Becoming a referee
Being a referee is one of the toughest jobs in the world. We’ve created a guide on what we think it takes to become a referee and how to learn more. We’ve also created a practical guide on how to sign up and get started.
Becoming a referee in England
There are four steps to becoming a referee in England - an online course, a safeguarding course, a face-to-face course and finally, qualification. The FA Referee Course is designed to equip new referees with the key skills and knowledge they need to referee grassroots football matches safely and effectively. It is for those aged 14 and over who want to referee mini soccer, 9 v 9 and/or 11 v 11 football. The REFSIX team has created this easy-to-read guide to becoming a referee in England to help new referees start out.
FA online referee course
Price: Free
Location: Online
The online learning has five sections and will take approximately 90 minutes to complete. There are lots of videos to demonstrate how the laws should be applied, activities to help reinforce the important points and, at the end of each module, there are some questions to test what you’ve learned. You will need to sign up to the FAN system to record your learning.
Safeguarding children course
Price: £30
Location: Online
This course is designed to give you an understanding of safeguarding children. The FA is committed to growing best practices around safeguarding and promoting how to report concerns quickly and effectively. The course is available online.
Face-to-face referee training
Price: Variable (from £30 - £150)
Location: Countrywide
The final course is the 11-hour face-to-face training (normally one evening, followed by a full day), which mixes class-based training with practical activity on a pitch. Key messages from the online course are reinforced throughout. The classroom work includes:
• Fun, interactive quizzes
• How to establish rapport and build relationships with players and coaches
• Recognising and dealing with foul challenges and handball
• Managing offside
• Dealing with inappropriate behaviour
• Managing players
On the pitch, you will have the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice through game-based scenarios. You will learn:
• Communicating decisions
• Cautioning and sending off techniques
• Managing the kickoff, free kicks, penalty kicks, corner kicks and throw-ins
• Positioning in open play and at restarts
• Being an assistant referee
Qualifying as a Referee
To qualify as a referee, you must also referee five games after you have attended the face-to-face training. You will then receive a certificate and an FA Referee badge.
You are supported through those five games by your County Football Association (CFA). As you continue your refereeing career you will then be able to access further training opportunities both online and face to face.
If you are starting out as a new referee or simply starting again, REFSIX will make your life easier and give you an edge over the competition. We help with match admin, recording incidents and performance data. Download the app from Google Play or App Store. REFSIX works on all major smart watches, phones and desktops.