Referee Development and Training
Football Australia supports the continuous professional development of all active match officials. The Australian Officiating Development Schedule (AODS) outlines the training programs and classifications of referees, assessors and instructors.
All courses (excluding the Laws of the Game and Futsal Laws of the Game courses) are accredited under the Australian Sports Commission’s National Officiating Accreditation Scheme.
Most courses include Laws of the Game assessments/examinations (excluding Level 4 Referee and Level 3 Futsal Referee). These examinations include written and multiple choice questions and video incidents.
If you are interested in becoming a referee you can go to Play Football to search for courses in your local area.
Qualification and Revalidation
Participants of Football Australia Referee, Assessor and Instructor courses receive a qualification for a period of 4 years. All qualifications expire on 31 December.
For example if accreditation is gained on 20 July 2019 then the accreditation expires on 31 December 2023.
Who is responsible for revalidating my qualification?
It is the responsibility of the individual match official to be aware of the expiry date of your qualification. If you do not revalidate the qualification during the final valid year of the qualification you may need to undertake and pass the course again.
How do I revalidate my qualification?
- Be deemed competent competent to officiate by the referee organisation you are registered with;
- Be actively involved as a match official;
- Pass Laws of the Game examinations (excluding Level 4 Referees)
Active officials who wish to revalidate their qualification need to ensure they discuss this with the referee organisation that you are registered with.
Referees
There are four levels of referee from Level 4 (the entry point) to Level 1 (the highest).
· Level 4 Referee - aimed at referees of junior and youth matches.
· Level 3 Referee - aimed at referees of junior to lower levels of adult matches. We encourage all Level 4 referees to do this course within the first two years of starting their referee career.
· Level 2 Referee - aimed at referees of junior to senior adult levels matches.
· Level 1 Referee - aimed at referees of top-level state or national level matches.
Before registering for a Level 4 Referee course you need to complete the online Laws of the Game module.
If you are a Level 3 referee you can undertake the Level 2 (Theory) course and then decide if you wish to undertake the practical assessments to gain the ‘full’ Level 2 Referee qualification.
Go to Play Football to search for courses in your local area.
Futsal Referees
To become a Futsal referee you need to undertake both the Futsal Laws of the Game and Futsal Level 3 Referee courses.
These are normally conducted over two days.
Go to PlayFootball to search for courses in your local area.
Referee Assesors
There are three levels of Football Australia Referee Assessors.
· Level 3 Assessor - aimed at coaching referees of junior, youth and lower levels of adult matches (i.e. Level 4 or Level 3 Referees).
· Level 2 Assessor - aimed at coaching referees of junior to senior adult levels matches (i.e. Level 4, 3 or Level 2 Referees).
· Level 1 Assessor - aimed at coaching referees of top-level state or national level matches (i.e. Level 1 Referees).
Go to PlayFootball to search for courses in your local area.
Referee Instructors
There are two levels of Football Australia Referee Instructors (i.e. course instructors).
· Level 3 Instructors deliver Level 4 and Level 3 Referee courses..
· Level 2 Instructors deliver Level 4, 3 and 2 Referee courses as well as Level 3 and 2 Assessor and Level 3 Instructor courses.
Go to Play Football to search for courses in your local area.
First you need to complete the online Laws of the Game education module and pass a 40-question multiple choice test. You then need to register to undertake the Level 4 Referee training program usually conducted in your local area. To locate an upcoming course click on the following link:
Once you complete your Level 4 Referee training program you can then register for a Level 3 Referee course providing you are 16 years of age. Further training and education is provided as part of the Level 2 Referee and then Level 1 Referee training programs.
Referee qualifications need to be revalidated every four years. Depending on the level of your qualification this will include a combination of Laws of the Game examinations (multiple choice questions and video incidents), practical assessments on one or more match as well as being an active referee during at least two of those four years.
Check with your Member Federation referee staff for more details as well as schedules for those examinations.
Your first point of contact should be the Member Federation that manages football where you will be living. For example if you will be moving to Brisbane you should contact Football Queensland.
To register as a referee locally you will need to supply a letter of introduction from your current (or most recent) referee organisation – preferably the national association. This letter needs to include the following information:
- Your classification or qualification as a referee;
- Level of competition you have most recently officiated in;
- Confirmation that you are not currently suspended.
When you arrive you will be asked to undertake Laws of the Game examinations and may be required to officiate in a match locally. This is done to ascertain what level of local competition you are most suited for.
To check your qualifications through the MyFootballClub click here
If you have any questions regarding your qualifications please contact your Member Federation referee staff.
To print your certificate through the MyFootballClub website click here
If you have any questions regarding your qualifications please contact your Member Federation referee staff.