Pathway · Step up
Youth Referee to Grassroots Referee
How to move from Youth Referee to Grassroots Referee: what to learn, what to prove and what formal steps, if any, are needed.
Qualification check for Grassroots Referee
Required
This move needs the right qualification, licence or registration for the new role. Registration, law exams and fitness tests are required for promotion between grades.
2 to 4 yearstypical timeline
1new skills to build
0qualifications to consider
+233%mid-point UK pay change, illustrative
The move at a glance
Youth Referee
Refereeing youth and junior matches after completing an entry course.
Grassroots Referee
Referees adult amateur matches and progresses through local grades.
Skills and knowledge to build
Experience and routes that help
Qualifications to consider
No additional qualification is typically required. Experience and a track record matter most.
What the new role asks of you
- Referee adult amateur matches
- Receive observer feedback and promotion assessments
- Maintain fitness and law knowledge
Practical steps
- Ask for a small piece of the new role's work before you apply, for example one of the tasks above.
- Close the top gap first: Man-Management.
- Keep a record of two results that show you working at the next level.
- Talk to three people who do the job. Ask how they got in, and who they would recommend you speak to.