Promotion

[Englishref]

I found out yesterday that I've been promoted to level 6 (I know that probably doesn't mean much to non-Brits) after getting rejected last promotion season. I'm absolutely delighted.

Just thought I'd let you know. :p ;)

[Wreave]

I found out yesterday that I've been promoted to level 6 (I know that probably doesn't mean much to non-Brits) after getting rejected last promotion season. I'm absolutely delighted.

Just thought I'd let you know. :p ;)

Try to put it in perspective for us...

But, congratulations!

[Chas (Psyatika)]

Seems it is the equivalent of reaching Grade 7 here in the States.

http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Refereeing/GettingInvolved/

On passing the exams, you become Level 8 referee, if you are under 16 years of age, or Level 7 referee if you are over 16. You may then officiate on local amateur ("parks") football.

If you wish to become a Level 6 referee you must serve one year at Level 7 before being eligible for promotion. Promotion is usually decided through assessment, attendance at further training, successful completion of a test on the Laws of the game and a satisfactory average mark over 20 completed matches. The same criteria would apply for promotion to Level 5.

An assessment is when a senior referee (or retired referee) watches you referee, and provides you with a constructive report on your performance. Assessors also send a confidential mark on the copy of the report which is sent to your County FA

Level 5 referees may then be eligible for promotion to Senior Competitions (Level 4 rising to Level 1). This may involve refereeing in a "supply league - Level 4" (a senior amateur league at County level), and being an assistant referee in a "contributory league - Level 3" (a semi professional league). Further promotion would take you on to a Panel League - Level 2 and eventually, on to the National list of Referees - Level 1.

The final promotion would be on to the International list where we have currently 10 referees. However, certain age limits apply - minimum and maximum - and a fitness test must be passed before each season.

[Grizzlierbear]

I found out yesterday that I've been promoted to level 6 (I know that probably doesn't mean much to non-Brits) after getting rejected last promotion season. I'm absolutely delighted.

Just thought I'd let you know. :p ;)
Well done! Are you looking to go further? Where about in the UK do you referee? Plan on a trip out that way around the world cup could stop for a chat and pint?

[Englishref]

Well done! Are you looking to go further? Where about in the UK do you referee? Plan on a trip out that way around the world cup could stop for a chat and pint?

Yeah I'm on the promotion scheme again to go from 6 to 5 (and therefore 4) this promotion season (ours runs from 1st March to 28th February), so we'll see. As for where I referee, it's good old London. :D :cool:

[blind_clown]

Yeah I'm on the promotion scheme again to go from 6 to 5 (and therefore 4) this promotion season (ours runs from 1st March to 28th February), so we'll see. As for where I referee, it's good old London. :D :cool:
How many million games and decades in grade do they make you guys have to promote?

[Chas (Psyatika)]

Well there are a TON of supply and contributory league clubs, and they all need to play matches, plus FA Cup qualification, plus FA Vase, etc, so there are many, many matches to be played, and they all need referees (and i'm only talking about adults!). I'd imagine they don't make it too impossible to reach Levels 6 and 5. It's probably just as difficult as reaching State here in the US.

[HeadHunter]

As for where I referee, it's good old London. :D :cool:

I'm going to be working over there this summer- not in any soccer related capacity. Definetely looking forward to it and though I dubt Id have much time to ref would there be stuff available if I was interested?

[Englishref]

I'm going to be working over there this summer- not in any soccer related capacity. Definetely looking forward to it and though I dubt Id have much time to ref would there be stuff available if I was interested?

Well as I'm sure you know, summer is our off-season, so it depends when abouts in the summer you'd be coming over. Most leagues start in September, although some start in August. There are a couple of summer leagues, but they're not very good, or very well run.

Well there are a TON of supply and contributory league clubs, and they all need to play matches, plus FA Cup qualification, plus FA Vase, etc, so there are many, many matches to be played, and they all need referees (and i'm only talking about adults!). I'd imagine they don't make it too impossible to reach Levels 6 and 5. It's probably just as difficult as reaching State here in the US.

You can't really get promoted doing youth football here. You can only apply for promotion once you're 16, and the minimum age group is U18. All games must be a minimum of 35 mins e.w. and be 11-a-side. To go from 7 to 6 isn't too difficult, and you can apply to go on the promotion scheme. These games are any level of football, and you have to get a minimum of 7 on your assessments, plus good club marks from your two mens/womens leagues, and attend all in-service training evenings, and pass the written exam on the LOTG. This can be done in one season. 6 to 5 is the same sort of thing, however, the only games you can submit for assessment are those in 'senior' divisions of certain leagues. Again, you have to average 7 on your assessments and do all the same as 7-6, but you must also act as an assistant referee on at least 5 games. If you then get your 5, and you are under 43 years old (I think), you are then eligible to be put forward by your county for promotion to level 4. So it's at this point when promotion is taken out of your hands. To go 5 to 4 you simply need to pass the fitness test. So if you're under 43, you effectively go 6-4 in the same season.

After that, you referee on your supply league, and only the top 2 or 3 in the league are put forward for interview to get to level 3, and so on until you get to level 1. So getting to level 4 takes a minimum of 2 seasons, from then on it can take an age. You may never actually go above level 4.

So it's not hard to see why England's FIFA officials have typically been much older than most others when they get their badge! The FA are trying to change this now, and are deliberately promoting youth. Referees like Mark Clattenburg, Howard Webb, Martin Atkinson, Andre Marriner have been the first beneficiaries. Andre will get FIFA next year. And referees like Lee Mason and Keith Stroud have both had a PL game this season (despite not being SG officials), and in fact Lee has the Aston Villa game this weekend, so expect to see them probably promoted this summer.

[Jeff L]

Levels 5, 6and 7 are the same the World over.
Having been promoted too, and attending the same meeting as "English Ref" tonight, an interesting point was mentioned that as of 2006 - 7 season the age limit will be done away with as it will be against the law.
Therefore the only requirement to reach the EPL is to pass the fitness test, and no longer will an "age exclusion" apply. There's hope for me yet ! :)
I wonder if FIFA and the rest of the world will apply this in due course, unless age discrimination is not going to be outlawed elsewhere.

[Englishref]

Levels 5, 6and 7 are the same the World over.
Having been promoted too, and attending the same meeting as "English Ref" tonight, an interesting point was mentioned that as of 2006 - 7 season the age limit will be done away with as it will be against the law.
Therefore the only requirement to reach the EPL is to pass the fitness test, and no longer will an "age exclusion" apply. There's hope for me yet ! :)
I wonder if FIFA and the rest of the world will apply this in due course, unless age discrimination is not going to be outlawed elsewhere.

Jeff, I think these were only rumours at present. And if they do come in, I suspect it will be a European Court of Human Rights decision, meaning it'll get adopted across EU member states. Still, we'll have to wait and see. It's a long-standing rule, and I can't see the authorities giving it up without a fight.

[Chas (Psyatika)]

I liked the age rule, for the top level anyway. It prevents a select few referees from hogging the big matches until they can't walk anymore while the youngish referees have to sit and wait. Everyone gets a go until they've done it into their mid-40s, and then it's someone else's turn. If the 45+'s want to keep officiating, they'll have to not do games that aren't FIFA International matches.

I think removing the age cap from National Level is good. The very top should have enough of a turnaround so that all of the elite referees get a chance.

[jkdd77]

Levels 5, 6and 7 are the same the World over.
Having been promoted too, and attending the same meeting as "English Ref" tonight, an interesting point was mentioned that as of 2006 - 7 season the age limit will be done away with as it will be against the law.
Therefore the only requirement to reach the EPL is to pass the fitness test, and no longer will an "age exclusion" apply. There's hope for me yet ! :)
I wonder if FIFA and the rest of the world will apply this in due course, unless age discrimination is not going to be outlawed elsewhere.

That's right- under a new European Union law, effective 1st October 2006, it will be illegal to discriminate on the basis of age when employing someone, or when choosing not to employ someone.

[IASocFan]

I liked the age rule, for the top level anyway. It prevents a select few referees from hogging the big matches until they can't walk anymore while the youngish referees have to sit and wait. Everyone gets a go until they've done it into their mid-40s, and then it's someone else's turn. If the 45+'s want to keep officiating, they'll have to not do games that aren't FIFA International matches.
...

At 22, you might feel like that; but at 62, I don't like it at all. Not everyone ages at the same speed. I know, I'm over the hill and am satisfied with lower level games. However, I know others not much younger than I, that are still quite capable, and they have a lot more experience to deal with the many situations that happen. I'd rather let our health, conditioning, and more importantly - our results on the field determine our level than our age.

[Wreave]

At 22, you might feel like that; but at 62, I don't like it at all. Not everyone ages at the same speed. I know, I'm over the hill and am satisfied with lower level games. However, I know others not much younger than I, that are still quite capable, and they have a lot more experience to deal with the many situations that happen. I'd rather let our health, conditioning, and more importantly - our results on the field determine our level than our age.

I agree. Set the fitness bar high, but for those that can meet it, allow them to do the job. Don't set an arbitrary standard.

I'm 33, and will never be a FIFA ref. Frankly, unless I make a dramatic priority shift (away from job and family, towards professional refereeing), I will never be a National ref - though I'd like to be a state ref someday. However, I do feel that an arbitrary age standard does nothing for the game.

[Alberto]

I liked the age rule, for the top level anyway. It prevents a select few referees from hogging the big matches until they can't walk anymore while the youngish referees have to sit and wait. Everyone gets a go until they've done it into their mid-40s, and then it's someone else's turn. If the 45+'s want to keep officiating, they'll have to not do games that aren't FIFA International matches.

I think removing the age cap from National Level is good. The very top should have enough of a turnaround so that all of the elite referees get a chance.
This is clearly not the case Chas, the referees have to be in tremendous condition to pass the fitness tests.

[Alberto]

I agree. Set the fitness bar high, but for those that can meet it, allow them to do the job. Don't set an arbitrary standard.

I'm 33, and will never be a FIFA ref. Frankly, unless I make a dramatic priority shift (away from job and family, towards professional refereeing), I will never be a National ref - though I'd like to be a state ref someday. However, I do feel that an arbitrary age standard does nothing for the game.


Exactly, it is of course discriminatory.

[USSF REF]

I forget who said this, but I think it was Andy Rooney... basically his gist was this:

A young man is making fun of an older man because of his age. The old man says "You know it's not right to make fun of me for my age, it happens to a lot of people, and if you're lucky it will happen to you one day also."

I'm 23 and I think setting an arbitrary age limit on the age of these referees is not fair. If a person can meet all of the same requirements that the league sets for its top referees then they should be allowed to referee at that level. It's still up to the assigner to plug them into a game, but they shouldn't be completely prohbited from working just because they turned 45. The league could test, cognition, knowlege of the laws, long and short distance fitness, hearing, and vision all they want to, but pick your critera and then it should be "whoever has earned the proper level and can meet these requirements are eligable to referee."

Do you think Pierluigi would not still be a good referee just because he's going to be 47 this year? I think he would still be top notch. If a young referee is good enough then he will rise to the top anyway, that will be the crieria. I also think doing it this way best services the games and the players. This ensures the best referee's are on the games, and won't prevent the best referee from working because he is 46 years old.

[IASocFan]

.... The league could test, cognition, knowlege of the laws, long and short distance fitness, hearing, and vision all they want to, but pick your critera and then it should be "whoever has earned the proper level and can meet these requirements are eligable to referee."
...

I think of being hard of hearing as an asset - particularly when it comes to dissent and instructions from my wife! :)

Probably too many shrill whistles in 30 years of refereeing. :rolleyes: