Pitch and ball

Registration & Promotion

GET REGISTERED

Between March and June each year, all referees in the RAF must register for the following season. 

The easiest way to complete this process is online, via The FA's Whole Game System (WGS) and all referees that registered last season, including all new referees, should have access to the WGS system to do this. 

The Whole Game System provides referees at all levels with a comprehensive online administration package, with some appointing and discipline reporting being directed through the portal. This means referees at grassroots level can now enjoy many of the online processes currently available to colleagues operating at the highest levels of the game.

Ready to register? Click below to log in to the Whole Game System.  

PROMOTION

Even the most experienced referees have worked their way from the very bottom of the refereeing ladder and through the promotion scheme to where they are today.

Whether your dream is to officiate at the World Cup final or a County Cup Final, the promotion scheme has been designed to help you get there. We wish to encourage all referees to aim at achieving an improvement in their performance level and are keen to support all aspiring referees who wish to apply for advancement within the county promotion system.

Refereeing Levels

Your 'level' signifies your seniority within refereeing. Unless you are under the age of 16, all referees will start at Level 7 and can progress as far as the International FIFA list.

Level T - Trainee
Level Y - Youth Referee (qualified referees under 16 years old)
Level 7 - Junior County Referee
Level 6 –County Referee
Level 5 - Senior County Referee
Level 4 - Supply League Referee/Contributory League Assistant
Level 3 - Contributory League Referee/Panel League Assistant
Level 2 - Panel League Referee/Football League Assistant
Level 1 - Football League Referee
Select Group - FA Premier League Referee
FIFA List - International Referee 

How do i achieve promotion?

All new Level 7 and Level 6 candidates must apply for promotion by completing the the R5 form below. Existing promotion scheme candidates will be kept on the scheme until they achieve Level 5 status providing they meet the requirements shown below.

Level 7 referee? You must have refereed at least 20 (twenty) games in a single season before applying for promotion to Level 6.

All candidates for promotion must:

Attend an In Service Training Seminar specifically designated for promotion candidates at their current level during each promotion season
Must pass an examination on the Laws of the Game during each promotion season specifically designated for promotion candidates at their current level
Must keep the Observing Officer apprised of every match they officiate giving prior notice of time and venue
Must officiate on a minimum of 20 (twenty) 11v11 competitive matches during the period of the promotion year (i.e. 01/03/17 to 28/02/18)
Must ensure that 70% of their matches are at open-age (adult) level
Will be observed on a minimum of 3 (three) matches by county observers
The promotion season commences on the 1st March 2017 and finishes on the 28th February 2018.

Think you're ready to take the next step in your refereeing career? Get in touch and we'll let you know the next steps. 

Promotion In-Service Training

Promotion In-Service training is for referee promotion candidates only. Each candidate will attend a venue for a day where they will take part in a number of training/development drills led by a RAF FA Referee Tutor. Those involved in the training will also have to sit a Laws of the Game exam. This training is an integral part of the Referee Promotion Scheme and is a requirement of any promotion.