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Older trainee Referee

Z

Zimmyman

Well-Known Member
Ok I do my basic training course in August I’m an older person but very very able after reffing for two seasons helping out on Sunday U 12 football so now I’m taking the plunge to do it properly !! But I feel with my county FA they seem more younger people orintated ! Can anyone tell me what to expect ! And when I complete my course I need to do the matches
That they require as a trainee referee but three weeks before I sit the exam I go away ! My problem is what happens if don’t get all
My games in before exam date !! By the way I have 7 weeks to do the games is it feasible that I can achieve this ? Maybe two games on a Sunday might help ! Your thoughts would be great
 
The Referee Store
Welcome and congratulations. Enjoy it.

I am 20-25 years older than a lot of the guys and girls I work with - and yes, where I am, the chiefs want to train and concentrate on the brightest young talents. As much as I would like more formal training myself, I think their approach is understandable - it takes years to get to the top, you need to be an athlete of sorts to get to the top and I also I understand why it's important to give the brightest young talents attention so they stay in the game.

That said, you (we) have other talents. We might have to work on the physical side for the right to be considered or compete... but we also have other hard earned skills that the 19 year olds don't have that make us potentially valuable. Just enjoy it, be yourself, be enthusiastic and you will get noticed.

Can't help you with a time machine though!
 
Your never to old, I was on a course where the average age was 16-18 & I’m 34.

As for the exam it’s not life or death, don’t fret if it’s anything like mine the people in the group that didn’t quite get the mark needed just had a one on one chat & passed with the rest of us.

It’s informal a group exam not head down on your own do or die.

As for your 5 games if there are games available just hammer them out & complete the requirement, i found that all the things required to complete the course I made a priority and just got them done.

Good luck & any questions you’ve come to the right place.
 
Thank you nice advice yes I intend to enjoy and do my best I’m looking forwards to hopefully qualifying !! Thanks for your reply
 
I went on my course at 43. I got all my games in without being observed passed my exam and just left to get on with it. There is a bias towards younger refs in my county as they want them to progress as quickly as possible, from my point of view too quickly. If you want to go for promotion you will be helped and noticed otherwise enjoy being a level 7 ref and just become a good one.
 
As others have said CFAs put the emphasis on the young referees and they will often be signed up for academies and/or development groups which us old geezers (I qualified at 30) won’t get a sniff of.

However, I recommend getting your name down for every training event that you can. My county normally run a handful throughout the season, some are only for those going for promotion, but they also run some training that is available to anybody.
 
Tino Best said:
I went on my course at 43. I got all my games in without being observed passed my exam and just left to get on with it. There is a bias towards younger refs in my county as they want them to progress as quickly as possible, from my point of view too quickly. If you want to go for promotion you will be helped and noticed otherwise enjoy being a level 7 ref and just become a good one.
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Well said Tina, similar path for me, no interest in promotion, just doing my best under difficult circumstance sometimes. Enjoyed the ride for 11 years, may return one day.... maybe ! :rolleyes:
 
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All good advice !! I only want to enjoy to the best of my ability and put something back in
I’m to old for the promotion bit ! But my life skills should hold me in good stead over the coming months so I want to enjoy ! Make sure if possible the players enjoy ! And yes I admire the youth refs that want to go far good on them !! Me I’m I fairly fit old fogey that has good life skills have unofficialy refereed for two seasons with no real problems ! But now I want to do it properly thanks guys
 
I think you missed the point. Unless you actively seek promotion you will be just left alone. No observations in your first 5 games and just called on as a goto ref when the young ones drop out of their appointments at short notice. If you are looking for promotion I am sure you will get more attention
 
Zimmyman said:
Ok I do my basic training course in August I’m an older person but very very able after reffing for two seasons helping out on Sunday U 12 football so now I’m taking the plunge to do it properly !! But I feel with my county FA they seem more younger people orintated ! Can anyone tell me what to expect ! And when I complete my course I need to do the matches
That they require as a trainee referee but three weeks before I sit the exam I go away ! My problem is what happens if don’t get all
My games in before exam date !! By the way I have 7 weeks to do the games is it feasible that I can achieve this ? Maybe two games on a Sunday might help ! Your thoughts would be great
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Zimmy
When i qualified a couple of years ago, this was the process
1) Complete the course
2a) If rated as competent, go out and cover 5 games
2b) If identified as needing assistance, go out and cover 5 games, some of which would be mentored
3) Anytime within a year (I think it was a year), go back and pass the exam and have the debrief
Unless this has changed, I don't think you need to commit to a particular date for the exam. However, you might struggle to get games until qualified at Level 7
I started at 43, did 3 months of youth football before tackling the big lads. I'm planning on rolling the promotion dice, but I can't see me going beyond Level 5 (although I know some good refs who have struggled with getting this far) as I fancy that's when an age discrimination would kick in
Welcome to the fold
 
Zimmyman said:
All good advice !! I only want to enjoy to the best of my ability and put something back in
I’m to old for the promotion bit ! But my life skills should hold me in good stead over the coming months so I want to enjoy ! Make sure if possible the players enjoy ! And yes I admire the youth refs that want to go far good on them !! Me I’m I fairly fit old fogey that has good life skills have unofficialy refereed for two seasons with no real problems ! But now I want to do it properly thanks guys
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Unlike yourself i never actually picked up a whistle before doing the course & thought my personality & people skills would get me through when refereeing..

I coudnt have been more wrong, Your Bible & best friend is the LOTG (Laws of the Game) I have been found out on a number of occasions for not knowing the Law & believe me there is no worse feeling.

If you intend to referee kids football then it won’t be quite as life or death as generally kids will just take an adults word for it but refereeing adult football you need to be 100% tip top on the laws.

It’s taken me 6-8 months and endless head in hand moments to realise that the LOTG is your key to everything, your life skills and personality will count for nothing if you don’t know the correct decision in law to give.

Sounds like you have done well so far anyway & unlike me you’ll probably take on board what you revise, but like I said the only advice I can give as a new ref myself is learn the laws.

Good luck.
 
Big Cat said:
I started at 43, did 3 months of youth football before tackling the big lads. I'm planning on rolling the promotion dice, but I can't see me going beyond Level 5 (although I know some good refs who have struggled with getting this far) as I fancy that's when an age discrimination would kick in
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To give everyone a little confidence about the possibilities, I started the same age as @Big Cat , was promoted a year ago to L4 and (despite the undoubted preference given to my younger colleagues) see no reason why the journey has to inevitably end there. Indeed, one of the newly promoted Level 3's this year is apparently 63 years young ....... :)
 
Don’t listen to the moans about the youth being overly promoted. Nearly anybody can get to Level 4.
Sure the youth get the focus of training in most counties but they also have to travel across the county during rush hour for monthly development meetings.

Your biggest barrier to getting games outside the normal leagues (eg midweek youth) in most places is usually the old boys network. These same guys will be the ones moaning most about the youth getting academy games.
 
The major reason why I don't want promotion was that I got involved in reffing as there was a shortage of refs at youth level. I got fed up taking my son to a game and finding a Dad reffing who had no idea, so I became a ref for that reason. To go for promotion I would have restrict my youth appointments to do more OA. If I hadn't got into reffing I would go for promotion but my FA used to be very pro active with younger refs and leave the older ones alone although with a new RDO in place the attitude is changing and it is becoming a more inclusive.
 
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