The Ref Stop

Promotion criteria level 5 to 4

I raised this with RDO at County querying if it would hold me back. He said he's aware, and because I'm not closing dates it's not a problem.

Think he must have had a word with someone though because next month I'm County Cup middle, League middle, District Cup middle, Leagur middle, League AR.

We HAVE to give them priority for lines, so he chose. Few weeks ago I didn't have a game on a Saturday and had been asking for weeks so took matters into my own hands and rang my RDO - he gave me a line on Huddersfield Academy in the morning and I sorted a game in the afternoon with Huddersfield League.....then later that evening before I could close date with West Yorkshire League he had put me on line because of a back word......Other 2 games went Cheerio! To the line I went! It's compulsory!

And what I meant by it being key is that you have to do them as you go higher. Not that your ability pays a part to getting you promoted necessarily- I think it does though.
Not quite true. Unfortunately a number of 5-4 candidates for a few seasons have seen that you must have completed at least 5 lines as part of your promotion criteria and once they have done their 5 lines, they refuse all further lines. The leaves the Supply Leagues short of ARs. The Leagues involved, with the support of the CFA have made it clear that a longer term commitment across the season is expected. This may mean you do a few lines over a short period but it will even itself out over the course of a marking season. As others have said, making sure you keep the Appointments Secretary advised of your availability can work wonders... as can opening dates for them as a favour.
 
The Ref Stop
They are now and have been working towards it for about 4 seasons.

Nationally are they though?

In some area's they're having to use level 5's on supply middles. Not as a 'development game' either. I agree that people who under perform should be removed off the list, but it will leave the supply league short and more importantly the contrib short of assistants if they don't have the right number in the area coming through 5-4 to replace those who are demoted.

Not quite true. Unfortunately a number of 5-4 candidates for a few seasons have seen that you must have completed at least 5 lines as part of your promotion criteria and once they have done their 5 lines, they refuse all further lines. The leaves the Supply Leagues short of ARs. The Leagues involved, with the support of the CFA have made it clear that a longer term commitment across the season is expected. This may mean you do a few lines over a short period but it will even itself out over the course of a marking season. As others have said, making sure you keep the Appointments Secretary advised of your availability can work wonders... as can opening dates for them as a favour.

I agree. Especially as the referee secretary may also be appointing you when you're a level 4. Getting that good relationship before hand will work wonders for you.
 
I agree with it, I'm refereeing Sunday's anyway.

Seems that there might be some surprised faces when they get to 4 and find they are on the line quite a bit!
 
The majority of supply league football isn't that difficult to referee.

The lower performing referees could just be given the easy games which there are plenty of.

I don't think the FA are in a position numbers wise to demote many referees.
As Brian says, they have been working towards.
There are a number of younger referees coming though the elite development groups of each CFA and they want spaces to promote them to L4. A lot of older "time-served" referees who will not progress to L3 will start to be cut, as these numbers come though.
 
As Brian says, they have been working towards.
There are a number of younger referees coming though the elite development groups of each CFA and they want spaces to promote them to L4. A lot of older "time-served" referees who will not progress to L3 will start to be cut, as these numbers come though.

And they can rely on those hopefully if they don't quit to referee Supply football when they're no longer a 4.
 
And they can rely on those hopefully if they don't quit to referee Supply football when they're no longer a 4.

That is the risk they are taking. However, it is the leagues that suffer as the blazers are far too busy to work weekends and worry about the shortage of referees.....
 
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They've already tightened the demotion criteria for L4 as part of this. DE or ED can get you demoted outside of your free year. There is also a generic set of conditions such as 'fitness' and 'administration' that can make a L4 eligible for demotion.

If they get the throughput they may well consider introducing the same system that is now at L3: If you don't hit the equivalent of Band B at least once in a three year period (excluding your free year), that is also going to lead to demotion. This season is the final year of the first run-through of that, so it will be interesting to see what it does to the numbers.
 
And I think that is the right approach. I have seen, as I'm sure you have, a number of guys get to L4 and just not cut it. There's no embarrassment in that, after all it can be a massive step up depending on what experience you have.

I fully support this even though I am trying to get to L4 this season. If I get there and then am found through club and assessor marks to be not of sufficient standard, then it's only right that I am demoted and someone else given a go. It's not as if I won't know halfway through the season where things are heading, so you always have the chance to put it right.
 
At the risk of resurrecting the dead further....I have just finished watching Walking Dead after all....no they're Under 19 and Under 21.

Simply done for the training/learning purposes not for any criteria or anything. Also for the enjoyment obviously.
 
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