The FA Referee Course requires approximately 90 minutes of online learning and 11 hours of face-to-face training. After that, a new referee takes charge of five assessed matches and receives an FA Referee badge. Most people who have played football for years have no idea the process is that accessible.
By David Findlay, Founder of KiqIQ.
Quick Answer: To become a football referee in England, you must be at least 14 years old, register with your local County Football Association, complete the FA Referee Course (online modules plus 11 hours of face-to-face training), and referee five assessed matches to earn your FA Referee certificate and badge.
Definition: An FA-qualified football referee is a person who has completed the FA Referee Course, passed the required online and face-to-face training, completed the required assessed matches, and is registered with a County Football Association to officiate at grassroots and amateur level.
Key point: There is no requirement to have played football at any level to become a referee. The FA Referee Course is open to anyone aged 14 or over, regardless of playing background, gender, or prior experience. Registration is handled through your local County FA.
Step 1: Check You Meet the Entry Requirements
According to The FA’s official guidance, the minimum age to take the FA Referee Course is 14. This applies to refereeing mini soccer, 9v9, and 11v11 football formats. There is no maximum age limit stated in the official course information.
Applicants are not required to have played the game at any level. The FA guidance is explicit that people of all ages, genders, races, and abilities are encouraged to apply. No prior refereeing experience is required to enrol on the entry-level course.
If you plan to referee matches involving children, you will need to pass an enhanced background check. This is a standard safeguarding requirement for anyone working with young people in football, as outlined by the National Careers Service profile for football referees.
Step 2: Register with Your Local County FA
All referee registrations in England are handled through the network of County Football Associations. There are more than 50 County FAs in England, organised across regions including Capital, East, North East, North West, East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, Yorkshire, and Forces, as listed on the England Football website.
To enrol on the FA Referee Course, contact the referee development officer at your local County FA. Contact details for each County FA are available through the England Football website. Course availability and booking dates vary by County FA, so it is worth contacting your local association to confirm upcoming course dates.
Completing safeguarding training is also a requirement before qualification, in addition to the referee course itself. Your County FA will be able to confirm the specific requirements in your area.
Step 3: Complete the Online Learning Modules
The FA Referee Course begins with online learning delivered through the FA’s Learning Management System. According to England Football’s official guidance, the online component consists of five modules with a total duration of approximately 90 minutes.
The five modules cover:
- Pre-match responsibilities and player kit safety checks
- Referee and assistant referee signals
- Foul challenges, violent conduct, handball, and the advantage rule
- Offside rules and their application
- Restarts and set-pieces, including goal kicks, corners, throw-ins, free kicks, and penalties
The online modules are completed before attending the face-to-face training session. They introduce the Laws of the Game at the level required for grassroots officiating and prepare candidates for the practical and interactive elements of the in-person day.
Step 4: Attend Face-to-Face Training
The face-to-face component of the FA Referee Course totals 11 hours of training, typically delivered across one evening session and one full day, according to the official FA course information. The sessions are held at a County FA venue and are run by qualified trainer/assessors.
The in-person training covers:
- Interactive quizzes and law application scenarios
- Communication techniques for managing players and situations on the pitch
- Decision-making practice under realistic match conditions
- Referee positioning and movement
- Game-based scenarios with practical on-pitch exercises
The combination of the online learning and face-to-face session provides both the theoretical foundation in the Laws of the Game and the practical application skills needed for match officiating.
Step 5: Complete Five Assessed Matches
After completing the face-to-face training, new referees must officiate five matches before receiving their qualification. According to England Football’s guidance, these matches must be completed before the FA Referee certificate and badge are awarded.
The five-match requirement gives newly trained referees structured early experience under the support of the County FA, before they are registered as fully qualified officials. Once the five matches are completed, referees receive their FA Referee certificate and official badge, which registers them to take charge of matches through the County FA system.
What Happens After You Qualify
After qualifying, referees are registered with their County FA and can be assigned to officiate at grassroots and amateur level. Match fees are paid per game, though The FA’s course information does not specify standard rates as these vary by competition and level.
The National Careers Service profile for football referees identifies several progression pathways available to qualified officials, including referee training instructor roles, match assessor positions, and referee development officer roles within County FAs. The Referees’ Association, a national body for football officials, provides professional development resources and membership for qualified referees.
Referees who progress through the levels of the officiating pathway can move from grassroots football through the semi-professional and professional tiers of the game, following a structured promotion system overseen by The FA and the County FA network.
Refereeing Children’s Football
Young referees aged 14 and over can officiate at mini soccer and junior football formats. The FA provides a Young Referees Development Programme specifically aimed at supporting newer officials who are themselves in the younger age bracket, as noted on The FA’s general information page for referees.
Any referee working with children must complete the required safeguarding training and background checks before taking charge of junior matches. These requirements apply regardless of the referee’s age and are non-negotiable under The FA’s safeguarding framework.
The KiqIQ Angle
Football has a structural problem at grassroots level that receives far less attention than player recruitment or coaching development: there are not enough qualified referees to cover the matches that clubs want to play. The FA Referee Course addresses the supply side of that problem directly, and it is a remarkably short qualification for what it produces. One weekend of training and five matches stands between any motivated person over the age of 14 and a registered officiating badge. The Referees’ Association exists precisely because the officiating pathway needs better institutional support and retention. The course is accessible. What happens after qualification, the abuse, the inconsistent match fees, the lack of mentoring at grassroots level, is where the system loses the officials it trains. That gap is worth understanding for anyone entering the pathway.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old do you have to be to become a football referee?
According to The FA’s official course information, the minimum age to take the FA Referee Course is 14. This applies to refereeing mini soccer, 9v9, and 11v11 formats. There is no stated upper age limit.
How long does the FA Referee Course take?
The FA Referee Course consists of approximately 90 minutes of online learning across five modules, followed by 11 hours of face-to-face training, typically delivered as one evening and one full day. After that, you must referee five assessed matches before receiving your certificate and badge.
Do I need to have played football to become a referee?
No. The FA guidance explicitly states that the course is open to people of all ages, genders, races, and abilities. No playing experience is required to enrol on or pass the FA Referee Course.
How do I sign up for the FA Referee Course?
Contact the referee development officer at your local County Football Association. There are more than 50 County FAs in England, and course dates and availability are organised locally. Contact details are available on the England Football website.
What can I referee after qualifying?
On qualifying, you are registered with your County FA and can officiate at grassroots and amateur level. Progression through the officiating levels is possible over time, with pathways into semi-professional and professional football for those who advance through the FA’s referee promotion system.