Question Number: 25932

Law 5 - The Referee 1/29/2012

RE: recreational Under 10

stuart ford of devon, england asks...

hi we play in the youth league in devon i was wondering what age you have to be to referee a mini soccer match we are playing in under 9s we have 1 team who use a referee who is under 16 but also happens to be the son of the manager but also makes alot of decisions with the guidence from his parent the teams manager. do you have to be of a certain age or is the no limit he seems to miss alot of unfair tackles and its not just me as a manager its other teams that have come across it aswell. do mabye both teams have to agree to use a young referee or is there no rule on age, i do comend his braveness and commitment on wanting to become a referee but worry that some of his decisions come from parental guidance. any help would be grateful i think the lad is 14 or 15 many thanks stu

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The minimum age for referees would be up to your local league rules. The FA might also have something to say about it. In my area, a referee must be at least 14 to work without adult supervision, and must be at least an age group older than the teams that are playing. Adult supervision means there is another referee there who is an adult; the parents and coaches aren't supervisors.

It's also not a good idea for the referee to be related to the team members or coaching staff. Even if the ref is not biased, the perception that comes across is that there must be bias - as you and your colleagues have noted. Only in an emergency when no other referee is available should a relative be used.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Stuart
The FA has decreed that the minimum age required to become a referee is 14. The candidates are examined as to their suitability to be a Referee by an initial examination held at the end of a Basic Referees Course. The initial examination is both written and oral as prescribed by The Football Association and it include an eyesight and colour test.
On passing the referee course and meeting all the other conditions set by the FA the young person between the age of 14 and 16 is designated at a Level 8 Youth referee and on reaching the age of 16 becomes a Level 7 Junior Referee . Youth Referees are qualified to referee games up to one year below their own age so a 14 year old can do games up to U13.
The young referee would certainly have no difficulty in refereeing small sided games and certainly it is a good training ground for the young aspiring referee.
My advice is that u10 should be fun events with the referee playing a minor role in games. They certainly should not be competitive to an extent where refereeing decisions are a factor.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Perhaps you should have a word, gently, with the team manager whose son is the referee. Mention you know he doesn't mean it this way as you know he intends only to assist his son become a better ref, but when he is coaching his son as the referee, it can create the wrong impression with the other teams. Suggest perhaps he save the comments for a discussion later away from the fields.

In lieu of that, the best that can be done is to compliment the young ref when he does a good job, and I'll wager that is most of the time. And, in time, he will rely less on what is coming from the managers/coaches/fans whomsoever they might be, and more on his own judgment based on observation and experience. Or, you can contact the assignor for these games, if there is one, and explain the benefits and pitfalls this young ref faces as a relative of a team manager.