A&H

Can I make a living from refereeing?

laney9901

New Member
I'm starting the fa referee course this month and I was wondering

1. How long can I expect to wait until I complete the course is complete?

2. Is it possible to make a small (maybe £300 per month?) Income as a level 7 referee? I'm a student and any money would be a huge help!

Thanks!
 
The Referee Store
If you incredibly keen, and fit, there's some sort of football every night of the week and the opportunity for 4 games over a weekend. Definitely possible to make 300 quid a month but I wouldn't come close to trying to do that many games, legs wouldn't allow it!

No idea how long the course takes, I did mins years ago.
 
I'm starting the fa referee course this month and I was wondering

1. How long can I expect to wait until I complete the course is complete?

2. Is it possible to make a small (maybe £300 per month?) Income as a level 7 referee? I'm a student and any money would be a huge help!

Thanks!
Others can answer the first question.

Standard match fee where I am is around £30, that's 10 games per month. If you do Saturday and Sunday football you may get 8-10 games a month, take a few for postponements and non-appointments. If you can find reliable midweek games on top of that then you could easily do 10 per month.
 
Thanks for taking the time to answer:) I was also wondering, is it hard to be appointed to games or are they readily available?
 
Thanks for taking the time to answer:) I was also wondering, is it hard to be appointed to games or are they readily available?

Depends on the circumstances of leagues in your area.

Plenty of junior leagues will need refs every week, I imagine most open age leagues have more than enough refs so you'll miss out the odd week. But as I said, there's always some sort of football that needs reffing, it's it's schools, uni intra mural, 5 a side tournaments etc, just got to speak to the right people to get the games.
 
I'm starting the fa referee course this month and I was wondering

1. How long can I expect to wait until I complete the course is complete?

2. Is it possible to make a small (maybe £300 per month?) Income as a level 7 referee? I'm a student and any money would be a huge help!

Thanks!

Well, if you come to Perth (Western Australia) you could do it easily. The course here lasts a single day and you will then be appointed two games every Sunday: you don't have to do any organising of this, the appointments are all arranged centrally, and you get informed by email each week.

For your two (adult ) games you will get between 85 and 90 dollars (45 - 48 pounds) each. Obviously you get less for youth football and considerably more (100 - 200 dollars a game : 53 -107 pounds) for state league or National Premier. You can of course put up for more games than this. So if you just stick to bog standard two Sunday games a week you will earn around 680 to 720 dollars (364 to 385 pounds) a month. This is also, by arrangement with the government, tax free. I have found it a very acceptable income supplement

On the down side we do have to pay 250 dollars (134 pounds) at the start of each season to sign up, and as a new ref you need to buy kit (with 4 different coloured shirts) which will cost about 150 dollars (80 pounds) in total. It's all very well organised and you don't have to chase clubs or arrange anything.
 
I know several referees in Sydney who are equivalent to L7-6 and make descent money doing football and futsal. Most of them are unemployed and also do school games during weekdays. Averaging AU$2500 a month (ref 5 or 6 days a week) in football season and about half that a month in the off season.

A 4 hour shift in futsal gets you $140. Similar amount for doing a couple of low grade OA centres and a line/youth of football each day of the weekend. There is a referee shortage so if you are keen you can find the games.
 
... or come to Finland, similar to above, there’s a lot of applicants now so you need to get off to a good start, and the season is short 5 months, but during the season it’s possible to get games and multiple games nearly every day and rack up 500 eur plus per month. Not easy though.
 
... or come to Finland, similar to above, there’s a lot of applicants now so you need to get off to a good start, and the season is short 5 months, but during the season it’s possible to get games and multiple games nearly every day and rack up 500 eur plus per month. Not easy though.
That’s hard work and hardly a living is it?? It’s a moderately paid for hobby at best
 
I'm starting the fa referee course this month and I was wondering

1. How long can I expect to wait until I complete the course is complete?

2. Is it possible to make a small (maybe £300 per month?) Income as a level 7 referee? I'm a student and any money would be a huge help!

Thanks!

1. Once you're booked on it's two weekends and a midweek night and you're away, so not long.

2. It depends. I do 3 games a weekend on average, so £90. Pre season and at the end of the season I'll pick up one or two mid week games for a few weeks. Since the end of July I'll have made £1800 (cash) so far this season. But factor in that it's been the best weather ever for the season and I've only had 1 postponement. It's paid for us to go on a couple of extra holidays, that's what i ref for.

Alot of people have concerns about fitness etc but it's completely down to an individual. As a student, if you're fit then you'll have no issue whatsoever with 4 games. Mental fatigue could be a factor dependant on the individual but for a fit young adult, physically it's challenging but not particulatly tough if you're a current sportsman for example.

If you really want to make some extra cash then midweek 5aside league's (goal and power league) always need refs. I used to play alot of 5aside midweek at these places and the refs just officiate from the side so no effort at all!
 
That’s hard work and hardly a living is it?? It’s a moderately paid for hobby at best
After a few years with access to a wider variety of games, some with better pay, and without doing too many games per day I’ve been doing 6-900 while working (and sailing close to the wind with the fam). Student friends that are serious refs are able to do 1000+ and that makes a great student job but they are the dedicated ones. I know a few L7 equivalents that hoover up 2-3-4 hobby games a day and yup even that is hard to get over a grand a month at 25-30 per game.

We have a sweet spot at around L6-5 where if you also flag there are more games at 40-60 per game. At 5-4 (?) the pay per game is up but then you can only do max 2-3 60-70e per week... approx...
 
I was AR in a semi final today and my fee was £12.50 + fuel so not much money to be made lol. Not complaining of course, I was delighted to get the opportunity.

I don't think anyone does this for money, I certainly don't. It's a hobby that also gets me a couple of extra weeks abroad each year. Double win
 
Referee manager in my area has the belief everyone does it purely for money, I didn’t want to waste my breath convincing him otherwise. I do it for fitness mainly then abuse and long lasting psychological damage. The money I put in a hidden place and will change it for euros when I go on summer hols.
 
If you have a car with good MPG then maybe.

I'll make £80 this weekend, but most of the money is coming from mileage. That pays for fuel and then some because my car is fuel effective. So for March, 5 weekends and that would be £400, minus £50 to fill the car up eventually and that's £350 for the month.

However, that needs me to be booked Saturday and Sunday. It also needs me to booked some distance away. I wouldn't rely on it as a sole income, it's a nice bit of extra change I suppose, but not much more than that.

For one thing, you're at the mercy of the weather!

But even in an ideal world, assuming you did a youth match in the morning, adults match (or two adult matches on the afternoon/evening slot), then Sunday League/Dev/Ladies league... Your legs probably wouldn't forgive you if you did that regularly and you'd be so mentally exhausted I don't think you'd referee very well.
 
There may well be people who start for the money, especially youngsters. But anyone who's been involved for more than a year or two cannot be in it purely for money,
If you have a car with good MPG then maybe.

I'll make £80 this weekend, but most of the money is coming from mileage. That pays for fuel and then some because my car is fuel effective. So for March, 5 weekends and that would be £400, minus £50 to fill the car up eventually and that's £350 for the month.

However, that needs me to be booked Saturday and Sunday. It also needs me to booked some distance away. I wouldn't rely on it as a sole income, it's a nice bit of extra change I suppose, but not much more than that.

For one thing, you're at the mercy of the weather!

But even in an ideal world, assuming you did a youth match in the morning, adults match (or two adult matches on the afternoon/evening slot), then Sunday League/Dev/Ladies league... Your legs probably wouldn't forgive you if you did that regularly and you'd be so mentally exhausted I don't think you'd referee very well.

Agree with the mental fatigue. I was doing 3 games every weekend and I found that I wasn't enjoying the the 3rd match of the weekend. The drive to the game often had me wishing that I hadn't bothered. Early and late season I'm happy to take 3 games on like I am this weekend but mid season I found it a real drag. End of the season and it's important games for all concerned and better weather so I'm up for it.
 
Back
Top