A&H

I need to clean my act up and get back on track. But I’m confused about the next steps. Please help!

B

BarkworthRef

New Member
Level 7 Referee
Hi all,

I am a 21 year old ref based in West London. I qualified just shy of 8 years ago. I spent 4 years after qualifying refereeing youth games on Sunday mornings.

After the end of my fourth season, various factors led me to lay down my whistle and cards (relocation, as well as lack of motivation after a particularly rambunctious season).

Anyway, after being out of the game almost completely for 2 years, barring the odd friendly or summer tournament, I found various opportunities coming up regularly which I couldn’t say no to! One thing led to another and I found myself regularly refereeing, week-in, week-out. Sometimes 2, 3 or even 4 matches a week! Men’s, Women’s and the upper ages of youth football.

So here we are today, two years down the line and I am realising that actually this is something I want to pursue. But there are many barriers (or at least I think there are) in my way:

1. I haven’t registered with my parent county since the 2017-18 season. Am I ‘unlawfully’ refereeing these games that I have been doing for the past 2 years? None of them have been at a high level at all, only real amateur stuff. Should I stop doing the games and requalifiy to keep on the good side of the FA?

2. As I haven’t registered for 3 years, am I still even a ref? I’ve been trying to clean up my profile on The WGS, but I don’t even have the option to register for this season (albeit I imagine I would be late). The WGS recommends I contact my parent county to register for this season. See below about my struggles with this...

3. Realistically, would I be at all likely to join a promotion scheme this season? Although I am a level 7, and despite my earlier comments regarding the tiers I have been reffing in the past 2 years, I spent much of this pre-season getting my hands dirty in friendlies in some senior counties leagues (usually level 5 territory). Would this, as well as the some ~200 games I’ve done in the last 2 years be taken in to account? Or would it just be a clean slate as I’ve been ‘off the radar’ for the past 4 years as far as my parent county are concerned?. Is Level 5 a very distant dream?

Just to add some further information, I appreciate this is all fairly standard stuff I should know, but my years out of the game led me to forget this kind of information. I’ve looked across all the incarnations of FA’s websites, and have even contacted my parent county (at least, tried to without response) to point in the right direction, but I can’t seem to find anything that can help me. Maybe someone on here can!

TIA and Warm Regards,
Sam
 
The Referee Store
1. You are not 'unlawfully' refereeing the game. Nowhere in the laws of the game does it say about who appoint you to the game. As long as you are fulfilling your duties according the the laws of the game and competition rules, you are as lawful as any other referee referring games.

2. You are the ref for that game as soon as you accept to do it and more so after the kick of whistle. You may not be a 'qualified' ref but you are the ref.

3. I am from Aus, i'll let his through to the keeper. But I can say i know of many top flight referees who started in their late teens or early 20s.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.
 
Unfortunately in England, you must be a registered referee to referee football matchea. However, there is normally a get out of when there is non appointed match official 2 teams may agree on a replacement.
I suppose a concern I have is what have you been doing about yellow and red cards?

You would need to speak to you RDO about what level you are or what you need to do to re register. That may be you can register as a level 7 or it might be you need to re do the basic referees training to requalify

You are too late to join this season promotion scheme. Your eligibility will rely on what level you are re registered at ie level 7 or trainee. You normally have to complete 20 games before you can apply so you might need to do that this season and apply for next year's scheme.
I am afraid anything you have done as an unregistered referee won't count.
 
BarkworthRef said:
Hi all,

I am a 21 year old ref based in West London. I qualified just shy of 8 years ago. I spent 4 years after qualifying refereeing youth games on Sunday mornings.

After the end of my fourth season, various factors led me to lay down my whistle and cards (relocation, as well as lack of motivation after a particularly rambunctious season).

Anyway, after being out of the game almost completely for 2 years, barring the odd friendly or summer tournament, I found various opportunities coming up regularly which I couldn’t say no to! One thing led to another and I found myself regularly refereeing, week-in, week-out. Sometimes 2, 3 or even 4 matches a week! Men’s, Women’s and the upper ages of youth football.

So here we are today, two years down the line and I am realising that actually this is something I want to pursue. But there are many barriers (or at least I think there are) in my way:

1. I haven’t registered with my parent county since the 2017-18 season. Am I ‘unlawfully’ refereeing these games that I have been doing for the past 2 years? None of them have been at a high level at all, only real amateur stuff. Should I stop doing the games and requalifiy to keep on the good side of the FA?

2. As I haven’t registered for 3 years, am I still even a ref? I’ve been trying to clean up my profile on The WGS, but I don’t even have the option to register for this season (albeit I imagine I would be late). The WGS recommends I contact my parent county to register for this season. See below about my struggles with this...

3. Realistically, would I be at all likely to join a promotion scheme this season? Although I am a level 7, and despite my earlier comments regarding the tiers I have been reffing in the past 2 years, I spent much of this pre-season getting my hands dirty in friendlies in some senior counties leagues (usually level 5 territory). Would this, as well as the some ~200 games I’ve done in the last 2 years be taken in to account? Or would it just be a clean slate as I’ve been ‘off the radar’ for the past 4 years as far as my parent county are concerned?. Is Level 5 a very distant dream?

Just to add some further information, I appreciate this is all fairly standard stuff I should know, but my years out of the game led me to forget this kind of information. I’ve looked across all the incarnations of FA’s websites, and have even contacted my parent county (at least, tried to without response) to point in the right direction, but I can’t seem to find anything that can help me. Maybe someone on here can!

TIA and Warm Regards,
Sam
Click to expand...
Congratulations on using the word rambunctious!
 
Based on earlier replies JamesL has given you the best advice. Here in Scotland almost all football, even at grass roots level, requires a qualified and registered referee. I don't think it will be so much different where you are but there are always exceptions and ways around it. If you are serious about this I suggest you contact your local RA and get yourself registered again as this will give you the best contacts for getting back into action and refereeing 'properly'. You may well have to repeat and pass the referee course. With regard to promotion I'd recommend giving it a year and pushing on next season.
It's good to see your enthusiasm - best of luck.
 
1. I don't think you'll have a problem in that respect. Competition rules usually include something about teams being allowed to agree on a referee if no competition-appointed referee is available, so you'll simply have been acting in that capacity. And the LOTG are very clear in that once appointed as such, you have all the powers and responsibilities of any other referee. There may be a slightly issue in terms of if you've not been reporting discipline, but I still don't think your CFA will turn down someone who has experience and wants to be a referee!

2. As above, if you're agreed on as ref by both teams, then for that match, you are 100% the referee. But that only really helps you on a 90-minutes-by-90-minutes basis - if you're looking to raise your profile and qualify for higher levels, I don't think "stepping in" will count for much unfortunately.

3. As others have pointed out, promotion seasons now run in conjunction with the football season, rather than April to March as would have been the case when you were previous qualified. So chances are, you'll be starting your promotion journey as part of the 21/22 season. However, there are still good reasons to get signed up ASAP.

For one, most counties now require you to have done 20 matches in the previous season before you can start your L7-L6 season, so you'll want to get registered so that your matches begin to get logged and you will therefore have proof that you're eligible next season. And two, it's all good experience - in fact, given the number of games you are saying you have done per season for the last few years, I would make the unusual recommendation to consider the double-jump.

If you're comfortable with the pace of matches you're currently doing, and if observers agree that you're working to the required standard, it seems like you might not find the double-jump too much of a stretch - at which point, you could theoretically be L5 by the end of next season even if you don't actually start until next summer. That would make you a 23-year old L5 - easily young enough have a realistic chance of reaching the higher levels if things continue to go your way.
 
I’m not sure, but I think to re-register after a couple of year’s break you may need to take a Laws of the Game test. I don’t think you will have to redo the basic course (I think you have to redo the course if you haven’t been registered for five or more years.)

My advice is to get in touch with your RDO (referee development officer) in the region in which you live and they will take you through what you need to do.

welcome back to the fold!
 
As RefJef has indicated, you will probably be asked to undertake the practical part of the Referee course, and the laws exam.
You will also need to complete the Child and Vulnerable Adults requirements and a DBS check, which the County FA will explain.
 
1. Yes, as only registered referees should be officiating games. The get out clause is there was no appointed referee and you were stepping in to help, but that doesn't really work when the non-registered referees isn't related to or associated with one of the clubs.

2. Contact your local County FA's RDO and they will address.

3. The promotion scheme now matches the playing season, so runs from August to April. Therefore there will be no chance of joining for this season and you'll need to keep an eye out for when applications for the next one open in the middle of next year.
 
Thank you all for your very comprehensive and clear advice.

I am getting in contact with my RDO to work on the next steps. I will let let you all know the outcome! :)
 
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