Junior Referees
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Junior Referees
Morning all,
Once again I am coming to the fountain of all knowledge, Up The Clarets, to see if anyone can help with an interesting question posed by my 8 year old son.
He has, over recent weeks, expressed his desire to become a referee. Yes, genuinely. Whilst I’m somewhat reluctant about my son being subjected to a torrent of foul mouthed abuse every weekend (I’m trying to control it!) he asked whether there was any way he can start learning how to referee now?
So that’s my query - are there such things as courses for children who may wish to learn the skills of refereeing at all? It’s probably so unusual and obscure that there aren’t, but if there are, I’m willing to bet someone on here will know and can point me in the right direction!
Thanks again all,
Cheshire
Once again I am coming to the fountain of all knowledge, Up The Clarets, to see if anyone can help with an interesting question posed by my 8 year old son.
He has, over recent weeks, expressed his desire to become a referee. Yes, genuinely. Whilst I’m somewhat reluctant about my son being subjected to a torrent of foul mouthed abuse every weekend (I’m trying to control it!) he asked whether there was any way he can start learning how to referee now?
So that’s my query - are there such things as courses for children who may wish to learn the skills of refereeing at all? It’s probably so unusual and obscure that there aren’t, but if there are, I’m willing to bet someone on here will know and can point me in the right direction!
Thanks again all,
Cheshire
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Re: Junior Referees
Well he has shown you that you are raising a brave lad. I think it is dpinsussex or username like that might be able to help with some advice
Re: Junior Referees
I’m not sue about course etc but there lots of ways to help his progress.Cheshireclaret wrote:Morning all,
Once again I am coming to the fountain of all knowledge, Up The Clarets, to see if anyone can help with an interesting question posed by my 8 year old son.
He has, over recent weeks, expressed his desire to become a referee. Yes, genuinely. Whilst I’m somewhat reluctant about my son being subjected to a torrent of foul mouthed abuse every weekend (I’m trying to control it!) he asked whether there was any way he can start learning how to referee now?
So that’s my query - are there such things as courses for children who may wish to learn the skills of refereeing at all? It’s probably so unusual and obscure that there aren’t, but if there are, I’m willing to bet someone on here will know and can point me in the right direction!
Thanks again all,
Cheshire
Ask him to make you a brew. You can respond then with lots of criticism etc eg “Are you ******* kidding me you ******” or simply “The brew makers a ******, the brew makers a ******”.
It’ll ensure he develops a thick skin for the future.
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Re: Junior Referees
To become a football referee you must be 14 years old as far as I can remember.
I don't think that you can take a course of instruction until you are that age, although I had heard mention of being able to start to learn at 12 years old.
If he maintains his interest your local County FA would be the ones to approach because they are always on the lookout for referees and run courses regularly. Good luck to him if he eventually decides to go down that path!
I don't think that you can take a course of instruction until you are that age, although I had heard mention of being able to start to learn at 12 years old.
If he maintains his interest your local County FA would be the ones to approach because they are always on the lookout for referees and run courses regularly. Good luck to him if he eventually decides to go down that path!
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Re: Junior Referees
There is information on the FA website. It does say that to become a referee you must be 14 years old but i’m sure if you were to contact the local county FA they could do something to engage him from a young age to keep him interested.
Re: Junior Referees
http://www.thefa.com/get-involved/refer ... -a-referee" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You'll see that you need to be 14 to start properly.
I would suggest contacting your local County Referees Association for advice, and perhaps also discussing it with your school's PE teacher (or his football club if he's in one). The teacher could perhaps give him a go with his classmates playing. In fact I think that would be a good class to do - teach the children the Laws and get them to implement them - learning and character building (I realise teachers are already overburdened with work!).
You need a certain character to succeed at refereeing. Not just a thick skin but a decisive nature. The basic idea is that a referee knows the Laws inside out so that he knows exactly how to implement them for different incidents. He then has to be decisive when applying them and be confident in any dissent. Learning the Laws is the easy part.
If you get no joy from advice/school etc., get him to learn the Laws and then when he watches a game, ask him to make his decisions independent of the match referee.
You'll see that you need to be 14 to start properly.
I would suggest contacting your local County Referees Association for advice, and perhaps also discussing it with your school's PE teacher (or his football club if he's in one). The teacher could perhaps give him a go with his classmates playing. In fact I think that would be a good class to do - teach the children the Laws and get them to implement them - learning and character building (I realise teachers are already overburdened with work!).
You need a certain character to succeed at refereeing. Not just a thick skin but a decisive nature. The basic idea is that a referee knows the Laws inside out so that he knows exactly how to implement them for different incidents. He then has to be decisive when applying them and be confident in any dissent. Learning the Laws is the easy part.
If you get no joy from advice/school etc., get him to learn the Laws and then when he watches a game, ask him to make his decisions independent of the match referee.
Last edited by Hipper on Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Junior Referees
Oops, duplicate post
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Re: Junior Referees
Thanks all and for the advice, some excellent ideas and I will start with his PE teacher and local FA.
Thanks also for the comment about his bravery - he is a confident lad and certainly knows what he wants, so I naturally want to help him get it.
I’ll keep you all posted,
Thanks again,
Cheshire
Thanks also for the comment about his bravery - he is a confident lad and certainly knows what he wants, so I naturally want to help him get it.
I’ll keep you all posted,
Thanks again,
Cheshire
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Re: Junior Referees
Cheshireclaret wrote:Morning all,
Once again I am coming to the fountain of all knowledge, Up The Clarets, to see if anyone can help with an interesting question posed by my 8 year old son.
He has, over recent weeks, expressed his desire to become a referee. Yes, genuinely. Whilst I’m somewhat reluctant about my son being subjected to a torrent of foul mouthed abuse every weekend (I’m trying to control it!) he asked whether there was any way he can start learning how to referee now?
So that’s my query - are there such things as courses for children who may wish to learn the skills of refereeing at all? It’s probably so unusual and obscure that there aren’t, but if there are, I’m willing to bet someone on here will know and can point me in the right direction!
Thanks again all,
Cheshire
As others have said age is 14. There are a shortage of referees at grassroots level so good to see somebody so young wanting to do it - I can count on one hand the number of games my u9 team had a referee last season.
Does he play for a team? There have been times when I’ve let one of the players “ref” a game at end of training session.
They enjoy it, especially if I let them use the cards
Some clubs put some of their players (that show an interest) through the course.
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Re: Junior Referees
At Lancashire Schools' F.A. we try to give young referees a chance either as Assistant Referees when the Referee himself/herself is an experienced official at County Matches or at County Cup Finals. We also us young referees (16 years old) to officiate at Under 12 Finals' Days etc.
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Re: Junior Referees
As has been posted many times 14 is the earliest age you can start to referee.
If you want to encourage greater learning before this date IFAB have an,app with all the laws of the game on including latest updates.
Appreciate it will be disappointing he cant start yet but the app might be a useful tool for him to use.
Advice when it comes to taking course, there aren't that many. Look at a number of counties and then transfer back to LFA once completed.
Second piece of advice dont let him read this forum
If you want to encourage greater learning before this date IFAB have an,app with all the laws of the game on including latest updates.
Appreciate it will be disappointing he cant start yet but the app might be a useful tool for him to use.
Advice when it comes to taking course, there aren't that many. Look at a number of counties and then transfer back to LFA once completed.
Second piece of advice dont let him read this forum
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Re: Junior Referees
If he doesn't make it as a ref there's always the fall back option of St Johns Ambulance volunteer he could aim for
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Re: Junior Referees
My son refs for Cheshire FA. You do need to be 14 years to enrol on the course at Moss Farm. Excellent experience and I hope he can get involved earlier. As a parent it’s hard work watching and not being able to respond to any criticism or abuse, but be reassured that it’s not as some portray, and is mainly positive and encouraging from other parents and coaches etc.
Re: Junior Referees
I'm not into football PC games but is their an option to referee a game?
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Re: Junior Referees
Thanks again all.
He doesn’t play for a football team - it’s a long story but as hell never be the next Lionel Messi, I found a number of the coaches rather dismissive in their approach to him and the other lads with too much focus on the ‘playground Pele’s’ and this included when they decided to cherry pick lads to choose the local junior football team. He’s obsessed with watching football though and wants to go to every Burnley match!!!!!
As a result, he does the football coaching at Turf Moor on a Saturday morning and loves that but he plays for a Rugby Union and, as of a few weeks ago, a Rugby League team and loves both. As a coach of his Rugby Union team I’m slightly biased but the inclusive nature around the sport is very different to that I experienced around football.
I’m sure it’s isolated, but it has left me not pushing him into a football team and he loves rugby enough that he seldom asks about joining a football team, although one day if I found one I liked he would.
The advice here has been fantastic and I’ll see what I can get him doing now here and there and I thank all of you again for taking the time to post your advice and guidance.
Cheshire
He doesn’t play for a football team - it’s a long story but as hell never be the next Lionel Messi, I found a number of the coaches rather dismissive in their approach to him and the other lads with too much focus on the ‘playground Pele’s’ and this included when they decided to cherry pick lads to choose the local junior football team. He’s obsessed with watching football though and wants to go to every Burnley match!!!!!
As a result, he does the football coaching at Turf Moor on a Saturday morning and loves that but he plays for a Rugby Union and, as of a few weeks ago, a Rugby League team and loves both. As a coach of his Rugby Union team I’m slightly biased but the inclusive nature around the sport is very different to that I experienced around football.
I’m sure it’s isolated, but it has left me not pushing him into a football team and he loves rugby enough that he seldom asks about joining a football team, although one day if I found one I liked he would.
The advice here has been fantastic and I’ll see what I can get him doing now here and there and I thank all of you again for taking the time to post your advice and guidance.
Cheshire
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Re: Junior Referees
What a good idea.Hipper wrote:I'm not into football PC games but is their an option to referee a game?
I have found a VAR game lol