What are the roles and responsibilities of an official in soccer?

Answer 1

The officials are there to help players with rulings. The rules in Golf are there for the benefit of the player. They instruct them of their options and ensure they don't do anything which is against the rules.

Answer 2

It's the one with the whistle - the referee - who takes charge of a match, with the help of two assistant referees.

In professional matches, a fourth official is also involved.

The referee enforces the laws of the game, awarding free-kicks if there is any foul play and keeping a check on the time.

The ref can also postpone, stop, suspend or call off a match if there are weather or crowd problems.

The assistant referee helps out with decisions such as throw-ins and offsides and sometimes will have a better view of incidents than the referee.

The fourth official is based on the touchline, assisting with substitutions and keeping a check on the managers.