Referees perform a vital role in the game, and with the growth in the popularity of football, particularly for women and children, the demand for match officials is increasing. The Football Association estimates that in some areas of the country, 20 per cent of games are played without a qualified match official. The FA National Game Strategy goal is to recruit 8,000 new referees by 2012 as well as retain the existing 26,000 officials to ensure that in future, every game has a qualified official who is receiving regular training and support from an FA mentor programme and helpline.
The first stage involved in becoming a referee is to register with your local County Football Association and the second stage is to attend a basic Referees Course.
If you have any questions related to refereeing, please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing FAMOA@TheFA.com or by calling 0844 980 0621
If you'd like to become a referee register your interest by clicking here and a local County FA Referee Development Officer will contact you. See who your local RDO is by clicking here.
Click here to view the latest Refereeing magazine (September 2009)
April 2009 Issue