What’s Respect the Ref?

Every match. Every league. Every championship. It’s the referees who are integral to a smooth-running game. 

They work hard, train hard, show up and play hard – all to keep the game beautiful. They give their time and yet face negative attention and abuse in almost every match. Enough is enough. We can all play our part to show the ref some respect, to help make the game the best it can be. So, are you in? 

About Respect the Ref

From the warmup to the final whistle, see the game from your ref’s perspective.

How The FA support referees

The FA are committed to nurturing and developing new referees:  

- The FA offer support to our match officials in their first year. 
- Our new referee course features 90 minutes of online learning on Laws of the Game which is free to do, plus 11 hours of face-to-face training. 
- To qualify, you must referee 5 games, supported by your County Football Association (CFA). 
- Your CFA has funding to help support new referees on a local level. Find out more about local initiatives such as Cheltenham Youth League purple shirt initiative & Worcestershire FA’s #SeeTheSocks. 

No ref, no game

The FA are also committed to developing the skills and experience of existing referees:

- They offer CPD modules to help you deepen or expand your skills, starting with Match Control.  
- Their flagship development programme, FA CORE (Centre of Refereeing Excellence) is for referees who show exceptionally high levels of potential and can progress to the highest levels of the game. 
- Through workshops and courses, The FA can also help you expand your refereeing experience to successfully officiate other formats, such as Pan-Disability football, Futsal and Walking Football. 

We’re committed to supporting mental health

- They’ve trained 44 Referee Mental Health Champions across 39 CFAs and counting to provide support to referees over 18. Their mission is to increase awareness of mental health in refereeing and break down stigma. Find out more & connect to your local RMHC through the CFA website.
- They’ve introduced ‘sin bins’ to all levels of grassroots football to encourage respect and fair play. In the 2016/17 season pilot, they saw a 38% reduction in dissent. In fact, participant behaviour improved, with players self-policing to prevent colleagues getting into trouble.



Have you got what it takes?

Becoming a referee is not for the faint hearted.

You need to run fit, think fast and be on top of every game. You’ll be in the thick of the action, keeping the play moving and the players, managers and supporters on side. So, what’s in it for you?

You’ll develop skills that will serve you in all areas of your life. Leadership, negotiation, personal development, confidence and staying power. There’s nothing quite like it. 

Ready to take the next step?

Become a Referee