Liverpool County FA really appreciates the important role referees play on the field of play, ensuring the safeguarding of the players in the match environment.

We would like to advise of some temporary changes to the referee registration process to help support your return to refereeing when football restarts. The current situation has impacted on our ability to implement certain elements of our safeguarding requirements linked with club affiliation, referee registration and coach licensing administrative processes. 

These began with the Government’s implementation of the required lockdown and social distancing measures and will potentially continue when grassroots football restarts for the 2020-21 season.

What this means in practice for referees registering is as follows:

1. An in-date DBS check is still required to register and officiate in youth football

2. Where a DBS certificate was / is due to expire between 1 March 2020 - 1 October 2020, The FA is extending the date by which the DBS certificate must be renewed by 12 months.

3. Referees under the age of 18 years will need a linked parent account

4. All referees safeguarding training certificate will need to be in-date for the start of the following season - 2021-22.

If you have any questions, please contact Liverpool County FA via steven.swinnerton@liverpoolfa.com

You can find your DBS and Safeguarding expiry dates within the ‘My Account > Safeguarding’ section of the Whole Game System.

The FA and Liverpool County FA will be in touch with more information on the 2020/21 season, as and when more is known.