Referee (association football)

Referee (association football)
Name	Referee (association football)
Sport	Association football
First	1863
Governing body	International Football Association Board

Referee (association football) is the match official responsible for enforcing the Laws of the Game during association football matches, managing play, and ensuring player safety. The referee makes decisions on fouls, misconduct, goals, and timekeeping, working alongside assistant referees, fourth officials, and video match officials to apply rules set by the International Football Association Board and administered by bodies such as FIFA, UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF, and national associations.

Role and duties

The referee controls match flow and discipline, applying the Laws of the Game to incidents involving players from clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Boca Juniors, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and national teams such as Brazil national football team, Germany national football team, Argentina national football team, England national football team. Duties include awarding free kicks, penalty kicks, goals, and issuing cautions and dismissals to individuals like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Sergio Ramos when offences occur. The referee communicates with assistant referees from competitions such as the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Major League Soccer, and cup tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores.

Referees manage timekeeping and added time in matches hosted at stadiums such as Wembley Stadium, Camp Nou, Maracanã Stadium, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Old Trafford and can stop play for injuries, substitutions, and disciplinary matters involving federations like the Royal Spanish Football Federation, The Football Association, Brazilian Football Confederation.

Laws of the Game and authority

The Laws of the Game, maintained by the International Football Association Board and influenced by FIFA directives, grant the referee full authority to enforce rules during the match. The referee interprets Laws on topics such as offside, handball, and dangerous play that impact teams like Juventus, Ajax, River Plate, Celtic F.C., and international competitions including the UEFA European Championship and Copa América. Decisions by the referee are final on points of fact connected with play, though disciplinary panels of organizations like the Court of Arbitration for Sport, UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, and national leagues may review post-match incidents.

Referees apply protocols for VAR in competitions governed by bodies such as FIFA, UEFA, CONMEBOL and utilize collaboration with match commissioners, referee assessors, and technical study groups from federations including the English Football Association and the Scottish Football Association.

Match officials and team

A match official team typically includes assistant referees, a fourth official, additional assistant referees, and video match officials drawn from pools overseen by FIFA Referees Committee, UEFA Referees Committee, CONMEBOL Referees Commission. Assistant referees patrol touchlines at matches involving clubs like Liverpool F.C., AC Milan, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund and national fixtures such as Spain national football team vs Italy national football team. The fourth official handles substitutions and administrative tasks in competitions such as the FA Cup, DFB-Pokal, Copa del Rey.

Video match officials and VAR teams, introduced in tournaments like the 2018 FIFA World Cup and applied in the UEFA Champions League, review potential match-changing incidents. Referees coordinate with fitness trainers, referee instructors, and referee development staff from associations like the Asian Football Confederation and Confederation of African Football.

Equipment and signals

Referees wear standardized equipment approved by bodies such as FIFA and kit suppliers used by clubs like Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, including whistles, cards, flags for assistant referees, electronic communication systems, and watches for timekeeping. Signals include the use of yellow and red cards pioneered in tournaments like the 1970 FIFA World Cup and hand signals for advantage, stoppage, and restart that are used across leagues such as La Liga, Eredivisie, Primeira Liga.

Technology such as goal-line systems deployed in venues including Signal Iduna Park and systems trialed at events like the 2014 FIFA World Cup complement referees' tools. Referees may wear communication headsets in matches at stadiums used by Manchester United and national venues like Stadio Olimpico.

Appointment, training, and accreditation

Referees are appointed by national associations, leagues, or confederations; elite referees are included on the FIFA International Referees List and may officiate tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, Copa Libertadores Final. Training and accreditation involve fitness tests, Laws of the Game examinations, and continuous assessment by referee instructors from organizations such as the Professional Referee Organization in United States and the Referees' Committee of national federations.

Pathways include starting at grassroots levels with clubs like Notts County or youth academies, progressing through regional leagues such as the National League and professional leagues including the EFL Championship and Bundesliga. Mentoring programs and referee development initiatives are run by federations like the Royal Netherlands Football Association and German Football Association.

Controversies and criticism

Referees have faced criticism over high-profile decisions in matches involving teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal F.C. and incidents at tournaments including the 2010 FIFA World Cup, 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2018 FIFA World Cup. Controversies include disputed penalty awards, offside interpretations, and alleged bias leading to inquiries by organizations such as FIFA Ethics Committee and legal challenges involving bodies like the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Debates over VAR, audio transparency, and consistency have engaged stakeholders including players like Zinedine Zidane, managers such as José Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, and club executives.

Allegations of corruption and match-fixing have led to suspensions and bans by federations including the Italian Football Federation, Turkish Football Federation, and criminal investigations in jurisdictions such as Spain and Brazil.

Notable referees and milestones

Prominent referees include Howard Webb, Pierluigi Collina, Björn Kuipers, Mark Clattenburg, N’Golo Kanté—note: Kanté is a player, not a referee—, Szymon Marciniak, Claudio Ranieri—note: Ranieri is a manager; correction: notable referees include Graham Poll, Andrés Cunha, Joel Aguilar, Cüneyt Çakır, Néstor Pitana, Marco Rodríguez—many have officiated at milestones such as the FIFA World Cup Final, debut of VAR at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the introduction of red and yellow cards at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Historic milestones include the formation of Laws by the Football Association in 1863, the first international match refereed under standardized rules at fixtures like Scotland national football team vs England national football team, and the integration of technology such as goal-line technology at tournaments including the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Category:Association football officials