For some age groups, League referees are allocated to games, but don’t expect a man or woman in black at every game. Raiders has a pool of qualified referees to help plug the gap. If a qualified referee is required or appointed by the league, it is up to the home team Manager to make contact and confirm the fixture.
Some of our 16-18 year old Raiders referees are available for younger age group matches. We only have a few adult referees and the older age groups have priority in using them. You can request a copy of the current Raiders referees list from Claire Roger on admin(at)berkhamstedraiders.com
Referee fees
The referee fees are dependent on which league the team plays in and also which age group. Below is a guideline for fees. If you use a referee but do not have a referee allocated by the league, please use the fees below. If you have a league appointed referee, please pay the league specified fee for your league and age group. Managers are able to claim referee expenses back from the club by submitting an expense form.
- Under 17/18 £30
- Under 15/16 £28
- Under 13/14 £25
- Under 11/12 £22
Parents and managers as referees
There will be many games where a qualified referee is not available. Mini soccer games are usually refereed by the manager or a parent. We run a Parent Referees evening in September to provide guidance. Encourage your parents to attend!
At 11 a side, managers may begin to get access to league allocated referees, but don’t count on it!
Bear in mind that at 11 aside, the leagues have strict guidelines on referees and assistant referees in terms of coaching. The referee or assistant referee must not attempt a dual role. If a manager or a parent is the referee, he or she cannot coach, instruct or issue guidance to the players.
Assistant referees
Each team needs to provide a linesman/assistant referee at 11 a side. Parents who take on this task should read the “Guidelines on running the line” (Download below). We also run an Assistant Referees evening early in the season, specifically aimed at parents who take on this role.
Know the rules (or laws)
The laws of football vary from age group to age group. As a Manager, it’s important that you read and understand these. NOTE: The laws for youth football also dictate how the pitch should be laid out in terms of where parents and coaches must be and the use of Respect barriers.
The laws of football for each format can be downloaded below.
Make sure you have a copy of your league handbook AND read the league rules.