4th Official Power & Duties

[chrisrun]

How far do you see the 4th officials duties extending onto the field? I know that he is basically in charge of the technical area, and the duties spelled out in the laws and the 4th Officials Guide relate to things off the FOP. The "only on the field" duty that is spelled out is if the 4th sees violent conduct that the ref and assistants miss. The law states that the 4th assists the referee at all times, but then specifically states that "The referee, however, retains the authority to decide on all points connected with play."

Do you see the 4th having the ability to assist with points connected to play? Examples include the ball going out right in front of the 4th, or maybe a foul that the ref misses, but is not VC. Does the 4th have a duty to assist in these cases? Does he even have the ability to assist in these cases? Can the referee give these powers to the 4th, or should it be assumed that the 4th is overseeing the technical area, and should not concern himself with on the field calls?

I hear commentators sometimes say "The fourth official has got to help on that one. The foul happened right in front of him." Does he have the duty or even the power to help with these on the field calls? The Laws and Guide don't seem to specifically spell it out. Is there anything official that says if a 4th can or can not assist in these cases?

[whistleblowerusa]

How far do you see the 4th officials duties extending onto the field? I know that he is basically in charge of the technical area, and the duties spelled out in the laws and the 4th Officials Guide relate to things off the FOP. The "only on the field" duty that is spelled out is if the 4th sees violent conduct that the ref and assistants miss. The law states that the 4th assists the referee at all times, but then specifically states that "The referee, however, retains the authority to decide on all points connected with play."

Do you see the 4th having the ability to assist with points connected to play? Examples include the ball going out right in front of the 4th, or maybe a foul that the ref misses, but is not VC. Does the 4th have a duty to assist in these cases? Does he even have the ability to assist in these cases? Can the referee give these powers to the 4th, or should it be assumed that the 4th is overseeing the technical area, and should not concern himself with on the field calls?

I hear commentators sometimes say "The fourth official has got to help on that one. The foul happened right in front of him." Does he have the duty or even the power to help with these on the field calls? The Laws and Guide don't seem to specifically spell it out. Is there anything official that says if a 4th can or can not assist in these cases?
The 4th has the duty to assist the Referee at all times. this includes fouls that were not noticed and any misconduct. All the 4th can do is pass the info onto the Referee. It is up to the Referee to act upon that info. Remember, the 4th (and the ARs) only ASSIST not insist.
Sometimes the TV guys don't realize that the 4th gave some sort of subtle signal to the Referee.

[chrisrun]

The 4th has the duty to assist the Referee at all times. this includes fouls that were not noticed and any misconduct. All the 4th can do is pass the info onto the Referee. It is up to the Referee to act upon that info. Remember, the 4th (and the ARs) only ASSIST not insist.
Sometimes the TV guys don't realize that the 4th gave some sort of subtle signal to the Referee.

But are the 4th officials expected to do this? ARs are expected to do this as it is spelled out in the laws. When the ball goes out near them the ref is expecting a signal from the AR. If the AR sees a foul that the ref misses, the ref is expecting to see a signal from the AR. Are 4ths expected to give subtle signals to the ref when a ball goes into touch near them? Are they expected to somehow signal the ref if they see a foul but there is no stoppage in play, like an AR does? Are they expected to be watching play close enough that they can give this assistance if the ref feels he missed something?

I liken it to club linesmen. I know refs are neutral and club linesmen are not, but it's a question of powers and duties. Club linesmen are there to assist the ref in determining a ball leaving the FOP. Even if it the ref wants help on direction, he shouldn't be looking to them for it, and they shouldn't be signaling it, as it simply isn't their job. Should a 4th be signaling fouls or direction to the ref, or is it simply not their job, and the ref shouldn't be looking to them for help, even if it's right there in front of the 4th?

[ProfZodiac]

I have to ask, exactly how would the 4th official notify the Ref or AR's of something he's seen? I mean, he hasn't got a whistle or flags, has he? And if he waits until the next stoppage, it would be highly awkward to penalize a foul that occurred five minutes ago. He doesn't have the power to stop play, obviously, so what is he supposed to do? Wave his arms madly until an AR or the referee himself notices?

[MassachusettsRef]

Are 4ths expected to give subtle signals to the ref when a ball goes into touch near them? Are they expected to somehow signal the ref if they see a foul but there is no stoppage in play, like an AR does? Are they expected to be watching play close enough that they can give this assistance if the ref feels he missed something?The simple answer to your question is 'yes'. The more complicated answer is 'depends on the referee's instructions'.

Personally, when I've had a fourth (or, more commonly, when I've been a fourth), the instructions (above and beyond the normal substitution procedures, technical area control, recording, and violent conduct) involve a procedure for signalling and becoming involved with fouls and out of bounds situations in the immediate area of the referee. A discrete signal (close to the chest with a finger pointing) is usually preferred by most referees for controversial throw-in decisions. Foul/no-foul calls (or foul/dive calls, as the case may be) can be dealt with with a simple affirmative nod or a negative shake of the head. A card, for a foul seen by the referee, can be communicated with the same procedures used with the AR (tap chest for yellow, tap back pocket for red).

The key to remember with all this, however, is that (as whistleblower says, quoting USSF instruction), 4ths and ARs "assist, not insist". Signals like the discrete point and the nod for a foul should only be made if the referee looks to the 4th for the help. If they are made and not used, the players and bench personnel will pick up on it and use it against the refereeing team.

Also, the procedures I mentioned above are typical, but not universal. Just as there are some refs that don't like to use their ARs as much as others, there are some that still aren't comfortable with their 4ths being too involved in active match control on the field of play.

[MassachusettsRef]

I have to ask, exactly how would the 4th official notify the Ref or AR's of something he's seen? I mean, he hasn't got a whistle or flags, has he? And if he waits until the next stoppage, it would be highly awkward to penalize a foul that occurred five minutes ago. He doesn't have the power to stop play, obviously, so what is he supposed to do? Wave his arms madly until an AR or the referee himself notices?Well, either he has a beeper himself, or the SAR has a beeper flag. That's typically the typical course of action for misconduct seen behind the referee's back.

As for fouls right in front of him. If a foul on the ball occurs in the general vicinity of the bench, one has to assume the referee is looking in that direction. If the referee sees the foul, he calls it. If he, however, sees a lot of contact and isn't sure about a foul, he will look to the fourth. The fourth can then effectively 'stop play' by simply nodding 'yes, that was a foul'.

And, if beeper flags aren't present and something occurs behind a referee's back that merits attention (in other words, a red card or a yellow card that needs to be administered immediately to prevent a red card) and only the fourth sees it, then yelling out the referee's name (though not usually a good mechanic) is advisable. Better to stray from decorum and prevent a serious injury or brawl, then wait a few seconds or minutes and have a real problem on your hands.

[Ref Flunkie]

A card, for a foul seen by the referee, can be communicated with the same procedures used with the AR (tap chest for yellow, tap back pocket for red).




Ooo, never heard this one, I'll have to remember that for future games.

[MassachusettsRef]

Ooo, never heard this one, I'll have to remember that for future games.Surprised you hadn't heard of it. It is a good procedure, but be careful to use it only with people you trust. Further, in my opinion it should only be used on incidents seen by both the referee and AR (in other words, a tackle near the AR, whistled by the CR, but the AR communicates how bad it is and what card is needed). I would never use this mechanic for incidents completely outside my view as CR. If the AR or 4th wants to send someone off for something behind your back, go over there and have the 15 second conversation to make sure you agree that the player should go. Remember, it's his advice, but your decision, and you're the one showing the red card and signing the report. Don't sacrifice a correct decision for a speedy decision.

[Jeff from Michigan]

... Should a 4th be signaling fouls or direction to the ref, or is it simply not their job, and the ref shouldn't be looking to them for help, even if it's right there in front of the 4th?

It seems to me that this demonstrates the Law of Unintended Consequences...illustrating how difficult it is, sometimes, to solve one problem, without creating new ones.

Now, as I recall....

In Days of Yore, those we now call Fourth Officials were there simply to help with the benches. Period. End of story. In fact, we didn't even call them "Fourth Officials." Rather, they were called by a variety of names...but were, in essence, "security" or "security in suits." Or, in some venues, "Muscle."

In the Middle Ages, someone thought it would be a good idea to have an extra official around for "big games," to step in in case one of the assigned officials got hurt. So, they started inviting a spare referee.

By the time of the Early Renaissance, enough "extra officials" were bored enough simply sitting around that someone thought that it would be a good idea to give them something to do. So...they made them dress up in their referee costumes, and began calling them "Fourth Officials." Since they were already dressed for the occasion, they were put on the sidelines by the teams, in order to have an additional person dressed like a referee to tell everyone on the benches to shush. Gradually, by the Late Renaissance, the "shushing duties" of Fourth Officials had expanded to include standing at the half-way line with substitutes who wanted to enter the game, to signal to the Referee that "Yesiree, Bob...these are the players who want in. Not those guys still sitting on the bench over there, but these ones here. Standing on the half-way line. Right next to me." This also provided another person in uniform to collect player passes, in order to spare the linesman (an early ancestor of our Assistant Referee) the trouble of coming up the touch line to collect them, and then hoping that the Referee would wait until he had scurried back into position before restarting the match.

By the dawning of Modern Times (ABR, or "After the Big Rewrite"), the Fourth Official was well-recognized on the sidelines: he was, after all, the only person dressed like an official who wasn't running around and didn't seem to have much to do. But on a few occasions --- most likely, owing to the fact that he wasn't particularly busy --- the Fourth Official was the only person dressed like a referee who actually noticed a significant event on the field...such as a punch thrown behind the referee's back, a player receiving a second caution, the start of a riot, or the like. This led FIFA to decree that the Fourth Official was, after all, an official...so HE could also be an "impartial observer" who could be the source of information upon which the referee could act. However, since he didn't have a flag, he couldn't signal the referee...so the Keepers of the Holy Writ (who had just rewritten everything and were feeling quite pleased with themselves) decreed that the Fourth Official could bring matters to the Referee's attention...but only through an Assistant Referee (who had replaced the prehistoric Linesman, though nobody seemed to be able to tell the difference), who was the only one whom the Annointed Ones thought fit to communicate directly with the Referee.

This state of affairs lasted until shortly after the first time that something bad happened (I think it was a riot...though it may have been the sudden appearance of a one-piece soccer uniform; I forget exactly what), and the first three officials forgot to ask the Fourth Official what had happened...and the Fourth, apparently being miffed at being ignored , didn't think to mention it to the Assistant Referee, who could have mentioned it to the Referee and avoided a great deal of unpleasantness. At this point, our present rule emerged...enabling the Fourth Official to bring matters directly to the Referee's attention, without the need for an Official Intermediary.

Now...the original problem we started out trying to solve was (a) having an extra official around in case he's needed, (b) giving him something useful to do while he's waiting around for someone else to pull up lame, and (c) not disqualifying him from using his own eyes during the game. If we're going to have a Fourth Official expected to be paying attention to the play in order to "assist the referere at all times," then we're going to need a Fifth...then a Sixth...and ultimately a Twenty-seventh-and-beyond Official, since everyone is going to be busy duplicating everyone else's efforts.

In my humble opinion, the Fourth Official's role is "backup"...nothing more. He's there in case someone gets hurt...and is an extra pair of eyes, in case he sees something dreadful happen that none of the other officials happens to see, and he is able to prevent a disaster. He should not routinely be intervening in the normal course of officiating a game.

[Ref Flunkie]

Surprised you hadn't heard of it.



Yeah I really don't do high level games so perhaps none of the centers that I have worked with knew of this (or chose to use it). Just another nice way to make sure all 3 officials are on the same page.

[MassachusettsRef]

In my humble opinion, the Fourth Official's role is "backup"...nothing more. He's there in case someone gets hurt...and is an extra pair of eyes, in case he sees something dreadful happen that none of the other officials happens to see, and he is able to prevent a disaster. He should not routinely be intervening in the normal course of officiating a game.Jeff, I appreciate the humor that proceeded this passage, but I have to say I wholeheartedly disagree with your conclusion (and, moreover, it's contrary to what USSF and FIFA are trying to emphasize now). I'm assuming from your post that you haven't had many fourth official appointments, or you'd appreciate how difficult and important they are.

At a professional level (and other high matches, like regional and national cups), the concept of 'managing the benches and substitutes' is nothing to sneeze at. By alleviating the CR and ARs of the various details (all the pre-game activities, making sure a substitute is rostered, keeping track of the # of subs, speeding up the game by checking for blood, absorbing dissent, checking equipment, displaying added time), the fourth official is filling an important role. And yes, I know these things sound almost irrelevant to some when they are listed on paper, but until you do them you don't realize how much of a help a good fourth official can be. Further, the fourth has a most difficult job to prepare for, as he could be called into duty at any time. And it DOES happen. I've seen it twice--once in a EURO 96 match--and had it happen in one of my games (U17 Boys State Cup Final).

Anyway, if a fourth official is there--and a fourth has a good reason to be there--he should have all the powers necessary to 'assist'. The notion that you would then have a fifth, then sixth, and seventh official, is hyperbole. If a fourth official is there, and he is a sanctioned referee assignment by the competition authorities, then he should give as much assistance (not insistence--he shouldn't be overbearing) as possible in order to get the call right. Isn't it a good thing that fourth officials can bring violent conduct to the referee's attention? Isn't it also a good thing that fourths can tell referees that a tackle that occurred right in front of them is--in their opinion--worthy of a red card for serious foul play? If those are good things, then why isn't it also good that fourths can assist referees with throw-ins that happen in front of them? Look at it from a professional coaches' perspective: "hey, I had a fourth send one of my guys off last week, and now this week you can't tell the ref that that's supposed to be our throw?!". When fourths stay there and act silent when they see something clearly and the referee makes the wrong decision, it infuriates the players and coaches that the fourth didn't intervene ahead of time and it undermines their confidence in that official (an official, I remind you, that might step in to work that game later, but, more likely, might see that team next week).

Along with the "assistance, not insistence" slogan, the "get the call right" mantra will be one you'll be hearing from USSF under the umbrella of "team refereeing". Working with fourths might be rare for some/most of us, but when they're there, we have to utilize them (or make sure we assist) to the fullest extent.

[whistleblowerusa]

In my humble opinion, the Fourth Official's role is "backup"...nothing more. He's there in case someone gets hurt...and is an extra pair of eyes, in case he sees something dreadful happen that none of the other officials happens to see, and he is able to prevent a disaster. He should not routinely be intervening in the normal course of officiating a game.
Very funny Jeff ( now we know why there aren't many National Referees from Michigan) but completely wrong and obviously written by someone who has never been a 4th official.
Being a 4th, especially on a high level game, is not easy. Most of the time things start out slow and easy but then all of a sudden it seems like everyone wants a sub, there is a problem with the bench, there is some sort of misconduct or the TV crew isn't ready. Yeah you don't get to run around much but there is plenty to do. You are not just standing and waiting for one of the other guys to drop, although that sometimes happens. 4ths get full assessments just like the rest of the crew. Why? Because it is that important.
MassRef is correct in all of his posts.

[But Referee]

In my humble opinion, the Fourth Official's role is "backup"...nothing more. He's there in case someone gets hurt...and is an extra pair of eyes, in case he sees something dreadful happen that none of the other officials happens to see, and he is able to prevent a disaster.

Jeff, with all due respect, you couldn't be more off the mark. I'll assume you haven't worked as a 4th for a high level (State Cup, high level private tournament, Regionals, and above) game. Massachusetts Ref's comments are right on.

[chrisrun]

Look at it from a professional coaches' perspective: "hey, I had a fourth send one of my guys off last week, and now this week you can't tell the ref that that's supposed to be our throw?!". When fourths stay there and act silent when they see something clearly and the referee makes the wrong decision, it infuriates the players and coaches that the fourth didn't intervene ahead of time and it undermines their confidence in that official (an official, I remind you, that might step in to work that game later, but, more likely, might see that team next week).


This is a situation I was talking about. An AR's duties are spelled out relating to the FOP. If he is closer to the action then the ref and he sees a foul, it is his DUTY to inform the ref, as spelled by the law. There is no such wording for 4th officials. The 4th should be concentrating on the benches so that the ref and ARs don't have to. Thus they are expected to miss some plays on the field, as that is not where their focus should be.

So if they are missing some of the plays, maybe they shouldn't comment on any of the plays. Otherwise, you will get into the situation you describe above. There could be a bad foul right in front of the 4th, and he tells the ref what he saw. 10 minutes later, another bad foul right in front of the 4th by the other team, but because he was concentrating on the benches, he does not see it and can't assist the ref. Coaches, players, and fans perceive the 4th as biased, making calls for one team but not the other, when in actuality he was focused on his primary responsibility, the technical area.

[billf]

The hardest match I was ever assigned, before I started to regularly get more challenging games, was my first state cup assignmnet as a fourth official. In NJ, we have the state cup games at a central location from the quarters on and use fourth officials on all matches.

Anyway, the referee was in over his head and all hell was breaking loose on the field. The match was a U-15 boys game between the two top clubs in NJ and the boys were killing eachother. The benches were going nuts on both sides and I was active putting out fires and calming nerves for pretty much the entire match. If I wasn't being called over by one team to look at the stud marks left on a poor kid's thigh, I was being lectured about why the referee was losing control of the match.

I learned a lot from that game and I credit that experience for getting me invited to my first region 1 tournament. It taught me the value, first hand, of being consistent and calm and kepping players emotions and challenges under control early in important matches. My center assignment was the next game and seeing how easy it was to lose control at that level I used that experience to ensure a safe and fair match. I didn't panic when I had to show cards and I had the courage to call what turned out to be a game deciding pk. Between the game I centered and my poise under fire as a 4th, the assessor felt comfortable recommending me for regionals. I had only been a referee for 16 months at that point, so I was surprised. I was just hoping I'd do well enough to get called back for the semis. I wholeheartedly agree that fourth official is a very difficult and important job. If I have one as referee, I know there is one less thing I need to worry about. I can just concentrate on what is taking place between the lines unless my attention is needed elsewhere.

[whistleblowerusa]

This is a situation I was talking about. An AR's duties are spelled out relating to the FOP. If he is closer to the action then the ref and he sees a foul, it is his DUTY to inform the ref, as spelled by the law. There is no such wording for 4th officials. The 4th should be concentrating on the benches so that the ref and ARs don't have to. Thus they are expected to miss some plays on the field, as that is not where their focus should be.

So if they are missing some of the plays, maybe they shouldn't comment on any of the plays. Otherwise, you will get into the situation you describe above. There could be a bad foul right in front of the 4th, and he tells the ref what he saw. 10 minutes later, another bad foul right in front of the 4th by the other team, but because he was concentrating on the benches, he does not see it and can't assist the ref. Coaches, players, and fans perceive the 4th as biased, making calls for one team but not the other, when in actuality he was focused on his primary responsibility, the technical area.
You haven't read the posts by myself and MassRef. The duties of the 4th extend much further than the technical area. I have been the 4th on games as high as international matches and I can tell you that there is much more to do than focus on the bench. It is not a baby sitting job. You are expected to assist the Referee in all areas of the match including play and misconduct. If the Referee looks to you for help you need to be prepared to give it.
I don't get why you seem to want to argue these points. Have you ever been a 4th?

[Jeff from Michigan]

Jeff, with all due respect, you couldn't be more off the mark. I'll assume you haven't worked as a 4th for a high level (State Cup, high level private tournament, Regionals, and above) game. Massachusetts Ref's comments are right on.

No...in point of fact, I've worked at all levels (except professional...and I would assume that things are a bit different there). And when I'm assigned as a Fourth Official, I do my best to help whoever's assigned the middle...and to carry out whatever instructions I'm given.

However...when I'M in the middle with a fourth official, I expect my Fourth to be doing something OTHER THAN watching the normal run of play. I don't need a fourth pair of eyes watching the game; that's what the rest of us are doing. What may, on occasion, be helpful is having an extra pair of eyes watching for things that the three match officials won't always be able to monitor...such as growing restlessness along the sidelines, off-the-ball misconduct, or approaching foul weather. And if the Fourth happens to see something IMPORTANT along the way that the rest of us have missed...then so much the better.

But the LAST thing I ever want my fourth official to do is spend his time simply watching the game, in order to be help point direction on a throw-in. And the entire point of my piece was that if THIS is what a fourth official is devolving into --- which seems to be the thrust of what a lot of people are saying --- then we're missing the entire point of how they came to be, why they're there...and how they can actually help.

[whistleblowerusa]

No...in point of fact, I've worked at all levels (except professional...and I would assume that things are a bit different there). And when I'm assigned as a Fourth Official, I do my best to help whoever's assigned the middle...and to carry out whatever instructions I'm given.

However...when I'M in the middle with a fourth official, I expect my Fourth to be doing something OTHER THAN watching the normal run of play. I don't need a fourth pair of eyes watching the game; that's what the rest of us are doing. What may, on occasion, be helpful is having an extra pair of eyes watching for things that the three match officials won't always be able to monitor...such as growing restlessness along the sidelines, off-the-ball misconduct, or approaching foul weather. And if the Fourth happens to see something IMPORTANT along the way that the rest of us have missed...then so much the better.

But the LAST thing I ever want my fourth official to do is spend his time simply watching the game, in order to be help point direction on a throw-in. And the entire point of my piece was that if THIS is what a fourth official is devolving into --- which seems to be the thrust of what a lot of people are saying --- then we're missing the entire point of how they came to be, why they're there...and how they can actually help.
Who cares how the 4th came to be. What is expected from them is more than just baby sitting now. That is our instructions. I'm not sure what level you have done but if it is "all" levels then you should been given the same instruction. 4ths are not baby sitters. If we were to go by your line of thought we would have never had ARs too.
The game has changed. It has more speed skill and gamesmanship. The 4th is expected and need to function more as part of the officiating team. The 4th participates in all ways.

[MassachusettsRef]

This is a situation I was talking about. An AR's duties are spelled out relating to the FOP. If he is closer to the action then the ref and he sees a foul, it is his DUTY to inform the ref, as spelled by the law. There is no such wording for 4th officials. The 4th should be concentrating on the benches so that the ref and ARs don't have to. Thus they are expected to miss some plays on the field, as that is not where their focus should be.

So if they are missing some of the plays, maybe they shouldn't comment on any of the plays. Otherwise, you will get into the situation you describe above. There could be a bad foul right in front of the 4th, and he tells the ref what he saw. 10 minutes later, another bad foul right in front of the 4th by the other team, but because he was concentrating on the benches, he does not see it and can't assist the ref. Coaches, players, and fans perceive the 4th as biased, making calls for one team but not the other, when in actuality he was focused on his primary responsibility, the technical area.I understand your concerns, but I don't reach the same conclusion. Just because a fourth official isn't paying attention to the field of play at all times, doesn't mean he shouldn't assist when he is paying attention and can lend useful help.

Think of an ARs duties. Sometimes on a close challenge he's paying attention to ball in and out of play and can't assist with a foul call. Or maybe he's focused on an offside situation and can't help the ref as to whether or not a shot was deflected for a corner kick. Just because sometimes an AR is paying attention to something else and can't help with fouls or other situations, that doesn't mean he shouldn't assist when he is able to help.

Most coaches understand the role of the fourth. If he is over talking to the other bench and not looking at the field, they will not fault him for not helping the referee with a throw-in or foul call. But what infuriates bench personnel is when the fourth--a sanctioned referee who, in many cases will be working one of your matches later in the year--stands like a statue and refuses to get involved even when he knows the referee might make an incorrect call. Players and coaches seize on this and decide that the fourth official is either A) scared or B) incompetent and they will use that against him--both in that match and future matches.

To allay your concerns--which seem to be of even a greater concern to Jeff--I am not advocating that a fourth stand at midfield, watch the ball, and point direction and call fouls for the CR. Nobody is advocating that. The fourth should either be tending the benches or watching behind the referee's back. A good instructor once said at a clinic here that a fourth's job is like 'trying to be a driver who doesn't slow down to look at the carwreck on the side of the road'. Your job is to NOT watch the ball. However, in the few cases where the ball is right in front of the bench area, and the ARs are now "watching the referee's back", and the ball is right in front of the fourth official, he should absolutely assist with any decisions that the CR needs to make--if the CR wants the help.

[MassachusettsRef]

The hardest match I was ever assigned, before I started to regularly get more challenging games, was my first state cup assignmnet as a fourth official. In NJ, we have the state cup games at a central location from the quarters on and use fourth officials on all matches.

Anyway, the referee was in over his head and all hell was breaking loose on the field. The match was a U-15 boys game between the two top clubs in NJ and the boys were killing eachother. The benches were going nuts on both sides and I was active putting out fires and calming nerves for pretty much the entire match. If I wasn't being called over by one team to look at the stud marks left on a poor kid's thigh, I was being lectured about why the referee was losing control of the match.Was this match, by chance, in 2002? And was one of the teams PDA?