Fourth dimension

Those of you who have watched a big match, and thought that the fourth official in the team of referees has an easy time of things – don’t believe a word of it!

Same preparation
For last season’s UEFA Champions League final between FC Bayern München and Valencia CF in Milan, the role of fourth official fell to Dutchman Jan Wegereef – and he tells us that you have to prepare for this mentally taxing duty with the same conscientious attitude as if you were leading the teams onto the field for the big occasion.

Big-match role
Wegereef was the man behind the scenes while his countryman Dick Jol and the two assistant referees took charge of matters on the park. “To be the fourth official for the UEFA Champions League final is the second best thing to actually being out there as the referee,” he says. “I was extremely pleased.”

Replacement duty
The fourth official replaces the referee or an assistant referee if any of the latter become unfit before or during a match through illness or injury, and are unable to continue to take charge of the match. He/she also has to attend to a number of other important matters before, during and after the action.

Like a substitute player
This means that Wegereef had to prepare himself for last May’s big night in Milan as if he had actually been chosen as referee. “You can compare the role with that of a substitute player who has been told that he will be on the bench, but might have to come on to the pitch at any time. There’s no big difference to being the referee – you still get butterflies in your stomach a few hours before the game.” 

No warm-up
The fourth official, says Wegereef, normally does not have to undertake the same physical preparations as the refereeing team just before the game. “There is no reason for the fourth official to do so, because the effects of a warm-up wear off after about 20 minutes,” he adds.

Advance thought
This means that the fourth official, if suddenly called upon to replace an injured colleague, faces a difficult physical and mental challenge. “You can perhaps compare the situation to that of a substitute goalkeeper who has to immediately go out onto the pitch. It’s therefore a good thing to be as prepared as possible beforehand, because you could get the call at any moment. You just hope that it won’t be necessary.”

Three main duties
Wegereef identifies three other main duties for a fourth official during a match. “Firstly, you have to make sure that everyone on the substitutes’ bench behaves as normally as possible,” he says. “Everybody who is involved in the game – players, referees, coaches – should be able to do their job. A sign of emotion is ok, because that’s part of the game, but there are certain limits which everybody should obey.” 

Substitution and added time
“In co-operation with the assistant referee, you must make sure that every substitution goes as smoothly as possible. The third major task is to indicate, by means of the electronic board, the time to be added on at the end of each half. You also have the authority to tell the referee about any incidents which may have taken place behind the backs of the referee and his assistants.” 

Clearing the pitch
Last year’s Champions League final involved a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out. Wegereef also had a clear task for this eventuality. “I had to make sure that everyone was off the pitch who should not have been there. Some of the Bayern substitutes went on to the pitch to give moral support to their colleagues, and I said: ’Hey, I’m a substitute too, let’s get out of here.’ They saw the funny side of the comment!”

Less influence
Wegereef singles out one drawback within the fourth official’s activities. “When you’re refereeing a match, you have a feeling that you have a grip on what is happening out there. Like the coach sat on the bench, you see things happen, but the fourth official doesn’t necessarily have any influence on the game.”

The “tourist”
There is a humorous side to the job. In the refereeing trade, fourth officials are known as “tourists”. “You travel abroad to a match,” says Wegereef, “and when you arrive at the airport, the person looking after you often asks: ‘Right, who is the referee, who are the assistants, and who is the tourist?” 

Watch the referee
“But obviously the role is more than that. You can learn a great deal from being a fourth official,” he adds. “My advice to anyone who is given this job is to keep your eyes open, and try to learn from the match. One of the nice things about being a fourth official is that you can gain a lot of experience, just by watching the match referee at close hand.”