Question Number: 874

RE: Under 14

Kevi Yamashiro of Roseville, CA United States asks...

How do you ref a game with a two man referring system for younger kids?

Answer provided by Referee Starr

You pose a difficult question since any answer given creates a problem for either the local program or the Federation. If we are licensed by USSF we must follow USSF guidelines when officiating USSF sanctioned matches. USSF does not recognize a two-refere system of officiating; that is, where two referees each have a whistle and patrol within the confines of the goal line and touchline. USSF mandates only one whistle on the field and its surrounds. If only two referees are available you have a few alternate choices but none of them allow more than one whistle. One is obtain a club linesman for the third official. Another is to have one referee with a whistle and one assistant referee with a flag acting as a two-man system. Another is for one of the officials to do the game alone. There are no easy answers to this dilemma which is faced by assignors every day. I don't have the answer you want me to give you. Hope that this helps. Keep bringing us these types of questions.

Answer provided by Referee hoare

I was part of a trial system in the UK about 10 years ago when we tryed out having two referees on the field at the same time,.(there were no assistants used). Each referee had his own half of the field and patroled in an area much the same as the assistants do now except we had the movement into the field of play and did not have to stay on the touchline. Each referee would have the whole of the touchline on which side of the field of play to moniter and the goal line at which end he was patrolling also to moniter. In general we had to move up and down with play in a similar position as the assistants do now watching for the offside as well as all other infringments. When play was in the other half we acted as backup to the other ref and watched for off the ball incidents. At all times both referees continued to have all the powers that a single offical would have. The only grey area was the center of the field of play where both offical were say equal distance from an offence, you at this point did not want one offical playing advantage and the other stopping play. so we had pre arranged before the game which of us would be the senior man and would take charge in this area again with the other being the back up. In my view the system needed some refining but was a good idea, however I always felt that it would only work if the same two referees worked together all the time, so as they really got to know how each other worked.

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

You DON'T. This is only allowed in high school/middle school not in any USSF sanctioned game.