Ken Aston MBE

Joint publication of Fa Education and the referees’ association 

Volume 26 October 2015 

Ken Aston MBE: 

a referee with vision 

Also inside 

Adam Gale-Watts 

Offside - interfering 

with an opponent 

Jon Moss 

Memories of the 2015 

FA Cup Final 

Amy Rayner 

Reflection on the 

1st women’s FA Cup 

Final to be played 

at Wembley

JOINT PUBLICATION OF FA LEARNING AND THE REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION 

VOLUME 25 MAY 2015 

Contributors: 

David Elleray, Ian Blanchard, Neale Barry, Daniel Meeson, 

Adam Gale-Watts, Martin Atkinson, Jon Moss, Amy Rayner, 

Simon Breivik, Joanna Stimpson, Lisa Benn, Farai Hallam, 

Jack Nield, Ross Joyce, Mike Penn, Darren England, Simon 

Bennett, Harry Lennard, Craig Pawson, Keith Stroud, Roger 

Vaughan, Will Finnie, George Lowe, Josh Ainscow, Adam 

Davies, Tom Bowkett, Ian Tucker, Barry Ereira, Andy Wilding, 

A.J.Dale, Pat Bakhuizen 

Ken Aston MBE: 


Offside - Interfering with 

an opponent 

Page 14 

Reflection on the 1st 

women’s fa cup final to be 

played at wembley 

Page 36 

Also inside 

Adam Gale-Watts 

Offside - interfering 

with an opponent 

Jon Moss 


FA Cup Final 

A my Rayner 

Reflection on the 

1st women’s FA Cup 

Final to be played 

at Wembley 

Editorial Team: 

David Elleray, Ian Blanchard, Thomas Coupland 

Design: 

St. George’s Park Design Studio 


FA Cup final 

Page 30 

RA-FA LIAISON COMMITTEE 

Chairman 

David Elleray 

Chairman – FA Referees’ Committee 

President – The Referees’ Association 

The FA Referees’ Committee 

David Horlick – Vice Chairman 

The FA Refereeing Department 

Neale Barry 

Ian Blanchard 

Roger Vaughan 

Daniel Meeson 

Keith Stroud 

The Referees’ Association 

Paul Field 

David Crick 

The RA-FA Youth Council 

FA Head of Senior Referee Development 

FA Senior National Game Referee Manager 

FA National Referee Manager – Recruitment, Retention & Development 

FA National Referee Manager – Volunteers 

FA National Referee Manager – Workforce 

Acting RA General Manager 

RA representative on FA Council; member of FA Referees’ Committee 

Image Recognition: 

Getty Images, FA Education 

Acknowledgements: 

The contents of “Refereeing” are copyright of 

The Football Association. No articles, features or any 

aspects can be reproduced or photocopied without 

written permission of The Football Association. 

The views of this journal are not necessarily those of 

The Football Association or The Referees’ Association 

Published By: 

FA Education, 

The Football Association, 

St. George’s Park, Newborough Road, 

Needwood, Burton-Upon-Trent, DE13 9PD 

Website: 

TheFA.com/Refereeing 

Email: 

Education@TheFA.com 

ra@footballreferee.org 

The FA Crest is a registered trademark of The Football 

Association. © The Football Association 2004 

Foreword David Elleray 4 

Playing Advantage Ian Blanchard 6 

DOGSO or SPA? Daniel Meeson 10 

Offside – Interfering with an opponent Adam Gale-Watts 14 

Offside – Clarification IFAB 21 

Ken Aston MBE – A referee with vison 22 

Tribute to Joel Richards Mike Penn 26 

What it was like refereeing the 2015 UEFA 

Europa League Final 

Martin Atkinson 28 

Memories of the 2015 FA Cup Final Jon Moss 30 

Reflection on the 1st Women’s FA Cup final 

to be played at Wembley 

Amy Rayner 36 

Injury prevention Simon Breivik 40 

The new FA referees’ course Keith Stroud 42 

Over 100 young referees graduate 

The FA Referee Development Programme 

Daniel Meeson 44 

Introducing two new County Referee Development Officers Joanna Stimpson & Lisa Benn 46 

Cerebral Palsy Football World Championships Farai Hallam 47 

My experience refereeing at the 

2015 Dr Pepper Dallas Cup 2015 

Jack Nield 48 

Be sensible on social media 49 

The Iber Cup Ross Joyce 50 

Dale Farm Milk Cup 2015 – 

FA Referee Development Group Report 

RAFAYC updates 54 

52 

Will Finnie 

chairman 

RA News 59 

3

Foreword 

Foreword 

Sport is ever-changing and football is no exception. 

As the game changes, so too does refereeing 

and the Laws of the Game, which are the 

structure for every match in the world 

regardless of location or level. Indeed, one of 

the enduring attractions of football is that it is 

a simple game with one of the smallest Law 

books of any sport, the vast majority of which 

apply at all levels of football from grassroots to 

the World Cup final. 

Changes to the Laws and to the way the game 

is refereed are often the result of changes in the 

way the game is played causing referees and 

the Law-makers to reflect upon what football is 

doing and expects. 

For example, some time ago ‘intent’ was 

removed from Law 12 (except for handball) as 

the vast majority of fouls should not technically 

have been penalised because the offender did 

not intend to foul the opponent. 

Most fouls were just mistimed challenges so 

football was in a strange place where challenges 

that everyone accepted were fouls were not 

offences according to the wording of Law 12. 

Sensibly, the Law was revised to come into 

line with what might be termed custom and 

practice in the game. 

The recent offside clarification from the 

International FA Board (IFAB) is another 

example of the Law reflecting football’s 

expectations. The removal of ‘distract’ from 

Law 12 two years ago had, unintentionally, 

caused some situations technically not to be 

offside when the whole of football expected 

them to be penalised, hence the clarification of 

‘interfering with an opponent’ issued by IFAB in 

the summer. 

Whenever a Law changes or is clarified, a period 

of education takes place and one educational 

truism is that you ‘learn from your mistakes’. 

Very early this season, in the Liverpool v 

Bournemouth game, Liverpool’s goal was 

incorrectly allowed when it should have been 

given offside. Liverpool’s Coutinho clearly 

attempted to play the ball which was close to 

him and this impacted on the Bournemouth 

goalkeeper who delayed his movement to wait 

and see if the attacker kicked the ball or not. 

Sadly, the assistant referee did not indicate 

offside and although this was not good for 

him, it did bring the IFAB’s clarification into 

sharp focus and debate and many, many 

people learned from this error of judgement. 

To help you avoid any such offside mistakes 

we reproduce The IFAB’s circular and a highly 

readable and helpful article from Adam Gale- 

Watts of the PGMOL. 

While football tends to drive the Laws, there 

have been times when the Laws and the game 

have benefited from the drive and vison of 

an individual. Perhaps the greatest visionary 

in modern refereeing was Ken Aston, the 

centenary of whose birth we marked on 1 

September. Ken Aston is credited with bringing 

into the game a number of features that we 

all now regard as fundamental namely the 

black and white referee uniform, coloured 

assistant referee flags, 4th officials and, most 

significantly, red and yellow cards. 

This edition pays tribute to Ken’s impact on 

refereeing and football in general and, if you 

do not already know, you will discover how he 

came to invent the red and yellow card system 

after Jackie Charlton had been ‘booked’ in 

a crucial 1966 World Cup match and knew 

nothing about it until well after the game. 

The culmination of any season is being 

appointed to a Cup final and in this edition we 

bring you insights from the match officials of 

The FA Cup Final, UEFA Europa League final and 

the first FA Women’s Cup Final to be played at 

Wembley. 

Hopefully, these articles will inspire many of 

you to aim to officiate in such important finals 

in the future and we also bring you motivational 

insights into football tournaments that are 

accessible to those of you not yet at the top 

level of refereeing. 

At the time of writing, The FA Executive 

announced significant cuts to all areas of The 

FA’s organisation. The reasons are well known 

and we now wait to see what impact they will 

have in all areas and especially refereeing. As 

we all know, refereeing is sometimes regarded 

as a necessary evil and in that context it was 

most encouraging to learn that The FA’s new 

CEO, Martin Glenn, regards it as a core activity. 

Refereeing is an integral part of the game not 

least because it effects the quality of football 

at all levels so we must continue to recruit and 

develop top quality referees. 

As the season starts and we look forward to 

the excitement to come we also extend our 

condolences to all those from the refereeing 

family who lost friends and loved ones during 

the close season. In particular, we think and 

pray for the family and friends of Joel Richards, 

a young referee who was so tragically killed with 

his uncle and grandfather in the Tunisian beach 

atrocity. As you will read in the tributes to him, 

Joel clearly was not only a talented referee but 

also a very special young man. 

My best wishes to you all for a successful, 

enjoyable and injury-free season – I 

recommend reading Simon’s Breivik’s article 

for this. 

David Elleray 

Chairman, FA Referees’ Committee 

President, The Referees’ Association 

4 

5

Playing advantage 

The referee allows play 

to continue when a team 

against which an offence 

has been committed will 

benefit from such an 

advantage and penalises 

the original offence if the 

anticipated advantage does 

not ensue at that time. 

Law 5 – The Referee 

Playing 

Advantage 

Ian Blanchard, FA Senior National Game Referee Manager, examines the 

important considerations that need to be taken into account when playing 

the rule of advantage. 

The dictionary definition of advantage is “a condition or 

circumstance that puts one in a favourable position.” 

Put into a refereeing context, the idea of playing advantage is reliant 

upon the recognition of the specific circumstances surrounding each 

offence from which a decision can be made to allow play to continue 

or for it to be stopped. 

All advantage decisions are at the referee’s discretion based on his/ 

her judgment as to the specific circumstances, and indeed if a team 

has possession of the ball it does not always constitute an advantage. 

Most of the time, an advantage decision cannot be second-guessed 

because to do so would require knowing what would have happened 

if play was stopped. 

6 

7

Playing advantage 

To support our ability to make effective advantage 

decisions, there are a number of factors that need 

to be taken into consideration. 

Seriousness of the Tackle 

The seriousness of the tackle is arguably 

the most important factor to consider. 

Advantage should never be played if a red 

card challenge occurs - unless there is an 

almost certain goal scoring opportunity 

- as there is always a considerable risk of 

retaliation or mass confrontation. 

It is also dangerous to play advantage for 

a yellow card tackle unless there is a really 

strong goal-scoring opportunity. 

Skill level of the Players 

Generally, the higher the skill level, 

the more likely the advantage will be 

successful. 

This applies not just to the overall skill 

level of a team but also to the skill level 

of individual players, which is not easy to 

determine early in the game - especially if 

you do not know the players. 

Skill levels link particularly to the ball control 

of the fouled player or a team-mate who 

has possession of the ball and this can be 

effected by factors other than the 

player’s skill. 

Conditions of the Field 

of Play 

Poor playing conditions make playing 

the advantage more risky and it is usually 

considered safer to give the free-kick. 

State of the Match 

The score, time and atmosphere of the 

match should all influence whether or not 

to play advantage. 

For example, towards the end of a match 

the winning team will usually prefer the 

free-kick (to slow the game down) whereas 

the losing team is often more keen to see 

the game flow. 

Playing advantage early in a game is risky, 

as the players may perceive the ‘failure’ to 

give a free kick as a sign of weak control. 

Temperature of the Match 

In a highly charged match, playing the 

advantage should be done with caution 

and should only be applied if the advantage 

significantly benefits the offended team 

and then only if it does not risk match 

control. 

By awarding a free-kick, it may help to 

calm the proceedings without acting as a 

negative influence on the game. 

Position on the Field 

of Play 

The Traffic Lights analogy can be used to 

help decide when to apply the advantage. 

The red zone is a high-risk area. If advantage 

is played here and the defending team lose 

the ball and a goal results, the referee could 

be subject to a negative reaction from fans 

and teams. 

The only exception might be to allow play 

to continue from an offside signal if the ball 

goes safely through to the goalkeeper. 

As play moves upfield the benefits of 

applying advantage increasingly balance 

out the risks. 

Traffic ligh ts 

Defensive third 

Low 

Probability 

Moderate 

Probability 

Match Control 

Attacking third 

High 

Probability 

All advantage decisions are at the referee’s 

discretion and while people often talk 

about the idea of ‘team benefit’, the most 

important consideration is ‘control benefit’. 

Never put your match control at risk by 

playing the advantage. 

Attacking Opportunity 

The probability of a promising attack or an 

attempt on goal must be a consideration. 

For instance, more and more teams are 

equipped with a specialist free-kick taker 

and so often want the free-kick around the 

opponents’ penalty area as this is a key 

attacking opportunity for them. 

Whereas, merely having or keeping 

possession of the ball does not constitute 

advantage. 

The 4P’s are a useful guide 

when considering whether 

or not to apply the 

advantage clause: 

Possession 

Active and credible control by the player 

fouled or by a team-mate 

Without possession, none of the other P’s 

matter 

Potential 

Probability of a continuing and immediate 

attack or an attempt on goal 

Players 

Number and skill of attackers versus the 

number and skill of defenders 

Proximity 

Distance from goal (traffic lights) 

In deciding about possession and 

evaluating potential, referees need to 

consider the players and the proximity of 

the offence 

1. More commonly, hand and voice signals 

are given as soon as it is determined that 

the advantage exists 

2. Less commonly, there is a brief delay - 

described as “silent advantage” or “wait 

and see” - before signalling. 

This can take place when the infringement 

is not seen and so it is possible to determine 

immediately whether it is significant, or 

what the more desirable outcome for the 

disadvantaged team is. The risk of this 

strategy, which is technically against the Laws 

of the Game, is that it could lead to player 

retribution or, if another offence immediately 

occurs, having to go back to the original 

offence can risk credibility. 

How long do we maintain 

the advantage signal? 

The advice is three to four seconds and once 

the advantage signal is dropped it is not 

advised to go back to the original offence as 

it lacks credibility to do so. 

Summmary 

All advantage decisions should be based 

primarily on match control and genuine 

attacking opportunity. 

Match control should never be risked by 

applying the advantage. 

Most of the time, the outcome of an advantage 

cannot be second-guessed because to do 

so would require knowing what would have 

happened in the absence of the decision. 

Either giving it or not giving it could be effective 

but it can seldom be described as wrong. 

Final Message: Never use advantage to your disadvantage 

8 

9

DOGSO or SPA? 

DOGSOSPA? 

or 

Daniel Meeson, FA National Referee Manager (Volunteer Workforce), explores the 

challenges of recognising the difference between denying a goal scoring opportunity 

and stopping a promising attack. 

One of the biggest decisions in a game for 

any referee is deciding whether a foul has 

taken away a clear and obvious goal-scoring 

opportunity or whether it has taken away a 

promising attack. 

It is often a difficult decision to make but is 

always an important one that is linked closely 

to CONSEQUENCE and OUTCOME. 

The restarts, the outcomes, the impact and 

consequence can be very different, but the 

following equations reinforce why it is essential 

that we get these decisions right. 

• Taking away a promising attack = free-kick 

(under normal circumstances) + caution 

for defending player who has committed the 

offence (where necessary) 

• Denying an obvious goal scoring 

opportunity = free-kick or penalty (location 

dependent) + sending off the player who 

has committed the offence 

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Dimitrios Konstantopoulos reacts 

as referee David Coote brandishes the red card for a foul on 

Clayton Donaldson that denied a goalscoring opportunity 

RecogniseDistinguishReact 

How we recognise and distinguish between these types of offences 

can often be difficult. As referees we make hundreds of decisions and 

non-decisions each game, often at great speed and so judging the 

fine margins between the two types of offence can be hard to detect 

and deal with. 

Fortunately there are tools that we have at our disposal to help us 

when confronted with this challenge. 

Laws of the Game 

If in doubt, always remember what the Laws of the Game tell us in 

relation to what a referee must consider when deciding whether 

or not to send a player off for denying an obvious goal scoring 

opportunity. 

1. DISTANCE – Between the offence and the goal 

2. CONTROL – The likelihood of keeping or gaining control 

of the ball 

3. DIRECTION – The direction of play 

4. DEFENDERS – Location and number of defenders 

5. OFFENCE – The offence that denies an opponent a goal 

scoring opportunity may be an offence that incurs 

a direct or in-direct free-kick 

Unfortunately, the Laws of the game do not provide guidance and 

clarity around what constitutes a promising attack. 

Players, coaches and often the spectators watching the game can 

provide you with useful indicators for what a promising attack is, 

but we must be careful to not use these external factors as our only 

influence. 

Therefore we must refer back to our bullet points in the Laws of the 

Game around the denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity and 

work to check and challenge before making that ultimate decision. 

What can we use to help? 

These kinds of decisions can be quite common. Rarely will a season go 

by where a referee does not have to make a judgement on whether 

the offence has taken away an obvious goal scoring opportunity or 

a promising attack. Some offences are very clear but for some of the 

tighter, more borderline incidents we need to recognise, distinguish 

and react accordingly. 

With this in mind, we can use a quick and easy acronym to help us 

make the right decision - the F.A.T Referee. 

F = Freeze frame and focus 

A = Analyse the actuals 

T = Take the picture, take your time and take action 

10 

11

DOGSO or SPA? 

Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson is fouled by 

Bolton Wanderers’ Dorian Dervite for a penalty 

Here’s how this simple acronym can help get these big decisions right. 

Freeze Frame and focus 

• Prepare mentally before the foul challenge – some referees will say 

the words ‘yellow’ or ‘red’ in their head in the build up to the 

challenge. At the point of impact, they will then have the colour they 

were saying in their mind and act correctly 

• Prepare physically before the foul challenge – are you in the right 

position to detect the offence? Who commits the offence? What do 

they actually do? Do you need to get closer, wider, or give yourself a 

better angle? 

• Focus your mind, focus on what is important 

• Watch the hands and the feet as the offence can occur from both 

• Take in the bigger picture – don’t neglect what’s around. Where are 

the defenders? What’s the direction? Have they got the ball? Is the 

ball under control? 

• When the offence occurs: remember your offender, remember 

your restart 

Analyse the actuals 

• Remember your freeze frame because the picture will soon change 

• What has actually happened? Who has done what? Where did it 

happen? How did it happen and to whom? 

• What is the offence? What is the sanction? What is the restart? 

• Does it fit all the criteria to be a denial of an obvious goal 

scoring opportunity? 

• What do we think football expects? 

Take the picture, take your 

TIMe and take action 

• As soon as the offence takes place, take a picture in your mind – store 

it and make your decision based on that picture 

• Park the offending player and bank their number 

• Stay calm and use controlled, confident and cool body language 

• Try to be immune from influence and pressure from players, coaches 

and others around you 

• Replay the incident mentally again and again, thinking back to the 

F.A.T acronym 

• Consult your team if necessary – they may have a different or clearer 

angle. After all, your assistant referees are there to assist you 

• Take your time, there is no rush. It is always better to take time and 

get the right decision than making a quick decision that is incorrect 

Summary 

Denial of a goal scoring opportunity or stopping a 

promising attack is a big decision, not least because one 

leads in a player being sent off and the other 

does not. 

It is extremely important to get such a decision right, so 

remember: 

• These decisions are key match decisions – 

let’s collectively make the right decision 

• We have a responsibility to football to get 

them right 

• There are often telltale signs between the two 

• Refer to the Laws of the Game in order distinguish 

between the two 

• Use the F.A.T acronym – freeze frame and focus, 

analyse the actuals and take your time before 

taking action 

12 

13

Offside! Interfering with an Opponent 

offside! 

Interfering with 

an opponent 

Adam Gale-Watts, PGMOL senior coach for assistant 

referees and former FIFA assistant referee, explains 

what the new offside guidance published by IFAB 

means for assistant referees and the game as a whole 

On 17 July, The International FA Board (IFAB) published additional 

guidance regarding Law 11 – Offside, with specific relevance to the 

practical interpretation of interfering with an opponent. 

It was also made clear that a ‘save’ can be made by any player (not 

just a goalkeeper) and relates to a ball which is going into or close to 

the goal. 

These clarifications follow detailed deliberations between the IFAB 

Technical Sub-Committee and the IFAB Technical Advisory Panel, 

which consists of refereeing experts from all of the Confederations. 

The clarifications and especially the two additional ‘interfering with 

an opponent’ bullet points do not constitute a change in the Laws of 

the Game, but aim to provide greater clarity for the interpretation of 

interfering with an opponent. 

It is important to note that the current interpretation of offside for 

‘Interfering with Play, Interfering with an Opponent, and Gaining 

Advantage from being in that position’ remain unchanged, and as 

such the additional guidance contained in the two bullet points is an 

addition to current practice. 

The purpose of this short article is to provide you with a guide to the 

interpretation of the additional guidance, with illustrative examples 

used to assist you with understanding the practical application. 

Additional Guidance 

A player in an offside position shall be penalised if he: 

• clearly attempts to play a ball which is close to him when 

this action impacts on an opponent 

or 

• makes an obvious action which clearly impacts on the 

ability of an opponent to play the ball 

14 

15


Clearly attempts to play 

a ball which is close to 

them when this action 

impacts on an opponent 

It is important to begin by defining the three key 

elements match officials have to consider when 

making a judgement: 

To flag or not to flag? 

When considering the decision-making process, it is important to 

remember that ALL three elements are required before an 

offside offence may be penalised. 

In terms of the general principles to consider: 

• judgement should be based on the physical evidence i.e. 

movement and actions of the player in an offside position 

• attacking players who clearly benefit from being in an offside 

position by clearly attempting to play a ball that is close, 

and in doing so impact on an opponent’s ability to play the 

ball should be penalised 

Example 2 

Clearly attempts 

Ball is 

close 

Impacts 

Opponent 

clearly attempts – this wording is designed to prevent a 

player who runs towards the ball from quite a long distance 

being penalised unless they get close to the ball 

close – this is important so that a player in an offside position is 

not penalised when the ball goes clearly over their head or 

clearly in front of them 

impact – applies to a player’s ability or potential to play 

the ball and will include situations where an opponent’s 

movement to play the ball is delayed, hindered or 

prevented by the player in an offside position 

However it is important to remember that just because an 

attacking player is in an offside position it does not always 

mean that they will have an impact on an opponent. 

Attacking player 

(offside position) 

Clear attempt 

to play the ball 

+ + = 

Close to 

the ball 

Impact on 

opponent 

(defending 

player) 

Offside 

offence 

(inter fering 

with an 

opponent) 

To help illustrate the key considerations for turning the 

additional guidance into practical interpretation, five match 

situations are considered: 

There is a clear attempt to play the ball by the blue player who stretches their left leg in an attempt to 

play the ball. No contact is made with the ball, but the ball is close. The player’s actions impact on an 

opponent - in this case the goalkeeper - who needs to delay their action to wait and see if the attacking 

player in an offside position touches or plays the ball. 

Expected Outcome 

OFFSIDE 

OFFENCE 

Example 1 

Example 3 

Impacts 

Opponent 


Impacts 

Opponent 

Ball is 

close 


Ball is 

close 

The blue attacking player clearly attempts to play the ball by stretching with their left leg in an 

attempt to play the ball and so the ball is close. The IFAB clarification means it does not matter if they 

touch the ball or not. The attacker’s clear attempt to play the ball impacts on the goalkeeper who 

delays their movement or reaction to see if or where the attacker will kick the ball. 


OFFSIDE 

OFFENCE 

There is a clear attempt to play the ball by the red player, who jumps to make a clear attempt to play 

the ball with their head. No contact is made with the ball, but the ball is close. The player’s actions 

impact on an opponent, in this case the goalkeeper, who needs to delay their action to wait and see if 

the attacking player in an offside position touches or plays the ball. 


OFFSIDE 

OFFENCE 

16 

17


Example 4 

Makes an obvious action 

which clearly impacts 

on the ability of an 

opponent to play the ball 

It is worth remembering the working definition of ‘impact’ and that 

match officials are encouraged to use the physical evidence that is 

clear to them at the time. ‘Impact’ applies to an opponent’s ability 

(or potential) to play the ball and will include situations where 

an opponent’s movement to play the ball is delayed, hindered or 

prevented by the player in an offside position. 

As before it is important to consider the key components of 

the decision-making process: 

In terms of general principles, to impact the ability of an 

opponent to play the ball: 

• The attacking player in an offside position must make an 

obvious action. This action must be obvious but does not 

need to be deliberate 

Impacts 

Opponent X 

Clearly attempts X 

Ball is 

close 

+ = 

• The opponent would usually have a clear view of the attacking 

player in an offside position 

• The opponent would need to delay their action to wait and see if 

the attacking player in an offside position touches or plays the ball 

The white player is in an offside position, but does not attempt to play the ball. By standing still 

there is no clear action, which impacts on the ability of any opponent to play the ball. As there is no 

clear attempt to play the ball, no judgement is needed as to whether or not the player’s actions 

impact on an opponent. In this case they do not impact on an opponent as the player does not 

prevent or hinder any opponent having the opportunity to play the ball. 


no oFFSIDE 

OFFENCE 

(play should continue) 

Attacking player 

(offside position) 

Obvious action 

Impact on ability 

of an opponent 

to play the ball 

Offside 

offence 

(inter fering 

with an 

opponent) 

• The opponent’s movement or ball-playing options are clearly 

restricted by the physical movement and/or actions of the 

attacking player in an offside position 

To assist in understanding the two key components, 

two situations can be considered: 

Example 5 

Example 1 

Obvious 

action 

Impacts 

Opponent X 

Impacts 

Opponent X 

Ball is close X 

Clearly attempts X 

The player in an offside position does not attempt to play the ball. The player is not close to the 

ball and it is clearly in front. As there is no clear attempt to play the ball, no judgement is needed as 

to whether or not the player’s actions impact on an opponent. In this case they do not impact on an 

opponent and although defending players appeal for an offside flag to be raised, this is not considered 

an impact as the player does not prevent or hinder any opponent having the opportunity to play the ball. 


no oFFSIDE 

OFFENCE 


The red attacking player in an offside position does not attempt to play the ball and does not challenge 

an opponent for the ball. The red player does not prevent or hinder the white defender from playing the ball. 

Therefore, the attacking player in an offside position does not have a clear impact on the ability of the 

opponent to play the ball. The consequence of the defender heading the ball into their own goal does not 

mean that there has been an impact - the Laws do not exist to protect players from making mistakes. 


no oFFSIDE 

OFFENCE 


18 

19


Offside Clarification 

Example 2 

Obvious 

action 

Impacts opponent 

OFFSIDE – clarification 

To all football associations, confederations and FIFA 

ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE ON LAW 11 – OFFSIDE 

The obvious movement and actions of the attacking blue player in an offside position clearly 

impacts on the ability of the red defender to play the ball as the blue player hinders the 

defender’s movement towards the ball. It is important to remember that the obvious action must 

impact on a realistic or genuine opportunity for the opponent to play the ball before an offside 

offence occurs. 

Summary 

In summary the 

following aide 

memoir can assist 

match officials, 

assessors/ 

observers and 

anyone else 

interested in 

understanding 

the key principles 

of the additional 

guidance. Each 

match situation 

will rely on its 

own facts, hence 

the need to 

continue to make 

best use of the 

physical evidence 

available to reach 

a reasonable 

outcome. 

Clearly attempts to 

play the ball 

Clearly attempts to 

play the ball 

Ball is close to him 


Attacking Player 

+ + = 

Close to the ball 


Interpretation 

Offside position 

Movement 

Actions 

Impact on opponent’s 

ability to play the ball 



Communication 

Sharing of any relevant facts 

between assistant referee 

and referee. 

Work with the 

Facts 

Look for the 

Physical Evidence 

Ability to play the ball 

Delayed 

Hindered 

Prevented 


OFFSIDE 

OFFENCE 

OFFSIDE 

OFFENCE 

(inter fering with 

an opponent) 



Delayed 

Hindered 

Prevented 

Opponent 

(defender) 

Following requests from a number of football associations and 

confederations regarding offside, The IFAB would like to provide 

additional clarification and/or guidance relating to the definition of 

the offside offence of ‘interfering with an opponent’ and also to the 

definition of ‘save’ in the context of offside (Laws of the Game, p. 110). 

This clarification follows detailed deliberations between our Technical 

Sub-Committee and the Technical Advisory Panel, which consists of 

refereeing experts from all the confederations. 

Please be informed that this clarification replaces any non-IFAB 

instructions or guidance received previously with respect to this 

matter. We trust that this clarification will ensure a higher uniformity 

in the application of Law 11. 

1. “Interfering with an opponent” 

Clarification 

In addition to the situations already outlined in the Laws of the Game, 

a player in an offside position shall also be penalised if he: 

• Clearly attempts to play a ball which is close to him when this 

action impacts on an opponent 

or 

• Makes an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an 

opponent to play the ball 

Guidance 

• ‘Clearly attempts’ – this wording is designed to prevent a player 

who runs towards the ball from quite a long distance being 

penalised (unless he gets close to the ball) 

• ‘Close’ is important so that a player is not penalised when the ball 

goes clearly over his head or clearly in front of him 

• ‘Impact’ applies to an opponent’s ability (or potential) to play the 

ball and will include situations where an opponent’s movement to 

play the ball is delayed, hindered or prevented by the 

offside player 

However, just because a player is an offside position it does not 

always mean that he has an impact. For example: 

• If the ball is on the right-hand side of the field and an ‘offside’ 

player in the centre of the field moves into a new attacking 

position he is not penalised unless this action affects an 

opponent’s ability to play the ball 

• Where a player tries to play the ball as it is going into the goal 

without affecting an opponent, or in situations where there is no 

opposition player near, he should not be penalised 

2. “Save” 

Clarification 

Law 11 outlines situations when an offside player is penalised by 

becoming involved in active play and these include (p. 110): 

• “Gaining an advantage by being in that position” means 

playing a ball 

i. That rebounds or is deflected to him off the goalpost, crossbar 

or an opponent having been in an offside position 

ii. That rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate 

save by an opponent having been in an offside position 

• A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, 

who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is 

not considered to have gained an advantage 

As indicated in the last sentence a ‘save’ can be made by any player 

and is not limited to the goalkeeper. Therefore, The IFAB wishes to 

clarify that: 

A ‘save’ is when a player stops a ball which is going into or very 

close to the goal with any part of his body except his hands (except 

for the goalkeeper within his own penalty area). 

NB: This clarification is consistent with the use of the word 

‘save’ in Law 12 – Offences by the Goalkeeper (p. 122). 

Additional information: change of FIFA Quality 

Program logos 

Unrelated to Law 11, we would like to take this opportunity to 

mention the change to the FIFA quality marks on footballs (p. 

16), which was not part of the previous correspondence. This change 

is already reflected in the printed editions of the Laws of the Game 

2015/16, which you received recently. 

Thank you for your attention and please feel free to contact us should 

you have any questions or enquiries. 

Yours sincerely, 

On behalf of the Board of Directors 

Lukas Brud 

Secretary 

20 

21

Ken Aston MBE – a referee with vision 

Ken aston 

MBE 


Ken Aston in action in the Battle of Santiago, 1962 

Ken Aston was arguably one of the most 

influential refereeing figures of the 

20th Century. 

He qualified as a referee in 1936 and, following interruptions for World War 2 and military 

service, he became a Football League linesman (assistant referee) in 1949 and a Football 

League referee three years later. 

Over the course of the next decade he became one of the leading figures in world refereeing 

and officiated in the 1962 World Cup finals in Chile where he refereed one of the most infamous 

and violent matches in the tornament’s history - the so called ‘Battle of Santiago’ between the 

hosts, Chile, and Italy. 

Contemporary reports suggest that the build-up to the match was marred by derogatory 

comments from Italian journalists about Santiago, the capital, and the morality of the women 

in Chile. On the other side, the Chilean media commented negatively about the Italian team 

containing some players who had South America passports. 

All this led to a febrile atmosphere and the first caution was issued within seconds of the kickoff. 

After 12 minutes, Aston sent off Italy’s Giorgio Ferrini and needed armed police to remove 

him from the field. This set the tone for the remainder of the match which degenerated into 

regular brawls and violence, the like of which has never been seen since in the World Cup. To get 

a real flavour of what happened (and commentator David Coleman’s pungent criticism) it is 

well worth watching the highlights of the match on YouTube. 

Working at FIFA 

Aston suffered a strained Achilles and did not referee again in the World Cup but he was 

appointed to the FIFA Referees Committee which he served on for eight years – four of which 

were as Chairman. 

He was responsible for the referees at the 1966, 1970 and 1974 World Cup finals, which was 

not an easy job. In 1966 he had to go onto the field at Wembley when Rattin, the Argentina 

captain, was sent off by the German referee but refused to leave the field. 

In 1974 he was also involved in a major controversy when Jack Taylor was appointed to referee 

the final and it was alleged that the original choice, Bobby Davidson of Scotland, had lost out on 

the final after missing a bad foul when acting as a linesman in one of the semi-finals. FIFA did 

not appoint specialist linesmen until 1992 so referees at the World Cup finals sometimes had 

to ‘run the line’ even though many had not done so for many, many years. 

22 

23

Ken Aston MBE – a referee with vision 

Ken Aston helps German referee Rudolf Kreitlin persuade Argentina captain, Rattin, to leave the field 

Ken Aston sends off Italian player Mario David, while an injured Chilean lies on the ground 

Influence on Refereeing 

Red and Yellow Cards 

Ken Aston was a deep thinker about the game and has been credited with many 

innovations, including: 

Referee kits 

Before and after the war, the typical referee kit was a jacket or blazer, white shirt, long shorts 

and long socks. 

Ken wanted something more practical and found a black flight jacket in a war surplus store which 

had a number of useful pockets. He started wearing this with black shorts and, with the colour 

and cuffs of a white shirt clearly visible, it created the black kit with white collar and cuffs that 

became the traditional referee kit for many years. Indeed, there are many who would welcome 

a return to this black and white kit. 

Linemen’s flags 

Ken introduced brightly coloured linesmen’s flags, one yellow and one red, to replace the flags 

that were usually provided by the home team. 

This innovation apparently followed a foggy match where he had trouble seeing the brown 

home team flags. Again, a war surplus store was his inspiration and he found some bright red 

and yellow material which he used to make flags for his linesmen. 

He used his FIFA role for a number of innovations which are now commonplace in the game, 

most notably: 

A substitute referee (which became the 4th official) 

Number boards for substitutions 

Without doubt, Ken’s greatest innovation was the system of showing red and yellow cards for cautions and 

dismissals so that it was clear when the referee cautioned (booked ) or sent off a player. 

Unlike now when FIFA requires all international officials to have a good working knowledge of English, in 

Aston’s time there were many language problems and players were often cautioned without realising it. 

This came to a head in the highly charged World Cup quarter-final at Wembley between England and 

Argentina. As previously mentioned, Aston had had to intervene when the German referee, Rudolf Kreitlin, 

sent off the Argentinian captain. What surprised Aston after the match was that several players had been 

booked without the players being aware of what the referee had done. The most notable of these was 

England’s Jackie Charlton. 

Ken was pondering this as he drove away from Wembley and got his inspiration from the way traffic lights 

make a driver stop: 

Green light = go 

Amber/yellow light = warning of a coming red light 

Red light = stop 

He could see a simple application for football: 

Yellow card = a warning (caution) that you will be stopped from playing 

Red card = you are sent off and stopped from playing 

This simple method of communication to the players and everyone watching was adopted for the 1970 

World Cup and soon became a feature of football throughout the world. 

After leaving FIFA, he remained very interested in football and refereeing. He was a frequent guest at the 

Referees’ Association Eve of Final Rally and a regular speaker and referee instructor. 

Something of a showman, as well as his innovations, Ken was also known for wearing white football boots 

when he refereed the 1963 FA Cup Final. 

There is no doubt that few people have had such a lasting impact on the game. 

24 

25

Joel Richards RIP 

On Friday 26 June 2015, 

Joel Richards, a 19-year-old 

Level 4 referee with The 

Birmingham County FA, was 

killed alongside his grandad, 

Patrick Evans, and his uncle, 

Adrian Evans, in a terrorist attack 

while on holiday in Tunisia. 

The following is an adaption of the eulogy delivered at Joel’s funeral by Mike Penn, Chairman Birmingham County FA and a member of 

The FA Referees’ Committee. 

S m i l e 

Joel, that beaming smile, brightened up many a day. 

Not a bad bone in your body, not a bad word to say. 

Always happy, that was your way. 

A lovely young man with the world at your feet 

Joel was a talented young man, with the world at his feet. 

Born on 3 August 1995 he grew up locally, attending St Mary’s School, 

The Stewart Bathurst High School and then sent to sixth form college at 

Wood Green to study for his ‘A’ Levels. He gained a place at the University 

of Worcester studying Physical Education Sports Science and at the time 

of his death had just successfully completed his second year. 

Joel enjoyed his sports which also included playing Gaelic football for 

James Connelly, even getting the opportunity to play for them in Ireland. 

However, his first love was football and he was a keen supporter of Walsall 

Football Club, seeing them play at Wembley for the first time in their 

history in March, together with his granddad, uncle and brother Owen. 

Joel qualified as a referee in September 2011, aged 16 years old, and his 

progress since then was nothing short of remarkable. Promotions based 

on his performances saw him become a Level 4 referee in June 2014 

and a member of The FA’s National Referee Development Group, one of 

only a handful of referees in the country to be fast tracked, highlighting 

his ability and commitment to refereeing. This also meant he was an 

Assistant Referee on The FA Contributory Leagues and refereed on the 

Midland Football League and The West Midlands Regional League. 

Although officiating at semi–professional level, Joel was often found 

filling his Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons with more football, 

refereeing for Wolves Girls FC and fixtures in the Birmingham County 

Women’s League. 

Last year, Joel was part of a group of referees selected to represent 

Birmingham CFA on a trip to Hungary, to showcase the talents of 

refereeing in Birmingham. Due to his outstanding performances at 

the tournament, Joel was chosen to referee the U14’s Cup final. 

He was due to return this summer and had been selected to referee 

the opening game in front of 6,000 people. The group decided that 

in memory of Joel, to go ahead with the tour, and they left the day 

after Joel’s funeral doing what Joel would have wanted: smiling. This is 

because everyone who knew Joel knew his infectious smile. If he smiled, 

you smiled. 

In 2012, Joel was elected by his peers to become Chairman of the newly 

formed Birmingham County FA Youth Council. During his three years in 

the position he oversaw many projects which the group were involved 

with. He was instrumental in an event which raised over £500 for the 

Teenage Cancer Trust, he supported the delivery of the Empowering 

Youth Workshop, organised multiple women’s football week events, 

disability tournaments and supported all Birmingham’s County Cup 

Finals. No job was too small for Joel and he was always looking to 

support development events and create opportunities for others to 

get involved in football. 

Joel was an extremely talented referee and incredible young leader 

and there is no doubting that he would have reached the top of the 

refereeing ladder, such was his drive and determination to succeed. 

Birmingham County FA received many e-mails following his death and 

a couple are shown below as they represent the loss & respect for the 

‘Football Family’. 

From Liverpool County FA 

Just to let you know that everyone here in Liverpool wish to pass on their 

condolences to all our colleagues in Birmingham, following the tragic 

loss of one of our young Referees. Words fail us at this very sad time but 

as we say here YOU NEVER WALK ALONE so if we can do anything to 

help, just ask. Please pass on to Joel’s family our heartfelt sadness, at 

their loss of one so young and so talented. 

From The FA 

At the Cerebral Palsy 2015 World Cup Final at St George’s Park Final 

between Russia and Ukraine a minute’s silence was observed. On a 

beautiful afternoon the silence was deafening, with spectators, officials 

and all 15 teams from around the world observing it impeccably. 

A really moving tribute and act of respect for Joel, his granddad and 

his uncle. 

Emily Smith a member of staff at the Birmingham County FA wrote a 

poem which was posted on their website and which the family requested 

it be read at Joel’s funeral 

And finally, let us remember this – 

It is not the number of years you have lived, BUT what you have done 

in the years you have lived. This is so very true of Joel. 

Too few years lived but what he achieved has left us all with so many 

memories, a lasting legacy but so many broken hearts. 

Everyone at The FA and The Referees’ Association extends deepest 

condolences to Joel’s family and friends at the tragic loss of such a 

young talent and the loss of his granddad, uncle and, indeed, all those 

who died in the Tunisian terrorist attack. 

#KeepCalmAndSmileLikeJoel 

A nicer lad we can never hope to meet. 

As a Referee you were destined for the top 

Always learning, you didn’t want to stop. 

There’s no doubting you were going to go far 

Keep blowing that whistle wherever you are. 

Your granddad was always at your side, 

Sat in his chair, beaming with pride. 

He’ll be sat now watching over you 

Still so proud of everything you do. 

Inspiring others, that was your game and 

Everyone will always remember your name 

Rest in Peace. 

By Emily Smith 

26 

27

2015 UEFA Europa League Final 

The team (L to R):Andre Mariner (AAR), Pavel Kralovec (4th), Steve Child (AR), Martin Atkinson (Referee) Mike Mullarkey (AR), 

Anthony Taylor (AAR), Jake Collin (Reserve AR) 

What it was like refereeing the 

2015 UEFA Europa League Final 

Martin Atkinson, FIFA Referee, reflects on his experiences taking 

charge of one of the biggest nights in European football. 

The news broke at around 5pm on the Monday and soon 

after my phone went into meltdown. The sheer volume of 

texts, emails and phone calls was overwhelming. To have so 

many friends and colleagues take the time to acknowledge 

our appointment and wish us luck was truly humbling 

and inspirational. 

As part of the announcement, I was asked me to do an 

interview for UEFA.com which involved half a day of filming and 

talking about the game. It also underlined the full extent of the 

appointment and hit home what an achievement this was for us 

to be involved in such a prestigious game. 

On arrival in Warsaw, training and match kit was provided 

specially embossed with details of the final. A visit to the 

stadium followed to get a feel for the environment and to 

undertake a gentle training session. This was also the chance 

to capture a few photographs, which are, of course, not an 

option on match day. 

Returning to the hotel, we enjoyed a quiet meal as a team 

before making sure we got an early night ready for the big day. 

The next day, I had to ensure that the build up to the game was 

the same as any other trip, making sure we prepared in the 

same professional manner. 

From our perspective, we had delivered. The relief among us 

was palpable because there was no avoiding the focus that 

had been on this game, not just from Europe but from across 

the world. The whole team had pulled together and walking up 

the steps to receive our medals from Mr Platini has to be the 

highlight of my refereeing career. 

In the dressing room the sense of achievement was 

overwhelming. The messages of support from home and 

abroad were so kind - we hadn’t let anyone down and made a 

lot of people proud. 

Following the match, the normal de-brief took place with 

UEFA Match Observer (assessor), Marc Batta, from France. 

His comments were entirely positive and an endorsement of a 

job well done. 

With formalities over, it was time to eat, drink and celebrate 

with the family and friends that had travelled to the match 

before returning home with fantastic memories that will last 

a lifetime. 

At first, I honestly thought the text from Pierluigi 

Collina - UEFA Chief Refereeing Officer- was a hoax. 

And so when he later called me to say I had been 

appointed to referees this year’s UEFA Europa 

League Final I must admit I was emotional. It was an 

honour. The hard work and sacrifice had paid off. 

The phone call involved a discussion about my team for the 

game, something which played such an important role in 

last season’s success. I am a big believer that the team gets 

recognised for their performances, not individuals. 

I was delighted when the team was finalised by Pierluigi 

because I could not have had a better group of professionals: 

• Mike Mullarkey and Steve Child (Assistants) 

• Andre Marriner and Anthony Taylor (AARs) 

• Jake Collin (Reserve Assistant Referee) 

• Pavel Kralovec (UEFA Elite Referee from 

the Czech Republic 4th official) 

I requested the games from the semi-finals to study the 

teams, tactics and anything that could benefit our team on 

the night. As normal, following breakfast, we had a short team 

meeting to discuss the tactics and approach of the teams. 

Before long, the evening of the game had arrived. UEFA had 

kindly arranged for tickets for the officials, which meant my 

wife Julie and youngest daughter Olivia were at the game. 

To see them before kick-off as we finished our warm up was a 

very proud moment. 

As for the game, it could not have gone any better. There were 

eight cautions in total in a hard fought but memorable 

European final. 

28 

29

Memories of the 2015 FA Cup Final 

memories 

2 0 1 5 

of the 

THE FA Cup 

Final 

The team of five officials who took charge 

of the 2015 FA Cup Final between Arsenal 

and Aston Villa recount their experiences 

of taking on the world’s biggest domestic 

football final. 

Jon Moss 

2015 FA Cup Final referee 

At 3pm on Monday 20 April 2015 I received a call while on 

my way to the gym. It was from Peter Elsworth at The FA: 

“Hi Jon. Can you do me a favour?” 

he said as I picked up. 

“Yes Peter, of course,” I replied. 

“Can you referee this year’s FA Cup final?” 

“What did you say?” 

“Can you referee this year’s Cup Final?” 

When you receive such a call, you are immediately flooded 

with emotion. 

To referee The FA Cup final is the realisation of a dream, a 

lifelong ambition. 

It’s a huge honour. 

30 

31


“ ‘Jon Moss 

2015 FA Cup 

Final referee’ 

I like the 

sound of 

that” 

As a boy I had watched the Cup Final religiously 

with my dad, dreaming of playing at Wembley 

and suddenly there I was, preparing to take 

charge of the Final as the referee. 

The next five weeks went by really quickly. 

Much of my time was taken up by interviews, 

correspondence, admin duties and Premier 

League games. 

I was touched by the huge number of messages 

and good wishes I received from colleagues, 

friends and fellow referees from around the 

world. I made a conscious effort to reply to 

each one. 

We travelled down to London on the Thursday 

night to a lovely hotel on the outskirts of 

London, meeting Simon Bennett and his wife, 

Charlotte, on arrival. 

The next morning we received our kits for the 

weekend before heading to Wembley soon 

after for a tour and a brief meeting with the 

match day manager. 

At the stadium we took in the surroundings, 

amazed at how much activity was going on 

in terms of rehearsals and walk throughs. 

Pitchside, I did a quick interview with CBBC 

and then we were back on the bus and on our 

way back to the hotel. 

Following a massage from Barry Philipson, our 

masseur for the weekend, we were got ourselves 

ready and headed off into central London for 

the RA Eve of Final rally. This is a fantastic 

occasion where past Cup Final referees, young 

referees and colleagues have the opportunity 

to listen to and wish the Cup Final officials well. 

At the Rally both David Elleray and Mike Riley 

gave moving speeches before it was over to 

me to deliver my thoughts on the upcoming 

game and my journey to Wembley. I must 

admit it was a very emotional experience 

with my parents, family and close friends 

in attendance. 

After my speech, we met with colleagues, 

signed programmes and posed for photographs 

before jetting over for a delightful meal at a 

restaurant in London. 

That night, I slept well and before I knew it was 

FA Cup Final day. I felt great. A light breakfast 

was followed by a walk with my team around 

the hotel and a chat about the day ahead. 

We arrived at the stadium at about 2.30pm. 

The next two hours disappeared without a 

trace, lost to photographs, safety briefings, 

family and teamsheets. 

After a quick massage and pre-match 

instructions we were on the pitch for a warmup. 

The atmosphere was already building as 

we jogged round and it was great for us all to 

spot our friends and family who were already 

in the stadium. 

At 5.15pm we rang the dressing room bell, 

wished each other well and walked into the 

tunnel. The teams assembled and I chatted to 

the managers before the signal came to walk 

out. 

The noise hit us as we emerged onto the pitch. 

It was a beautiful sunny day. I collected the ball 

and lined up with the teams. After introductions, 

anthems and handshakes, we broke and met 

for the toss up. Sixty seconds later I blew my 

whistle and the 2015 FA Cup Final began. 

The first half was cagey with three cautions 

for Aston Villa and a late goal for Arsenal five 

minutes before half time. The second half saw 

three more goals for Arsenal and two further 

cautions for Aston Villa. 

Thirty seconds from time, I took a moment 

to glance round the stadium and soak in the 

occasion. Just before I blew my whistle to 

bring the game to a conclusion I thanked my 

team of friends who had performed superbly 

throughout the game. 

Three quick whistles and the Final was all over. 

We met in the middle, full of smiles. The game 

had gone well, nobody would be talking about 

us. It had been all we had hoped for. 

After a short while we made our way up the 107 

steps to receive our medals. We were greeted by 

congratulations from the supporters en route, 

which was very touching. 

Back in the changing room we began the post 

match entertainment which lasted well into 

the night. 

I would like thank David Elleray, Peter Elsworth, 

and Neale Barry for a great weekend and also 

my team of Darren, Simon, Craig and Harry 

- four great mates and fantastic colleagues. 

32 

33


“Right at the end of the 

call, he said, “don’t act 

surprised or anything 

but I just wondered 

whether you would 

like to run the line for 

The FA Cup Final?” 

“To walk out 

in front of 

almost 90,000 

people was 

an awesome 

experience.” 

Simon Bennett 

Assistant referee 2 

Darren England 

Assistant referee 1 

To be selected to officiate in The FA Cup Final was an 

honour and the build up to the event reflected the 

magnitude of the task ahead. 

It is at times such as this when you are grateful to be surrounded by 

experienced people who know what you’re going through, each one 

having been there on many previous occasions. Their knowledge 

and reassurance is invaluable. 

The pre-match visit to Wembley Stadium and the RA’s Eve of Final 

Rally in central London brought our team even closer together and 

confidence in our camp was incredibly high. 

The day of the match arrived and we were fully focused on our 

roles. To walk out in front of almost 90,000 people was an awesome 

experience. The noise was incredible and the atmosphere electric. 

It was an emotional experience to hear the crowd singing Abide 

With Me as we waited in the tunnel area beforehand and then to 

meet HRH Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, our future monarch, 

was indeed another huge honour. 

As for the game, concentration levels were so high it became a bit of 

a blur. However, the walk up to the Royal Box afterwards to receive 

my medal soon brought the reality of the day home. 

The post-match meal later that evening was wonderful. We could 

unwind in beautiful surroundings, in great company and reflect on 

a job well done. 

I was extremely fortunate to be appointed to this fixture alongside 

some tremendous colleagues who are also good friends and to be 

able to share the occasion with my family and friends was wonderful. 

I will always remember the 134th FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium 

with a sense of pride and extreme joy. 

The phone call from Peter Elsworth at The FA came 

through in the strangest of circumstances. 

I was on a minibus and on my way from Munich airport to a hotel 

with Martin Atkinson and his team. 

I was acting as 4th official for Bayern Munich v Porto and Peter had 

initially phoned to inform me about something for the Barnet game 

I had at the weekend. 

But then, right at the end of the call, he said, “don’t act surprised 

or anything but I just wondered whether you would like to run the 

line for The FA Cup Final?”. 

As I had to keep it confidential I needed to hide my emotions, but 

as soon as I got off the phone they were all quizzing me. 

I managed to hold my poker face and deflect their questions. When I 

got into my hotel room, however, a huge smile spread across my 

face and I immediately phoned my wife and father. 

When the weekend finally arrived the atmosphere between the 

team and partners was fantastic and very positive. This camaraderie 

stayed throughout the whole weekend and we were confident that 

the game was going to be delivered to a safe conclusion. 

The Eve of the Final Rally was a great event. Having not been before 

I didn’t know what to expect but it just showed how the family of 

referees is as strong as ever. 

On the day of the game it was all very relaxed. As we arrived at the 

stadium we had pictures on the hallowed turf and then went out to 

look at Wembley Way and watch the fans walk towards the stadium. 

It was at this point that it suddenly became real and I couldn’t wait 

for the game to start. 

As we left our partners it was then time to put our game faces on 

and try to prepare for this game like any other. 

The match itself went very well and we stayed on the pitch for as 

long as possible to soak it all up. As we made our way up the stairs I 

clumsily tripped up which apparently was caught on TV. 

After the match we celebrated with a beautiful meal and a couple 

of drinks – just to make sure we re-hydrated. 

It was such a fantastic weekend for the team and partners and the 

whole experience only enhanced all our friendships. A huge thank 

you to The FA, particularly Peter Elsworth who ensured the weekend 

was a memorable one. 

Craig Pawson 

4th official 

The FA Cup Final was a truly marvellous 

event to be a part of. 

It is the greatest competition in world football and 

it certainly lived up to all my expectations and 

more. I will treasure the moments from the match 

and whole weekend. 

Harry Lennard 

Reserve Assistant 

What an amazing weekend, one 

that I thoroughly enjoyed from 

start to the finish. 

Although I knew the rest of the team well, it 

was important for me to see how the weekend 

worked, offer support to the guys and be ready 

should Darren or Simon suffer an injury. 

Watching them deliver the game was a 

privilege and one that I will always remember. 

There are some amazing memories and the 

whole experience left me wanting more, so 

I will be doing my best to come back as an 

active assistant. 

34 35

Women’s FA Cup Final 

Reflecting 

on the 

first Women’s 

FA Cup final 

to be played 

at Wembley 

Amy Rayner, FIFA Referee 

To be appointed to any FA Cup Final 

is a great achievement, but to get 

the call asking you to referee the first 

Women’s FA Cup final to be played 

at Wembley was truly a dream come 

true. 

That dream started for me back in February when 

it was announced that the Women’s FA Cup 

Final would not only be played at Wembley, but 

The FA Committee would consider all officials for 

the appointment regardless of whether they had 

been appointed to the Final previously. 

The significance of the occasion meant that 

The FA Referees’ Committee was willing to 

change the rules regarding final appointments, 

which meant that my 25-year ambition to lead 

the teams out at Wembley was now a possibility. 

Taking that possibility and turning it into reality, 

however, was going to involve a considerable 

amount of hard work. I had undergone a toe 

operation in January and so I knew that I had 

to recover my fitness, referee before the end 

of the season and finish strongly. I just had to 

put myself in contention for this prestigious 

appointment. 

36 

37

Women’s FA Cup Final 

I would only be satisfied if the winning 

team did it on merit rather than a 

refereeing error - I wanted the focus to be 

on the players and my goal was to remain 

under the radar. 

When the call came, I was absolutely delighted 

and accepted the invitation without hesitation. 

The news took quite some time to sink in. Just to 

be included in the refereeing team would have 

been a significant achievement, but to be the 

referee was unbelievable. I couldn’t wait to be a 

part of it. 

A particularly surreal moment through the whole 

process was telling my husband that I had got the 

appointment. That was the moment that really 

seemed to make the dream a reality. 

I then rang my parents to tell them the news, 

which was also very emotional. It was my Dad 

who had got me into refereeing and supported 

me through the highs and lows. I felt like this was 

the perfect way to say thank you for always being 

there for me. 

Over the next five weeks, the magnitude of 

the appointment and its importance in the 

development of the women’s game really started 

to hit home. I soon realised that I had taken on a 

much bigger responsibility than just refereeing a 

match. Not only did I want to repay the trust 

that The FA had put in me, I wanted to ensure 

that I adopted an approach in keeping with 

the occasion. 

It was also important that my preparation 

focused on reducing the risk of refereeing errors 

and eliminating the possibility of controversy. 

I would only be satisfied if the winning team did it 

on merit rather than a refereeing error - I wanted 

the focus to be on the players and my goal was to 

remain under the radar. 

I was confident that I could put into practice all 

the advice and coaching that I had received in 

my career. I could then look back on the day with 

pride. That was the aim. 

Since refereeing The FA Women’s Cup Final in 

2004, the women’s game has developed rapidly. 

The Women’s Super League (WSL) has been 

formed, resulting in increased professionalism 

and athleticism of the players. Allied to that is the 

increase in sponsorship and TV deals that have 

allowed some players to turn professional and 

focus on improving their skills even further. 

The profile of the women’s game increased with 

the success of the England team in Canada. 

With each round that the England team 

progressed, the public and media interest in the 

women’s game grew. This increased ticket sales 

for Wembley and led to record crowds expected. 

It all added to my focus while the feeling of 

responsibility and the need to perform to a high 

standard seemed more important than ever. 

My preparation included conversations with 

referees who have experienced Wembley, which 

I found hugely beneficial to channel my nerves 

positively and use them to focus on the game. 

Going into the weekend further highlighted 

the changes that the Women’s game has been 

through in the last 10 years. This time, as a team, 

we did not have to report at the ground two hours 

prior to kick-off, but instead arrived in London the 

day before the game to familiarise ourselves with 

the stadium. 

Part of that process involved walking down the 

tunnel, which gave me goose bumps. This was the 

home of English football, the national stadium, 

where history is made and now the backdrop for 

my next game. I thought about all the players 

that had gone before and helped to develop 

the Women’s game and become worthy of the 

Wembley stage. 

To help focus my mind, I watched the media 

preparation for the game and ran through 

countdowns and protocol for the next day. I knew 

that I could do the game but there was still the 

fear that I could mess it all up. 

I was also lucky to have the support of my team. 

Nathalie, Jane and Rebecca were with me and we 

used the time in the stadium to talk through some 

match day scenarios and how we would deal with 

them. We also ensured that we had the same 

focus on how we wanted the game to be played 

so that at 3pm the next day we could perform to 

the best of our ability. 

The next time I walked down the tunnel was on 

match day. Final checks were made of the pitch 

and goal line technology before I began my 

standard pre-match routine. While the routine 

may have been the same, this was no ordinary 

game. This was a pioneering moment in Women’s 

football - a moment in history and one that I was 

immensely proud to be involved in. 

I got the game underway with the toss of an old 

penny from the year of my Dad’s birth and it 

finished with Chelsea winning the game 1-0. 

Afterwards, as I sat together with my colleagues 

in the dressing room looking at my medal I knew 

that I had done my best. It was for others to pass 

opinions on our performances but at that specific 

moment I was able to reflect on an experience in 

which a dream had come true. 

38 

39

Injury Prevention 

LEVEL OF FOOTBALL 

OVERUSE 

Simon Breivik, PGMOL Sports Scientist, 

takes a look at some at some of the 

common causes of injury and provides 

expert guidance on the steps you can 

take to prevent them. 

While injuries in football are accepted as par for the 

course, we should by no means concede that all 

injuries are inevitable. 

With the value of modern-day footballers at an alltime 

high, it is no wonder that clubs are investing 

heavily in strategies to keep their prized assets 

injury-free and on the field of play. 

Referees tend to suffer from similar sorts of injuries 

to players. This isn’t surprising considering that 

they clock up a similar number of high-speed 

runs and sprints to the players these days. But, in 

contrast to the players, most match officials must 

make do without the benefits of a club looking out 

for their welfare. 

Mario Bizzini, from FIFA’s Medical Centre of 

Excellence, is one of few medics who has looked 

into referee injury rates in detail. He has established 

that referees suffer an injury for every 200 hours 

they train and for every 50 hours they officiate. 

That’s the equivalent to an injury every 33 matches 

– or one per season. 

As the pace of the game increases and referees 

adopt a progressively hard-line approach to 

physical training, injury rates amongst match 

officials are likely to rise. It would seem logical 

therefore that referees should be implementing 

injury prevention strategies of their own to protect 

themselves against injury. 

INJURY PREVENTION 

The term injury prevention hardly existed a decade ago, yet today 

it is one of the most commonly-used phrases at football training 

grounds. As much emphasis is placed on training to avoid injury 

nowadays as on training to improve fitness. 

To design an effective injury-prevention programme, we must 

first understand the common causes of injury. Fortunately, most 

injuries are caused by influences that are under our control, which 

effectively means that we are responsible for our own injury risk. 

Here are some ways of avoiding some of the most common causes 

of injury. 

PREVIOUS INJURY 

Cause: If you’ve been injured before, unfortunately you run a high 

risk of re-injury. Strictly speaking, this risk factor is not under our 

control because we cannot change history. But, providing you 

manage to identify the cause of the injury, it should be possible 

to target the weakness that caused it with the aim of reducing the 

likelihood of re-injury. 

Solution: Be honest with yourself and recognise an injury as soon 

as you experience the first symptoms. The quicker you receive 

sound medical advice, the quicker you can get the recovery process 

underway and the less time you’ll spend on the sidelines. Ask 

your physiotherapist whether the injury could have been avoided 

and whether there are any measures you can take to avoid a 

reoccurrence. 

FATIGUE 

Cause: Training and/or officiating while fatigued is a major cause 

of injury, hence why the majority of injuries in football tend to 

occur in the second half of the game/season, when players are 

tired. If you do not allow your body (and mind) sufficient time to 

recover between matches and training sessions, you run the risk of 

overtraining and your prospect of injury increases. 

Solution: Be vigilant and react immediately to feelings of general 

fatigue and lethargy. The first thing you should do if you feel 

chronically fatigued is cut back on the intensity and/or duration of 

your training sessions. By resting when you feel the need to rest, 

you will keep your body on an even keel. 

Being physically fit will also help reduce the impact of fatigue. The 

fitter you are, the quicker you will recover between games and after 

training sessions. So, train hard to be fit, but rest when you need to. 

Cause: From existing evidence, it appears that injury frequency 

among referees varies in relation to the level of football at which 

they operate. In simple terms, this means that the higher you climb 

up the refereeing ladder, the more likely you are to suffer an injury. 

This is most probably because player fitness levels tend to dictate 

the pace of the game – and players in the top leagues are fitter. 

Solution: Be physically prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. 

These days, the professional game demands that referees perform 

regular strength, speed, agility, and high-intensity intermittent 

aerobic training. By performing appropriate training, the next level 

up will not come as a shock to your body. It would be wise to speak 

to referees more senior to you about the fitness required for a level 

up and to familiarise yourself with the fitness test requirements 

associated with that next step. 

WEAKNESS & INFLEXIBILITY 

Cause: Strength imbalances between muscles and/or deficiencies 

in flexibility around a joint can be a cause of injury. The lower back, 

for instance, is a common area of injury where weak or inflexible 

hamstrings are usually the culprit. Our modern-day lifestyle is most 

likely to blame. Sitting in the car and at a desk all day do very little 

for our posture and general wellbeing. 

Solution: The human body is an intricate piece of machinery that 

requires constant fine-tuning. To perform effectively, you must 

be strong and adequately flexible. Fortunately, deficiencies in 

strength and flexibility can quite easily be rectified by devoting 

time each week to resistance training and stretching. 

The stronger you are, the less likely you are to break – hence all 

referees and assistants should perform regular strength training. 

When participating in strength training, make sure that you are 

working all the major muscle groups – not just the muscles you can 

see in the mirror. 

Your priority should be to strengthen the movements that are 

specific to running – as opposed to focusing on individual muscles. 

Exercises such as squats, lunges, step-ups and deadlifts are most 

effective for improving speed and agility. 

Core stability is a key part of strength training. This is a method 

of training that targets the muscles that support the spine. 

Proprioception training is also hugely effective in preparing joints 

like the ankle for the demands of accelerating, decelerating and 

changing direction. See The 11+ later in the article for advice on the 

aforementioned training methods as well as examples of exercises. 

Cause: While overuse injuries are more common 

in sport than acute injuries, they tend to develop 

slowly and subtly, making them more difficult to 

detect and easier to ignore. 

One possible cause of overuse injury is increasing 

the intensity and/or volume of your training too 

quickly. This is most likely to occur if a referee has 

been injured and attempts to get back to full fitness 

too quickly or attempts to train hard for a fitness 

test in a short period of time without the benefit of 

a sensible and steady build-up. 

Overuse injuries can also occur if training is 

monotonous. By performing exactly the same 

training week in week out, you are putting parts of 

your body under undue stress without enough time 

to adapt and recover. 

Solution: If you experience pain, it generally 

means that your body is trying to tell you 

something, so listen to it and seek advice as soon as 

you experience the symptoms. 

Do your best to vary the intensity of your training 

from week to week. Fitness coaches will often use 

a hard week/easy week/medium week rotation. 

And, while the majority of your training should 

be running-based, feel free to perform the odd 

spinning class or swimming session to mix 

things up. 

Poor equipment can be to blame for certain 

overuse injuries, such as shin splints, stress 

fractures and tendonitis. To avoid these, only 

ever run in good supporting trainers and replace 

them regularly. Also, make an effort to run on 

soft surfaces to minimise the impact through 

your joints. 

Finally, investigate whether you have a potentially 

harmful running gait. Conditions such as shin 

splints can be avoided by investing in a good set of 

orthotics that will correct your biomechanics. 

CONCLUSION 

The truth is, no matter how hard we try, we will 

never prevent injuries entirely, especially as we’re 

involved in a sport where bad luck has a large part 

to play in many injuries. 

But, by putting some simple measures in place 

and adapting our lifestyles, you can undoubtedly 

reduce the number of unnecessary injuries 

you suffer. 

Start your new injury reduction plan immediately 

by visiting http://f-marc.com/11plus/home/. 

There, you will find an injury prevention programme 

designed by an international group of experts for 

footballers and referees worldwide. 

40 

41

The new FA Referees’ course 

The 

New FA 

Referees’ 

Course 

Keith Stroud, national game referee manager 

(workforce), provides an overview of what candidates 

can expect on the new FA Referees Course. 

“Gone are the 

days of courses in 

stuffy rooms, using 

flipcharts and pens. 

Much of the new 

course takes place 

outside and on the 

football pitch where 

referees go about 

their work.” 

The dictionary definition of the term 

“practical” is ‘the actual doing or use of 

something rather than with theory and 

ideas’, something which for many years 

was not associated with a qualification 

course for referees. 

But now there is a new, exciting and 

inspirational practical FA Referees Course 

with a syllabus that is 85% practically based 

and gives candidates hands-on experience of 

being a referee. 

The programme has been designed around 

various topics including: decision-making, 

blowing the whistle, waving the flag, showing 

a red or yellow card and learning about 

the referee’s most powerful tool – man 

management. 

Gone are the days of courses in stuffy rooms, 

using flipcharts and pens. Much of the new 

course now takes place outside and on 

the football pitch where referees go about 

their work. 

The new FA Referees 

Course consists of 

6 units 

UNIT 1 

UNIT 2 

UNIT 3 

UNIT 4 

UNIT 5 

UNIT 6 

Register 

Pre Course Study 

Practical Training 

6 hours 

Fouls and Misconduct 

6 hours 

Practical Training 2 

6 hours 

5 games 11v11 or 9v9 

Maximum 8 hours 

Examination and next steps 

2 hours 

Soon after booking their place, candidates 

will receive a copy of the Laws of Association 

Football, details of the course and the Pre- 

Course Learning Pack (Unit 1). 

This pack will take them through the Laws 

of the Game with an interactive booklet to 

complete using the Laws of Association 

Football. That is then returned to the County 

FA to be marked ready for the first day of 

the course. 

The tutors will then re-visit the 

Pre-Course Learning Pack on day one of 

the course to ensure all the candidates 

have a good knowledge and understanding 

of the Laws. Once complete, the practical 

experience can begin. 

Over the course of the two practical days 

(Unit 2 and Unit 4), all attendees will learn 

about the different aspects of the Laws of 

the Game by taking part in game scenarios 

in which they play the part of the referee 

or assistant referee and make their own 

judgements and decisions. 

This full-day practical training is a 

fun experience that also ensures the 

fundamentals of refereeing are covered. It is 

no longer just about making decisions or 

knowledge of Law, but selling those decisions 

and managing the game are a key part of a 

modern referee’s makeup. Knowing how to 

react and what to say can be crucial in aiding 

match control. 

The candidates then regroup for Unit 3 

– Fouls and Misconduct. This three-hour 

interactive session is located inside and looks 

at Recognising Challenges. The presentation 

looks at the different aspect of Law regarding 

challenges. 

It allows the candidates to watch and discuss 

up-to-date examples of various tackles and 

gives them the opportunity to make a number 

of judgements that generate healthy debate. 

The final phase of this session looks at 

Misconduct Report Writing. The tutors 

showcase the online Whole Game System 

and complete a report on the live system to 

ensure a full understanding of the process and 

encourages the candidates to embrace the 

new reporting system. 

Whole game 

system 

After a couple of days of well-earned rest, 

the candidates arrive for the second day of 

practical work. Once again the sessions are 

fully interactive as the prospective referees 

close in on the evaluation process. 

This process is a new concept for the 

referees course and it is designed to put into 

practice everything the candidates have 

learned over the duration of the course. 

Each candidate will referee for a period of 

time with their performance being evaluated 

by the course tutors. The aim of this 

evaluation is clear, and the simple question 

that the tutor needs to ask themselves is - Is 

this candidate capable of refereeing their 

first five games? 

The areas that are considered are: 

application of Law, match control and 

communication, and positioning and 

movement. 

Once this process has been successfully 

completed, the candidates are ready to 

referee their first five matches under the 

watchful eye of a mentor or observer. 

The aim of this process is simply to 

encourage and motivate each step of the 

way as well as to inspire and support the new 

referees to ensure that the experience they 

have is a positive one. 

As for examination, this now forms part of 

the new Unit 6 where, upon completion of 

the five matches, the candidates will return 

to their County FA to take the written exam 

and discuss with their peers the experiences 

they have had during their early matches. 

With that, the course is complete and the 

newly qualified referees are free to begin 

their journeys. 

42 

43

Young Refs Dev Programme 

During the weekend of 25-26 July, over 100 young referees 

from all over the country attended a two-day development 

conference at The FA’s St. George’s Park. 

For these referees, the conference brought to a conclusion a twoyear 

development programme that has included an opportunity to 

take part in the following key initiatives: 

• Bespoke online learning tasks and 

discussion forums 

• Attending two training and 

development conferences 

at Staverton Park and 

St. George’s Park respectively 

• Taking part as a referee in Premier 

League Youth Tournaments 

• Taking part in a Young Talent 

Exchange Programme with the Danish 

Football Federation 

County FAs nominated two or three of their most aspiring, committed 

and talented young referees to take part in this flagship FA referee 

development initiative and, by the end of the programme, the 

vast majority were on the cusp of making that transition into the 

professional game as a Level 4 referee. The programme provides 

a superb footing in terms of resources, training, education and 

experiences to prepare each referee for the new challenges that they 

will face. 

During the two days at St George’s Park the referees took part in a 

number of high quality technical and practical training sessions led 

by The FA’s national referee managers and a small number of support 

staff from different counties. 

They were also treated to a question time session with newlypromoted 

Football League referee, Darren England, and FIFA 

assistant referees John Brooks and Natalie Walker. All three have 

previously graduated from this programme and have since reached 

the heights of the Football League and respective FIFA panels. 

During the weekend, the referees were joined by a number of high 

profile FA guests including Barry Bright, leader of The FA Council, 

Dave Horlick, vice chairman of The FA Referees’ Committee, and Peter 

Ackerley, senior national game delivery manager. 

Barry and David joined Ian Blanchard, FA senior national game 

referee manager, in presenting all the referees with their diplomas 

of attendance during the Saturday evening graduation dinner in the 

centre’s Sir Bobby Robson ballroom. 

Opening the conference, FA national referee manager, Daniel 

Meeson, told the referees that “there has quite simply never been a 

better time to be a referee.” 

He continued: “Referee development continues to be on the rise in 

this country and the support channels that exist now in comparison 

to 20 years ago are immense. Take hold of the future. Be the very 

best that you can be.” 

At the conclusion of a challenging weekend of training and 

education, Ian Blanchard also had some thought-provoking words for 

the young referees who had completed the programme. 

He said: “As a group, we have come a long way over the two-year 

period. I have before me over 100 referees who have matured and 

grown as individuals and have developed and got better together. 

“It is important that you utilise your time on this programme as you 

now have some solid learning foundations on which to build on. 

“I know that the respective conferences will have motivated and 

inspired you but the hard work now begins. 

“As you move through the referee pyramid make sure that you 

stay focused, disciplined and resilient. It is an honour to have been 

given the opportunity to play a part in your early development as a 

referee.” 

All of the 103 referees who took part in this foundation programme 

now move into steps 4 and 5 of The FA National Referee 

Development Programme. 

The group of talented up-and-coming officials gathered for a two day conference to conclude 

their two-year journey. Daniel Meeson, FA national referee manager (volunteer workforce), 

details the event that took place at St. George’s Park in July. 

44 45

Cerebraal Palsy Football World Championships 

Building on 

your Success 

Farai Hallam, National Game Referees Administrator, looks back at a tournament that will live 

long in the memory. 

For two weeks in June, St. George’s Park played host to the 2015 

Cerebral Palsy Football World Championships. 

The 15-team tournament was the first major disability football 

tournament hosted by The Football Association, while for the teams 

involved it was the penultimate qualifier for the 2016 Rio Paralympics. 

In charge of the tournament fixtures were 13 match officials, nine of 

whom were from England and selected through The FA’s CP Football 

National Panel. 

Of the nine, there were varying levels of experience on show with 

referees from Level 1 National List to Level 5 Senior County Referees: 

FA Appointed Referees: 

• Scott Henry 

• Minesh Gupta 

• Hayley Ives 

• Adam Panter 

• Stuart Campbell 

• Keith Stroud 

• Tom Elliott 

• Jon Burridge 

• Ashley List 

The tournament itself provided an opportunity for the match officials 

to experience two weeks of full-time referee training, preparation 

and analysis. And across both weeks, the learning and development 

opportunities were endless thanks to the on-field performances 

of the players, which have set the standard for CP Football 

moving forwards. 

The performances of the English referees were more than equal 

to the challenge, leading to an all-English team of Keith Stroud, 

Scott Henry, Tom Elliott and Jon Burridge taking charge of a tightly 

contested final between Ukraine and Russia, with the latter leaving 

victorious thanks to a 1-0 win. 

For those wanting to learn more about CP Football or if you are 

interested in exploring the refereeing opportunity within the sport, 

please contact Farai.Hallam@thefa.com 

Earlier this year, a host of Level 3 and 4 referees, tutors and 

assessors gathered in Shropshire for the inaugural FA Futsal 

Referees Conference. Alongside them was Roger Vaughan, FA 

national referee manager (Referee Development), who provides 

an insight into what was involved across the two-day event. 

On Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, at the idyllic surroundings of the Lilleshall national sports 

centre near Telford, Shropshire, the first FA Futsal Referee National Conference took place. 

The theme was Building on your Success which was chosen to highlight the progress 

and achievements in Futsal Refereeing since in its inception in 2006. More importantly, 

it was an opportunity to continue the building process and lay the foundations for 

further achievements. 

Saturday’s proceedings commenced with David Dixon, Futsal referee development officer 

(fitness and sports science) taking the National Group successfully through the Yo-Yo fitness 

test and sprint and agility sections. I then officially opened the conference by welcoming all 

the attendees and outlined the importance of the conference to the building process. 

Ian Blanchard, FA senior national referee manager, joined the National Group who had been 

split into three groups for DVD match analysis to discuss various incidents. The two topics 

were ‘Denying a Goal Scoring Opportunity’ and ‘Back Pass to the Goalkeeper’, both of which 

were discussed in a highly interactive manner. 

The FA was also privileged to secure the services of Pedro Galan Nieto from Spain, who is a 

FIFA and UEFA Futsal instructor, president of the Spanish FA Futsal Referees Committee and is 

widely regarded as one of the world’s leading Futsal referee educators. 

On Sunday morning, following a review of Saturday’s activities, Pedro delivered practical 

sessions on positioning and movement as well as cooperation and teamwork that had been 

designed to assist in the uniformity of decision-making. 

Sean Dipple, Futsal referees development manager (National Group) then led a session 

with a combination of these areas. All sessions were observed by other referees, tutors 

and assessors. 

In the afternoon, Pedro returned to update everyone with his expectations of a Futsal referee 

and this was combined with further DVD match analysis on decision-making which clearly 

emphasised the importance of uniformity. 

To close the conference, Ian Blanchard outlined the key messages of the weekend and 

observed that it had displayed the progress made in England and the opportunity to keep 

learning and developing as Futsal referees. He expressed the hope that it would provide 

competition among our referees for further achievements. 

Afterwards, feedback received from the attendees was very positive and it was clear that the 

wealth of skill and experience on show was invaluable to all who took part. 

The FA Futsal Referee Development Programme clearly has a very bright future. 

46 

47

Dallas Cup 2015/Social Networking Sites 

My experience 

refereeing 

at the 

Dr Pepper 

Dallas 

Cup 2015 

Level 4 referee, Jack Nield, recounts 

his trip to the USA where he spent two 

weeks officiating at the prestigious 

annual youth tournament. 

I was filled with a deep sense of pride when I found out I 

had been selected to be involved in The Dallas Cup. 

The selection process had been tough through 

The FARDP Regional Group in the North West, and so I 

was proud of my achievement but also firmly aware of the 

enormity of what I was about to embark upon. 

After a preparatory first week that included technical and 

fitness sessions from the coaches and PGMOL referees, 

we had the opportunity to work with senior coaches such 

as Steve Dunn and Keith Stroud on a day-to-day basis. 

They observed our games and offered valuable advice to 

improve our games. 

I also had the opportunity to meet and talk to Howard 

Webb, who made every effort to watch each of The FA 

academy referees in action. To have a former World Cup 

final referee watching one of my games and offering me 

feedback on my performance was unbelievable. 

Another invaluable experience was meeting Dave Allison, 

referee manager at The Football League, to talk to him 

about his experiences and gaining advice on making that 

next step in my refereeing career. 

The trip wasn’t all about refereeing, though. On one day 

we visited a homeless shelter where we fed roughly 700 

people. I volunteered to be behind in the kitchen and the 

entire experience was completely eye-opening. 

We also visited the SMC junior school and took part in a 

Q&A session with the students. It was brilliant to share my 

experiences within refereeing and to explain how it has 

helped me progress as a person. 

At the tournament itself, I officiated on eight games 

as referee, assistant and as fourth official. I had the 

opportunity to work with referees from the USA, Australia, 

New Zealand as well as within a team of FIFA referees 

from Haiti, Guatemala and Canada. 

I was then informed I was to referee the U14 final with Lisa 

Benn and Andy Ellis as my assistant and Shelby Elson as 

fourth official. I was overcome with joy when I found out. 

It was an honour to have the opportunity. 

And then, at the game itself, I saw my dad and granddad 

in the stands - they had flown over to watch me in the 

tournament and it felt great that I could reward them by 

refereeing the final. 

The final was decided by a penalty shootout without any 

major talking points thanks to great effort from my team. 

Afterwards, I was able to reflect on a fantastic experience 

and a sense of overwhelming pride to have represented 

The FA and the academy group at the Final. 

Be sensible on social media 

Neale Barry – FA head of senior referee development - provides some practical guidance on 

how to avoid the pitfalls of social networking. 

Social networking websites, such as Facebook, Twitter and 

YouTube are now part of everyday life for millions of people. 

They are used and enjoyed by people from all walks of life and it 

is an individual’s right to use these sites as they wish, within the 

bounds of legal acceptability. 

For us as referees, however, there are reasonable expectations 

associated with our position and standing within the game as 

match officials. 

Unfortunately The Football Association regularly has to take 

disciplinary action against referees from all levels of the game 

due to inappropriate use of these tools to criticise, insult and even 

abuse other referees, clubs, managers, players, assessors and 

County FA officials. 

It is important to understand that any comments or views posted 

on social network sites are effectively being made public and 

are no different from these comments being published in a 

newspaper or reported on television or radio. 

If you enter potentially sensitive or critical comments on any 

social networking site, e-mail or twitter about colleagues, clubs, or 

players, do you know where they will end up? 

Nearly every time The FA has had to contact a referee about 

comments put on social networking sites the answer comes back: 

“it was only a chat among friends and it wasn’t meant to become 

public”. 

The reality is that there will always be someone prepared to 

forward critical comments to the football authorities either 

to cause the maximum embarrassment to the author of the 

comments or out of a genuine feeling that what has been written 

is unacceptable or inappropriate. 

As a match official at any level of the game, you have a 

responsibility to conduct yourself in a professional manner, 

on and off the field of play. Inappropriate use of any of these 

sites or e-mails may leave you open to criticism, comment, 

ridicule, or even a disciplinary charge, even if the matter is of a 

personal nature. 

So please think carefully before posting on any social 

networking site. The Football Association would not wish 

you to jeopardise your position as a match official by 

inappropriate or ill-founded use of such sites. 

48 

49

The Iber Cup 

The 

Iber 

Cup 

Ross Joyce – referee development officer, North 

Riding County FA - reflects on a trip that saw six 

members of the Referee Development Group travel 

to Portugal. 

The Iber Cup in Portugal is one of the most popular and 

influential youth football tournaments in the world. 

Over 50 countries are represented by more than 8,000 

players, referees and coaches who come together in 

Estoril for a week of competition. Each year the Iber Cup 

hosts some of the world’s top teams such as: FC Porto, SL 

Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, F.C Zenit and Reading FC. 

Following several exchange trips with various County FAs 

across the country including Liverpool FA and Birmingham 

FA and, not forgetting, the fantastic Danish exchange 

trip that took place in September 2013, the North Riding 

County FA (NRCFA) Board was delighted to announce 

to the Referee Development Group the opportunity to 

represent NRCFA for the first time at the Iber Cup. 

The selection process was rigorous to ensure that the 

county selected the match officials who would gain the 

most from the opportunity. 

For the 2015 tournament, the decision was made that all 

18 members of the Referee Development Group would be 

considered. The Referee Development Officer along with 

the Referee Development Coaches formed the panel 

and considered each member of the group with a number 

of key factors to ensure the most transparent decision 

could made. 

Following an extremely successful tournament the North Riding FA Officials explained their 

experiences as follows: 

It was pleasing to have such a hard decision to make. 

That said, the panel were unanimous in the decision that the 

following four match officials should be selected: 

Dane McCarrick 

(Level 5- 4 promotion candidate) 

George Roberts 

(Level 6-5 promotion candidate) 

Jonty Gill 


Tim Craig 


Andy Himsworth (NRCFA referee & FA development 

coach) also accepted an invitation to join the group as 

referee coach. 

This was a good decision. Not only was Andy’s experience 

invaluable to the referees, but it acted as a reward for his 

current commitments to coaching within the Referee 

Development Group. 

Two preparation days were hosted at NRCFA HQ which 

focused on body language, advantage and human kinesics 

along with examinations on the Laws of the Game and 

the official’s current fitness levels with the aid of Football 

League Assistant Referee, Matthew Dicicco. 

Ross Joyce, RDO 

The tournament has been the most 

powerful piece of referee development 

that has taken place since I took up my 

position in February 2008. I witnessed 

first-hand Dane, George, Jonty and Tim 

develop day by day. Their willingness 

to be open to regular development 

feedback both on and off the field of 

play, combined with the way in which 

they responded and looked to improve, 

was incredible. 

Tim Craig 

I was absolutely elated to find out I 

had been chosen to officiate at the 

Iber Cup. The tournament is fantastic 

as it allows officials to learn so much in 

such a short period of time. It is safe to 

say I will never forget my tournament 

experience and I could not recommend 

it enough to anyone wishing to attend. 

Andy Himsworth, Coach 

I can truthfully say it was the most 

rewarding week of referee coaching I’ve 

had the pleasure to be involved in since 

2003 when the early MFC Academy 

was founded, setting a fine example 

within the CFA set-up. In my opinion 

this present crop of officials has the 

capacity to go far in the modern game. 

Jonty Gill 

What a week we had in Portugal. I am 

not exaggerating by saying it was one 

of the best weeks of my life. 

When I began the Basic Referees 

Course, I couldn’t have dreamt that just 

28 months later I would be refereeing in 

one of the biggest youth tournaments 

in the world. 

Dane McCarrick 

The Iber Cup has been the most 

enjoyable refereeing experience I have 

been involved in. Following a lot of 

preparation work behind the scenes 

and an interview on BBC Tees to 

promote the event on behalf of the 

CFA, I can confidently say that it 

was all worth it for what was such 

an invaluable week in Portugal. 

I cannot thank the NRCFA enough - 

especially Andy and Ross - for such an 

unforgettable tournament. 

George Roberts 

It was a first class experience, not only 

to officiate abroad and to compete with 

a language barrier, but it was great that 

we could work with different officials 

and our own colleagues from the North 

Riding CFA. 

Also, to experience feedback and 

development points from highly 

professional assessors and coaches was 

fantastic for my personal development. 

50 

51

Dale Farm Milk Cup 2015 

Dale Farm 

Milk 

Cup 

FA Referee Development Group Report 

2015 

The Tournament 

The team arrived on the evening of Saturday 

25 July 2015. 

Based in Port Stewart, their week began with 

an informal meeting at the Lodge Hotel in 

Coleraine where they were introduced to the 

Milk Cup Referees Committee and some of the 

participating Officials from Northern Ireland. 

The tournament itself was set to begin on 

the Monday, so there was time arranged for 

the team to do some sightseeing around 

the lovely coastal areas of Northern Ireland, 

which included a trip to the famous Giant 

Causeway. In the evening the traditional Milk 

Cup Parade took place at Coleraine FC where 

all the participating teams and officials were 

introduced to a large and excited local crowd. 

The next morning saw the assignment of the 

first matches by the referees committee, in 

which all three FA Referees were appointed 

to referee on the first day. At the end of the 

day they all met again for a review of the 

day’s performances. 

The rest of the week followed the same 

structure. Appointments continued to be 

distributed every morning and match cards 

were returned either throughout the day or in 

the evening to the Lodge Hotel. Kick-off times 

were staggered during the day with 12 

noon being the first and 7pm being the last. 

This allowed some referees to have two games 

on some days. 

Following talks between The FA’s national referee manager 

– volunteer workforce, Daniel Meeson and the Irish FA’s 

referee manager, Lee Tavinder, an invitation was extended 

for a team of English referees to officiate in the Dale Farm 

Milk Cup. 

Three Level 4 referees were selected from The FA’s Referee Development Group. 

They were: 

North East 

Joe 

Starkie 

age 23 

West Midlands 

Tom 

Reeves 

age 23 

Eastern Region 

Chris 

Darling 

age 21 

Gary Evetts, FA RDP Eastern region co-ordinator, 

attended for the week to offer support, guidance 

and technical advice to the referees officiating 

and to also experience the Milk Cup himself. 

The event is one of the world’s top youth 

tournaments with over 50 teams from around 

the world taking part. For the referees, it meant 

an opportunity to work with different officials 

and referee teams from all over the world. 

This included delegations from the English 

Premier League, Brazil, United States, Australia 

and Spain, as well as county teams from 

Northern Ireland. The games took place over 

two age groups - Premier and Junior – with 

venues based all around the Coleraine and 

North West coastal region of Northern Ireland. 

There were also officials from Scotland and the 

Republic of Ireland, which again added to the 

officials’ experience of working with colleagues 

from around the UK. 

Tournament Structure 

Teams were separated into two age categories – Premier 

for U17s teams and Junior for U15s teams. 

Over the course of the five days, there were 115 games 

– 55 in the Junior section and 60 in the Premier section. 

The finals were held on the Friday 31 July 2015. 

The FA RDG candidates officiated in 20 games – 13 

as referee, six as assistant referees and one as fourth 

official. 

Premier games were set at 35 minutes each 

way, while Junior matches were 30 minutes 

each way. 

Each ground had a match co-ordinator, 

who helped the referees complete the 

paperwork and return subs sheets after the 

game. Fully completed match cards had to 

be returned either during the day or at the 

evening meeting. 

Summary 

The Milk Cup 2015 was a challenging 

tournament where all the candidates 

represented The FA, themselves and their 

Regional Referee Development Groups with 

professionalism, dedication and commitment. 

This was an extremely well organised 

tournament that ran like clockwork. 

The Milk Cup Referees Committee must be 

congratulated for their hard work and excellent 

execution of events. 

52 

53

RA-FA Youth Council News 

NEWS 

Latest From The RA-FA Youth Council 

An Exciting Season Ahead 

Will Finnie, RA-FA Youth Council Chairman, 

reflects on a successful season for the RA-FA Youth 

Council and looks forward to a number of exciting 

projects for 2015/16. 

Last season was an exciting time for the RA-FA Youth Council. 

It brought a number of changes that allowed us to engage with 

more young referees, particularly with the introduction of regional 

representatives who are a single point of contact for all County FAs, 

Local RAs, Youth Councils and young referees across the country. 

The excellent work conducted by our regional representatives 

has led to a number of exciting programmes being delivered 

nationwide through the RA-FA Youth Council Referee 

Development Fund. 

As the number of youth councils in County FAs and Local RAs has 

increased year on year, the RA-FA Youth Council put in place the 

CYC Development Programme. This initiative provides bespoke 

support to Youth Councils, focusing on how they can best support 

and impact officials within their local area. The CYC Development 

Programme culminated with an end of year conference. 

A number of successes were observed by the RA-FA Youth 

Council throughout the 2014-15 season: 

• The growth of youth councils – 65% of County FAs 

have one 

• A 250-strong youth council volunteer workforce 

• Delivery of eight regional seminars and a national 

conference as part of the CYC Development Programme 

• £3,000 invested in County Youth Council projects through 

the RAFAYC Referee Development Fund 

• Over 600 young referees engaged through a number 

of events 

Following a successful year, the RA-FA Youth Council is ready 

and excited to take things one step further. The 2015/16 

season promises to give opportunities for us to enhance the 

programmes we offer to Youth Councils, County FAs and 

Local RAs. These include: 

• Funding opportunities through the RAFAYC Referee 

Development Fund is now open all to County FAs, Youth 

Councils, communities and Local RAs. 

• Enhanced CYC Development Programme, including 

an online resource and interaction platform, regional 

development days and national conference at 

St. George’s Park 

• A new programme of events at RA Conference 2016 

• New website that keeps you updated with our latest news 

We look forward to keeping you updated with these new and 

exciting opportunities via our new website - www.rafayc.co.uk 

Should you want further information about the RA-FA Youth 

Council or any of the programmes we deliver, please 

email info@rafayc.co.uk 

Norfolk FA YRG Lead Development Day 

August saw Norfolk FA hold their annual Referee 

Development Day. George Lowe, RA-FA Youth 

Council web development, social media & 

marketing lead, shares an overview of the day. 

This year’s development day was split into two parts - a morning 

session of CPD and an afternoon that consisted of practical 

sessions that were part funded by the RA-FA Youth Council 

Referee Development Fund. 

These included: 

• A mock fitness test 

• Assistant referee master class run by Premier League 

assistant referee, Lee Betts 

• Positioning and movement 

These sessions allowed referees to observe key skills such as the 

correct signalling when acting as an assistant referee, how to 

move along the line, and utilising technology to analyse decisionmaking 

for close offside judgements. 

The afternoon session was aimed at Young Referee Group 

Members (referees aged 14 to 25) but more experienced 

referees joined in and shared their knowledge with their 

younger colleagues. 

David Robinson, Norfolk FA RDO, was delighted with how the 

day went. 

“The day was hugely beneficial, especially for the younger 

referees, because they would not have looked at areas like 

assistant referee techniques before, apart from the basics on their 

initial FA Referee Course,” he said. 

“Having a Premier League assistant to learn from gave them a 

fantastic experience and the Norfolk FA will reap the benefits in 

future on Supply League games when these young referees act as 

assistant referees. 

Talking about what the Referee Development Fund has done for 

the event, he continued: 

“Hiring a 3G pitch, as you can imagine, is hugely expensive. 

Fitting that into the budget would have been a major problem. 

It was also nice to have additional tutors. 

“Normally, the budget would have run to three tutors plus myself 

but we were able to get two more and split them off to do two 

sessions in one. 

“That has allowed me to be able to do the assistant part with the 

iPad, which has been a great help to our budget and helped us 

make our event better than we planned.” 

Tom Harvey, Norfolk YRG Chairman, was also pleased with how 

the day went: 

“It was a fantastic day,” he exclaimed. 

“Referees have been taught how to do a fitness test with a 

pacemaker for a Level 4 fitness test pace, a positioning and 

movement class which taught them how to position themselves 

correctly on an 11-a-side pitch with club and neutral assistants. 

“Having Premier League assistant referee, Lee Betts, delivering 

a masterclass with the help of Mary Harmer, really helped them 

learn about how to give the correct signals and keep control of 

themselves in various scenarios.” 

The Norfolk FA Young Referee Group part funded this event 

by successfully applying for the RA-FA Youth Council Referee 


For more information about the Referee Development Fund, 

please email RDF@rafayc.co.uk or use #RefDevFund 

“The same was true of the positioning and movement session 

which is a hard area to teach in the classroom, so being outside 

and getting referees running around into different positions will 

hopefully improve their positioning on the field of play, getting 

them into the right place to make the right decisions.” 

54 

55


It has been a successful inaugural season for the Referee 


The RA-FA Youth Council provided opportunities for the 

country’s 32 Youth Councils to apply for funding which could 

be used for any referee development project, programme or 

initiative in a County FA. 

RAFAYC takes the RA Conference by Storm: 

Attendees’ Refereeing Mission Made Possible 

We received applications from nearly 50% of the 32 Youth 

Councils eligible to apply and invested a total of £3,000 into the 

work they do. This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to 

be empowered to develop their refereeing peers. 

A list of successful applicants is below: 

• Birmingham FA Referee Youth Council – Referee 

Development Day 

• Leicestershire RA-FA Youth Council – Mentor Scheme 

• Herefordshire FA Youth Council – Football Futures 

Camp (Referee Section) 

• Worcestershire FA Youth Council – Football Futures 

Camp (Referee Section) 

• Somerset FA Youth Council – Mentor Scheme 

• Dorset FA Young Referees Committee – Young 

Referee Conference 

• Hampshire FA Referee Youth Council – Young Referee 


• Gloucestershire FA Youth Council – Young Referee 

Development Programme 

• Lancashire RA-FA Youth Council – 

Development Events 

• Sussex FA Youth Council – Referee 

Observation Scheme 

• Birmingham FA Referee Youth Council – Young 

Referee Group 

• Norfolk FA Young Referee Group Young – Referee 


• Surrey FA Youth Council – Referee Course 

Bursary Scheme 

Adam Davies, RA-FA Youth Council Area 

Coordinator – North, 

Making your refereeing mission possible was the theme for the 

RA-FA Youth Council events at the 2015 RA Conference where 

over 100 officials attanded. 

A Year of Success 

Josh Ainscow, RA-FA Youth Council area 

coordinator – South, outlines the impact the 

fund had last season on supporting Youth 

Councils around the country. 

The RA-FA Youth Council have been fortunate enough to host a 

series of events at RA Conferences since 2013 and this year our 

Friday afternoon event took place at Harlington Sports Ground, 

the training venue used by QPR. 

Practical training was a central feature of the event and 

three sessions were delivered by a number of high profile 

refereeing figures. Overseen by David Elleray, the three 

sessions all highlighted key topics that match officials need 

to ensure they are confident in delivering and including 

within their refereeing: 

• Daniel Meeson, Ray Olivier, Jon Moss, Lee Mason 

and Harry Lennard led a workshop on Dealing with 

mass confrontation – something that we hope will not 

occur, but when it does we need to ensure that we have 

a process in place to deal with it 

• Adam Gale-Watts, Darren England, Simon Bennett 

and John Brooks took referees through a series of 

exercises aimed at Getting offside right that included 

the opportunity to review live offside decisions 

• Ian Blanchard, Roger Vaughan, Keith Stroud, 

Simon Breivik and Craig Pawson looked at the 

fitness levels required within officiating alongside 

positioning to ensure delegates were in the Right 

place at the right time 

Particular mention goes to Craig Pawson and John Brooks who 

had officiated in a UEFA Europa League match the night before 

and got up at 3.30am to travel back to London to honour their 

promise to help with the session. 

Our Friday evening event took place at the Radisson in Heathrow 

and included several development sessions along with a buffet 

dinner. 

After an official opening, Will Finnie and Tom Bowkett delivered 

an interactive and entertaining presentation on Selling Decisions, 

which included analysis of a number of video clips. There was a 

lot of discussion among the groups about what is central to selling 

decisions and how this can vary depending on the level of football 

that you referee. 

Ian Blanchard then delivered a session about Getting to the top, 

which had delegates working in teams to get to the summit of 

the refereeing mountain. Through questions on the Laws of 

the Games, video highlights and a number of other methods, 

a number of key skills were identified as vital to making their 

refereeing mission possible. 

We are pleased and excited to announce that the RA-FA Youth 

Council will continue to deliver the Referee Development Fund 

for 2015/16 and open it up to projects from County FAs, Local 

RAs, Youth Councils and the wider community. This means 

young people will have an even greater opportunity to develop 

others in refereeing. 

We will provide further information about how to apply through 

our website, social media and by email. Should you have any 

questions about the Referee Development Fund, please contact 

RDF@rafayc.co.uk 

Richie Watkins, Birmingham FA, attended the event and was left 

impressed with how it was all organised and delivered: 

He said: “As usual, the organisation of the day was superb. 

The presence of the FIFA and Select Group officials as well as 

The FA staff ensured that referees from all levels could learn 

something to take into next season. 

“There is no substitute for practical refereeing experience and 

I will undoubtedly take the key learning points from all of the 

sessions into my games.” 

We were also very pleased to welcome Olivia Boughton, from 

Breast Cancer Care, the official charity partner of The FA. After a 

thought provoking and intriguing presentation, we were delighted 

to present Olivia with £200.00 that had been raised for the charity 

during the evening. 

The event was once again deemed to be a huge success and 

those in attendance left feeling that their refereeing mission had 

been made possible. It is a privilege to be able to open the RA 

Conference weekend with the RA-FA Youth Council events and we 

hope to continue to build on these activities in the future. 

We are extremely grateful for the support offered to our events by 

the PGMOL, FA and RA and to have a number of FIFA and Select 

Group officials in attendance proved to be a great benefit to those 

officials who signed up to attend the event. 

56 

57


Building on 

Regional 

Success 

NEWS 

Latest From The Referees’ Association 

News from Cornwall. 

Ian Tucker – Cornwall RA secretary – looks back at a year full of successful events and positive 

memories for England’s furthest west county. 

Tom Bowkett, RA-FA Youth Council Vice 

Chairman, reports on a successful second year 

for the County Youth Council Conference 

In May 2015, the RA-FA Youth Council hosted its second ever County 

Youth Council Conference at St. George’s Park. 

Building on the success of the inaugural event in 2014, Youth 

Council representatives from around the country took part in a day 

packed full of activity designed around the theme - Building Bridges, 

Supporting Young People, Developing Refereeing. 

With the ever-growing number of Youth Councils, the event offered 

a significant opportunity for networking between representatives 

from all around the country, while allowing time for key topics to be 

delivered and discussed. 

The day started with a number of interactive and engaging icebreaker 

activities, which were planned by RA-FA Youth Council 

members Jess French, Charlotte Sparling, James Whittaker and Josh 

Ainscow. These aimed to encourage delegates to think about their 

Youth Council’s aims and asked them to look at how they can deliver 

projects effectively while also ensuring that they are relevant to the 

refereeing workforce in their area. Most of all, they were designed to 

be interactive, with fun being a key element. 

Delegates then took part in three key workshops that 

highlighted the themes of the day: 

• Adam Davies and Charlotte Sparling led a session 

on working together, looking specifically at how Youth 

Councils can utilise members’ skills to ensure best practice 

• George Lowe and Natasha Wilson asked delegates to 

think about the different learning styles that exist and how 

Youth Councils need to ensure that their work focuses on 

all learners 

• Ollie Williams and James Whittaker’s workshop linked 

the use of advantage within refereeing to the projects that 

Youth Councils undertake, specifically looking at risk vs 

reward and creating a balance between the two 

Following lunch, which offered the opportunity for discussions 

between delegates about good practice, Adam Davies introduced 

the RAFAYC Referee Development Fund to delegates. A number of 

those in attendance were members of Youth Councils who had been 

successful in applying and receiving funding throughout the season 

and they shared details about their projects. 

Delegates were asked to assess three exemplar applications against 

the assessment criteria used to determine whether funding should 

be awarded. This activity offered a vital source of information to 

Youth Council members around the detail that needs to be included 

in potential applications in order for them to be successful. 

The final session provided the opportunity for Youth Councils to share 

best practice and work together on creating ideas for future projects. 

In groups with of a similar size and type, a number of interesting 

ideas were formulated for programmes and events that could be 

implemented by County Youth Councils. 

Overall, the day was a huge success and built on the regional 

seminars held earlier in 2015 in each specific area of the country. 

The support network nationally is now extremely strong and the 

County Youth Council network continues to grow and go from 

strength to strength. 

For more information on the CYC Development Programme, please 

email CYC@rafayc.co.uk or use #CYC 

Our season of celebration 

started in October 2014 with 

a dinner organised by the 

Referees Department of 

the County FA. Ray Brown, 

county referee development 

officer, led the organisation 

of the event held at the 

Sandy Lodge Hotel, 

Newquay. 

The guest of honour for the 

evening was Howard Webb OBE, who kept us entertained with an 

interesting talk about his career in football that, coincidently, lasted 

for 45 minutes. This was duly noted and appreciated by the referees 

present. 

After the talk Howard presented the County Long Service Awards, 

which included 30-year awards for Ray Brown, Steve Lawrence, 

County RA Treasurer, and Iain Tucker, County RA Secretary as well as 

a 20-year award to Rob Tucker, Iain’s son (pictured). 

Ray Brown is also the Chairman of the County Schools FA and has 

had a busy year with his Committee managing to secure a Schools 

international with Wales. This was a first for the county and on 27 

February 2015 a near capacity crowd of 3,000 turned up on a cold 

night to cheer England to victory at Truro City FC 

On the field, the Referees’ Association was well represented with 

Lee Probert, Premier League Referee and Wiltshire RA member, 

refereeing with two Cornish members Ben Judd and Ciaran Barlow as 

assistants and Ray Brown as fourth official. 

The special guest this year was another great speaker - Ray Olivier 

from the PGMOL , who spoke passionately about his career while 

engaging the members in the room by asking questions as the talk 

progressed. He then, on behalf of the County RA, presented Long 

Service Awards to Gerald Seale, Paul Minns, John Reid and Iain Tucker 

and 15-year membership certificates to Ken Keemer and Neil Harvey. 

In the week leading up to Easter, our Referees Academy was invited 

to send two mentors and a small party of referees to help at the Nike 

Cup at St. George’s Park. Our group was well looked after by the hosts 

and all received great feedback from the Premier League and Football 

League officials they were assisting during the tournament. 

In Cornwall we have a trophy in memory of Graham Cutler, a Football 

League official who died at Easter City, which is presented annually 

to the most promising Level 7. This year’s recipient, Jake Webster, 

was unable to receive the trophy at the County Dinner but received it 

at St. George’s Park when Premier League Bobby Madley presented 

the award on behalf of the County. The picture below shows the 

Academy members with mentors Kev Knowles (left) and 

Ray Brown (right). 

As the season came to a close RA members received County and 

League Final appointments, while for three members there was a 

call from the ESFA Competitions Department to officiate at the last 

two games in the National Finals at the Madjeski Stadium on May 20. 

Ryan Cornelius, Mid Cornwall Secretary, refereed the Under 14s Boys 

final assisted by Iain Tucker and Jake Webster with Ray Brown as 

fourth official. Jake refereed the Under 13 Girl’s final assisted by Ryan 

and Ray. 

As Secretary of the County Referees’ Association, I can proudly say 

that in Cornwall we have a special working relationship with the 

County Football Association as well as the County and National 

Schools Football Associations and the Professional Game Match 

Officials Ltd. 

Next up was our annual dinner and dance, which was hosted by the 

West Penwith Society in Penzance at the Lugger Hotel on 21 March. 

Thanks must go to the County President, Peter George, his wife Anita 

and the West Penwith members for their hard work. 

This is no doubt partly because our Vice Chairman, Ray Brown - being 

the County RDO and Schools FA Chairman - is a staunch RA man, 

which allows the RA to meet referees in training and to participate in 

Schools football, both locally and nationally. 

58 

59

RA News 

NEWS 

Latest From The Referees’ Association 

Ipswich RA 

A.J.Dale 

Level 3 Referee. FA Referee Tutor Level 2 

Chairman, Stowmarket RA 

Stowmarket RA 

Moving Forward 

Our Vision for Suffolk 

Three RA secretaries in Suffolk share some of the ideas and initiatives they are putting 

in place to successfully strengthen membership figures across the county. 

Barry Ereira 

Secretary Suffolk County Executive RA 

In Suffolk, we have seen, as have other areas, a lack of interest 

by newly qualified referees to become full members of the 

Referees’ Association. 

We have pondered the reason and have asked the question 

‘why?’ time and time again. Often the response we receive is 

one of the following three: 

• I can get all of the training I need from my CFA 

• Why do I want to sit in a hall being bored by a 

load of old people? 

• My friend went to one meeting and will never go 

back again 

How many of you have heard one or all three when you have 

asked similar questions? 

They’re disappointing responses, but we have to act now to 

cease this negativity that exists when The RA is mentioned. 

We have to speak about the positives and change negative 

perceptions. There is absolutely nothing I or anyone else can 

do about what happened yesterday, so why do we dwell on it? 

We have to look to the future. 

Potential new members only want to hear positive messages 

as to why they should attend RA meetings. Once they are 

there, as RA members we then have a duty to make them feel 

welcome and that they are an important part of the evening. 

Suffolk County RA 

Part of the new FA Referee Course format is the Referee 

Introductory Evening, which is attended by a parent if the 

referee is less than 16 years of age. This has proved to be 

invaluable. Not only do parents gain an understanding of 

what is involved with being a referee, but they also get an 

insight into the support available to their child. 

For the 2015/16 season, we are discussing an end of season 

RA Family Fun Day, incorporating referee workshops aimed at 

referees of all levels. They will feature our own FA Tutors and 

referees who will provide an insight into the process for new 

referees who strive to improve. 

Another addition is an Insight into Moving up the Ladder 

session in which we share the experiences of successful 

referees to give members the encouragement to apply for 

promotion that they may not have had before. 

Encouraging younger members to join Branch Committees is 

one of the main aims for the forthcoming season. A central 

Youth branch, which may only meet two or three times a year, 

will be run by youth members for youth members with the 

aim to incorporate them into the main branches when they 

reach adulthood. 

These are only some of ideas we intend to turn into reality 

this forthcoming season, but we see the future as being bright 

if we all move in the right direction. 

Andy Wilding 

Level 5 Referee. FA Referee Tutor Level 2 

Secretary Ipswich RA 

Membership at Ipswich RA, which had 

been declining since 2003, is now on 

the up. We managed to stem the ebb of 

reducing figures around four years ago 

and have maintained steady numbers 

ever since. 

One of our key initiatives is an incentive 

to reduce membership fees for the 

2015/16 season and to offer a County FA 

handbook free of charge. We introduced 

it because we understand that finances 

at this time are very tight, and so a 

potential saving of £10 is a welcome 

bonus for our referees. Already, these 

added benefits have generated interest 

from local referees of all ages and levels 

and we are confident that it will lead to 

an increase in membership for the new 

season. 

For the 2015/16 season we are also 

introducing a change to our meeting 

format that will see the business part 

only discussed at committee level with 

the relevant information filtered out 

to branch members via social media 

networks. 

Meetings will now be centred around 

development and may include delivery 

by FA Tutors or taking in a nonleague 

fixture, watching the match 

officials and then discussing their 

performance. The latter is an excellent 

learning and development tool for 

any member. 

We also intend to introduce various 

social media channels for our members 

to keep them in touch with forthcoming 

events and also provide a platform 

for them to share their experiences. 

Added to that, we will be launching a 

new online membership system that 

should appeal to younger referees. 

We will also be encouraging our 

members to attend meetings at other 

branches within Suffolk, not only to 

share their events, but also to build upon 

the social side of refereeing. 

A bright and exciting future lay ahead for 

Ipswich RA. 

I can still remember sitting at my local Referees’ Association meeting shortly 

after passing my course - a keen but slightly intimidated 14 year old in a shirt 

and tie. 

It was in that meeting that a National List Referee came over to me during the 

break and made a point of asking what games I was doing, if I was enjoying it and 

wishing me the best. I have never forgotten that moment. “Try to gain a ‘golden 

nugget of information’ from every training session you attend,” he told me. 

The significance of that evening shows just how much impact The RA can have, 

providing the opportunities for regular training and support, ensuring that new 

referees – both young and old- are well looked after early in their refereeing 

careers. 

Fortunately for me, that first evening I had my Dad with me. He had been 

a referee for a number of years and was already a member of The RA. I say 

fortunately, because as a young referee I’m not sure that, had it not been for 

him, I would have sat through the business part of the meeting on my own. 

I know I certainly would not have made comment. Fourteen years on and that 

shy and naive referee has now been elected Chairman of his local society in 

Stowmarket. 

My aim while in post is to ensure that everyone takes away a ‘golden nugget’ of 

information from each meeting that will make them a better referee, assessor, 

mentor or coach than when he or she walked through the door at the start of the 

night. 

I am very lucky in that I take over a society that is willing to embrace new 

ideas and has bucked the national trend and increased its membership. I am 

supported by another National List assistant as secretary and together we hope 

to be able to pass on some of the excellent training information and ideas that 

we are fortunate enough to receive to referees not only within our society but 

also to others within Suffolk. 

Our business will be done by the committee prior to each meeting and anything 

important fed back. The format of our meetings is simple - they will alternate 

between a development and training evening and a guest speaker. 

This year, we will also be running an incentive scheme. Every time a member 

attends a meeting, they will be entered in to a mid-season and end-of-season 

draw to win a brand new kit. It might be a small token, but how much better it 

always feels when you put on a new kit to go out and take charge of a game. 

I am keen, in the future, to see learning sets introduced to RAs across the county 

and referees from The FA Referee Courses attend as a training element to their 

course. The new practical course format naturally lends itself to people building 

friendships with colleagues, so why can’t it be continued at the RA? 

I mentioned earlier how I was fortunate to have my Dad, but perhaps 

encouraging referees to attend together might just get that hesitant referee 

through the door with a friend. 

We have all heard the phrase Refereeing Family throughout our careers. Just like 

our own family, it helps us to learn as we grow and allows us to share experiences 

together. In a society that is ever-increasingly electronic, I hope to be able to 

convince referees in our society and local area that there is definitely still a 

benefit to The Referees’ Association. 

It is there to help each and every referee improve their own performance in 

whatever their refereeing capacity, to become a better official, and perform at a 

slightly higher standard than before, remembering always those golden nuggets 

of information they gained at their RA. 

60 

61

RA News 

Woking Society 

Making learning fun 

Pat Bakhuizen - Society Secretary at Working Society – gives us 

the lowdown on what makes Woking Society’s meetings tick. 

At Woking Society we like to think of ourselves as a modern, forward-thinking society. 

We have thrown off the convention of the old style meeting where only society business 

is discussed and instead turned them into social evenings where we embrace the 

changing face of referees and refereeing. This enables like-minded people to get together 

and discuss matches – both watched and covered - and incidents that have happened. 

Our society evenings are now broken down into three parts: 

1 

The Academy 

Targeted at new and young referees, this starts at 7:15pm and looks at different 

aspects of refereeing each month based on feedback from the participants. A lead 

tutor goes through issues and provides clarification for any referee who may be 

uncertain about a particular point. 

Support is offered where needed and, if necessary, this includes going to watch and 

give support to individuals at their next match. 

The Academy is open to all members but its main focus is for newer and younger 

referees. We understand everyone needs help sometimes and we use the wealth 

of knowledge at our disposal to build trust, better referees and, above all, a stronger 

bond within the society. 

2 

The Guest Speaker 

This forms the main part of the gathering and starts about 8pm. Our speakers hail 

from a diversity of expertise, such as PGMOL referees, physiotherapists, motivational 

speakers, tutors from other societies, and even younger members. 

This part of the meeting is for learning, motivation and, above all, interaction. 

We actively encourage debate and speakers are asked to do at least a one hour slot. 

The main objective is for fun interaction and learning. We then have a break which is 

followed by our monthly raffle. 

3 

Final words 

This final part rounds up the evening with thanks to the speaker, questions from the 

floor, and any match incidents anyone wishes to discuss. The evening ends at about 

10pm. All other society business is covered during society committee meetings with 

our 12 committee members. 

Away from the meetings, we keep in touch with our members via our Facebook 

page - Woking Referees - and on Twitter handle @WokingRA, while our monthly 

magazine called the The Warble offers further guidance and support with lots of extra 

information and fascinating articles. It is also available to download from our website 

www.wokingreferees.co.uk. 

We may be among the most expensive societies - membership costs £36 a year - but we 

have a strong membership averaging 60 members every year, which we are confident is 

down to the forward thinking and fun approach we have. 

Jon Moss 

inspires in 

Carlisle 

Steve Dobinson (RDO, 

Cumberland FA)and 

John Cotter (Secretary, 

Westmorland CRA) reflect 

on an academy meeting that 

featured one very special guest. 

This picture was taken at our May monthly 

academy meeting. 

It was our final one of the season, but one 

that will live long in the memory thanks to a 

very special visit from FA Cup Final referee 

Jon Moss as guest speaker. 

Jon had recently refereed a pre-season 

friendly at non-league Workington Reds for 

which the Cumberland FA had appointed the 

assistants. Afterwards, Jon agreed to attend 

one of our meetings providing he could fit us 

in his diary. 

After many emails, he confirmed to attend 

our May event. It worked out well for us as it 

was our final one of the season, and you can 

imagine our delight when he was appointed 

to The FA Cup Final just prior to the meeting. 

On the evening, Jon’s session was fantastic. 

It was interactive and insightful as he shared 

with us his career journey followed by an 

informative look at all aspects of managing 

the game. What was also great was how he 

catered for both grassroots and professional 

referees - Level 9s to level 2s attended 

and were all able to take something from 

the experience. 

For many of the younger referees who 

attended it will no doubt have given them 

hope and boosted their aspirations to aim 

high and achieve success as a referee. 

Introducing two new County 

Referee Development Officers 

Two of the newest additions to the national RDO workforce 

share their thoughts about taking on one of the most 

challenging and rewarding positions in refereeing. 

What attracted you to 

becoming a Referee 

Development Officer? 

Through my role as an FA licensed 

tutor, I developed a real passion for 

referee development. To be able 

to support and develop referees as 

my job and in my home county is a 

dream come true. 

The thought of being able to 

develop referees at all levels. 

Creating training opportunities for 

new and developing referees that 

will enable them to seek promotion 

and achieve their dreams. 

Working with a variety of people, 

whether they be new referees, more 

experienced referees, assessors, 

mentors or tutors, we can all learn 

from each other and it is my job to 

create the balance and opportunity 

to do so. 

What are you most looking forward 

to about the job and why? 

I am looking forward to getting to know each 

referee in the county individually and working 

with them to help them achieve their goals, 

whatever they may be. 

Like any new job the start can always bring new 

challenges. I am looking forward to meeting 

the Berks and Bucks referees and playing an 

active role in their game and their development. 

With the introduction of The FA’s new referees’ 

course it is an exciting time to be involved in 

developing our training pedagogies. 

How does it feel to be a member 

of your County FA team and the 

national RDO workforce? 

I am proud to be part of the development 

team at Somerset FA. They are a team of 

hard-working, passionate people who work 

tirelessly to develop and promote all areas 

of football in our County. 

I hope to match their dedication and I feel 

honoured to work alongside some very 

successful referees and tutors from across 

the country. I also hope I can share their 

skills, knowledge and experiences to benefit 

the referees that I work with. 

It is a great workforce to be part of - we all 

have the same ethos and attitude towards 

the game and to refereeing. 

My new County FA has been very 

welcoming and there is a great group 

of people to work with. They are very 

knowledgeable about the structure of the 

CFA and with my refereeing knowledge I am 

sure we will take refereeing in the county in 

the right direction. 

What is your refereeing experience? 

Be inspired by your colleagues’ success. 

Use their support as your development 

and believe that the sky is your limit. 

Refereeing has taken me places I never 

thought possible. Your first games 

bring new challenges which are great 

opportunities to learn and develop, 

making us even better referees. 

Even the more experienced referees 

will encounter different situations and 

challenges to learn from, so we are 

always learning. 

Take these challenges as opportunities 

to learn from, build a good network 

of people around you to discuss your 

games and learn from each other. 

Refereeing teaches you more than how 

to officiate a game of football. 

I qualified as a referee in 2007, spent a year at Level 7 and 6 then 

two seasons at Level 5 before achieving my current Level 4. I am 

the first female Level 4 referee in Somerset and currently the only 

one in the South West but hopefully that will change. 

To date I have been very fortunate with my refereeing as it has 

opened many doors for me, doors that I never thought would be 

available 10 years ago when I took my referee course. 

There are so many opportunities available to referees nowadays. 

I have just completed my first year as a Level 4 and my major 

highlights include refereeing at the Dallas Cup in America with a 

great group of people, being an assistant referee for the Nordic 

Cup in Denmark and actively refereeing the men’s and women’s 

game. Outside of my refereeing, I am a referee tutor and I want to 

build on this in the near future. 

Joanna 

Stimpson 

Somerset FA 

LISA 

BENN 

Berks & Bucks FA 

What advice would you give 

to newly qualified referees? 

62 63

FA Education 

The Football Association 

St. George’s Park 

Newborough Road 

Needwood 

Burton-Upon-Trent 

DE13 9PD 

T: 0800 085 2012 

F: 01283 576 201 

E: Education@TheFA.com 

TheFA.com/Refereeing 

The Referees’ Association 

1b Bagshaw Close 

Ryton on Dunsmore 

Warwickshire 

CV8 3EX 

T: +44 (0) 2476 420 360 

F: +44 (0) 2476 601556 

E: ra@footballreferee.org 

www.the-ra.org

Ken Aston MBE

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