ON THE WHISTLE!
Refereeing is a hugely important part of our game, and a skilled referee can make a major difference to the flow and fairness of a match. It is also extremely rewarding and the YEL invests heavily in supporting and encouraging the next generation of great referees…

“Refereeing develops key life skills such as communication, decision making, confidence …and it also provides extra weekend spending money!”
HOW TO BECOME A REFEREE AND WHAT SORT OF PERSON DO YOU NEED TO BE?
Referees come in all shapes and sizes however they all have a common desire to create the right, even handed environment for youngsters to enjoy a game of football.
On reaching their 14th birthday, boys and girls can take a County FA Referee course. There’s no upper age limit on candidates. Whilst most referees are likely to be still playing football (or have played in the past), this is not a necessity as full training is given on the laws of the game. Once the course has been completed, candidates should be able to referee their first games (usually mini soccer).
Courses for new referees are constantly being run throughout the season. Details can be found on your local County FA website.
There’s no specific criteria which defines a referee. Provided you’re a fair, even minded person prepared to give it your best, you will be fine. Having a positive attitude and earning the respect of the players, parents and coaches right from the start will help – How you respond to initial emails/texts; What time you arrive at the ground; How you introduce yourself; What your appearance says about you; How you use your whistle; How you engage with the players and coaches during the game; How enthusiastic you are. All of these are really important considerations. If you tick all of these boxes, you will have a great time and find refereeing very rewarding. If you don’t…. well always remember that football can be a very passionate game!
Use YEL MATCH-UP to find a referee for your game at short notice. This invaluable live system tool is only accessible via Scoreline to authorised YEL members.
YEL REFEREES SUPPORT CENTRE
Highlights of other rules (not exhaustive) – If in doubt, refer to the full rules and regulations on YELonline.com
Half time: Normally 10 minutes but can be up to 15 minutes. The half time interval can only be changed with the consent of the referee.
Length of the halves: As above. Shorter durations must be mutually agreed by the two clubs in consultation with the referee prior to the commencement of the match and, in any event, shall be of equal halves.
Assistant referees: Assistant referee must be over 16 (unless a qualified official)
Scoring a goal direct from a kick off: A goal cannot be scored directly from a kick-off in a U7s to U10s game
U7s to U10s specific rule: For an offence that would result in either a dropped ball within the penalty area or an indirect free kick within the penalty area under normal laws of the game, the restart of play should take place from the penalty area line, parallel with the goal line, at the nearest point to the offence.
Cup rules: If scores are level at the end of extra time (or normal time in finals if no extra time has been specified by the league prior to the start) the result will be decided by the taking of penalty kicks from the penalty mark. Each team will take 5 penalty kicks. If the result is still tied, then the teams will take additional penalties on a sudden death basis to ascertain the winner of the tie.
Payment of officials: In all rounds up to the semi final, the cost of the officials will be paid by the home teams. In semi finals, each team will pay half of the officials’ match fees.
Player ID: A player must not take part in any game if they are not listed on the official WGS team ID sheet or FA Matchday App.
YOU ARE IN CHARGE!
A HELPFUL GUIDE TO HANDLING NEGATIVITY
Not everyone agrees with decisions, but the participants are left in no doubt that the referee is in control of what is happening on the field of play. This calm and authoritative manner is vital to ensure that the referee maintains the respect and control during the match.
USING_THE_COACH_1 from Robert Harwood on Vimeo.

“REFEREES SHOULD BE CONFIDENT, AND ENJOY IT! THE YEL IS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU”
A referee course helps build your confidence, teaches you life skills and how to manage situations on the field which can be related to every day life situations including conflict resolution, decision making and a whole host of other things. Learn how to become a referee.
Andy Smith
YEL Referees Liaison Officer