There are usually 4 referees, the main one on the field, two assistants (linesmen), and a 4th one along the sideline in between the two benches. It’s a relatively new position and not all games have one.
What are the tasks for the 4th referee? I know he manages substitutions and determines how much stoppage time for each half. And they’ve added a watering break (at least in MLS) in each half under certain conditions that he manages. Otherwise his main task seems to be to be yelled at by the coaches. Does he do anything else?
Have they considered adding another on-field referee? It seems to that with so many players on the field, an extra set of eyes there would be useful.
An important function is just to simply be there in case the ref gets injured, in which case the 4th official will replace him. Doesn’t happen v often, but not unheard of for the ref to pull up with a pinged hamstring, say. If there was no replacement then you’d have to abandon the match. I think in times past where there was no fourth official role you just had a spare ref sitting in the stands.
There’s no call for extra layers of officating in the match, and it wouldn’t be helpful IMHO - The game ain’t broke (generally speaking), so fixing the ref isn’t needed. It would give fans something extra to moan about, though.
The authorities can take retrospective action on a player who commits an offence the referee has not seen - like an off the ball incident. So TV is the extra eyes in this context. If the ref has seen it, and taken action such as a booking, then that is the last word on the matter.
One area where refs could be handicapped involves questions of whether the ball crossed the goal line or not, like in a melee of activity in the mixer where the ref may be unsighted and it’s a split second decision, or a long distance shot where the ref is behind play. The ball crossing the line shouldn’t really be a matter of opinion, so this has recently been addressed with technology in the football (after a massive amount of prevarication).
4th official does paperwork duties, fills in for the ref if injured and also is a spare set of eyes for watching areas behind the play - if he sees something that must be punished (like a punch thrown) he’ll get the ref’s attention and pass the info on, same as a linesman would.
Adding a second whistle complicates things - you now have two different bars to clear on foul/not. It’s been experimented with and rejected by FIFA, though it is allowed in US high school games because it’s easier to find two refs than a ref and two ARs in some areas.
This last week the USL started experimenting with video review in certain situations - there’s a ref in the booth who can advise the center, or the head ref can watch the replay on a monitor at the sideline.
How do the cards work physically? Do the referees bring their own cards (yellow and red), or are they provided to them before each game or each season. Sometimes they write on the cards. Are these replaced? I’ve always wondered about this, but was waiting for the right thread to ask it.
For the avoidance of doubt, the linesmen are still fully qualified referees, at least for the top few tiers (in fact I think you get quite low down in the English football pyramid before it ceases to be a requirement for both linesmen to qualified referees not connected with either team playing the game).
They still have a goal-line referee at each end for games which don’t make use of technology for the ball crossing the line - I’m sure I saw them in the first round of English Premier League games yesterday, has the EPL not adopted goal-line technology?
Regarding the cards, I think most referees have their own set of cards, but at the higher levels it could well be that these are supplied by the league. The refs don’t write on the cards - they write on a little notebook on top of (or possibly attached to) the card itself. This is to note the name and number of the player receiving the card. Hence the term “booking”.
There are two different things in the referee’s pocket: plastic red and yellow cards (one each), and a tiny notebook. The plastic red and yellow cards aren’t written on; they’re just for holding up. The notebook is what the referee is writing in, where he records any cards given and goals scored.
I don’t know if major leagues provide cards along with uniforms but at lower levels referees bring their own. It’s not like it’s a major expense: a couple bucks will last you a lifetime. Lower level referees bring their own coin, too, for the pre-game coin flip to choose ends, but I think at major tournaments there are coins custom-made for each one. Again, not sure what’s used for a regular-season Championship League game.