The Ref Stop

Promotion to Level 4

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Referee!

Referee!

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What is expected from a referee at that Level?

Your Experiences as a Level 4?

Do you have any tips/advice for a referee hoping to progress to Level 4?
 
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The Ref Stop
I'm Level 5

I'm considering going for promotion to Level 4 in the next few seasons.

*I've altered what I'm asking the forum*
 
I would say that the step from 5-4 is probably one of the largest and most significant you are likely to take as a referee. It marks you leaving the grassroots world and entering Semi-Professional refereeing. A few of the differences are..

  1. Administration- Your admin must be extremely organised. Closed dates are expected around 4-6 weeks before the date, match reports to be submitted after games, prompt replies to emails expected. Don't be surprised if you receive the wrath of the appointments officer if you cry off a game the week before!
  2. Travel- You could be travelling up to three hours each way for a Contrib line, meaning sometimes you'll be back in the early hours of the morning.
  3. Media- All supply league games are covered by the Non-League paper, and mistakes in your games can sometimes see the media pick up on it. For example in my county where we lack any Professional and Panel clubs and extremely limited at Contrib, Supply League football becomes the be all and end all for the local sports media. If you make a huge c**k-up, don't be surprised to be blasted in the local paper!!
  4. Standard of play
  5. Expectations of Players
  6. Assessed on around half of your games
  7. Demotion- Unlike at 5 and below if you have a bad season you could easily be demoted even if you have been one of the leagues top officials for the past ten years. Nobody is untouchable.
  8. Larger crowds
Tips- Go for it! The worst that can happen is that you don't get it and retain L5 status. Im not sure of your age but don listen to some of the rubbish on here that the system is biased towards youth, if you tick the boxes you'll get the promotion whether 65 or 18! Also with the required average assessment mark lowered from 75 to 73 it has become far easier to fulfil the criteria. However perhaps my biggest tip is that you should make sure you feel ready for it! Any uncertainty or lack of confidence will cause problems when you make the jump!
 
My biggest tip would be to work with and watch as many level 4's as you can. Then take an honest look and ask could you have done that. If not pick out why and aim to get it into your next game, even if only for short periods of play.
Personally, I have no pace which is why I'm struggling for the test next week, but my positioning is generally a strength so I break the game down into slots where I aim to be on top of play to let the players know I'm there, then I'll back off a bit and recuperate.
 
Watch lower league games. Conference level down.That will give you an idea of what you can expect if all goes well.
 
1st season level 4 and I've got to say it's tough. I didn't believe people when they said it will be tough but I soon got a reality check. my county fa held me back last season an said give it one more year it will be better for you, I was angry and gutted. Went away come back an got back into it an to be honest I couldn't be any more thankful to them for holding me back. Finished the season being promoted to 4 a much better referee and more ready than I thought I was last season. My advice to you your going to get nock backs in your career as a referee just pick yourself up and go again. Listen to the experienced lads in your league, county fa and association and you won't go far wrong.
 
As much as the advice is good advice, this is massively a thread from the dead. Aside from being my BIGGEST pet peeve, it's clear in the RefChat rules about reopening threads from the dead.

Thread closed.
 
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