Football Queensland continues to invest in refereeing to provide opportunities for people to get involved in the world game, start a rewarding career, be nurtured with development opportunities and supported with highly qualified coaching staff. Within refereeing there are three areas to choose from – community refereeing, advanced refereeing and becoming an assessor or instructor.
Community refereeing is directed towards officials working within local amateur competitions. This pathway begins with the Laws of the Game, and Level 4 and Level 3 courses. These qualifications prepare referees to officiate in junior, youth and lower divisions of senior football.
Advanced level courses are designed for officials working within regional, state and national competitions. Extending upon Level 4 and Level 3 qualifications, the advanced level is further comprised of Level 2 and Level 1 courses. Referees who complete these intensive training programs will be eligible to officiate in matches ranging from junior football through to the top tier of state football and potentially the national level.
Referee assessors and instructors are crucial to the development of their peers, in addition to building on their own skills as match officials. Accreditation for both roles also adheres to the tiered level system, with three levels for assessors and two levels for instructors. Assessors are qualified to assess and coach fellow match officials, while instructors conduct courses and training programs.
REFEREE PATHWAY – COURSES AND ACCREDITATIONS
CLUB REFEREE
Club is for those who only want to officiate at their club or where their children are playing (“clubbies”). These match officials do the entry-level course and help when there is not an official referee appointed to games at their club. These referees will carry their qualifications for a maximum of 2 years.
LEVEL 4
Level 4 is for those that wish to start refereeing junior football matches anywhere in their zone. Upon completion of the theory section of a level 4 referee course they can register with their zone and start their refereeing career.
LEVEL 3
Level 3 is for dedicated referees (16 years or older) that have registered in their zone and are appointed to matches on a regular basis. These referees enjoy what they are doing, attend training sessions but have not committed to a career in refereeing. These referees will create the base for Queensland’s future referees.
REFEREE ACADEMY
This is an area of development aimed at referees who are aged between 17-27, but this does not mean referees outside this age are ineligible. These referees have expressed a desire to develop their skills to become better referees showing potential to become an elite referee. These referees will become an integral part of the refereeing community within Queensland in the future. This group will meet during the year and have their development watched closely by State Coaches and have access to a range of coaching tools through the Referee Academy.
LEVEL 2
Level 2 referees have made a decision to focus on their refereeing career. They attend training on a regular basis and there are no barriers in this level. Referees at this level receive the coaching and training that is available at all training sessions and will be trained in a group environment by Referee Development Officers and State Coaches. These referees have already shown an aptitude towards developing their skills. This is the minimum level to be a referee in the Westfield W-league.
LEVEL 1
Level 1 referees are dedicated to refereeing and want to reach the highest level of refereeing in Queensland and beyond. These referees are elite and are on the top panels within Football Queensland. They are expected be at every training session and are our leaders within the Queensland refereeing community. This is the minimum level to be a referee in the Hyundai A-League.
