Northern NSW Football has announced an important initiative for 2022 to improve the refereeing experience and enjoyment of its first year Level 4 match officials.
The Green Shirt Referee Respect Program will be introduced to encourage greater support and respect for new match officials and to assist with the development of their skills and confidence.
All registered first year referees across northern NSW will wear a green shirt in 2022, so they can be readily identified as a new match official in the learning and development stage of officiating. The green shirt will become part of the New Referee Starter Package, which provides all the training, clothing and equipment to become a match official.
This public identification of the referee as being in their first year should lead to a greater appreciation of developing referees’ performances and decisions by players, team officials and spectators.
NNSWF Referee Manager Brad Carlin said similar initiatives have worked successfully in other sports and resulted in far greater respect shown towards new match officials and an appreciation of how challenging their role can be.
“I am confident that the Green Shirt Program will make match day experiences easier and more enjoyable for our new referees, no matter on what level of football they officiate in their first season,” Carlin said.
“More support and respect towards new match officials in green shirts will enable our new referees to develop more quickly and lead to a greater retention of their numbers.
“The program is really important in our drive to increase the number of match officials. If football participants want an official referee officiating on more of their matches, we all have a responsibility to make the experiences of referees, especially new ones, as enjoyable and supported as possible.”
How do I become a referee?
You must be at least 13-years-old and complete the Football Australia online Laws of the Game course, as well as the Level 4 Referee Course.
The FA Online Laws of the Game course provides a basic introduction to the Laws of the Game and their interpretation. To successfully complete the course, a participant needs to pass the online examination and print their Statement of Completion Certificate.
The Level 4 Referee course provides participants with education and training to become a referee. It can be undertaken in a classroom environment as a one day course consisting of theory modules and practical sessions on a pitch to enable referees to begin officiating.
The Level 4 Referee course can also now be undertaken online. Participants complete the theory modules and upon meeting the course requirements, attend a practical session on a pitch to enable them to start officiating.
CLICK HERE to undertake FA’s Laws of the Game course
CLICK HERE to register to undertake the Online Level 4 Referee course
More information HERE
