I just got my first assignment as a fourth official for this weekend. As a result, I was wondering if there was anything that I ought to know to that isn't in the Guide to Procedures. Any common commication/duties that the center might ask of me. Also, any hints/advice would be appreciated
Grab yourself a pie and a beer, kick back and relax Seriously though, check out this page for everything you ever wanted to know.
Many 4ths I see simply camp out at mid field in a chair and wait for subs to come to them. They really aren't helping the match at all. I find that the best thing for me to do as a 4th is to not sit at all. By standing and wandering towards each bench during the match you make your presence on the sidelines know. You don't need to say or do anything, you just need to be seen. I think just being there and being seen helps to calm the benches. Be friendly and smile, so that they know you are there as an assistant to the game, and you aren't the "enemy ref" who is out to get them. At the same time, don't be afraid to walk up to a bench if they are upset with a call on the field. I find that saying something simple like "Let's step back" (even if they haven't stepped forward) almost always calms them down. They see a ref and feel like they are at least being listened to. And that at least deflects comments that the center ref doesn't need to be dealing with. Of course you have all your responsibilies (subs, balls, card recording, etc.). Just don't disappear from the bench during the "down times" of the game. Pay attention, and let the benches know that you are doing that by being seen by them.
If this is at the adult level, there are a few things you can do as part of the team... Watch the areas of the field that wouldn't normally be watched by the CR & AR's. That would be whichever of the CR's quadrants he isn't in. If an adult game gets testy, that's when/where one of those guys will nail the other one. In generally, focus on NOT watching active play -- the other 3 are doing that. Focus on attitudes & stuff that may be developing or happening away from play. If there is an incident on the field, your primary responsibility is the benches -- do your best to make sure they don't join the fray. Get on the field between the benches and what's going on and try to put up as much of a "block" as you can with outstretched arms. Talk to them, etc. If there are bench people that join the fray, make note of it immediately. If all hell breaks loose and you can't stop them from joining, then step out of the way and start taking notes, write down numbers of who came onto the field and as you see things happen. Trust me when it all settles out, you won't remember faces, etc. It all happens too fast. Get your book out and just start scribbling numbers down as fast as you can -- if possible without looking away from the field. Manage the benches. If they get upset about a call, once they have their brief say about it, step in and take the heat so your CR can concentrate on the game. Listen and be diplomatic, but if he persists, there will come a time when you need to get him to cool it. One of my favorite sayings when they've carried on long enough is "OK, coach, you've said what you wanted to say about the call/situation/whatever. Now let's get on with the game". If appropriate, you can use phrases like "I'll discuss your concerns with my partner at the half." or "I'll find out what my partner saw at the half/after the game and let you know." Finally, do the paperwork. Keep the record as things happen and when the game is over, get the paperwork done to assist your CR in this area too. Once the paperwork has been completed, reviewed and signed off by the CR, if there is anything to get from the coaches or give to them, do this too. Again, particularly if there has been any controversy during the game, there's no reason for one of the on-field guys to open themselves up to a potential situation by having to go to the coach after the game. You have been working with them the whole game, you just as well finish it up. If it is a youth level game, it is very unlikely that you'll have to do much more than talk to a coach now and then, manage the subs and do the paperwork. However, stay involved in the game (mentally). Remember that as a 4th official, if someone gets hurt, you're going to wind up on the field and you better be mentally into what's going on. I hope this helps and good luck.
I didn't realize there was so much dissent from the benches in MLS. I guess it just goes to show how much the 4th is needed and how they need to stay focused on the bench areas. From the latest conference call notes: http://www.ussoccer-data.com/Action...-response=gentop2.htm&-recordID=32946&-search "We need more of an effort in controlling benches and having coaches stay within their technical areas. If teams have exhausted their complement of substitutions, there is no need for them to be warming up and antagonizing/baiting AR‚s or disputing any other decisions of the referee team. Players have been seen to jump over signboards to protest calls. This cannot continue to happen without proper discipline levied. Be proactive in this regard."
I appreciate all this though I think its going to have to be another learn by doing. Nonetheless, all the info definitely helps me prepare. The game is a GU-19 State Cup final and I have the line on one of the semi-finals the day before. I'm excited, but a little nervous.
Youth games don't need 4th officials. They do it around here just to give some young pup a chance to feel special about being involved in the championship game. They really don't have any responsibility other than notifying the AR when there is an upcoming sub and making sure the players have their shirts tucked in. Obviously if the coaches get a little too excited you can help keep them and the bench in line but this is rarely an issue. Most of them will pretty much ignore you anyway as they won't see the 4th official as somebody with any authority (wrong on their part, but they don't usually have one). Anyway, just go out there and do as the tournament admins require and have fun with it. There's not much to do other than sit back and enjoy the game.
Depends on the match. For some states and regions, Cup matches have limited substitutions. So, in those instances, I think a 4th is very helpful, and, with the tensions and emotions that come along with a Cup Final (at any level), sometimes necessary. If anything, I think (from the assignments I've seen personally) the 4ths aren't assigned to make them feel good about themselves, but rather to help calm the nerves (and deflect attention) from a younger referee who might be in their first Cup Semifinal or Final. Maybe it's different where you are, though, and the opposite is true. Ultimately though, I have seen a greater need for 4ths in State and Regional Cup matches than I have in most W-League and some PDL matches. In the end, in any of these matches (semi-pro or youth/amateur Cups), the 4th is almost always getting exposed to a higher level of soccer before they run a line or take a whistle at that level, and that's a good thing. If HeadHunter's 4th helps prepares him for a CR on a U17 State Cup Final next year, then it's a productive assignment, even if he's not kept incredibly busy during the actual match.
One important note about the 4th....make sure you have on your sweat suit and NOT your uniform. However, make sure you have your uniform on. Also, if the referee did not tell you, it is YOUR responsibility to ask if he goes down who takes over you or one of the AR's. Also, you are supposed to have your ref gear in your pockets ready to go at a moments notice. This is especially true of regional games on up.
As the 4th official at the Rochester Raging Rhinos game -- the Referee instructed me to wear my uniform, not the sweat jacket. There I be... There goes Doug Miller. After this game he bet the SAR $1000 that he was onside on a play where he was ruled off. She took the bet, the tape showed her to be correct, but I don't think she ever held him to it.
I disagree completely. This is one of those cases where you absolutely don't follow what you see at the top levels. The only reason you see the 4ths in the World Cup, Champions League and MLS wearing their jackets is so that the logos in question (FIFA, UEFA, OSI, respectively) are picked up by television cameras. There's no other purpose. There is, however, a point to wearing the uniform and not the tracksuit--especially at lower levels, where 4ths might be uncommon. As a 4th, you want to project the image that you're an integral part of the officiating team, and not just a glorified ball boy or scorekeeper (which, below the professional level, most players/coaches will initially view you as). With the uniform comes legitimacy and authority. The tracksuit makes you look like nothing more than a backup official. And, should you have to make an extremely controversial call (like violent conduct behind the referee's back), being in uniform and looking the part of an active referee is going to go a LONG way towards selling the call. I never wear the jacket, unless asked. And I specifically tell my 4ths to not wear it, unless the weather is so poor that the feel they need it. The ONLY justifications I see for the jacket are poor weather, or sponsorship concerns/instructions. The vast majority of us don't have to worry about the second concern. As a side note, I once was observing a game in Foxboro where Kevin Stott was the referee. It was late in the season, against the MetroStars, and at some point in the second half, the match began to become very heated and the benches got animated and players were often up on their feet. Stott, breaking all MLS protocol, made a (unique and very inventive) motion towards his 4th to remove his jacket. After the match, he explained to his 4th exactly why (the whole involvement/legitimacy argument) he had made the decision. It was very interesting to see how deeply a referee like Stott thinks about so many different little factors.
No jacket, unless the referee allows you to wear one in inclement weather. The referee needs to be able to visually pick you out on the touchline easily, without you blending in with Joe Schmoo who's also standing there in a jacket. You are part of the officiating team, not just a spare tire, so look like it. One of my colleagues (USSF grade 3) says that the 4th official is the rodeo clown. For those from blue states, the rodeo clown isn't there so much to be funny as to draw the attention of the animals away from the down cowboy. In other words, if the coach is going ballistic, get him to yell at you instead of the ref. The game can go on and when the coach runs out of wind you can calm him down with 1. "coach, that one was pretty obvious even to me" 2. "I'll talk with him at half time about it." 3. "You're right, coach. I haven't any idea what he thought he was seeing." I've used all three and never had to call the ref over.
Of course, this goes against the grain of what we are to be teaching the R-8's and 9's, and that is to NEVER say anything bad about another official. We are to teach them that we are a TEAM on the field.
Notice that the examples never say anything really negative - they're more vague and indicate that you didn't see what the CR saw. The CR may have had a better view or was screened.
But most of the top referees will instruct you to act like this as a fourth. Saying these sort of things keeps the coaches attention off of the referee and can help to quell escalating situations. And, in that regard, you are absolutely working as a team. Besides, as IASocFan, you're never really saying anything too negative. The worst thing you might say is "yeah, I think he might have got that one wrong too, but...[fill in justification/explanation here]". Basically, you might admit that the referee in question isn't invincible, which is hardly letting a secret out, because nobody expects a referee to be right 100% of the time. A caveat here, of course, is that you would NEVER make this sort of statement on a controversial play like a send off or penalty. You can only use these sort of things in order to build credibility with the coaches on some of the more inconsquential decisions. That way, if things do get serious and you need to stand by the referee on a major decision, you're going to have more leverage and be more respected by the coach in question.
As a coach, I like having 4th officials. It gives me a way to communicate with the officials better. Behaviors I haven't liked are: (1) When I am asking the official to watch something, the 4th (especially a young 4th) can interpret this as dissenting and try to placate me without being interested in what I am trying to get across. This can be frustrating. Especially regarding game management in youth games--I've seen tempers start to slip, chippy stuff happen off the ball, and the official not react quickly enough. I address it in my teams with substitutions if any of my players don't behave well, and by encouraging players to be positive, but a couple of times a 4th has prevented me from communicating to the CR (assuming that I am criticizing or that what I am saying is illegitimate because i am a coach) about what I'm seeing, and things have gotten out of control (the other team had players sent off for really bad tackles in both occasions) when the game might have been brought back under control with tighter calls. So respect that sometimes I have something legitimate to communicate, not necessarily negative, but something that I think needs to be watched. (2) If you agree to do something, follow through. If there's something that needs to be addressed at halftime, and you say you will look into it or talk to the center about something, make sure you do, then tell me that you have at the end of halftime. It is irritating when a 4th agrees to look into something then doesn't. I have been very fortunate as a player and a coach to have participated in some games with very accomplished officials--FIFA and MLS quality. They have all taken the players and coaches seriously, listened (or at least given the appearance of listening) to concerns, and accepted reasonable (not angry or venting) comments and concerns. I find that some younger fourths and less able officials don't treat coaches and players with the same degree of respect. Just my two cents.
Unfortunately, most coaches (at least the ones i've seen) are not as knowledgeable and amicable as you seem to be. So it's easy to understand if a 4th official prevents you from communicating with the centre during the match, which really you shouldn't be doing anyway (especially if they don't know you...they'll generally not assume that you're one of the rare good coaches). Since the Centre probably won't be going over to the sidelines very frequently, you'd have to yell to communicate with him, and yelling out to the centre to call the game more tightly is like the centre ref yelling out to you, "hey, your team is getting killed in the possession game, you should put a 5th player in the midfield." It's very rude, unprofessional, and outside the rights of the referee. Your first reaction would be, 'don't tell me how to coach - i've been trained to do that just fine;' you wouldn't be very pleased with the official. Personally, i accept criticism from coaches, but if you want to talk to me, do it at halftime or at the end of the match...definitely NOT during match time. Coaches don't particularly have any rights beyond giving their players instructions.
@coaches: I don't care if you are knowledgeable, amicable, 100% right, or anything else. During the match you are to sit on the bench, get up only to give tactical instructions, sit right back down, and not to be heard outside the technical area at any other time. The 4th official is not a mediator. He is there to tell you to do the above and to tell the ref to get rid of you if you don't. @refs: Stop letting coaches stand on the touchline screaming for 60/70/80 minutes making a fool of the game.
Wow. This goes against almost everything that every high-level national instructor/assessor/staff member has been teaching for at least the past 5 years. If this is truly the attitude you take into doing a 4th, it's not going to serve you well in your career advancement (if you have aspirations) and, much more importantly, it's not going to serve the referee on the field for that particular game well at all.
Am I telling refs how to do the 4th official job or trying to get a coach to stop running his mouth? Have all your national instructors not taught you to read the context of what's happening?
Thanks for this discussion, I find it particularly relevant to my situation because I understand that, even though no one will readily admit as much, as you move up to the highest levels, you essentially get tracked to being a CR or an AR as a primary position. I've already stated my intention to specialize as a 4th official...
You've never realized virtually all MLS and most upper USL refs are put in one spot? This is far from a secret and isn't all about predetermined tracking. Some really like one position over the other (and yes, some are ARs by choice) or are just far better at one then the other. Obviously the 4th officials are referees.