1. The contents of the assistant referee kit bag
At the professional level the contents of a kit bag that each assistant referee takes to a match may be worth a few hundred pounds. Typically the contents will include
Shirts x 8 – 4 colours, long and short sleeve for each
Shorts x2
Socks x2
Under shirt x 2
Under shorts x 2
Warm up top – dry weather
Warm up top – wet weather
Tracksuit trousers
Rain jacket
3 pairs boots – pimples, short stud, long stud
AR flags and 4 th Official stick
LOAF book
Accessories bag
Whistles x 3
Notebook
Match record cards
Red/yellow cards
HR monitor
Stopwatch
Pencils
Coins
The match referee will decide on the day what colour shirt will be worn and it is customary to match the referee’s choice of long/short sleeves. This is why 8 shirts will be taken to cover all options. Three pairs of boots also cover all options as often these days the pitch may be grass but the side line where the AR patrols is artificial grass.
2. The lack of power to give decisions during a game
Every signal that the assistant referee makes with their flags is advisory only and has no power in the Laws of the Game. Only the referee has the power to stop the game to award a decision and may elect to overrule the advice from the assistant if they so wish. So if the players react to a signal from the assistant referee they are prematurely assuming that a decision is going to be given. It might not be!
3. The fitness levels required
A match lasts for 90 minutes plus any additional time. Typically during the game at a professional level the assistant referee can be expected to cover 6 or 7 kilometres and burn approximately 1500 to 2000 calories. It is important therefore that an assistant referee refuels well after a game and allows their body time to recover. Beer and burgers are not ideal!
4. The comments from the crowd
At junior levels where the crowd is small the comments are heard very clearly. Often they include advice about where to put your flag and invitations to attend a local optician.... At senior level the crowd noise becomes more generic and it is harder to isolate lone voices as the general chanting takes over. Sometimes the feedback is insulting, offensive and hurtful. The assistant referee will need a strong mindset and a thick skin to deal with these comments.
Sometimes though the feedback is very funny. A favourite of mine is one I didn’t actually hear myself but was heard by my partner who was watching the game and she told me afterwards....it was a Boxing Day game and the comment was....”Oi ref....have you come out of a Christmas Cracker?!? Cos you a f###### joke!
5. The origins of the role
When football was first played at elite Public Schools the team captains were trusted to call the fouls against their own teams. Sure enough this soon led to disputes so a neutral adjudicator was introduced – the referee – to sort out any contested issues. As time passed the referee took up a position on the field and the two captains moved to the sidelines. From there they gave helpful advice to the referee about any incidents that they had seen. Hence the role of the 3 on field match officials we have today. The assistant referee will each cover half of the field of play and patrol the touchline from the goal line to the half way line.
6. The positioning and movement required during a game
During a game the position the assistant referee takes is fixed in advance. They cover half of the field of play and patrol the touchline from the goal line to the half way line. Unlike everybody else involved in the game however the movement of the assistant referee is completely dictated to them. They are required to stay at a right angle to the second closest
defender to the goal line - usually the goalkeeper will be closer to the goal line than the next closest outfield defender. This is for the judgement of any offside offence.
So if the defender moves then the assistant referee has to move also. If the defender moves fast then the assistant referee also needs to move fast. The assistant referee will constantly be looking at the second rear most defender to maintain their optimum position.
Best practice for assistant referees is to keep facing the field of play at all times hence the sideways ‘crabbing’ motion that they will use to keep moving. The flag is also mostly held in the left hand so that it is easy to view for the referee. When a signal needs to be given with the flag in the right hand the assistant referee will quickly pass the flag from left to right at waist level before then signalling with the flag in the right hand. This technique requires practice as the flag can be easy to drop....I should know as I’ve dropped my flag more than once!
All the players and the referee are free to move around the field anywhere they like. Not the assistant referee.
7. The role of the assistant referee
The duties of an assistant referee are covered in Law 6 of the Laws of the Game. They are that the assistant referee will indicate when
the whole of the ball leaves the field of play and which team is entitled to a corner kick, goal kick or throw-in
a player in an offside position may be penalised
a substitution is requested
at penalty kicks, the goalkeeper moves off the goal line before the ball is kicked and if the ball crosses the line
The assistant referee near the technical areas is required to monitor the substitution procedure when there is no 4 th Official.
The assistant referee also has the authority to enter the field of play to help control the 9.15m (10 yards) distance of defending players at a free kick.
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