11-a-side football
The 17 Laws of the Game, effective from 1 July 2026. Read the full book or jump straight to the referee and assistant-referee laws.
A practical desk for match officials · English first
Read the game.
Own your position.
Official law books, concise pitch-side positioning notes, and direct routes to the national associations responsible for match administration across UEFA.
Start with the source. Summaries here are study aids, not substitutes for the competition rules, current law book, or your association’s instructions.
17IFAB laws · 2026/27
55UEFA associations
3football formats covered
01 / Laws of the game
Know the framework.
Use the current official documents for the competition you are officiating. Local competition regulations may add procedures, but cannot replace the applicable laws.
Futsal
Futsal uses its own laws and officiating team: referee, second referee, third referee and timekeeper where appointed. Do not apply 11-a-side procedures by default.
Futsal Laws 2025/26 · FIFA PDF ↗Law 5 · Referees (FA-hosted FIFA text) ↗Law 6 · Assistant referees (FA-hosted text) ↗
The linked FIFA book is the latest official edition located for this page; check FIFA for a newer release before a 2026/27 futsal competition.
Beach soccer
A separate FIFA code for a distinct format. Check its own laws, referee-team provisions and tournament regulations before taking charge.
Youth, small-sided & adapted games
Age-group, 7-a-side, walking football and adapted formats can use approved modifications. The organiser or national association’s rules for that competition control.
02 / Positioning & movement
Fixed reference.
Live adjustment.
IFAB describes practical positions and areas, not rigid coordinates. Keep play between you and the lead assistant where possible; adjust to the next phase, sight lines, and local guidance.
Referee · diagonal system
Work a flexible diagonal that keeps the ball, likely challenge and lead assistant in your field of view. Move with play; use acceleration to arrive close enough to judge without obstructing play.
- Choose an angle that reveals contact and space, not merely proximity.
- Stay outside players’ passing lanes; anticipate transitions before the ball turns over.
- After a stoppage, scan players and restart position before moving to the next phase.
Assistant referee · line & scan
Stay level with the second-last opponent or the ball, whichever is nearer the goal line. Move side-to-side along the touchline, facing the field, with short adjustments as the defensive line moves.
- At a corner: goal-line level, behind the flag, without obstructing the kicker.
- At a free kick: second-last-defender line; be ready to follow a direct shot.
- On a goal: eye contact; if clear, sprint 25–30 m toward halfway without flagging.
Restarts · precise reference points
Set a clear reference point, then adjust as the ball becomes live. Referee and assistant responsibilities change with the restart and available technology.
- Goal kick: check correct placement, then take the offside line.
- Goalkeeper release: monitor the penalty-area edge, then move to the offside line.
- Penalty: normally goal-line/penalty-area intersection; IFAB gives technology-dependent alternatives.
Teamwork · communicate early
Eye contact and discreet signals often suffice. Consult directly when needed, facing the field; the nearest assistant may enter during mass confrontation, while the other observes and records.
- For required distance at a nearby free kick, assist only as agreed with the referee.
- For substitutions without a fourth official, assist at halfway and return before restart.
- Record incidents and report them to the appropriate competition authority.
Official positioning guidance
These notes condense IFAB practical guidance. Open the source for diagrams, penalty kicks, shoot-outs, substitutions, goal/no-goal and further situations.
Positioning with the ball in play
FIFA’s 2025/26 practical guidelines recommend using a diagonal system outside and parallel to the touchlines. Keep play between the referee and second referee: the official nearest the ball controls the action area while the other scans the influence area and likely next phase. Both officials face the pitch; enter only to improve the view without interfering.
Dynamic reference: one referee should generally be level with, or behind, the second-last defender or the ball if it is closer to the goal line. As possession changes, both officials adjust together to preserve the diagonal and opposite-side coverage.
Restarts: at kick-off, one referee is on the substitution-zone touchline, 1 m from halfway on the kicking team’s side; the other is opposite, level with the second-last defender. For goalkeeper release/goal clearance, one referee monitors the goalkeeper, penalty-area entry and four-second count, then both move to suitable coverage.
FIFA also advises adapting positions to the match and teams; restart diagrams and further situations are in the linked 2025/26 book, pp. 137–156.
Beach soccer uses its own referee-team laws and positioning. The official FIFA beach-soccer law book is linked above; this study desk does not transpose 11-a-side or futsal positioning to beach soccer.
03 / Post-match reporting
55 associations.
One honest directory.
Search your association to find its official referee or administration destination. Access usually depends on your appointment, competition and login.
Important about “working” report links
Only a few associations publish a publicly verifiable submission route; many use private, league-specific systems. Where an actual report portal could not be independently confirmed, this directory links the official association and marks that limitation instead of inventing a form. Confirm the correct workflow with your competition administrator.
55 associations
Member list: UEFA’s official directory (55 member associations). Portal links and status are checked editorially and may change; access can require credentials.