I am watching Genoa-Fiorentina and the referee had to leave in the first half with a leg injury. This had me thinking about referees and injuries. The fourth official takes over when the referee is injured, but does that mean the ref now works as the fourth official? If an assistant referee is injured, does the fourth official take over? And what happens if two officials are injured during a game (let's say a ref and then an assistant referee)? Finally, has anyone ever seen a game when a ref was injured and then the 4th official took over and was injured?
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You are the (injured) ref
In situations where the fourth official has to take over from the referee, the referee takes over the duties of the fourth official, if he is capable of doing so. Given that he's almost certainly injured or unwell, that's no certainty. So if the referee has to retire to the dressing room for treatment, the game continues without a fourth official. The senior assistant positioned on the side with the technical areas controls substitutions.
I seem to recall a game at Villa Park a few years back when the referee was injured and couldn't continue as fourth official. A Villa supporter in the main stand who happened to be an active referee at a much lower level took over as fourth. I'm not sure was announcement made looking for a referee or if he made himself known.
If another official gets injured at this point, there's a big problem. I'm amazed this doesn't happen more, given the fourth official goes straight into action without a proper warm-up and stretch. It's asking for a pulled hamstring.
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