Assistant referee (association football)#Fourth official

In professional football there is the fourth official, also known as the " fourth man " who supports the football referee and assistant referees. In the case of failure of the main referee of the fourth official must direct the game as a substitute referee on.

Tasks

The fourth official assists the referee after his statement at all administrative tasks, before and during the game. Otherwise, he is responsible to control the equipment of substitutes and to monitor the environment, in particular the behavior of the football coach, the substitutes and officials (such as stewards ). With a display panel, it displays the number of the back to be replaced and edge of the replacement player. The red number on the display panel (see picture) of the fourth official indicates the shirt number of the player who leaves the court. Edge of the replacement player who is ready next to the fourth man, the shirt number is then displayed in yellow or green on the scoreboard. He also shows if necessary just before the end of a half of the length of injury time in minutes.

He informed the referee, if the coach or the substitute leave the technical area or behave improperly in it. On the gameplay it has no direct influence.

In international matches, the fourth official has long been common practice in the Bundesliga since the 2002/ 03 season.

Since the Football World Cup 2006 in Germany, there are additionally a fifth official.

Trivia

Larger became famous for the fourth official on 20 March 2004 during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, which is the fourth official, Thorsten Schriever, was attacked on the sidelines. After a sending-off against the player Henning citizens of Frankfurt coach Willi Reimann lost his temper and was violent towards Schriever, who tried to stop him from passing the square.

In the match between Germany and Austria in the framework of the European Championship 2008 had the fourth official Damir Skomina a confrontation with coaches Joachim Loew and Hickersberger. Then pointed referee Manuel Mejuto González both coaches in 41 minutes the whistle. For the following game ( quarter-final against Portugal or next competitive match Austria ) have been blocked by UEFA. An appeal was denied by UEFA on the grounds that, according to the statutes, a vocation is not possible in a lock that EXTEND only to a game. Loew later stated to have been sent due to some loud comments from the fourth official on the bench, but " to make his job " with the grounds, refused.