November Referee News Update
The rules regarding been compliant to referee in youth football changed this season by the FA, with refs having to have an in date CRC to referee in youth football. The FA have done this as the government have created the Protection of Freedoms Act, and this the FA Response to that. More can be found at http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/safeguarding/criminal-records-checks . The document on that site regarding referees clearly says:
“Rightly, parents and carers are increasingly asking people in football two questions:
1. Are you following the correct procedures when recruiting people to work with children?
2. Are all the relevant people checked?
The response has to be ‘yes’ in both cases if the integrity of clubs, leagues, County FAs and The FA is to be preserved. As a referee, if you don’t have an in date accepted FA CRC check in place, we will not be able to use you in your vital and valued role in youth football – and no-one wants that. It all comes down to the strapline on the front of this leaflet: Let’s make sure football’s safe – not sorry.”
This is why the referee ID card is so important – ask yourself this question, without a League referee ID card, how do you know if the referee is qualified and registered and compliant to referee in youth football?
A number of reoccurring trends are developing regarding referees:
1) Only mark YES that you saw the referee's ID card on the match sheet if you have seen the ID card. A list of referees on the League list are on the League website (click here). Clubs will not be fined for marking NO. Clubs will be charged if they mark Yes when the referee does not have one.
2) Ask the ref to see their ID card BEFORE you play the fixture. Make sure they are not on the Do not use list (click here)
3) You can tell if your opponents have a referee in place by visiting Full Time (click here). On here you can see if they have had a League list ref in the past this season. If teams cannot provide a ref on the League list, they need to inform their opponents to see if they can.
4) If you have a ref for your fixture then email your registrar and referee@junleague.com so Full Time can be kept up to date, and that the League is aware of games without a ref.
5) If a referee is not on the League list, then their card is not "on its way". Once a card is processed, the ref's name appears on the list on the website.
6) 33 have applied to be on the League list but have not had a card issued because they are not yet eligible to referee in youth football. The reasons range from not doing a ref course to not having an in date CRC.
7) Click here to see an update on referee coverage.
8) If you are without a referee then email referee@junleague.com BEFORE 9pm on a Monday with your match details. This will be sent to ALL League referees. This is in essence an advert, so make it clear who is playing, the age-group, kick off time, contact details etc. Speak to other managers in your Club, as if they are also advertising, it is better to group it together with staged Kick Off times, so a referee can get two games in.
9) The League, as at 14th November has 368 referees with a League ID card.
10) The League is looking at a method for referees to feed into Respect scoring. That is under development