How much does it cost?
| Element | |||
| Tuition Fee | £45 |
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| Annual County F.A. Registration Fee | £20 |
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| "Safeguarding Children" Training* | £20* |
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| Criminal Records Bureau Check* | £15* |
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| Referee's Kit | £25 |
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Total |
£125 |
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What is the structure of the course?
It is made up of 5 modules:-
Module 1 - "Knowledge of the Laws" - a theoretical knowledge of the Laws of Association Football from the pre-course study pack and DVD.
Module 2 - "Application of the Laws" - practical tuition in applying the Laws.
Module 3 - Exam - two from three methods of examining will be used (written paper, DVD or practical tests).
Module 4 - Refereeing a minimum of six mentored 11-a-side games, to be completed within one year of completing Module 3.
Module 5 - "Call-back Seminar" covering initial experiences, contacts with leagues, fitness training, etc.
How do I get my Course Tuition Fee refunded?
Following an F.A. change of policy, there are are no longer any refunds.
What do I get for my Course Tuition Fee?
Apart from tuition by F.A. Tutors / Licensed Instructors and a recognised assessment/examination at the end of the course, candidates will be provided with all course materials, supplied within an F.A. ring-binder folder, and comprising a copy of the Laws of Association Football and several supplementary information & guidance sheets. The Laws book, alone, currently retails at £4.00. All this, of course, will be free of charge to those candidates who qualify for a refund of their tuition fees (see above).
Is it restricted to men and boys?
No. Girls and women are always welcome and, indeed, are actively encouraged to take up refereeing.
What do I need to bring to the course?
Notepad, pen, course fee and proof of date of birth, on a legal document, such as birth certificate, passport, medical card, driving licence, etc. (original documents only - no photocopies). For the practical sessions, appropriate outdoor clothing should be worn.
What types/formats of course are available?
Standard course, on a weekly basis, or an intensive week-end course. Both courses cover theoretical and practical aspects of the first 3 modules.
How long does the course last?
The standard course lasts for one evening per week over a period of 7 to 9 weeks, 2 to 2½ hours per evening. The weekend course takes place on a Saturday morning and afternoon, Sunday morning and afternoon, followed by an examination evening, shortly after the course. In addition, there is an induction evening prior to the weekend course for the purposes of administration, payment, document checking and issue of pre-course materials. During, or immediately following, the course, there will be a "Safeguarding Children" workshop which MUST be completed as part of the qualification. At this stage, the candidate becomes a Level 9 (Trainee) Referee.
After that, the trainee referee will referee a minimum of SIX 11-a-side or 9-a-side games (Module 4) before attending a one-evening completion/feed-back seminar (Module 5). Then, AND ONLY THEN, will he/she become a fully qualified (Level 7 or Level 8, depending upon age) referee. It must be stressed that it is the responsibility of the trainee referee to keep his/her instructor and mentor informed, in advance, of all these six games, not for the instructor and mentor to have to keep trying to contact the trainee referee. Failure to observe this protocol will result in the trainee referee not completing the course and, therefore, not becoming fully qualified.
What qualification will I receive?
Successful candidates will become Level 7 (aged 16 or older) or Level 8 (14 & 15 year-old) Referees. Promotion to Level 7 from Level 8 is automatic upon reaching 16th birthday. It should be stated that this qualification is universally recognised anywhere in the world.
How can I be promoted to a higher level?
Referees aged 16 or older may apply to their County Football Association for promotion as soon as they have completed a full season as a referee in mainly 11-a-side football. The procedure will be explained on the course.
How can I find out about a "Safeguarding Children" Workshop?
All new referees, aged 16 years, or older, must attend a "Safeguarding Children" Workshop, (cost=£20). The certificate obtained is then valid for three years before it needs to be renewed. The workshop is one session, lasting 3 hours. Candidates who hold a current F.A. Coaching award will have already been awarded this certificate and, therefore, will not need to repeat it, unless the certificate's validity is about to expire. Candidates who need to attend a workshop will be informed of any available ones.
All referees needing to renew an existing "Safeguarding Children" certificate, which is about to expire, and young referees, aged 14 or 15 years, need to complete the "Safeguarding Children" Guide which costs £20 (CD-ROM, booklet and worksheet).
In this latter case of the younger (14 and 15 year-old) referees, they will need to attend a workshop when their original, first certificate expires, after three years.
Do I need a Criminal Records Bureau check?
If you are aged 14 to 17 years - NO
If you are aged 18 years or older - YES
If you are an adult and do not already hold an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate, issued through the F.A. or a County F.A. (other organisations are NOT acceptable) then the application will be submitted as part of the course (cost=£15). It is valid for three years. Candidates who are current members of the Football Association Licensed Coaches' Club will already hold such a disclosure and will not need another unless it is about to expire.
Note:- When the "Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)" became law in 2010, it became a criminal offence, punishable in a court of law, for any individual, who has not been C.R.B.-cleared, to work regularly with children and young persons (i.e. under 18 years of age) or vulnerable people (of any age). This applies to all football referees, aged 18 or older. The law relating to C.R.B. disclosures MAY be subject to change if and when the I.S.A. (Independent Safeguarding Authority) is fully operational. However, the proposed I.S.A. Disclosure scheme is under review, as part of the Coalition Government financial cutbacks. If it is deferred or scrapped then the traditional system of C.R.B. checks will almost certainly continue.
How can I get equipped to start out as a referee?
Included in the course fee is a complete referee's kit of shirt, shorts, socks and County F.A. badge and we offer an accoutrements kit (2 whistles, 2 lanyards for the whistles, 2 pencils, notebook, red, yellow and blue cards, stopwatch, two Assistant Referee flags and a bag to hold the flags) for £20. All you then need to provide are boots, underwear, a second watch and a coin!
What is the RA-FA?
The former Football Association Match Officials' Association (FAMOA) has now been rebranded as the RA-FA, working much more closely with the Referees' Association (see below). Once you have refereed the six 11-a-side games (see above) you are automatically qualified to become a member of RA-FA. Membership is free and you will receive an F.A. cloth badge to put on your referee's shirt and a Record of Achievement folder, in which to store your referees certificate, important refereeing documents and correspondence. RA-FA operates an incentive scheme whereby members receive points/credits for matches, courses attended, meetings, etc. These points may then be traded in for items such as clothing, etc. In addition, RA-FA also stages training events, around the country, for referees. It is in the interests of ALL referees to be involved in the activities offered by RA-FA. Membership of RAFA is automatic as is Associate Membership of the R.A. Full membership of the R.A. is optional and is subject to payment of a fee.
What is the Referees' Association?
The Referees' Association is an organisation, independent of the Football Association, for the fellowship and advancement of referees, although it does work closely with the RA-FA, being closely integrated with it. There are a number of branches in the area and candidates will be informed of the branches, nearest to where they live. All referees are encouraged to join the Referees' Association.
How do I get on to a League's list of referees?
Candidates will be supplied with the names and contact details of the Referees' Secretaries of the local leagues. It is the responsibility of the individual referee to approach a league - NOT vice-versa!
How much do I get paid to referee a game?
It varies but is usually £20 to £30, per 11-a-side match, on local parks football where new referees start out. Obviously, as a referee progresses through the ranks, so the match fee increases. Referees, aged 16 or older, may also gain valuable experience (and a match fee) by acting as assistant referees in local senior leagues and the Midland Floodlit Youth (Under-18) League. Mini-soccer referee match fees are around £7 per game.
How do I qualify to referee mini-soccer?
Min-soccer is an outdoor, 7-a-side (Under-10 and Under-9) and 5-a-side (Under-8 and Under-7) version of the game, with simplified Laws, played by boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 10 years. It is intended as an introduction to football with the emphasis on sporting behaviour and skill rather than physical strength. You will need to qualify on the standard referees' course (described above) and register with your local County F.A. The training team do NOT recommend refereeing in mini-soccer until you have acquired experience as an 11-a-side referee. This is because, while the players are very rarely any problem, you need to develop skills and strategies in dealing with spectators (usually "over-enthusiastic" and lacking in knowledge of the Laws of the Game!) in close proximity. This can be very intimidating, particularly for teenage referees, faced with the need to exert authority and discipline over much older adults. We hope to stage F.A. conversion courses for mini-soccer referees, working with the local youth leagues.
How do I qualify as a referee in small-sided football and/or Futsal?
Small-sided Football is usually played indoors in open-age competitions, often operated by commercial organisations (e.g. local "Power Leagues" or "Leisure Leagues") and Futsal is a version of mini-soccer (see above) but usually played indoors with a softer ball and with emphasis on skill and individual technique. There are separate, two-session, conversion courses, followed by a theory exam, in each case, which can be taken by referees, already qualified in 11-a-side football, to enable them to referee in indoor, small-sided competitions and Futsal football.
How can I get a free, up-to-date copy of the Laws of Association Football?
By clicking on this link, which will take you on to the F.I.F.A. site and allow you to download the current version of the Laws. It is a PDF file and you will need (free) appropriate reader software (e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader or Solid Documents, etc.) to read it and print it. Be warned - it is in colour and is quite large! You may prefer to save it and only print off certain pages.
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