It was reported in the Evening Post the other week that I had been fourth official at the match between Chelsea and Coventry. The only reason it was of interest was that an altercation had occurred between the opposing bench staff.

I was asked a lot of questions about that day, because being the fourth official is a duty which many do not fully understand, even some referees because they have never had to undertake the task.

Getting appointed

The appointment as fourth official is given to you by the league in which you officiate, just like any other appointment. In local football it is hard enough to find referees, let alone assistants, so the appointing of a fourth official is only made for prestigious games such as cup final matches. In the Football League and Premiership the case is different. The repercussions of having a match official injure himself or even not arrive at the ground are so serious that a fourth official is always appointed.

In general terms, an assistant referee (linesman) is an official ranked one step below the referee in the hierarchy. The fourth official is generally one step below that. I say ‘normally’ because there are, as always, exceptions. In my case, on the Chelsea match, both of the assistant referees and myself are Ryman League referees.

If the appointed referee is unable to carry on, then the senior assistant takes over from him and the fourth official goes on to the line. Even here there is an exception. On live “Sky” matches, the fourth official is another Premiership referee and therefore, in the case of a referee needing to be replaced, the fourth official would referee.

A range of duties

The actual duties of the fourth official are quite straightforward. Naturally that person must be able to carry out the duties of a colleague but also he must assist the referee during the match from his position off of the field of play. These duties are normally to keep a complete record of the match. For example, goals scored, when and who by, cautions or dismissals, with accurate information even as to where the incident happened on the field. Another duty is to assist with the replacement of players to the extent of controlling the actual substitution. And rumour has it that the International FA Board is considering adding even more duties next season.

A recent change means that the fourth official now indicates to the crowd how many minutes of injury time will be allowed at the end of each half. Contrary to popular belief, the time allowed is still the absolute domain of the referee. At approximately 42 minutes into each half the fourth official will place himself near to the touch line and will be given a signal by the referee as to how much time he has allowed. This signal will be returned to the referee by the fourth official to ensure there is no mistake. Then at precisely 45 minutes from a watch that has not been stopped for any injury etc, a signal will be made to the crowd showing how many minutes remain.

Not as easy as it looks

The concentration needed by the fourth official is considerable and you must always be ready for the unexpected, as I was to find out recently!

After the match has finished, there is always a debriefing session where all of the necessary information is gathered concerning the match and details of disciplinary action passed to the press. Unfortunately there are times when more information is requested than you are prepared to give, but then that’s another story ...

John Moore

© J Moore 1999

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