VI. ASSISTANT REFEREE

An assistant referee shall be appointed to operate on the opposite side of the pitch to the main referee.

In international matches the use of an assistant referee shall be compulsory.

The assistant referee shall have the same powers as the main referee, apart from those mentioned under Law V (d). Furthermore, the first part of Law V (e) shall also apply to him: "He shall have discretionary powers to stop the game for any infringement of the Laws."

If the main referee and the assistant referee both signal a foul simultaneously and there is a discrepancy as to which team is to be awarded the advantage, the decision of the main referee shall be given priority (cf Decisions, Law V.). The main referee and the assistant referee have the right to impose a caution or an expulsion, but in the case of a discrepancy between them, the main referee's decision shall prevail (cf Decisions, Law V.).

The assistant referee shall also have the following duties:

  1. If the game is played without a timekeeper, he shall keep a check on the 2-minute punishment period after a player has been sent off.

  2. He shall ensure that "flying" substitutions are carried out properly.

  3. He shall keep a check on the one-minute time-out.

In the event of undue interference by the assistant referee, the main referee shall dispense with his services and arrange for a replacement to be appointed, reporting the matter to the authority responsible.

The assistant referee shall be equipped with a whistle.