Question Number: 28598

League Specific 7/13/2014

RE: Assignor Adult

Timothy Nevitt of Red Wing, Minnesota United States asks...

How many referees are required for a game on mid and full sized fields.

If you are missing an AR I know you can ask a parent to be the 'club line'. Can you have 2 club line parents and no certified AR?

If you are missing an AR can you play the game with just one center and one AR? no AR?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tim
The FIFA Laws of the Game only allows for one referee and that is all that is required for a game. He can be assisted by club lines or preferably by two neutral assistant referees. I have done games on my own with no assistance and I made the calls as best I could.
I have also asked a parent on either side of the field to help me with ball out of play decision on the touchline only. I have looked after all other decisions including offside so the parent just has to stand at half way and make a call on tight ball out calls.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Heck you can play with no referee if all you want is to play! Many school yards or vacant lots can attest to that lol
It boils down to the bylaws of what is acceptable within your soccer association. As my colleague states one referee assisted by two neutral ARS is a standard but club linesmen or even a two referee system has been permitted in some cases.
Personally I prefer to Referee solo if no neutral ARS are present rather than use the parents as club linesmen and do not really like the two referee system .
Parents should be there watching their kids not for balls in or out . I tell players play the whistle and do not get agitated if offside does not go your way, I am fair not perfect and will call only what I see!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Timothy,

The Laws Of The Game don't really say either way on this. Whether you can/must use a 'club AR' is an issue for your local competition or authority to decide.

I've refereed in an area that didn't use club AR's (so if there were no neutral AR's, I was by myself), and in an area that required us to use club AR's if we were missing one or both AR's.

Both options have positives and negatives. Both are permissible under the laws, just depends what your local referee's association does.