FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game

The authority of the assistant referees

Two assistant referees may be appointed (a third referee and a timekeeper) who must perform their duties in accordance with the Futsal Laws of the Game. They are positioned off the pitch, level with the halfway line and on the same side as the substitution zones.

The timekeeper remains seated at the timekeeper's table, while the third referee may perform his duties either seated or standing up. The timekeeper and the third referee are equipped with a suitable chronometer and the necessary equipment to keep a record of accumulated fouls, which is supplied by the association or club under whose jurisdiction the match is being played.

They are provided with a timekeeper's table in order to perform their duties correctly.

Powers and duties

The third referee:

• assists the referees and the timekeeper
• keeps a record of the players taking part in the match
• monitors the replacement of balls at the request of the referees
• checks the substitutes' equipment before they enter the pitch
• records the goalscorers' numbers
• informs the timekeeper of a request for a time-out when a team official makes one (see Law 7 - The Duration of the Match)
• gives the mandatory time-out signal once the timekeeper has sounded the acoustic signal, to inform the referees and the teams that the time-out has been granted
• keeps a record of the time-outs requested
• keeps a record of the accumulated fouls by each team signalled by the referees in each period of play
• gives the mandatory signal that one team has committed five accumulated fouls in a period of play
• places a visible sign on the timekeeper's table to indicate that a team has committed five accumulated fouls in one period of play
• records the names and numbers of any players cautioned or sent off
• hands a document to the officials of each team before the start of each period of play with which they can request time-outs and collects it at the end of each period if none have been requested

• hands a document to the officials of each team which indicates when a substitute can enter the pitch to replace a player who has been sent off

• under the referees' supervision, monitors the entry of a player who has left the pitch to correct his equipment
• under the referees' supervision, monitors the entry of a player who has left the pitch due to an injury of any kind
• signals to the referees when an obvious error has been made in cautioning or sending off a player or if an act of violence has been committed out of their range of vision. In any case, the referees decide on any facts connected with play 
• supervises the conduct of the persons situated in the technical area, if any, and on the benches and informs the referees of any inappropriate behaviour
• keeps a record of stoppages in play because of outside interference and the reasons for them
• provides any other information relevant to the game
• positions himself on the pitch as described in the section of the FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game entitled "Positioning in ball out of play situations", which is part of the "Interpretation of the Futsal Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees" (Law 5 - The Referees), when he is required to do so
• replaces the second referee in the event that the referee or second referee becomes injured or indisposed

The timekeeper ensures that the duration of the match complies with the provisions of Law 7 by:

• starting the chronometer after a kick-off has been taken correctly
• stopping the chronometer when the ball is out of play
• restarting it after play has been correctly resumed after a kick-in, a goal clearance, a corner kick or kick-off, a free kick, kicks from the penalty mark or second penalty mark or a dropped ball
• records the goals, accumulated fouls and periods of play on the public scoreboard, if available
• indicates a team's request for a time-out with a whistle or acoustic signal distinct from the one used by the referees, after the third referee has informed him
• times the one-minute time-out 
• indicates the end of the one-minute time-out with a different whistle or acoustic signal from those used by the referees
• indicates the fifth accumulated foul by a team with a different whistle or acoustic signal from the one used by the referees, after the third referee has informed him 
• times a player's two-minute expulsion 
• indicates the end of the first half, the end of the match or the end of the periods of extra time, if any, with a different whistle or acoustic signal from the one used by the referees
• positions himself on the pitch as described in the section of the FIFA Futsal Laws of the Game entitled "Positioning in ball out of play situations", which is part of the "Interpretation of the Futsal Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees" (Law 5 - The Referees), when he is required to do so •   performs the specific duties of the third referee in the event of the latter's absence
• provides any other information relevant to the game

International matches

For international matches, the presence of a third referee and a timekeeper is mandatory. For international matches, the chronometer used must incorporate all the necessary functions (precise timekeeping, a device to time the two-minute expulsion of four players simultaneously and monitor the accumulation of fouls by each team during each period of play).