The last original MLS referee to retire

Former FIFA referee Kevin Stott will end his 27-year career in MLS at the age of 55. The longest-tenured professional referee in the US Soccer history and the last continuing serving player, coach or referee from the MLS inaugural 1996 season has announced his retirement at the end of this regular MLS.

Stott refereed his first MLS match, Dallas Burn – Kansas City Wiz, on 18 April 1996 and his last game will be LA Galaxy – Real Salt Lake, on 1 October 2022. He is the all-time leader in MLS matches with 595 appearances: 422 referee, 91 fourth official and 82 video match official appointments. Stott refereed the MLS Cup in 2001, 2005 and 2009, in addition to the US Open Cup Final in 2000 and the first ever MLS All-Star Game in the inaugural 1996 season. He also have the remarkable streak of refereeing an MLS Cup play-off game in every season (26) of the league’s history.

As international referee (1995-2008), Stott was a support official at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and refereed matches at the U-20 World Cups 2001 and 2003, as well as the U-17 World Cup 2005. He refereed many World Cup Qualifiers, Gold Cup matches, and Concacaf club competitions. Stott intends to continue his career for a few seasons as a VAR.

Source: PSRA

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Qualifiers – UEFA Play-offs (Round 1)

6 October 2022

Portugal – Belgium
Referee: Kateryna Monzul (UKR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Maryna Striletska (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Hrushko (UKR)
Fourth Official: Ivana Projkovska (MKD)
VAR: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
AVAR: Daniele Doveri (ITA)
Referee Assessor: Maria Villa Gutierrez (ESP)

Wales – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Referee: Marta Huerta de Aza (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Olatz Rivera Olmedo (ESP)
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)
AVAR: Xavier Estrada Fernandez (ESP)
Referee Assessor: Kirsi Heikkinen (FIN)

Scotland – Austria
Referee: Jana Adamkova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Maria Sukenikova (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Chrysoula Kourompylia (GRE)
Fourth Official: Monika Mularczyk (POL)
VAR: Sascha Stegemann (GER)
AVAR: Pascal Müller (GER)
Referee Assessor: Ausra Kance (LTU)

UEFA Youth League 2022/2023 – Group Stage (Matchday 3)

4 October 2022 

Liverpool FC – Rangers FC
Referee: Balazs Berke (HUN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Balazs Szert (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Bence Belicza (HUN)
Fourth Official: Benjamin Speedie (ENG)
Referee Observer: Peter Sippel (GER)

Bayern München – Viktoria Plzen
Referee: Saiat Qarabaev (KAZ)
Assistant Referee 1: Evgenii Belskii (KAZ)
Assistant Referee 2: Samat Tergeysizov (KAZ)
Fourth Official: Patrick Hanslbauer (GER)
Referee Observer: Robert Schörgenhofer (AUT)

FC Porto – Bayer Leverkusen
Referee: Evangelos Manouchos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Tryfon Petropoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Konstantinos Nikolaidis (GRE)
Fourth Official: David Silva (POR)
Referee Observer: Lucilio Batista (POR)

Olympique de Marseille – Sporting CP
Referee: Kaspar Sjöberg (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Svensson (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Marcus Klitte (SWE)
Fourth Official: Faouzi Benchabane (FRA)
Referee Observer: Stephane Lannoy (FRA)

Eintracht Frankfurt – Tottenham Hotspur
Referee: Miloš Gigović (BIH)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandar Smiljanić (BIH)
Assistant Referee 2: Goran Dujak (BIH)
Fourth Official: Timo Gerach (GER)
Referee Observer: Alexandru Deaconu (ROU)

Juventus – Maccabi Haifa
Referee: Christian Ciochirca (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Witschnigg (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Trampusch (AUT)
Fourth Official: Matteo Gualtieri (ITA)
Referee Observer: Alfredo Trentalange (ITA)

AFC Ajax – SSC Napoli
Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Bartosz Kaszynski (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Michal Sobczak (POL)
Fourth Official: Erwin Blank (NED)
Referee Observer: Kevin Parry (WAL)

Club Brugge – Atletico de Madrid
Referee: Kristoffer Hagenes (NOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Anders Dale (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Oystein Ytterland (NOR)
Fourth Official: Jordy Vermeire (BEL)
Referee Observer: Alain Hamer (LUX)

Inter Milano – FC Barcelona
Referee: Sander van der Eijk (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Rens Bluemink (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Roy de Nas (NED)
Fourth Official: Alberto Santoro (ITA)
Referee Observer: Francesco Bianchi (SUI)

5 October 2022
RB Leipzig – Celtic FC
Referee: Walter Altmann (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Staudinger (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner (AUT)
Fourth Official: Richard Hempel (GER)
Referee Observer: Miroslav Tulinger (CZE)

Real Madrid – Shakhtar Donetsk
Referee: Eldorjan Hamiti (ALB)
Assistant Referee 1: Rejdi Zaimi (ALB)
Assistant Referee 2: Feliks Kolleshi (ALB)
Fourth Official: Pedro Munoz Piedra (ESP)
Referee Observer: Jan Wegereef (NED)

FC Salzburg – GNK Dinamo
Referee: Tomaš Klíma (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Lukaš Machač (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Michal Volf (CZE)
Fourth Official: Stefan Ebner (AUT)
Referee Observer: Ladislav Gadoši (SVK)

Chelsea FC – AC Milan
Referee: Cesar Soto Grado (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Carlos Alvarez Fernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Ignacio Alonso Lopez (ESP)
Fourth Official: John Busby (ENG)
Referee Observer: Stephen Tanner (ENG)

Manchester City – FC Cobenhagen
Referee: Jasmin Sabotic (LUX)
Assistant Referee 1: David Santos (LUX)
Assistant Referee 2: Dani Balsa (LUX)
Fourth Official: Anthony Backhouse (ENG)
Referee Observer: Ian Stokes (IRL)

Sevilla FC – Borussia Dortmund
Referee: Miloš Bošković (MNE)
Assistant Referee 1: Srdjan Jovanović (MNE)
Assistant Referee 2: Nikola Radulović (MNE)
Fourth Official: Abraham Dominguez Cervantes (ESP)
Referee Observer: Carlos Clos Gomez (ESP)

SL Benfica – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Henrik Nalbandyan (ARM)
Assistant Referee 1: Mesrop Ghazaryan (ARM)
Assistant Referee 2: Atom Sevgulyan (ARM)
Fourth Official: Bruno Vieira (POR)
Referee Observer: Vitor Melo Pereira (POR)

UEFA Youth League 2022/2023 – Domestic Champions Path (Round 1, Second Leg)

4 October 2022 

Qabala IK – Hajduk Split
Referee: Arda Kardeşler (TUR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Tugral (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Süleyman Özay (TUR)
Fourth Official: Kamal Umudlu (AZE)
Referee Observer: Asim Xudiyev (AZE)

Shamrock Rovers – AZ Alkmaar
Referee: Urs Schnyder (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Jonas Erni (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Benjamin Zürcher (SUI)
Referee Observer: David Malcolm (NIR)

5 October 2022
FS Jelgava – MTK Budapest
Referee: Georgi Davidov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 1: Deniz Sokolov (BUL)
Assistant Referee 2: Miroslav Ivanov (BUL)
Fourth Official: Aleksandrs Anufrijevs (LVA)
Referee Observer: Nerijus Dunauskas (LTU)

Slavia Praha – KRC Genk
Referee: Luka Bilbija (BIH)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Tešanović (BIH)
Assistant Referee 2: Moamer Čaušević (BIH)
Fourth Official: Marek Radina (CZE)
Referee Observer: Vladimir Medved (SVK)

Pobeda Prilep – Coleraine FC
Referee: Sven Jablonski (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christof Günsch (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Eric Müller (GER)
Fourth Official: Marjan Dejanoski (MKD)
Referee Observer: Dimitar Mečkarovski (MKD)

KF Apolonia – Astana FK
Referee: Amine Kourgheli (BLR)
Assistant Referee 1: Juryj Chomčanka (BLR)
Assistant Referee 2: Viktar Hiecikaŭ (BLR)
Fourth Official: Kreshnik Cjapi (ALB)
Referee Observer: Albano Janku (ALB)

Galatasaray – AFK Csikszereda
Referee: Robert Hennessy (IRL)
Assistant Referee 1: Dermot Broughton (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Emmett Dynan (IRL)
Fourth Official: Can Cengiz (TUR)
Referee Observer: Bariş Şimşek (TUR)

Omonia Lefkosias – Crvena Zvezda
Referee: Ishmael Barbara (MLT)
Assistant Referee 1: Duncan Sultana (MLT)
Assistant Referee 2: Duncan Spencer (MLT)
Fourth Official: Ioannis Christodoulou (CYP)
Referee Observer: Christos Nikolaidis (CYP)

Pyunik FA – FC Nantes
Referee: Michal Očenaš (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaš Vorel (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Dušan Štofik (SVK)
Fourth Official: Artem Gasparyan (ARM)
Referee Observer: Vencel Tóth (HUN)

Slavia Sofia – Panathinaikos
Referee: Alessandro Dudic (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Alain Heiniger (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Köbeli (SUI)
Fourth Official: Ivo Andreev (BUL)
Referee Observer: Kostadin Gerginov (BUL)

NK Domžale – BSC Young Boys
Referee: Miloš Savović (MNE)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandar Djikanović (MNE)
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Bogdanović (MNE)
Fourth Official: Denis Šabanagić (SVN)
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović-Šimunović (CRO)

AS Trencin – Zalgiris Vilnius
Referee: Andrei Chivulete (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Mihai Marica (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Ferencz Tunyogy (ROU)
Fourth Official: Martin Dohal (SVK)
Referee Observer: Michal Beneš (CZE)

Zaglebie Lubin – Rukh Lviv
Referee: Ashot Ghaltakhchyan (ARM)
Assistant Referee 1: Sargis Hovhannisyan (ARM)
Assistant Referee 2: Gevorg Shakhkaldyan (ARM)
Fourth Official: Sebastian Tarnowski (POL)
Referee Observer: Robert Malek (POL)

Union Lëtzebuerg – AIK
Referee: Jan Machalek (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Marek Podany (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Hurych (CZE)
Fourth Official: Jeremy Muller (LUX)
Referee Observer: Guy Goethals (BEL)

Hibernian – Molde
Referee: Helgi Jonasson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 1: Kristjan Olafs (ISL)
Assistant Referee 2: Eysteinn Hrafnkelsson (ISL)
Fourth Official: Peter Stuart (SCO)
Referee Observer: Jens Larsen (DEN)

12 October 2022
Borac Banja Luka – Ashdod FC
Referee: David Munro (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: Ross McLeod (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Sean Carr (SCO)
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigović (BIH)
Referee Observer: Draženko Kovačić (CRO)

Ferrieri Caputi to become first female referee in Serie A

Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi will become the first woman official to take charge of a Serie A match when Sassuolo host Salernitana on Sunday, announced the Italian Referees Association (AIA).

The 31-year-old Ferrieri Caputi was promoted to the Italian league's refereeing pool for this season. She became the first female to referee a match involving a Serie A team last year, in Cagliari’s Italian Cup match against Cittadella. She disallowed three goals during that game. “It’s not an ordinary day and I’m also moved by it,” said Alfredo Trentalange, president of the Italian Referees Association. “Maria Sole will debut in Serie A on merit, without any shortcuts, for her ability and skills. We are about to experience a historic moment after more than 110 years. We thank those who believed in her. We are not granting any privileges; Maria Sole earned this step.”

Ferrieri Caputi became referee in 2007, working in the provincial and regional leagues, before she started officiating Serie D matches in 2015. Her next step came in 2019 when she oversaw two Women's European Championship qualifying games and, the following year, began refereeing Serie C matches. She also refereed a Serie B match last year, between Cittadella and Spal, a few months after Maria Marotta became the first female to officiate a second-division match in Italy.

Source: Reuters

CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final 2022: Roldan (COL)

1 October 2022

Sao Paulo – Independiente del Valle
Referee: Wilmar Roldan (COL, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexander Guzman (COL)
Assistant Referee 2: Wilmar Navarro (COL)
Fourth Official: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
Reserve AR: Carlos Lopez (VEN)
VAR: Julio Bascunan (CHI)
AVAR 1: Juan Lara (CHI)
AVAR 2: John Leon (COL)
AVAR 3: Leodan Gonzalez (URU) 

Referee Assessor: Jose Buitrago (COL)

Highest paid referees in the world

Who would want to be a referee? Is the constant abuse from fans, players, and coaches worth it? Well, actually, yes. It turns out it is. Elite sport is big business, so it’s only fair that the men and women tasked with keeping global sporting superstars in check get paid accordingly. But how much do the officials in different sports get paid? And which referee is the highest paid in the world?

NBA referees fly high

The highest-paid referees of any sport are those in the NBA, the world’s biggest basketball league. Elite NBA refs like James Capers have a reported salary of $550,000, with the chance to earn more by officiating playoff games. Even without post-season games included, the average salary of an NBA ref is $375,000. Capers, who was the officiating crew chief for Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals, has over 24 seasons refereeing in the NBA and has worked on 135 playoff games in total, so he has more than earned his stripes. Like any profession, the highest-paid NBA refs are those who have been in the league the longest and have the most experience, something Capers has in abundance. It’s estimated that top NBA refs take home $5,000 per playoff game they cover, and James Capers took 12 in the 2021-21 season, the most of any NBA crew chief. This puts his total salary at $610,000 for the season and likely makes him the richest referee in the world at the moment. Not too shabby.

Referees with ice in their veins

The NHL has some of the most fast-paced, physical action in all professional sports, so referees have their work cut out. As such, they are paid well and have excellent perks and conditions. Base salaries for NHL refs range from $200,000 to $430,000, with an extra $27,000 per round worked in the playoffs. NHL refereeing veteran Kevin Pollock has over 20 years of experience in the NHL and has officiated over 200 playoff games throughout his career. His estimated salary is a cool $500,000, but this doesn’t come without risk. In the Covid-hit 2020 NHL season, Pollock was smacked in the face by a puck during the playoffs. He suffered a fractured jaw, 15 stitches, and lost several teeth… Ouch.

Home run for MLB officials

Third on our list of highest-paid sports officials are umpires in Major League Baseball. They take home an impressive average salary of $235,000. Joe West, the highest paid MLB umpire, takes home a huge annual salary of $450,000. Impressive, right? But before you start applying to the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation about their training program, you might want to think it through. Not only is becoming an MLB umpire extremely difficult to get into (there are only 70 umpires in the league and most have decades of experience before making it professionally), the sheer workload is enough to put even the biggest baseball fan off. MLB umpires work 162 games per season and must watch each moment with total concentration. Baseball games last around 3 hours, so that’s nearly 500 hours of intense action per season for umpires. Due to the enormous workload, MLB umpires average just $1,500 per game, which is one of the lowest in all major sports leagues.

Soccer’s leading referees

Soccer is undoubtedly one of the biggest sports in the world. In terms of global viewership of sporting events, the FIFA World Cup comes second only to the Summer Olympics. So, it makes sense that soccer referees are some of the highest paid in the world, right? Well, a lot of the time, no. But, there are some exceptions, like in La Liga, Spain. The elite division of Spanish football reportedly pays referees a basic salary of €250,000 ($245,000) with a match fee of €6,000 ($5,900). This makes them the highest-paid soccer referees in the world. In the 2021-22 season, Spanish ref Carlos del Cerro Grande took 19 games in La Liga, which would have given him a domestic salary of €358,000 ($351,000). However, this isn’t the only chance European soccer referees get to earn. The cream of the crop is invited to take games in European competitions, including the Champions League. UEFA, soccer’s governing body in Europe, has ‘classes’ of referees, and those considered elite are paid a whopping £10,000 ($11,269) per match. Carlos del Cerro Grande falls into this category. In the 2021-22 season, he took charge of eight European games, taking his salary for the season to just over $450,000. La Liga referees are paid the most of any major European league and far more than their colleagues in the English Premier League. Premier League referees are given a basic wage between £38,500 ($43,400) and £42,000 ($47,320) and then receive an extra £1,150 ($1,295) per match they officiate. This means across a season, Premier League referees make around £70,000 ($78,839) on average. English referee Anthony Taylor, also on UEFA’s elite list, refereed eight European games in the 2021/22 season, so his salary would have been around £150,000 ($169,000). While still very significant, this salary is nearly $300,000 less than his Spanish counterpart, Del Cerro Grande.

America’s game but not America’s best paid refs

Although the NFL has never officially released referee salary information, it was reported in 2019 that referees made an average of $205,000 per season. This number was a $50k increase on reported salaries in 2018, so there is a possibility it has risen again ahead of the 2022/23 NFL season. Experienced referees earn big bonuses for taking extra post-season games, including the Super Bowl. Officiating legend Walt Anderson made an estimated $250,000 in 2019, his final year of refereeing. Not bad, right? Even considering some of the explosive atmospheres that refs face.

Compared to average salaries, referees in elite sports worldwide get paid exceptionally well. Even starting salaries for refs run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, so we can see the appeal. But, just like elite athletes, making the cut as an elite referee is tough. It takes a lifetime of dedication and commitment to a sport, and significant financial rewards exist for those who make it to the big leagues.

Source: Casino

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2022/2023 – Second Round (Second Leg)

28-29 September 2022

Slavia Praha – Valur Reykjavik
Referee: Eszter Urban (HUN, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Anita Vad (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Petra Nagy (HUN)
Fourth Official: Reka Bognar (HUN)
Referee Observer: Christine Frai (GER)

KFF Vllaznia – Zhytlobud Kharkiv
Referee: Lucie Šulcova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 1: Nikola Šafrankova (CZE)
Assistant Referee 2: Zuzana Špindlerova (CZE)
Fourth Official: Jana Adamkova (CZE)
Referee Observer: Anri Saarivainio (FIN)

FC Rosengard – Brann Kvinner
Referee: Ewa Augustyn (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Paulina Baranowska (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandra Ulanowska (POL)
Fourth Official: Monika Mularczyk (POL)
Referee Observer: Rhona Coombes (IRL)

BK Häcken – Paris St. Germain
Referee: Ivana Projkovska (MKD)
Assistant Referee 1: Vjolca Izeiri (MKD)
Assistant Referee 2: Elena Soklevska-Ilievski (MKD)
Fourth Official: Irena Velevačkoska-Ristevski (MKD)
Referee Observer: Carina Vitulano (ITA)

AFC Ajax – Arsenal WFC
Referee: Marta Huerta De Aza (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Eliana Fernandez Gonzalez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Maria Martinez Madrona (ESP)
Referee Observer: Elke Günther (GER)

SKN St. Pölten – KuPS Kuopio
Referee: Shona Shukrula (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Nicolet Bakker (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Martha Boer (NED)
Fourth Official: Marisca Overtoom (NED)
Referee Observer: Gitte Holm (DEN)

FC Zürich Frauen – SFK Sarajevo
Referee: Reelika Turi (EST)
Assistant Referee 1: Karolin Kaivoja (EST)
Assistant Referee 2: Helen Käosaar (EST)
Fourth Official: Triinu Vaher (EST)
Referee Observer: Ingrid Jonsson (SWE)

Real Madrid – Rosenborg Kvinner
Referee: Rebecca Welch (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Natalie Aspinall (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Franca Overtoom (NED)
Fourth Official: Emily Heaslip (ENG)

SL Benfica – Rangers LFC
Referee: Marina Živković (SRB)
Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandra Stojanac (SRB)
Assistant Referee 2: Zorica Žujović (SRB)
Fourth Official: Jasmina Mickoska (SRB)
Referee Observer: Lilach Asulin (ISR)

Juventus FC – HB Koge
Referee: Abigail Byrne (ENG)
Assistant Referee 1: Lisa Rashid (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Georgia Ball (ENG)
Fourth Official: Louise Saunders (ENG)
Referee Observer: Jenny Palmqvist (SWE)

AS Roma – Sparta Praha
Referee: Jelena Medjedović (SRB)
Assistant Referee 1: Ivana Jovanović (SRB)
Assistant Referee 2: Bojana Šćepanović (SRB)
Fourth Official: Milica Milovanović (SRB)
Referee Observer: Irina Mîrț (ROU)

Bayern München – Real Sociedad
Referee: Tess Olofsson (SWE)
Assistant Referee 1: Polyxeni Irodótou (CYP)
Assistant Referee 2: Almira Spahic (SWE)
Fourth Official: Eva Svärdsudd (SWE)
Referee Observer: Gyöngyi Gaal (HUN)

Hottest female football referees

1. Fernanda Colombo Uliana (Brazil)

Latin American model, before turning pro football referee, she was born in Southern Brazil and became famous during the World Cup 2014. Later, she got selected as match official for Copa do Brazil.

2. Claudia Umpierrez (Uruguay)

Uruguayan referee and lawyer by profession, Umpierrez had been working with FIFA since 2010 and in 2016 become the first woman referee in the Uruguayan football. The 39-year-old completed her job as a pro-official in the Uruguayan Second and First Division.

3. Claudia Romani (Italy)

Qualified to referee in the Serie A and B matches, Claudia Romani is among the hottest football referees currently active in the world.

4. Aurelie Sara Bollier (Switzerland)

Currently a full-time referee in Swiss amateur leagues and hopeful to make her career prominent, she gets huge fan following due to her pretty looks.

5. Elena Tambini (Italy)

A part-time model and part of the lower leagues as match official, Elena is looking forward to make a success debut in the top tier league of Serie A and B.

6. Katie Patterson (Australia)

An Australian businesswoman and match official, Patterson became the first female referee of A-League in 2015. Patterson officiated the 2015 FFA Cup match between Rockdale City Suns and Melbourne Victory.

7. Lucy Oliver (England)

Oliver is a professional referee for the women football league in the United Kingdom. She is married to the Premier League official Michael Oliver since 2015. She wants to see more girls get involved in refereeing as she looks to make it a level playing field.

8. Denise Bueno (Brazil)

A model turned assistant referee who recently joined the Brazil football league. She is the hottest female football referee currently active in Brazil.

Source: Total

UEFA Nations League 2022/2023 – Group Stage (Matchday 6)

25-27 September 2022

League A

Netherlands – Belgium
Referee: Anthony Taylor (ENG, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Gary Beswick (ENG)
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Nunn (ENG)
Fourth Official: Craig Pawson (ENG)
VAR: Stuart Attwell (ENG)
AVAR: Lee Betts (ENG)
Referee Observer: Jouni Hyytia (FIN)

Austria – Croatia
Referee: Artur Dias (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Rui Tavares (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulo Soares (POR)
Fourth Official: Gustavo Correia (POR)
VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
AVAR: Fabio Verissimo (POR)
Referee Observer: Michael Ross (NIR)

Wales – Poland
Referee: Andris Treimanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 1: Haralds Gudermanis (LVA)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksejs Spasjoņņikovs (LVA)
Fourth Official: Aleksandrs Golubevs (LVA)
VAR: Paolo Valeri (ITA)
AVAR: Giovanni Baccini (ITA)
Referee Observer: Marian Ruzbarsky (SVK)

Denmark – France
Referee: Istvan Kovacs (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Vasile Marinescu (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Ovidiu Artene (ROU)
Fourth Official: Catalin Popa (ROU)
VAR: Christian Dingert (GER)
AVAR: Ovidiu Haţegan (ROU)
Referee Observer: Luc Wouters (BEL)

England – Germany
Referee: Danny Makkelie (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Hessel Steegstra (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan de Vries (NED)
Fourth Official: Sander Van Der Eijk (NED)
VAR: Pol van Boekel (NED)
AVAR: Jeroen Manschot (NED)
Referee Observer: Christopher Lautier (MLT)

Hungary – Italy
Referee: Benoît Bastien (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Hicham Zakrani (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Aurelien Berthomieu (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremie Pignard (FRA)
VAR: Benoît Millot (FRA)
AVAR: Bastien Dechepy (FRA)
Referee Observer: Albano Janku (ALB)

Switzerland – Czech Republic
Referee: Irfan Peljto (BIH)
Assistant Referee 1: Amer Macić (BIH)
Assistant Referee 2: Davor Beljo (BIH)
Fourth Official: Miloš Gigovic (BIH)
VAR: Marco Guida (ITA)
AVAR: Alessandro Costanzo (ITA)
Referee Observer: Vladimir Sajn (SVN)

Portugal – Spain
Referee: Daniele Orsato (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Ciro Carbone (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alessandro Giallatini (ITA)
Fourth Official: Daniele Doveri (ITA)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
AVAR: Giorgio Peretti (ITA)
Referee Observer: Kostadin Gerginov (BUL)

League B

Montenegro – Finland
Referee: François Letexier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Cyril Mugnier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Mehdi Rahmoni (FRA)
Fourth Official: Jeremy Stinat (FRA)
VAR: Willy Delajod (FRA)
AVAR: Pierre Gaillouste (FRA)
Referee Observer: Bernardino Gonzalez Vazquez (ESP)

Romania – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Referee: Halil Umut Meler (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Cevdet Komurcuoglu (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Ibrahim Uyarcan (TUR)
Fourth Official: Yasar Ugurlu (TUR)
VAR: Mete Kalkavan (TUR)
AVAR: Abdulkadir Bitigen (TUR)
Referee Observer: Viktor Shvetsov (UKR)

Ukraine – Scotland
Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Polychronis Kostaras (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Lazaros Dimitriadis (GRE)
Fourth Official: Aristotelis Diamantopoulos (GRE)
VAR: Angelos Evangelou (GRE)
AVAR: Ioannis Papadopoulos (GRE)
Referee Observer: David Fernandez Borbalan (ESP)

Ireland – Armenia
Referee: Rade Obrenovic (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jure Praprotnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Grega Kordez (SVN)
Fourth Official: David Smajc (SVN)
VAR: Matej Jug (SVN)
AVAR: Alen Borošak (SVN)
Referee Observer: Martin Ingvarsson (SWE)

Sweden – Slovenia
Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Achmüller (GER)
Fourth Official: Sven Jablonski (GER)
VAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
AVAR: Christian Dingert (GER)
Referee Observer: Igor Satchi (MDA)

Albania – Iceland
Referee: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Iker De Francisco Grijalba (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Jon Nunez Fernandez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes (ESP)
VAR: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)
AVAR: Jose Gonzalez Gonzalez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Michael Riley (ENG)

Norway – Serbia
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Pau Cebrian Devis (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Roberto Diaz Perez (ESP)
Fourth Official: Jose Munuera Montero (ESP)
VAR: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
AVAR: Xavier Estrada Fernandez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Shmuel Shteif (ISR)

League C

Slovakia – Belarus
Referee: Nikola Dabanović (MNE)
Assistant Referee 1: Milovan Djukić (MNE)
Assistant Referee 2: Vladan Todorović (MNE)
Fourth Official: Miloš Bošković (MNE)
VAR: Duje Strukan (CRO)
AVAR: Fran Jovic (CRO)
Referee Observer: Nicola Rizzoli (ITA)

Azerbaijan – Kazakhstan
Referee: Harm Osmers (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Kempter (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Dominik Schaal (GER)
Fourth Official: Martin Petersen (GER)
VAR: Benjamin Brand (GER)
AVAR: Pascal Müller (GER)
Referee Observer: Manuel Diaz Vega (ESP)

Luxembourg – Lithuania
Referee: Giorgi Kruashvili (GEO)
Assistant Referee 1: Levan Varamishvili (GEO)
Assistant Referee 2: Zaza Pipia (GEO)
Fourth Official: Aleko Aptsiauri (GEO)
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
AVAR: Krzysztof Myrmus (POL)
Referee Observer: Martin Hansson (SWE)

Faroe Islands – Turkey
Referee: Serhiy Boiko (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Dmytro Zaporozhenko (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Sergii Prystupa (UKR)
Fourth Official: Anatoliy Abdula (UKR)
VAR: Luca Pairetto (ITA)
AVAR: Mauro Galetto (ITA)
Referee Observer: Kevin Parry (WAL)

North Macedonia – Bulgaria
Referee: Julian Weinberger (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Maximilian Kolbitsch (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Michael Obritzberger (AUT)
Fourth Official: Alexander Harkam (AUT)
VAR: Christian Ciochirca (AUT)
AVAR: Alan Kijas (AUT)
Referee Observer: Tomasz Mikulski (POL)

Gibraltar – Georgia
Referee: Robert Harvey (IRL)
Assistant Referee 1: Robert Clarke (IRL)
Assistant Referee 2: Wayne McDonnell (IRL)
Fourth Official: Paul Mclaughlin (IRL)
VAR: David Coote (ENG)
AVAR: Constantine Hatzidakis (ENG)
Referee Observer: Nerijus Dunauskas (LTU)

Greece – Northern Ireland
Referee: Filip Glova (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Peter Bednar (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Daniel Polacek (SVK)
Fourth Official: Michal Ocenaš (SVK)
VAR: Tiago Martins (POR)
AVAR: Luis Godinho (POR)
Referee Observer: Domenico Messina (ITA)

Kosovo – Cyprus
Referee: Kristo Tohver (EST)
Assistant Referee 1: Silver Koiv (EST)
Assistant Referee 2: Sten Klaasen (EST)
Fourth Official: Juri Frischer (EST)
VAR: Gianluca Aureliano (ITA)
AVAR: Dario Cecconi (ITA)
Referee Observer: Ian Stokes (IRL)

League D

Andorra – Latvia
Referee: Anastasios Papapetrou (GRE)
Assistant Referee 1: Tryfon Petropoulos (GRE)
Assistant Referee 2: Iordanis Aptosoglou (GRE)
Fourth Official: Andreas Gamaris (GRE)
VAR: Angelos Evangelou (GRE)
AVAR: Evangelos Manouchos (GRE)
Referee Observer: Vitor Melo Pereira (POR)

Moldova – Liechtenstein
Referee: Stephanie Frappart (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Mikael Berchebru (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Erwan Finjean (FRA)
Fourth Official: Johan Hamel (FRA)
VAR: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
AVAR: Alessio Tolfo (ITA)
Referee Observer: Nuno Castro (POR)

San Marino – Estonia
Referee: Kateryna Monzul (UKR)
Assistant Referee 1: Maryna Striletska (UKR)
Assistant Referee 2: Svitlana Grushko (UKR)
Fourth Official: Anastasiya Romanyuk (UKR)
VAR: Dennis Higler (NED)
AVAR: Clay Ruperti (NED)
Referee Observer: Niklas a Lidarenda (FRO)

UEFA U-21 Euro 2023 Qualifiers – Play-offs (Second Leg)

27 September 2022

Ukraine – Slovakia
Referee: Rohit Saggi (NOR, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Geir Isaksen (NOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Morten Jensen (NOR)
Fourth Official: Sivert Amland (NOR)
Referee Observer: Plarent Kotherja (ALB)

Denmark – Croatia
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner (AUT)
Fourth Official: Walter Altmann (AUT)
Referee Observer: Karen Nalbandyan (ARM)

Czech Republic – Iceland
Referee: Morten Krogh (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Dennis Rasmussen (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Jesper Dahl (DEN)
Fourth Official: Peter Kjaersgaard (DEN)
Referee Observer: Drago Kos (SVN)

Israel – Ireland
Referee: Nathan Verboomen (BEL)
Assistant Referee 1: Mathias Hillaert (BEL)
Assistant Referee 2: Ruben Wyns (BEL)
Fourth Official: Erik Lambrechts (BEL)
Referee Observer: Stefan Messner (AUT)

CONMEBOL Libertadores Futsal 2022

Argentina, 24 September - 3 October 2022

Referees
1. Andres Pena (ARG)

2. Dario Santamaria (ARG, photo)
3. Henry Gutierrez (BOL)
4. Alberto Rios (BOL)
5. Ricardo Messa (BRA)
6. Anelize Schultz (BRA)
7. Christian Espindola (CHI)
8. Rodolfo Vera (CHI)
9. Yuri Garcia (COL)
10. Nilson Norena (COL)
11. Jaime Jativa (ECU)
12. Daniel Villacis (ECU)
13. Astrid Mendoza (PAR)
14. Bill Villalba (PAR)
15. Rolly Rojas (PER)
16. Ulises Ureta (PER)
17. Andres Martinez (URU)
18. Daniel Rodriguez (URU)
19. Junior Patino (VEN)
20. Felix Rumbos (VEN)

Head of Saudi referees to oversee match officials at World Cup 2022

FIFA has selected Uzbek Farhad Abdullah, head of Saudi Arabian Football Federation Referees Department, as a general supervisor of referees for the World Cup 2022, scheduled between November 20 and December 18, a source familiar with the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat.

About the absence of Saudi referees during the World Cups since the participation of former international referee Khalil Al Ghamdi in the 2006 and 2010, Farhad said “there are many steps that should be taken, and we should start with the local league. We must review the local performance before partaking in international games. A referee should manage important and competitive games in his country and gain the trust of the continental union before he leads World Cup games.” Farhad promised nothing about the participation of a Saudi referee in the World Cup 2026, noting that “we are working to ensure the comeback of Saudi referees, and we worked on their return to the local league.” The head of Saudi Arabian Referees Department denied what is being said about the confusion of Saudi referees in major games, and that it’s the reason behind the mistakes they commit during the matches, assuring that Saudi referees are qualified to lead important and competitive games. “We saw Saudi referees leading regional games in AFC contests, the semifinals of the AFC Champions League, and the semifinals of AFC Cup. Our referees are making a significant progress, which is reflected in their selection by the AFC for many games,” he said.

Source Awsat

International Friendly Matches – September 2022

21-27 September 2022

Qatar – Jamaica
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (AUT, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner (AUT)
Fourth Official: Gerhard Grobelnik (AUT)

Iran – Uruguay
Referee: Walter Altmann (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Staudinger (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Markus Gutschi (AUT)
Fourth Official: Alexander Harkam (AUT)

Venezuela – Iceland
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Riedel (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Maximilian Weiss (AUT)
Fourth Official: Alan Kijas (AUT)

UAE – Paraguay
Referee: Harald Lechner (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Maximilian Kolbitsch (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Santino Schreiner (AUT)
Fourth Official: Josef Spurny (AUT)

Qatar – Canada
Referee: Manuel Schüttengruber (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Brandner (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Steinacher (AUT)
Fourth Official: Julian Weinberger (AUT)

Senegal – Iran
Referee: Harald Lechner (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Heidenreich (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Sara Telek (AUT)
Fourth Official: Markus Hameter (AUT)

UAE – Venezuela
Referee: Manuel Schüttengruber (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Roland Brandner (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Robert Steinacher (AUT)
Fourth Official: Stefan Ebner (AUT)

Qatar – Chile
Referee: Julian Weinberger (AUT)
Assistant Referee 1: Andreas Witschnigg (AUT)
Assistant Referee 2: Maximilian Kolbitsch (AUT)
Fourth Official: Gerhard Grobelnik (AUT)

Brazil – Ghana
Referee: Mikael Lesage (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Alexis Auger (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Valentin Evrard (FRA)
Fourth Official: Guillaume Paradis (FRA)

Cote d’Ivoire – Togo
Referee: Aurelien Petit (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Bertrand Corcuff (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Djemel Zitouni (FRA)
Fourth Official: Antoine Valnet (FRA)

Senegal – Bolivia
Referee: Bastien Dechepy (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Brice Le Tellier (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Julien Aube (FRA)
Fourth Official: Gael Angoula (FRA)

Cote d’Ivoire – Guinea
Referee: Thomas Leonard (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Bastien Courbet (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Philippe Jeanne (FRA)
Fourth Official: Nicolas Rainville (FRA)

Brazil – Tunisia
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Guillaume Debart (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Aurelien Drouet (FRA)
Fourth Official: Hakim Ben Salem (FRA)

Tunisia – Comoros
Referee: Gabriel Henry (FRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Youssef El Hamzaoui (FRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Felicien Gazon (FRA)
Fourth Official: Julien Reynet (FRA)

Libya – Uganda
Referee: Mehrez Melki (TUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Gamal Saad (EGY)
Assistant Referee 2: Youssef Jemi (TUN)
Fourth Official: Ibrahim El Din (EGY)

San Marino – Seychelles
Referee: David Smajc (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: David Gabrovec (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandar Kasapovič (SVN)
Fourth Official: Alessandro Vandi (SMR)

Mexico – Paraguay
Referee: Nima Saghafi (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Frank Anderson (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Ian Anderson (USA)
Fourth Official: Daniel Gutierrez (USA)

Australia – New Zealand

Referee: Ryuji Sato (JPN)

Suriname – Nicaragua

Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (NED)

Assistant Referee 1: Joost van Zuilen (NED)

Assistant Referee 2: Johan Balder (NED)

Fourth Official: Sander van der Eijk (NED)

Japan – USA

Referee: Felix Zwayer (GER)

Assistant Referee 1: Stefan Lupp (GER)

Assistant Referee 2: Thorben Siewer (GER)

Fourth Official: Benjamin Cortus (GER)

Japan – Ecuador

Referee: Sascha Stegemann (GER)

Saudi Arabia – Ecuador
Referee: Ivan Bebek (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Goran Patak (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Marjan Tomas (CRO)
Fourth Official: Jose Martinez (ESP)

Morocco – Chile
Referee: Martin Dohal (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomas Vorel (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Tomas Straka (SVK)
Fourth Official: David Lopez (ESP)

Australia – New Zealand
Referee: Ryuji Sato (JPN)

Korea – Costa Rica
Referee: Alex King (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Nathan MacDonald (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Lindsay (AUS)
Fourth Official: Ko Hyung-Jin (KOR)

New Zealand – Australia
Referee: Yusuke Araki (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Jun Mihara (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Kota Watanabe (JPN)
Fourth Official: Ryuji Sato (JPN)

Hong Kong – Myanmar
Referee: Jumpei Iida (JPN)
Assistant Referee 1: Hiroshi Yamauchi (JPN)
Assistant Referee 2: Takumi Takagi (JPN)
Fourth Official: Sultan Al Hammadi (UAE)

Indonesia – Curaçao
Referee: Abdul Haidi (BRU)
Assistant Referee 1: Faisal Ali (BRU)
Assistant Referee 2: Kilar Ladsavong (LAO)
Fourth Official: Xaypaseth Phongsanit (LAO)

Congo DR – Burkina Faso
Referee: Samir Guezzaz (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Lahcen Azgaou (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdessamad Abertoune (MAR)
Fourth Official: Hamza El Fariq (MAR)

Rwanda – Equatorial Guinea
Referee: Karim Sabry (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Mustapha Akerkad (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Hamza Nassiri (MAR)
Fourth Official: Tarik Moutamani (MAR)

Egypt – Niger
Referee: Sadok Selmi (TUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Khalil Hassani (TUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Aymen Ismail (TUN)
Fourth Official: Youssef Essrairi (TUN)

Algeria – Guinea
Referee: Dahane Beida (MTN)
Assistant Referee 1: Youssef Mahmoud (MTN)
Assistant Referee 2: Hamedine Diba (MTN)
Fourth Official: Lahlou Benbraham (ALG)

South Africa – Sierra Leone
Referee: Janny Sikazwe (ZAM)
Assistant Referee 1: Diana Chikotesha (ZAM)
Assistant Referee 2: Chiwoyu Sinyangwe (ZAM)
Fourth Official: Thando Ndzandzeka (RSA)

Congo – Madagascar
Referee: Redouane Jiyed (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Lahcen Azgaou (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Abdessamad Abertoune (MAR)
Fourth Official: Yacine Dakhani (MAR)

Mauritania – Benin
Referee: Mustapha Kechaf (MAR)
Assistant Referee 1: Yahya Nouali (MAR)
Assistant Referee 2: Hicham Abbou (MAR)
Fourth Official: Karim Sabry (MAR)

Niger – Liberia
Referee: Ahmed Ghandour (EGY)
Assistant Referee 1: Wael Shabaan (EGY)
Assistant Referee 2: Alaa Abdelbaset (EGY)
Fourth Official: Hossam Abdel (EGY)

Argentina – Honduras
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Cameron Blanchard (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Megan Mullen (USA)
Fourth Official: Marcos De Oliveira (USA)

Colombia – Guatemala
Referee: Oscar Moncada (HON)
Assistant Referee 1: Logan Brown (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Cory Richardson (USA)
Fourth Official: Luis Arroyo (USA)

Mexico – Peru
Referee: Bryan Lopez (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Ian Anderson (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Frank Anderson (USA)
Fourth Official: Walter Lopez (GUA)

Grenada – St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Referee: Crystal Sobers (TRI)
Assistant Referee 1: Caleb Wales (TRI)
Assistant Referee 2: Ainsley Rochard (TRI)
Fourth Official: Cecile Hinds (TRI)

Colombia – Guatemala
Referee: Ismael Cornejo (SLV)
Assistant Referee 1: Logan Brown (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Cory Richardson (USA)
Fourth Official: Luis Arroyo (USA)

Peru – El Salvador
Referee: Benjamín Pineda (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Cory Richardson (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Jeremy Kieso (USA)
Fourth Official: Danielle Chesky (USA)

Mexico – Colombia
Referee: Nima Saghafi (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Ian Anderson (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Frank Anderson (USA)
Fourth Official: Michael Radchuk (USA)

Honduras – Guatemala
Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Corey Parker (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Kyle Atkins (USA)
Fourth Official: Elton Garcia (USA)

Jamaica – Argentina
Referee: Marco Ortiz (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Logan Brown (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Corey Rockwell (USA)
Fourth Official: Luis Arroyo (USA)

Uzbekistan – Costa Rica
Referee: Kim Dae-Yong (KOR)
Assistant Referee 1: Yoon Jae-Yeol (KOR)
Assistant Referee 2: Jang Jong-Pil (KOR)
Fourth Official: Park Se-Jin (KOR)

Ethiopia – Sudan
Referee: Hassan Hagi (SOM)
Assistant Referee 1: Nour Mohamed (SOM)
Assistant Referee 2: Mowlid Ali (SOM)
Fourth Official: Belay Tadesse (ETH)

Brunei – Laos
Referee: Thoriq Alkatiri (IDN)
Assistant Referee 1: Nurhadi Sulchan (IDN)
Assistant Referee 2: Azizul Alimmudin (IDN)
Fourth Official: Yudi Nurcahya (IDN)

UEFA Nations League 2022/2023 – Group Stage (Matchday 5)

22-24 September 2022

League A

France – Austria
Referee: Andreas Ekberg (SWE, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mehmet Culum (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2: Niklas Nyberg (SWE)
Fourth Official: Fredrik Klitte (SWE)
VAR: Jose Sanchez Martinez (ESP)
AVAR: Inigo Prieto Lopez (ESP)
Referee Observer: Cyril Zimmermann (SUI)

Poland – Netherlands
Referee: Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Jose Naranjo Perez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Diego Sanchez Rojo (ESP)
Fourth Official: Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes (ESP)
VAR: Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetchea (ESP)
AVAR: Santiago Jaime Latre (ESP)
Referee Observer: Michal Benes (CZE)

Belgium – Wales
Referee: Ali Palabiyik (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Serkan Olguncan (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Erdinç Sezertam (TUR)
Fourth Official: Hüseyin Göçek (TUR)
VAR: Mete Kalkavan (TUR)
AVAR: Abdulkadir Bitigen (TUR)
Referee Observer: Konrad Plautz (AUT)

Croatia – Denmark
Referee: Davide Massa (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Filippo Meli (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Stefano Alassio (ITA)
Fourth Official: Fabio Maresca (ITA)
VAR: Marco Di Bello (ITA)
AVAR: Alessandro Lo Cicero (ITA)
Referee Observer: Murat Ilgaz (TUR)

Germany – Hungary
Referee: Slavko Vinčić (SVN)
Assistant Referee 1: Tomaž Klančnik (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Andraž Kovačič (SVN)
Fourth Official: Nejc Kajtazovic (SVN)

VAR: Matej Jug (SVN)

AVAR: Dragoslav Perič (SVN)

Referee Observer: Michalis Argyrou (CYP) 

Italy – England

Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (ESP)

Assistant Referee 1: Diego Barbero Sevilla (ESP) 

Assistant Referee 2: Angel Nevado Rodriguez (ESP)

Fourth Official: Isidro Diaz de Mera (ESP)

VAR: Juan Martinez Munuera (ESP)

AVAR: Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva (ESP)

Referee Observer: Vladimir Petrov (UKR) 

Spain – Switzerland 

Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)

Assistant Referee 1: Nicolas Danos (FRA)

Assistant Referee 2: Cyril Gringore (FRA)

Fourth Official: Ruddy Buquet (FRA) 

VAR: Jerome Brisard (FRA)

AVAR: Thomas Leonard (FRA)

Referee Observer: Nicolae Grigorescu (ROU)

Czech Republic – Portugal

Referee: Srdjan Jovanović (SRB)

Assistant Referee 1: Uroš Stojković (SRB)

Assistant Referee 2: Milan Mihajlović (SRB)

Fourth Official: Novak Simović (SRB)

VAR: Bastian Dankert (GER)

AVAR: Katrin Rafalski (GER)

Referee Observer: Rene Temmink (NED) 

League B

Scotland – Ukraine
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Daniele Bindoni (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Alberto Tegoni (ITA)
Fourth Official: Michael Fabbri (ITA)
VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (ITA)
AVAR: Fabiano Preti (ITA)
Referee Observer: Bertrand Layec (FRA)

Finland – Romania
Referee: Carlos Del Cerro Grande (ESP)
Assistant Referee 1: Raul Cabanero Martinez (ESP)
Assistant Referee 2: Guadalupe Porras Ayuso (ESP)
Fourth Official: Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (ESP)

VAR: Xavier Estrada Fernandez (ESP)

AVAR: Jose Gonzalez Gonzalez (ESP)

Referee Observer: Haim Jakov (ISR) 

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro

Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)

Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)

Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)

Fourth Official: Tomasz Musial (POL) 

VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)

AVAR: Piotr Lasyk (POL)

Referee Observer: Alon Yefet (ISR) 

Armenia – Ukraine

Referee: Joao Pinheiro (POR)

Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Jesus (POR)

Assistant Referee 2: Luciano Maia (POR) 

Fourth Official: Andre Narciso (POR)

VAR: Luis Godinho (POR)

AVAR: Bruno Esteves (POR) 

Referee Observer: Terje Hauge (NOR)

Slovenia – Norway 

Referee: Lawrence Visser (BEL)

Assistant Referee 1: Rien Vanyzere (BEL) 

Assistant Referee 2: Thibaud Nijssen (BEL)

Fourth Official: Lothar D'Hondt (BEL)

VAR: Bram Van Driessche (BEL)

AVAR: Nathan Verboomen (BEL)

Referee Observer: Roberto Rosetti (ITA) 

Scotland – Ireland 

Referee: Sandro Schärer (SUI)

Assistant Referee 1: Stephane De Almeida (SUI)

Assistant Referee 2: Bekim Zogaj (SUI)

Fourth Official: Alain Bieri (SUI)

VAR: Fedayi San (SUI)

AVAR: Lukas Fähndrich (SUI)

Referee Observer: Igor Pristovnik (CRO)

Israel – Albania 

Referee: Donatas Rumsas (LTU) 

Assistant Referee 1: Aleksandr Radius (LTU)

Assistant Referee 2: Dovydas Sužiedėlis (LTU) 

Fourth Official: Robertas Valikonis (LTU)

VAR: Jose Munuera Montero (ESP)

AVAR: Inigo Prieto Lopez (ESP)

Referee Observer: Matteo Trefoloni (ITA) 

Serbia – Sweden 

Referee: Georgi Kabakov (BUL) 

Assistant Referee 1: Martin Margaritov (BUL) 

Assistant Referee 2: Diyan Valkov (BUL)

Fourth Official: Nikola Popov (BUL)

VAR: Ivaylo Stoyanov (BUL)

AVAR: Dragomir Draganov (BUL)

Referee Observer: Kyros Vassaras (GRE) 

League C

Kazakhstan – Belarus
Referee: Horatiu Fesnic (ROU)
Assistant Referee 1: Valentin Avram (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Alexandru Cerei (ROU)
Fourth Official: Radu Petrescu (ROU)
VAR: Dennis Higler (NED)
AVAR: Edwin Van De Graaf (NED)
Referee Observer: Thomas Einwaller (AUT)

Slovakia – Azerbaijan
Referee: William Collum (SCO)
Assistant Referee 1: David McGeachie (SCO)
Assistant Referee 2: Francis Connor (SCO)
Fourth Official: Donald Robertson (SCO)
VAR: Peter Bankes (ENG)
AVAR: Neil Davies (ENG)
Referee Observer: Ognjen Valjić (BIH)

Turkey – Luxembourg
Referee: Tobias Stieler (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Gittelmann (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Eduard Beitinger (GER)
Fourth Official: Matthias Jöllenbeck (GER)
VAR: Benjamin Brand (GER)
AVAR: Marco Achmüller (GER)
Referee Observer: Ante Vučemilović (CRO)

Lithuania – Faroe Islands
Referee: Vilhjalmur Thorarinsson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 1: Gylfi Sigurdsson (ISL)
Assistant Referee 2: Birkir Sigurdarson (ISL)
Fourth Official: Thorvaldur Arnason (ISL)
VAR: Pascal Müller (GER)
AVAR: Markus Sinn (GER)
Referee Observer: Rune Pedersen (NOR)

Georgia – North Macedonia
Referee: Ivan Kružliak (SVK)
Assistant Referee 1: Branislav Hancko (SVK)
Assistant Referee 2: Jan Pozor (SVK)
Fourth Official: Peter Kralović (SVK)

VAR: Paolo Valeri (ITA)

AVAR: Marco Bresmes (ITA) 

Referee Observer: Bariş Şimşek (TUR)

Bulgaria – Gibraltar

Referee: Pavel Orel (CZE)

Assistant Referee 1: Kamil Hajek (CZE)

Assistant Referee 2: Jan Patak (CZE)

Fourth Official: Jan Petrik (CZE)

VAR: Sascha Stegemann (GER)

AVAR: Timo Gerach (GER) 

Referee Observer: Juan Fernandez Marin (ESP)

Northern Ireland – Kosovo

Referee: Glenn Nyberg (SWE) 

Assistant Referee 1: Mahbod Beigi (SWE) 

Assistant Referee 2: Andreas Söderqvist (SWE)

Fourth Official: Adam Ladebäck (SWE)

VAR: Rob Dieperink (NED)

AVAR: Ingmar Oostrom (NED)

Referee Observer: Carlos Velasco Carballo (ESP)

Cyprus – Greece

Referee: Aleksei Kulbakov (BLR)

Assistant Referee 1: Dmitri Zhuk (BLR)

Assistant Referee 2: Oleg Maslyanko (BLR)

Fourth Official: Dzmitry Dzmitryieu (BLR)

VAR: Bartosz Frankowski (POL)

AVAR: Pawel Pskit (POL)

Referee Observer: Stephen Tanner (ENG)

League D

Latvia – Moldova
Referee: Antonio Nobre (POR)
Assistant Referee 1: Pedro Ribeiro (POR)
Assistant Referee 2: Pedro Martins (POR)
Fourth Official: Bruno Costa (POR)
VAR: Hugo Miguel (POR)
AVAR: Miguel Nogueira (POR)
Referee Observer: Costas Kapitanis (CYP)

Liechtenstein – Andorra
Referee: Juxhin Xhaja (ALB)
Assistant Referee 1: Rejdi Avdo (ALB)
Assistant Referee 2: Nertil Bregasi (ALB)
Fourth Official: Eldorjan Hamiti (ALB)
VAR: Luca Pairetto (ITA)
AVAR: Matteo Passeri (ITA)
Referee Observer: Pascal Garibian (FRA)

Estonia – Malta
Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Seidel (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Rafael Foltyn (GER)
Fourth Official: Christian Dingert (GER)

VAR: Sören Storks (GER)

AVAR: Mike Pickel (GER)

Referee Observer: Zoran Petrović (SRB)

UEFA U-21 Euro 2023 Qualifiers – Play-offs (First Leg)

23 September 2022

Croatia – Denmark
Referee: Goga Kikacheishvili (GEO, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Giorgi Elikashvili (GEO)
Assistant Referee 2: Davit Akhvlediani (GEO)
Fourth Official: Irakli Kvirikashvili (GEO)
Referee Observer: Sokol Jareci (ALB)

Slovakia – Ukraine
Referee: Allard Lindhout (NED)
Assistant Referee 1: Erwin Zeinstra (NED)
Assistant Referee 2: Rens Bluemink (NED)
Fourth Official: Joey Kooij (NED)
Referee Observer: Peter Sippel (GER)

Iceland – Czech Republic
Referee: Gergő Bogar (HUN)
Assistant Referee 1: Balazs Szalai (HUN)
Assistant Referee 2: Theodoros Georgiou (HUN)
Fourth Official: Mihaly Kapraly (HUN)
Referee Observer: Stefan Johannesson (SWE)

Ireland – Israel
Referee: Dario Bel (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Kruno Šarić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Ivan Janić (CRO)
Fourth Official: Patrik Kolarić (CRO)
Referee Observer: Stephane Lannoy (FRA)

UEFA Women’s Champions League 2022/2023 – Second Round (First Leg)

20-21 September 2022

HB Koge – Juventus FC
Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu (ROU, photo)
Assistant Referee 1: Mihaela Țepușă (ROU)
Assistant Referee 2: Anita Vad (HUN)
Fourth Official: Cristina Trandafir (ROU)
Referee Observer: Aušra Kance (LTU)

Real Sociedad – Bayern München
Referee: Maria Ferrieri Caputi (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1: Francesca Di Monte (ITA)
Assistant Referee 2: Elodie Coppola (FRA)
Fourth Official: Silvia Gasperotti (ITA)
Referee Observer: Antonia Kokotou (GRE)

Rangers LFC – SL Benfica
Referee: Ivana Martinčić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Staša Špur (SVN)
Assistant Referee 2: Paulina Baranowska (POL)
Fourth Official: Jelena Kumer (CRO)
Referee Observer: Maria Villa Gutierrez (ESP)

Arsenal WFC – AFC Ajax
Referee: Frida Klarlund (DEN)
Assistant Referee 1: Fie Bruun (DEN)
Assistant Referee 2: Sidsel Dall (DEN)
Fourth Official: Nanna Andersen (DEN)
Referee Observer: Silvia Spinelli (ITA)

SFK Sarajevo – FC Zürich Frauen
Referee: Katarzyna Lisiecka-Sęk (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Katarzyna Wójs (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Aleksandra Ulanowska (POL)
Fourth Official: Michalina Diakow (POL)
Referee Observer: Olga Tanschi (MDA)

KuPS Kuopio – St. Pölten Frauen
Referee: Desiree Grundbacher (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Linda Schmid (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Eva Lanz (SUI)
Fourth Official: Deborah Anex (SUI)
Referee Observer: Katarzyna Wierzbowska (POL)

Zhytlobud Kharkiv – KFF Vllaznia
Referee: Kristina Georgieva (BUL)
Assistant Referee 1: Pavleta Rashkova (BUL)
Assistant Referee 2: Ekaterina Marinova (BUL)
Fourth Official: Lyubima Banova (BUL)
Referee Observer: Kirsi Heikkinen (FIN)

Brann Kvinner – FC Rosengard
Referee: Melis Özçigdem (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Mürvet Yavuztürk (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Deybet Gök (TUR)
Fourth Official: Gamze Durmuş (TUR)
Referee Observer: Wendy Toms (ENG)

Rosenborg Kvinner – Real Madrid
Referee: Michele Schmölzer (SUI)
Assistant Referee 1: Susann Küng (SUI)
Assistant Referee 2: Belinda Brem (SUI)
Fourth Official: Leonora Ismaili (SUI)
Referee Observer: Miroslava Migalova (SVK)

Sparta Praha – AS Roma
Referee: Justina Lavrenovaite-Perez (LTU)
Assistant Referee 1: Ugnė Šmitaite (LTU)
Assistant Referee 2: Irina Pozdejeva (LTU)
Fourth Official: Lina Skladaityte (LTU)
Referee Observer: Teodora Albon (ROU)

Valur Reykjavik – Slavia Praha
Referee: Jelena Pejković (CRO)
Assistant Referee 1: Sanja Rodjak-Karšić (CRO)
Assistant Referee 2: Gordana Katušić (CRO)
Fourth Official: Karla Šegota (CRO)
Referee Observer: Carolina De Boeck (BEL)

Paris St. Germain – BK Häcken
Referee: Elvıra Nurmustaiına (KAZ)
Assistant Referee 1: Nargıs Magay (KAZ)
Assistant Referee 2: Dınara Idirisova (KAZ)
Fourth Official: Tatıana Sorokopydova (KAZ)
Referee Observer: Snježana Fočić (CRO)

FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024 Qualifiers (UEFA) – Main Round (Matchday 1)

17-20 September 2022

Czech Republic – Bosnia and Herzegovina
Referee 1: Nicola Manzione (ITA, photo)
Referee 2: Javier Moreno Reina (ESP)
Third Referee: Dario Pezzuto (ITA)
Timekeeper: Ondrej Cerny (CZE)

Netherlands – Kosovo
Referee 1: Kirill Naishouler (FIN)
Referee 2: Arttu Kyynaeraeinen (FIN)
Third Referee: Paavo Komppa (FIN)
Timekeeper: Jacob Van Dijke (NED)

Poland – Greece
Referee 1: Giulio Colombin (ITA)
Referee 2: Daniele D’Adamo (SMR)
Third Referee: Giovanni Zannola (ITA)
Timekeeper: Grzegorz Wiercioch (POL)

Hungary – Israel
Referee 1: Jan Kresta (CZE)
Referee 2: Filip Nesnera (CZE)
Third Referee: Radim Cep (CZE)
Timekeeper: Gabor Kovacs (HUN)

Bosnia and Herzegovina – Armenia
Referee 1: Stefan Vrijens (BEL)
Referee 2: Juan Boelen (BEL)
Third Referee: Jiri Bergs (BEL)
Timekeeper: Farik Keco (BIH)

Slovenia – Montenegro
Referee 1: Damian Grabowski (POL)
Referee 2: Slawomir Steczko (POL)
Third Referee: Monika Czudzinowicz (POL)
Timekeeper: Azra Ahmetovic (SVN)

Futsal Finalissima Final 2022: Rodriguez (URU) & Espindola (CHI)

18 September 2022

Final
Portugal – Spain
Referee 1: Daniel Rodriguez (URU, photo)
Referee 2: Christian Espindola (CHI)
Third Referee: Yuri Garcia (COL)
Timekeeper: Jose Villar (VEN)

Match for Third Place
Argentina – Paraguay
Referee 1: Mario Espichan (PER)
Referee 2: Jonathan Herbas (ECU)
Third Referee: Gean Telles (BRA)
Timekeeper: Daniel Manrique (COL)

Serbian referee changes his mind after watching a video on fan’s phone

A referee who disallowed a goal has changed his mind after a fan who took a video of the shot showed him a replay on a mobile phone when he came over to the sideline. The match official in one of Serbia's lower-tier competitions originally ruled out the goal for offsides after a player for the team in the blue strip headed the ball home from a free kick.

But a hilarious viral video shows the referee studying a clip of the shot that was taken by a spectator dressed in a pink shirt, who leans over the fence to show him the footage. Another man in a black shirt - who is on the field and appears to be connected to the side that had the goal disallowed - argues with the official as he reviews the footage while other spectators join in as they attempt to have the ruling overturned. The referee then takes the phone onto the field, still studying the video, as players from both sides gather to find out if he will reverse his decision. He appears to watch the footage several times before awarding the goal, which sends the blue-clad players into a frenzy as they run away to celebrate. It's unclear whether the competition's rules state that decisions can be overturned based on video evidence - especially when it's been provided by a fan instead of footage shot for television. The hilarious incident is a far cry from the high-pressure, high-stakes use of video assistants in top-flight competitions around the world, including England's Premier League. The EPL reviews broadcast footage using as many angles as possible, all shot in high-resolution and replayed in super slow motion. If the video review assistant (VAR) believes the referee has made an error, they can recommend the ruling be overturned. A recent report stated that the EPL is set to use semi-automated offsides instead of the manually drawn lines the VAR currently works with, after the system was successfully trialled in the Champions League. The new system works by sending an automated alert to the VAR official when a player is offside, using tracking technology and artificial intelligence for instant decisions. (Source: Daily Mail)

Serbian chiefs reportedly didn't take too kindly to the incident from a lower league match going viral around the world - allegedly stripping Stefan Lazovic of his duties. The decision has prompted outrage from fans online - with former Manchester United star Nemanja Matic among those to have offered their support to the axed whistler. Matic, now of Roma, commented on a piece supporting Lazovic with two hands raised emoji - agreeing with the points made. The post by Instagram account ftbl.serbia read: "Support for Stefan Lazovic! Why should only he suffer, why such a rigorous sentence, why a lifetime ban from trial? How is it possible that there is no penalty for the delegate and all other authorities from the responsible FS of that district? How could the match be allowed to be played without one assistant referee?! Who is responsible here? Why does Stefan's spear break? At the end of the day, the fact that he watched the video and changed the decision, just shows that he wanted everything to be fair! He talks about the fact that he was not a slave to his vanity, but he admitted and corrected his mistake. Well, this video went around the world and now millions of people have heard about the "over there" football clubs Popovic and Apollon, as well as the village of Vrnjci! In short, we appeal to the judges' organisation and the competent authorities - now you change the decision! Let the VAR system work for you too and cancel the penalty. Correct the error!” Plenty of other commenters agreed with the post. One wrote: "Punishment for correcting a wrong decision." While a second added: "He always turns out to be an honest man, he didn't harm anyone, he just did the right thing, good for Stefan Lazovic." (Source: The Sun)

Futsal: Indirect free kick for scoring by accidental handball

FIFA recently updated the Futsal Laws of the Game 2022-23, incorporating some futsal-specific changes, while also bringing the Laws in line with some modifications recently made in football.

Law 1 – The Pitch

If a defending-team player moves or overturns their own goal and:

· the ball does not enter or touch the goal, play is stopped and:

- if it was accidental, the match is restarted with a dropped ball;

- if it was deliberate, the match is restarted with an indirect free kick and the offending player must be cautioned.

· the ball touches but does not enter the goal, play is stopped and:

- if it was accidental, the match is restarted with a dropped ball;

- if it was deliberate, the match is restarted with a penalty kick and the offending player must be sent off for denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

· the ball enters the goal (wholly passing over the goal line) between the normal position of the goalposts, with or without touching the goal, a goal is allowed and the offending player must be cautioned if it was deliberate.

Law 5 – The Referees

Video Support

The use of video support (VS) is only permitted when the match/competition organisers have fulfilled all the VS protocol and implementation requirements (as set out by FIFA) and received written permission from FIFA. The referees make use of VS when a team’s head coach (or, in the head coach’s absence, another designated team official) challenges a decision in relation to:

· Goal/no goal

· Penalty kick/no penalty kick

· Direct red cards

· Mistaken identity

In addition, VS can be used at the referees’ discretion when there is a disagreement between the two referees regarding an incident in one of the above-mentioned categories. VS can also be used at the referees’ discretion in the following situations:

· If the chronometer malfunctions

· If the chronometer is incorrectly (re)started/stopped by the timekeeper pursuant to the provisions of Laws 6 and 7

· To verify whether a goal has been scored

· To confirm whether the ball entered the goal before the acoustic signal for the end of a period. VS involves one or more replays of the incident. The referees will review the replay footage directly and the referee will make the final decision. The initial decision does not change unless the replay footage shows that a “clear and obvious error” was committed or a “serious missed incident” occurred.

Law 8 – The Start and Restart of Play

Kick-off Procedure

· The referee tosses a coin and the team that wins the toss decides whether to take the kick-off in the first or second period.

· Unless stated otherwise in the competition regulations, the home team chooses which goal to attack in the first period.

· The team that did not take the kick-off in the first period takes the kick-off to start the second period.

Law 12 – Fouls and Misconduct

Direct free kick

A direct free kick is also awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:

· a handball offence that is deliberate and/or involves the hand/arm making the player’s body unnaturally bigger (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)

Handling the ball (…)

It is a direct-free-kick offence if a player:

· deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball.

· touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised.

The goalkeeper has the same restrictions on handling the ball as any other player outside the penalty area. If the goalkeeper handles the ball inside their penalty area when not permitted to do so, an indirect free kick is awarded but there is no disciplinary sanction. However, if the offence is playing the ball a second time (with or without the hand/arm) after a restart before it touches another player, the goalkeeper must be sanctioned if the offence stops a promising attack or denies an opponent or the opposing team a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Indirect free kick

An indirect free kick is awarded if a player: (…)

· scores in the opponents’ goal:

o directly from their hand/arm (including by the goalkeeper), provided that it is accidental and the hand/arm did not make their body unnaturally bigger;

o immediately after accidentally touching the ball with their hand/arm, provided that the hand/arm did not make their body unnaturally bigger.

If a player does not score immediately after accidentally touching the ball with their hand/arm, play should be continued, provided that the hand/arm did not make the player’s body unnaturally bigger.

Law 12 – DOGSO

If a defending-team player commits an offence without attempting to play the ball (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball, etc.) and the number of attacking players is greater than the number of defending players, this must be considered a DOGSO situation, even if the goal is guarded by the goalkeeper.

Practical Guidelines – Advantage

If the offence was denying the opposing team an obvious goalscoring opportunity, the player is cautioned for unsporting behaviour. If the offence was interfering with or stopping a promising attack, the player is not cautioned (see Law 12 – Advantage). However:

· If the offence was a reckless challenge or a holding offence, the offending player must be cautioned (see the section dedicated to Law 12 below).

· If the offence involved the use of excessive force, the offending player must be sent off.

Practical Guidelines – Handling the ball

If a player scores in the opponents’ goal immediately after accidentally touching the ball with their hand/arm, an indirect free kick is awarded to the opponents. However:

· If a goal is not scored and the hand/arm did not make the player’s body unnaturally bigger, play is to be continued.

· If the ball goes off the pitch over the goal line, a goal clearance is awarded to the opponents. If a player scores a goal after a team-mate has accidentally touched the ball with their hand/arm, including immediately thereafter, the goal is awarded.

Source: FIFA