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Futsal · Laws of the Game

Law 6: The Other Match Officials

1 parts · 5 tests · 50 facts · updated 12 October 2026 · markdown

Law 6 covers the officials beyond the two referees: the up-to-three assistant referees (third referee, fourth referee, timekeeper) and their appointment, positioning and equipment; the third referee's administrative, signalling and supervisory duties, including standing in for an injured second referee; the timekeeper's chronometer and signalling duties tied to Law 7; the international-match requirement that a third referee and timekeeper are mandatory with an upgraded chronometer; and the fourth referee's own assistance, reporting and stand-in duties.

6.61The Other Match Officials

The up-to-three assistant referees and how they are appointed, positioned and equipped; the third referee's administrative, signalling and supervisory duties, including standing in for an injured referee; the timekeeper's chronometer and signalling duties; and, combined as one thinner subsection, the international-match requirement for a third referee and timekeeper with an upgraded chronometer, and the fourth referee's assistance, reporting and stand-in role.

Test 1The assistant referees: appointment, position and equipmentTake a test

  1. Law 6 allows up to three off-pitch officials, the third referee, the fourth referee and the timekeeper, not a match commissioner, two timekeepers, or one combined role.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · recall

  2. The assistant referees work off the pitch, level with the halfway line and on the same side as the substitution zones, not by the goals, the penalty areas, or in the stands.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · recall

  3. Only the timekeeper is fixed to a seat at the timekeeper's table; the third and fourth referees may perform their duties either seated or standing.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · recall

  4. Law 6 leaves the third and fourth referees' posture unspecified beyond that duties may be performed seated or standing, not fixed standing, alternating on a timer, or patrolling the touchline.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · applied

  5. Law 6 places this equipment in the hands of the association or club under whose jurisdiction the match is played, not FIFA centrally, one team's own staff, or the venue operator.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · recall

  6. Law 6 lets the assistant referees assist with offences only when they have a clearer view than the referees, not overrule decisions, stop play themselves, or issue cards directly.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · recall

  7. Law 6 requires only a timekeeper's table for the assistant referees to perform their duties correctly, not a headset-equipped bench, a raised platform, or a second station by each goal.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · recall

  8. Law 6 phrases assistant referees as an option, so their absence is not itself a breach, unlike the international-match requirement that does make the third referee and timekeeper mandatory.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · applied

  9. The assistant referees' duties are anchored to the Futsal Laws of the Game itself, not to the technical area, a national competition's own rules, or a team's coach.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · recall

  10. Law 6 lets the third referee tell the referees about an offence they had a better view of, but the referees still decide whether to act on it; the third referee does not award the free kick, is not limited to international matches, and does not relay rulings through the fourth referee.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees) · applied

Test 2The third referee's administrative and signalling dutiesTake a test

  1. Law 6 assigns the third referee a simple participation record of who took part, not passing statistics, sponsor graphics, or warm-up logs.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  2. Ball replacement is monitored by the third referee only at the referees' own request, not a captain's, a commissioner's, or on the third referee's own initiative.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  3. Law 6 has the third referee check a substitute's equipment before entry, not fitness, shirt numbers alone, or boot studs specifically.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  4. The third referee's scoring record is the goalscorers' shirt numbers, not shot timings, league standings, or corner counts.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  5. Law 6 has the third referee pass on any offence, misconduct or unsporting behaviour they see, leaving the referees free to act on it or not; the third referee cannot send a player off directly, nor is unreported information automatically discarded or the fourth referee's to overrule.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · applied

  6. A timeout request reaches the timekeeper through the third referee, not the opposing coach, the on-pitch officials directly, or a match delegate.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  7. The third referee logs the timeouts requested, not who drank water, broadcast timing, or pitch temperature.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  8. On the fifth accumulated foul the third referee both gives the mandatory signal and places a visible sign at the timekeeper's table, rather than blowing a whistle, informing only the captain, or waiting on a stadium announcement.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · applied

  9. The third referee's disciplinary record covers only players who were cautioned or sent off, not every foul committed, prior-match history, or the free-kick count.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  10. Before each period the third referee hands over a timeout-request document and collects it back only if it went unused; it is not a match report, a substitution card, or a disposable warning notice.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · applied

Test 3The third referee's supervisory duties and stand-in roleTake a test

  1. Re-entry after fixing equipment is checked by the third referee, but always under the referees' supervision, not by the fourth referee alone, the timekeeper unsupervised, or the team's own staff.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  2. The third referee checks re-entry for exactly two reasons, a player fixing equipment or returning from injury, always under the referees' own supervision; a substitution, a card appeal, and an unsupervised check are not part of this duty.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · applied

  3. The third referee's job is limited to signalling a possible error or off-view incident; the referees remain the ones who decide on the facts, so the third referee never overturns a card themselves, stays silent, or sends a player off directly.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · applied

  4. Supervision of the technical area covers the conduct of the people there, reported to the referees if inappropriate, not tactics, warm-up drills, or bench comfort.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  5. The third referee's stoppage log is specifically for outside interference and its reasons; injuries, substitutions, and timeouts are already recorded elsewhere among the third referee's other duties.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  6. Law 6 closes the third referee's list with a general catch-all, any other relevant match information, not tactical advice, crowd management, or media duties.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  7. A third referee's on-pitch position, when required, follows the Practical Guidelines for Futsal Referees and Other Match Officials, not a coach's direction, the last stoppage spot, or the penalty spot.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · recall

  8. Law 6 has the third referee replace an injured or indisposed referee or second referee, not the fourth referee, the timekeeper, or leaving the match with one official.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · applied

  9. Across both administrative and supervisory duties, the third referee informs, records and checks, while the referees retain the actual decisions; the third referee's own rulings are never final, equal, or something exercised only once the referees are gone.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · applied

  10. The general 'assist when the view is clearer' duty is one specific case; Law 6's powers-and-duties section hands the third referee a wider supervisory set, re-entry checks, technical-area conduct, and stoppage records, without ever replacing the referees' own decisions.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee) · applied

Test 4The timekeeper's chronometer and signalling dutiesTake a test

  1. The chronometer starts only once the first kick-off of each period has actually been taken correctly, not at a scheduled time, a pre-match whistle, or simply when players are in position.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · recall

  2. The chronometer stops whenever the ball is out of play, a broader trigger than just a goal, half-time, or every single foul regardless of whether play actually stops.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · recall

  3. The timekeeper restarts timing as soon as play correctly resumes, here on the corner kick, not early, not delayed to the halfway line, and not left stopped.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · applied

  4. Law 6 also stops the clock for an awarded penalty or free kick and for a player injury, not for a rolling substitution made while play goes on, a bench caution, or a tactical chat.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · recall

  5. The public scoreboard record covers goals, accumulated fouls and periods of play, not possession stats, a cautions-only list, or distance covered.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · recall

  6. The timekeeper grants a timeout with a distinct whistle or acoustic signal, not the referees' own whistle sound, a flag, or a silent stop of the clock.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · applied

  7. The timekeeper both times the one-minute timeout and signals its end with a distinct sound; extending it, delegating the end call, or allowing mid-timeout substitutions are not part of this duty.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · recall

  8. The fifth-foul signal comes from the timekeeper, using a distinct sound once informed by the third referee, not a personal stoppage, waiting on the officials, or a report-only note.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · recall

  9. The timekeeper times the two-minute numerical reduction itself, not a player's fatigue, an attacking sequence, or a substitution window.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · applied

  10. The fourth referee is the primary stand-in for the third referee's duties; the timekeeper only takes over if no fourth referee was appointed, not always, and certainly not a club official or an abandoned match.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper) · applied

Test 5International matches and the fourth refereeTake a test

  1. Law 6 makes the third referee and the timekeeper mandatory for international matches, leaving the fourth referee optional and never mentioning a commissioner or video official here.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §3 (International Matches) · recall

  2. Law 6 requires the international-match chronometer to time simultaneous two-minute numerical reductions and monitor each team's accumulated fouls per period, not video replay, goal-line technology, or a radio link.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §3 (International Matches) · applied

  3. A fourth referee may be appointed under the competition rules, so a domestic competition can include one; it is not reserved for international matches, does not need individual FIFA approval, and is not barred below international level.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee) · applied

  4. The fourth referee's replacement role covers the third referee, and the timekeeper if that is also needed; it does not cover the second referee or a coach, and Law 6 gives the fourth referee no video role.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee) · recall

  5. The fourth referee's assistance is continuous, at all times including administrative duties as the referees require, not limited to pre-match preparations, paperwork only, or moments when the third referee is absent.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee) · applied

  6. Law 6 has the fourth referee submit their own report on off-view incidents to the appropriate authorities and advise the referees of it, not intervene directly, stay silent, or defer the report to the third referee.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee) · applied

  7. The fourth referee's incident record spans before, during and after the match broadly, not possession stats, substitutions alone, or crowd reactions.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee) · recall

  8. The fourth referee's backup is a manual chronometer for a timing-related incident, not a spare ball, a first-aid kit, or a spare whistle.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee) · recall

  9. The fourth referee positions near the timekeeper specifically to help the referees and third referee with relevant information, not behind a goal, alone on the far touchline, or in the stands.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee) · applied

  10. Every official Law 6 adds, the third referee, the timekeeper and the fourth referee, informs, records, signals or stands in for someone, but none of them ever makes the final decision on play, which Law 6 keeps with the referees throughout.

    Source: FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee) · applied

Sources

FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 (paraphrased in original wording; original questions authored from the Law, not reproduced)

  • FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Third Referee)20
  • FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §1 (The Assistant Referees)10
  • FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §2 (Powers and Duties – The Timekeeper)10
  • FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §4 (Fourth Referee)8
  • FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game 2025-26, Law 6 §3 (International Matches)2