Get Into Refereeing

Becoming a referee - step by step process

Pre-Course Preparation

You must be at least 14 years old when you take our refereeing course.

Prior to the course there are steps to take to ensure that you can referee straight after the course:

• Complete FA Safeguarding For All (14+)
• Complete the Online Laws of the Game module

Learners over the age of 16 will also be required to obtain an FA DBS check - details on how to do this will be sent after booking.

FA Referee Course

You can book onto one of our Referee Courses by clicking HERE.

The course will involve one evening of classroom sessions to help you learn the laws of the game, followed by a full-day (typically a Sunday) putting your learning into practice with a combination of classroom and on-pitch sessions.

The courses are led by experienced FA tutors who will guide you through the learning.

After the Course

Once you have completed the pre-course requirements and attended the course, you will be registered as a trainee referee. You can then start contacting local leagues to start refereeing games! Details of our leagues can be found HERE.

To fully qualify as a referee, you must complete five games (preferably at 9v9 or 11v11, including use of the offside rule). You should keep a record of these games, and then submit via the form that can be found HERE.