A referee presides over a game of association football. The referee has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and the referee's decisions regarding facts connected with play are final, so far as the result of the game is concerned.
The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly known as linesmen), and in some matches also by a fourth official. In 2006, th...
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A referee presides over a game of association football. The referee has "full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed" (Law 5), and the referee's decisions regarding facts connected with play are final, so far as the result of the game is concerned.
The referee is assisted by two assistant referees (formerly known as linesmen), and in some matches also by a fourth official. In 2006, the appointment of a fifth official also became possible, due to implementation by FIFA. The match officials utilise a positioning system known as the diagonal system of control.
The vast majority of referees are amateur, though they are usually paid a small fee and/or expenses for their services. However, in some countries a limited number of referees – who mainly officiate in their country's top division – are employed full-time by their national associations and receive a retainer at the start of every season plus match fees.
Referees are...
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