Referees perform a vital role in the game, and with the growth in the popularity of football, particularly for women and children, the demand for match officials is increasing.
The Football Association estimates that in some areas of the country, 20 per cent of games are played without a qualified match official.
To meet the growing demand, we have launched an initiative to recruit more men and women referees and to support them throughout their careers.
Our goal is to recruit 10,000 referees a year to ensure that, in future, every game has a qualified official who is receiving regular training and support from an FA mentor programme and helpline.
And because it takes time for a referee to reach the top, The FA is particularly keen to recruit young people between 18 and 25 years old, with the dream of refereeing an FA Cup Final and wearing the famous Three Lions on their shirt.
The first stage involved in becoming a referee is to register with the Liverpool FA Referees Department.
The second stage is to attend a Basic Referees Course. This will involve around 10 classroom-based training sessions, followed by a written and oral exam, on the Laws of Association Football.
On passing the exams, you become Level 8 referee, if you are under 16 years of age, or Level 7 referee if you are over 16. You may then officiate on local amateur ("parks") football.
If you wish to become a Level 6 referee you must serve one year at Level 7 before being eligible for promotion. Promotion is usually decided through assessment, attendance at further training, successful completion of a test on the Laws of the game and a satisfactory average mark over 20 completed matches. The same criteria would apply for promotion to Level 5.
An assessment is when a senior referee (or retired referee) watches you referee, and provides you with a constructive report on your performance. Assessors also send a confidential mark on the copy of the report which is sent to your County FA
Level 5 referees may then be eligible for promotion to Senior Competitions (Level 4 rising to Level 1). This may involve refereeing in a "supply league - Level 4" (a senior amateur league at County level), and being an assistant referee in a "contributory league - Level 3" (a semi professional league). Further promotion would take you on to a Panel League - Level 2 and eventually, on to the National list of Referees - Level 1.
All courses are to be held at Liverpool County FA headquarters at Walton Hall Park starting at 7pm until 9.30pm.
Refs 1: August 12th, 14th, 19th and 21st
Refs 2: September 23rd, 25th, 30th October 2nd
Refs 3: November 4th, 6th, 11th, 13th
Fees
18 years and over £82.50
16 years £70
Under 16 years £50
Futsal Referee
The FA Futsal Referee’s course provides an in-depth insight into the FIFA Laws of Futsal. This interactive 3.5 hour workshop looks into this fast emerging small-sided game within England and covers the following areas:
- The history and background to the development of Futsal around the World
- Law awareness and the roles and responsibilities of the Futsal Referee
- Interactive match highlights taken from the UEFA Futsal Cup and National Championships
- A one hour practical giving candidates hand’s on experience
If you are interested in becoming a referee simply contact our Referees Department on 0151 523 4488 Ext 110 or e-mail David.Horlick@liverpoolfa.com