The FA Futsal Referees Course is designed for anyone aged 14 and over who wants to join the fast-paced sport of Futsal.

Futsal has a pathway from the local sports hall through to refereeing on the international stage. Futsal referees play an integral role in ensuring all participants enjoy their matchday experience, helping create a competitive, fair, safe and enjoyable playing environment.

Whether you want to referee in youth and adult leagues, men's or women's Futsal, our Futsal Referees Course is the starting point for your career. Refereeing is not only rewarding in a Futsal environment, but the social and life skills that come from becoming a referee extend far beyond your initial expectations.

THE DNA OF ENGLISH REFEREEING

Respect - Empathy - Fitness - Evaluation - Reliability - Education - Excellence

These seven core values underpin all aspects of English refereeing and are all required from the start of your refereeing journey.

Once you have qualified as a Futsal referee, there is extensive support available through both your County FA and the FA, helping you to be the best you can be and to fulfill your potential as a referee.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Block 1 - Introduction to Refereeing and Pre-Course Activity (two hours)

Online learning resource will be emailed directly to you ahead of Block 2 starting.

● Introduction of the DNA of English Refereeing and the process of completing the course
● Overview of course expectations and commitments
● Basic outline of the Laws of the Game for Futsal
● Online video review

Block 2 - Practical and Theory (six hours)

A mixture of practical and theoretical referee training, focusing on the key skills and techniques required to be a Futsal referee. This is then coupled with the practical application of law and the different scenarios that can be faced in a game. Some of the topics covered are: signals and communication, fouls and misconduct and positioning and movement.

Block 3 – Refereeing Experience

You will be required to officiate five Futsal games and will be offered a mentor to support you at some/all of them. You will also be required to complete a self-evaluation of each game.

Block 4 – Reflection, Final Test and Next Steps (two hours)

You will be required to attend a ‘call-back’ session after your five games, where you will have an opportunity to share experiences on the games you have refereed, including what has worked well and what you might do differently in the future. At this session, you will also undertake Laws of the Game test and will receive information on the next steps and the opportunities that will be available to you (further training, etc). Please note - for regional courses this block, including the test, can be delivered online.

COURSE PRE-REQUISITES

Before starting Block 2, a Safeguarding Children Workshop and Criminal Records Check (if applicable) must be completed.
Please note - there is not a need to be an existing football referee for this course

How to apply

Courses are coordinated by your local County FA. Find your County FA here and contact them directly.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

How old do I need to be? You need to be aged 14+ to attend the course

How much is the course? The course cost is set by each County FA due to regional differences in facility hire and ancillary costs, generally priced between £50 - £100.

How much will I get paid to referee a Futsal match? Payment varies from league to league and event to event. However, during a standard league evening, you can expect to paid approximately £5 per game (you will referee three or four games per evening); for day festivals, you can expect to be paid anything between £30 and £75.

Will refereeing Futsal negatively impact my 11v11 football? No. In fact it will help your football refereeing as you’ll be making more decisions per game, making your decision making sharper. Futsal leagues/competitions run throughout the week so it is manageable to referee both forms of the game

Do I need to know much about Futsal before the course? Not essential. Part of the pre-course learning is around understanding the basics so if you have no/limited knowledge you will be brought up to speed quickly.

Will I need to buy any special equipment? No. You will be provided with the basic equipment to get started - whistle, cards and notebook

How often will I referee? Leagues/Competitions run throughout the week so you will be able to referee as much as you wish.

What support will I receive? After attending the course, your first game/s on the league/competitions will be mentored as all games take place at a central venue. This means that a senior official will be on hand to offer you guidance, support and feedback, crucial to successful completion of the course. Ongoing support will be provided by the league/competitions in which you referee.