

gaaaaaaaaame!"
You have to use the whistle to stop play, but it is only required to start play in a few
circumstances: at start of halves, at penalty kicks, after substitutions, and when you instruct a
player to wait for your whistle during a free kick. Common sense suggests using the whistle
after any protracted delay.
Signaling and Telling
In addition to whistling, you need to signal with your arms the type of restart and sometimes
the location of the restart. This information will be repeated below with the individual starts,
restarts, and stops, but for completeness I'll list them here as well.
Aside from whistling and signaling, you're not required to indicate anything: you don't have to
talk (and sometimes it is best not to). But you can reinforce what you are signaling with
words: suggestions are listed here, too.
Center Referee Signals

Also can
Signal Meaning
say
Arm up parallel to touch
line "Blue
Throw in
(Anywhere above level up throw"
to about 45 degrees.)
Arm up parallel to touch
line Kick off, indirect or direct
(Anywhere above level up kick
to about 45 degrees.)
Arm up 45 degree in "corner
Corner kick
direction of a corner kick"
Arm level at goal area Goal kick "goal kick"
Kick off after a goal
"half time"
Arm level at center circle Half time
"game"
Game over
Finger pointing at penalty "penalty
Penalty kick
mark kick"
Offside (before signaling
location of restart)
Arm straight up "offside"
Indirect kick (after signaling
location and direction)
Some Unofficial Center Referee Signals
Arm or finger pointing to "Blue kick
Location of free kick
spot on field there"
Arm or finger pointing to "throw in
Location for throw in
spot on touch line there"
Don't restart yet "wait
Hand up at player with ball
(substitution, etc) please"
"wait for
Pointing at whistle Wait for whistle to restart
the whistle"
Brushing one hand against Restart direction is not what
"off Blue"
the other you think
Some referees like to make a big deal of signaling a goal: I just do the point. Further, I
always point with my whole hand, except for a penalty kick, where I get really close to the
penalty mark and make a persnickety point.
Basic AR Mechanics
The two main jobs of the AR are to judge in- and out-of-bounds for the ball and offsides.
To do so, you run along the touchline, between the halfway line and the goal line, keeping
level with the 2nd-to-last-defender or the ball, whichever is closer to the goal line.
You only go up to the halfway line, which means if the ball is in the other half of the field, and
all the defenders are lined on the halfway line waiting for the ball to come their way, you stay
parked. This can be unpleasant with a one-sided game on a cold day.
If you're not moving, you should be standing square to the field.
As an AR, you don't have a whistle and you don't talk: you only signal with a flag given to
you by the center referee. Most of these signals are to confirm what the center referee
knows and indicate restart direction. For the AR to initiate a call, he must first put the flag
straight up and, upon attention of the center referee, make the proper signal.
So that the center referee can pick you out of the crowd at the touch line, you are supposed
to hold the flag in the hand that is closer to him. Generally that's the left hand when standing
still and the right when running upfield.
If you're not signaling, your flag should be pointing straight down. When you do signal, your
rigid arms should sweep like the hands of a clock, either up the touchline or out in front of
you. If you bring the flag up in the wrong hand for the direction you are going to signal, you
have to bring it down to change hands.
I'm told for televised games ARs are instructed to signal with the flag for three seconds.
That's good unless you need to drop the flag after a quick restart.
Assistant Referee Signals

Signal Meaning
Flag up 45 degrees along touch line Throw in, in direction of flag
Flag pointing at goal area Goal kick
Flag down 45 degrees along touch line
Corner kick
towards corner
Throw in, you don't know the
Flag straight up
direction
Flag up to get attention, then signal for Ball went out of bounds and
restart came back in
Flag up to get attention, then flag across Offside: near side, middle, or
field down, level, or up far side of field
Flag up to get attention, then quick,
Foul: direct kick in direction
small waves of the flag, then flag up 45
of flag
degrees along touch line
Flag up to get attention, then quick,
Foul by defender in penalty
small waves of the flag, then moving to
area: penalty kick
goal line in front of corner flag
Confirming that foul seen by
Flag held horizontal across waist CR was by defender in
penalty area: penalty kick
Foul committed by attackers
Standing still after an apparent goal
not seen by CR
Sprinting up touch line towards halfway
Goal
line
Flag horizontal overhead in both hands Substitution requested
Back to Top
You Blew it
In all likelihood you'll make mistakes. This section talks about the mistakes you know you made, as
opposed to all those that someone else thinks you made (ignore those).
Here are the most common:
1. Wrong direction: the ball went out, or you stopped for a foul, and you called it for one
team when you meant another. No problem: you have until the restart to change your mind.
As with all of your decisions, it is effective when you make the decision, even if the wrong
restart happens before you have a chance to announce it.
2. Forgot the AR: you just now noticed that the AR is signaling offside for an apparent goal,
that the ball went out of bounds but is still being played, or anything else that he thinks is
important enough not to be ignored. Only a slight problem: it's embarrassing (since you're
supposed to make frequent eye contact with your ARs), but you can still change your mind
up until the next restart. Watch out -- you can't back up once you've ended the game. If you
manage to ignore your AR through the next restart, shame on you. Usually ARs will give up
after a few moments of play have rendered their call moot, but if they insist and you don't
know why, stop play and find out what's on their mind.
3. Premature stop: if you accidentally stop the half or game early, you need to call the
players back onto the field and restart with a dropped ball. Note again the difference
between facts and rules: you can keep the time, however arbitrarily, but what you say must
add up to a legal half.
4. Late stop: if you accidentally let the half or game go over time, and a goal was scored in
that over time, you have to abandon the match. Ugly. Most referees fib and say they added
all that time, but you still need to be right about the regulation length of the half.
Back to Top
The Departure
You've blown the final whistle and your ARs have come to meet you in the center circle. You have
just a few minutes left.
Finish filling out the game card -- usually just the total score -- and sign it as needed.
Collect your flags from the ARs. You can chat for a minute or two before the players line up for the
handshake.
Your job now is to oversee the handshakes, ensuring that no misconduct occurs. Until the players
leave the field, you can still caution them or send them off for misconduct. Once they are off the
field, all you can do is report any incident after the fact.
Usually players and coaches will come by to shake your hand as well. When you get to the
coaches, give them back their player passes. The winning coach gets the game card. If you sent off
any players, you'll need to extract their passes before returning them, and you'll also need to hold
onto the game card.
Resist the temptation to lecture the coaches on anything, and resist their attempts to lecture you. If
you can't avoid them, or feel it would be too rude to cut them off, just make sure you don't actually
start conversing, or you'll find yourself defending every call. Instead, just listen to their complaints
and, if necessary, apologise for their dissatisfaction.
If you didn't have a Perfect Game, you can invite your ARs to join you for a quiet, private
postmortem. I always get fairly frank responses to the question, "What went wrong?"
Once all that is done, leave, as quickly as you can.
Back to Top
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$Date : 2010/06/02 $

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24/06/2010 The Watch and the Whistle -- A Prime…

The Watch and the Whistle

Copyright 2004-2010 Christopher

Short Version/ Long Version

Off the Field

Get the clothes

When you aren't actually officiating a game, go incognito. If you have to

Meet the other referees

Deliver your pre-game instructions

Which diagonal you'll use (see "Diagonal System of Control").

Low level: U10-U12 non-competitive

Next plan on jogging around the perimeter of the field, inspecting at

Now's a good time to stretch.

Practice Your Aplomb

Meet the coaches

Get the player passes from the coach.

The Game Ball

Brief the Linesmen

In the answer to these two questions, you'll start to be able to determine

The Coin Toss

With Your Body

The Big Run

"The Diagonal System of Control"

As the center referee, you'll be using the diagonal system

Meanwhile, your ARs are also staying close to the action

Lead, Don't Follow

Mind Your Distance

Watch the Action, Not Just the Ball

Check Your ARs

The Stare-Down for Restarts

Quick short beeps: to prevent a restart, like when a substitution is

Medium: to stop for a foul or injury; to bring players on the field

Long: to start the game very ceremoniously. To stop for a serious

Medium then long: half time. Think "half tiiiiiiime"

Twice medium then long: game over. Think "that's the

Signaling and Telling

Center Referee Signals

If you're not moving, you should be standing square to the field.

Assistant Referee Signals

Here are the most common:

Once all that is done, leave, as quickly as you can.

$Id: //de pot/se iwald/socce r/watchandwhistle .html#94 $

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