5.1 The Authority of the Referee

Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed.

5.2 Powers and Duties

The Referee :

1. enforces the Laws of the Game
2. ensures that any ball used meets the requirements of Law 2
3. ensures that players' equipment meets the requirements of Law 4
4. acts as a timekeeper and keeps a record of the match
5. stops, suspends or terminates the match, at his discretion, for any infringements of the Laws
6. stops, suspends or terminates the match because of outside interference of any kind
7. stops the match if, in his opinion, a player is seriously injured and ensures that he is removed from the field of play
8. allows play to continue until the ball is out of play if a player is, in his opinion, only slightly injured
9. ensures that any player bleeding from a wound leaves the field of play. The player may only return on receiving a signal from the referee who must be satisfied that the bleeding has stopped
10. allows play to continue when the team against which an offence has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalises the original offence if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time
11. punishes the more serious offence when a player commits more than one offence at the same time
12. takes disciplinary action against players guilty of sin-bin and sending off offences. He is not obliged to take this action immediately but must do so when the ball next goes out of play
13. takes action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds
14. ensures that no unauthorised persons enters the field of play
15. restarts the match after it has been stopped
16. provides the Competition Organiser with details of any sending-off action taken against a player or any disciplinary action taken against a team official
17. secures the match ball and bibs

5.3 Decisions of the Referee

The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final.

The referee may only change his decision on realising it is incorrect and provided that he has not re-started play.

Under normal circumstances, a referee is the only person appointed to officiate during a match, but this does not preclude a Competition Organiser appointing one or more additional officials if, in his opinion, such appointment would enhance control of a special match, e.g. Competition Final. The role of any additional official(s) must be clearly defined.