The Ref Stop

Too old to take the referee course ???

The Ref Stop
Exactly the age i was 7/8 months ago when I started mine.

Yes a lot of young ones on the course but once you’re out there most refs I see are 30-50.

I’m happy doing the level I’m doing since day one, surprised myself how much I’m enjoying it.
 
The ratio of adult (19+) to junior in our RA's intake courses is around 2 to 8. It has been like that for a very long time. The same ratio in our total membership is 4 to 6. Again for a very long time. It just shows how much more reliable older referees are to stay around.

Also noteworthy, it is very rare to see an starter between the ages of 20 to 30. It's a life style thing. If you didn't start reffing in your teens, you probably won't start until well into your 30s (when I started) or early 40s.
 
one said:
The ratio of adult (19+) to junior in our RA's intake courses is around 2 to 8. It has been like that for a very long time. The same ratio in our total membership is 4 to 6. Again for a very long time. It just shows how much more reliable older referees are to stay around.

Also noteworthy, it is very rare to see an starter between the ages of 20 to 30. It's a life style thing. If you didn't start reffing in your teens, you probably won't start until well into your 30s (when I started) or early 40s.
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I started reffing at the end of last year, only a couple months into being 28.

No kids, so it means I can still pretty much do what I like.

I'm a very rare one, it seems.

Oh, and on my course I think there were about 11 people, 8 were I'd say 15-20, me in the middle and 2 men who were in their 40/50's.

Never too late!
 
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James goodgame said:
I’m 42 just stopped playing and have been helping run my lads youth football team , this is their last season (u16) and I’ve decided to take the refereeing course to try and stay involved with football , on speaking to friends and from my experience most new refs are in their teens , starting to think I’m too old to become a referee !
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I passed my course in November aged 36 & there was a few guys well order than me on my course. We have the experience that the young team do not.
 
santa sangria said:
As hinted above, round my way, if you are athletic, bright and early 20s, you will get a lot of opportunities.
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I’m 21, just doing my course now, and can’t wait to get started. What exactly do you mean by ‘a lot of opportunities’? I’d love to go as far as possible with this so if there’s actually a chance that I can make it far that would make me even more determined than I am already
 
JackwFerrari said:
I’m 21, just doing my course now, and can’t wait to get started. What exactly do you mean by ‘a lot of opportunities’? I’d love to go as far as possible with this so if there’s actually a chance that I can make it far that would make me even more determined than I am already
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Extra training programs (country-specific)
 
Durovigutum said:
It took a while to fit in the safeguarding course (why does a ref need a 3 hour safeguarding course, especially when he's done trustee and scouts safeguarding...). The ref course was good, but I felt like the only person with questions. The youf just sat there, but I wanted to know the why's and wherefores and wouldn't accept woolly answers. I think the instructors enjoyed the challenge!

I've done five games of youth football, plus I've been refereeing my oldest as he's gone u7 to u9, although that's teaching them the game as much as anything else. I've found the youth League games fairly easy, only the second game giving me any challenge and that was because my calves were slowing me down (old knee injury).

I've stepped up to adult now, with my first game tomorrow. I do need to go sit the exam as well...
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Agree regarding the safeguarding course. From passing my course to the next available safeguarding course in that County was 6 months! I just booked through another county and drove 150 mile round trip to do it. My original county fa then couldn't provide me with a single junior match anyway (all went to the DoE guys) so I ended up doing OA in another county of my own back. Around 50 under 18s on my course and as 1 of only 3 adults, I did feel like I was left to my own devices whilst the young uns got the support, which was fine, they need it more but I'd just have liked people to be up front with me and tell me to go and sort myself out rather than waste time waiting for qualifying game appointments which were never going to happen.
 
zizou said:
On our course there was 3 of us over the age of 30, the rest were significantly younger.

Guess which 3 have gone on to referee a couple of games?
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The same with me, i've got one day left of the course. There's three guys that are over 30 exc. me (21), the rest I would say, between 14-17. Myself and one other are doing it for pure enjoyment. The rest are doing it for money and want to ref only mini soccer.
 
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As a favour I reffed a game of mini soccer before my main game for a club, it was winter and i got so cold as you don't move much in mini soccer
 
Did the first day yesterday , instructors were great , im 42 nearest too me was 24 the other 22 all aged between , 14 and 16 , felt bad asking the instructors questions ! nobody else said a word !
 
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