OK guys I'm asking for a little help here... I'm working some matches as the 4th official this weekend and I've never done this before. Can I get some suggestions about what y'all think is most important, less important and some pitfalls I should watch out for? Thanks for the help.
Guide to Procedures for Referees,…blah, blah, blah, and Fourth Officials. If you don’t have the hard copy, it’s available on-line as usscoccer.com, in the “referee” section. I’ve never done this for USSF, but I have for College, and there you had to keep a log…more or less what the scorer does, but a specific form….also control benches and manage substitutions. Bottom line, read the “Procedures” manual above. Have fun!
It will depend on what your CR tells you he/she wants from you, but generally your most important job will be to keep order on the benches. Try to anticipate and be proactive -- intervene with the coach on a controversial call before they go off on the center or AR. Remind them to return to their technical area if necessary. Keep a close eye on plays near the opponents' bench, e.g. a Red throw-in in front of Blue's bench. Monitor and control subs -- make sure they wear a pinny or jacket if they warm up on the sidelines, make sure they don't go behind the goals or warm up with a ball that could find its way onto the pitch during play. On subs, make sure you check for proper equipment and jewelry before making the substitution request. Before the match, you'll collect the game balls and check the pressure, and check in the teams with one of the ARs. Collect the game balls at half time, and return them at the end of the match. Depending on the level of the game, you may be responsible for keeping the game log that will be used to fill out the match report. If so, keep good notes during the match and fill out the report for the CR to sign after the match. Use the 4th official's log from the USSF web site for your game notes. You may also be responsible for getting the managers' signatures on the match report after the game. Follow your CR's pregame instructions, but don't be afraid to take charge of your area of responsibility. Deal with the coaches and subs so the rest of your crew doesn't have to.
Good advice, but don't look for things to get involved with. Just like if you've got the whistle, allow the coaches to do their thing, but once it becomes a disruption, that's when you need to step in. You're there to make sure that the center doesn't have to get involved. There's also the administrative duties, yes, but you need to be the person the coaches yell at first. I like to introduce myself when the teams are on the field and tell the coaches that if they need anything or have anything they want to say to come to me first. When something happens that may cause the bench to become enflamed, be right there. They're going to yell at the closest person they can, and if that's you instead of the center, than you're doing your job.
Don't forget to monitor all head-butts so you can inform the center when someone has to be sent off. Unless it's MLS where it seems to be simply a caution.
If there is an injury, position yourself between the technical area and the downed player so you can prevent the coach from running onto the field before the CR allows it.
Watch behind the refs back, act like a second set of eyes for him. If coaches are getting animated often just starting to head that way can calm them down. run interference if a coach is going after an AR (had a fourth basically save me in a game when I was the AR, I felt bad for him, but he kept cutting the coach off from me as I moved towards the bench up the touch line)
one of the more important duties, as previouslky mentioned, is heading off an angry coach before he goes off on the CR or AR, try to engage in a quite conversation instead of letting him scream across the field. Also with a 4th official in a game substitutions need to be absolutely flawless, make sure player is at midfield, proper equiptment and pass(if applicable), and make sure player is completely off the field before the sub comes on. I have been told many times by state and national assesors to make the sub process deliberatley slow, to ensure accuracy and the give the CR a breather. Also make sure you get numbers on all card and goal scorers and assists if necessary. I will also sometimes keep track of fouls and at half let the CR know, you have 10 fouls on blue, 4 on Red, #9 blue commited 6 of those fouls. Just useful information for the CR that you usually have time to collect. The first time i was 4th going in i had no idea what i was doing, but you pick it up very fast. Good luck!
Thanks for all the tips...I got pretty much what I expected from you all...a little humor and a lot of good, straightforward advice (thanks, campton!). Yes I have a game log to keep and I guess it has to be done just like all our other work...no mistakes! Unfortunately I picked up a bug of some sort and I'm laid up sick so my inaugural 4th official duties will probably have to wait until next weekend...unless I have to have to go in the AM. I'll let y'all know how it goes (and no, it's not a MLS assignment but I'm ALWAYS watching out for the head butts anyway).
I have the weekend with regard to a fourth official... In the Spurs-Birminghamd match, Robbie Keane was sent off for a tackle that might have been a straight red. The commentators made mention that Phil Dowd was conferring va headset with the 4th official about the call. The foul occured fairly close to Mr. Dowd. The trail AR would have been behind Dowd with the lead AR a long way away from the action. The 4th would have been closest to the foul. Of course, the announce team would have no idea WHO Dowd was conferring with, but my question is: Is this a another role of the 4th, to inject himself into the discussion about a cardable ofense that Dowd plainly saw? Rufe
You see, the overall send off to me is close. It was borderline, regarding how close the match was, what intensity he came in with the tackle and how he got out of it all factors into my decision making process. IMO the role of the 4th is to be part of the crew. That means the has every right to help the CR with any call.
One of the positives of having Fox Soccer Channel, and a later workday, is watching Sky Sports News at noon. They were actually talking about this today, and got some footage of Dowd clearly talking to someone with the headset right before showing reds in two other matches. Either Sky reporters found this out, or the referees' association said that in these cases, as well as the Spurs match on Sunday, Dowd was alerting the fourth official that he was about to send someone off, to allow for better control of the technical areas. Now, that doesn't mean automatically that Uriah Renne (who was the 4th for Spurs-Birmingham) didn't offer advice or anything, but if you think about it, it seems like a borderline straight red/2nd yellow/penalty/no penalty is the perfect justification for the referee to be wired into the rest of the crew. A quick word ("studs up, that's going to be a red", or "the ball hit the chest, not the arm"), to let the fourth know what's coming up helps the fourth do part of his job, as it relates to dealing with the coaches.
Keane's foul looked more clumsy than dangerous...maybe YC for careless but I didn't see anything reckless...and the ref was right there so I wonder why he felt the need to confer about anything unless he knew that he had turned away before the two separated. Well now I read what kwik180 wrote and that makes a lot of sense to me.
My question still remains though...is the fourth there via headset to interject his thoughts on the severity of the foul, the color of the card, etc? I'm thinking not, but I truly don't know, because until the headset came into play, the fourth was out of touch with the rest of the crew, and there was rarely if ever a conference between the CR and the 4th unless it was to send the manager to the stand. Now, the headset has changed the dynamic, and what the commentators said was that Dowd had taken input from the 4th to make his call, which I don't think is the case at all. R
According to the Guardian..... "Poyet was also wrong to believe that had Dowd consulted his fourth official, he would have been acting improperly. A referee can, in a case of violent conduct, consult the fourth official, who is there to provide another pair of eyes if required." So there...
Finding my own answer from the advice: Notifi es the referee as quickly as possible if a player or substitute has: Been cautioned or sent off based on an incorrect identifi cation Not been sent off despite having received a second caution Committed violent conduct out of the view of the referee and assistant But, Dowd was there and saw it, so Rennie was or wasn't allowed to comment on the severity of the foul???
There is one other point. Usually (actually probably always) the 4th official in FIFA matches is a Grade 1 (referee) while the ARs are grade 2. I think that at that level, consulting the 4th official would be advantageous even if not explicitly prescribed by FIFA. The more eyes you have on the play, the better, and you get yourself in deep trouble for making an incorrect call, so why not ask the 4th with the convenience of the headsets? If I was at that level, I would expect my 4th to comment on the severity, however, I would retain my ability to overrule if necessary. Also, realize that the Advice is from USSF that has no games with headsets, therefore the 4th would have to communicate by other means with the CR, so I don't think the USSF advice is applicable to the situation in the BPL... But, with all of my calls, I could be wrong... ANR
I would think if the 4th official had the best view of the play it would be perfectly fine to assist, there is nothing stating he cannot and that is "assisting the referee". Although i have never done that in regards to a foul i have been told my some referees in pregame when i am fourth to give the silent signal(finger point at waist) on such matters as throwins infront of me if the R and AR are screened.