Refereeing

Nearly every game in Northern Ireland is covered by a referee.

From the top game in the Premier League to youth games in your local park football needs referees – would you be up to the challenge?

Have you ever stood at the side of a pitch and shouted at a referee? Have you ever thought you could do better yourself? Have you ever thought of the sacrifices that referee has made to not only be there on the day but all of the training, development, fitness work and commitment they have put in during that month alone?

Refereeing is a challenging but very rewarding past time. Whether your ambition is to referee at the World Cup finals or officiate a local league cup final there is nothing like the buzz of getting 22 handshakes at the end of the game.

Of course this doesn’t always happen and some games can be a real test of character. That said, there is great support networks and always someone to help you learn from every game.

The next time you attend a game take five minutes to watch the referee….count how many decisions they make in that five minutes. How many times do they run up and down the pitch? How many times does someone question them? Then ask yourself the biggest question….could I do that?

The following module will help you answer that question – whether you are taking this for fun, to gain an insight into the laws of the games or because you are interested in becoming a referee I am sure you will find it interesting and thought provoking.

At the end of the module you will get a score and the chance to register for one of our upcoming referees courses.

Enjoy the challenge – the same challenge our 700+ referees take on every week. If you would like further information that is not answered in this module please email referees@irishfa.com.

The National Development group is for referees who have been identified as having high potential to be promoted to the next level of football.

All referees who are part of the group attend national seminars are under regular independent assessment and must pass a fitness test at the level of football they aspire to be promoted to.

Referees wishing to be part of this group have to be nominated by their local association and must complete an application form.

For the 2017/2018 season, every area will launch their Referee Centre of Excellence.

This group is for all referees at Junior & Intermediate level who wish to develop. They will meet monthly and be a great source of development, information and camaraderie within refereeing.

This section will give you all the resources you need from online exercises to information booklets.

Keep checking back during the season for updates.

Please find below the most recent appointments in the following competitions.

This section includes all the information and forms required for disciplinary reporting.

You must report all cautions and dismissals to the relevant authorities. This should be done by using the Summary Sheet for Cautions (link here) and DR2 form for dismissals (link here). All cautions for Senior, Intermediate, NIFL Reserve & Youth League should be sent to discipline@irishfa.com.

All other report forms should be forwarded to the relevant FA in your area (County Antrim, Mid Ulster, North West & Fermanagh & Western). If you are unsure of where to send your reports to please email referees@irishfa.com.