The first training matches for newly qualified referees are a key factor in whether they will continue refereeing once they have fully completed the course. Refereeing your first game will always be a nervous time and knowing that there is a supportive figure either at the game or a point of contact before and after the match itself.

It is important to offer words of encouragement and to be able to praise the strengths in the referees’ game to help boost their confidence for their next match. It is also important to offer advice on a small area of development and give the referee something to work on for their next game.

A mentor can be someone who has years of refereeing experience or someone who has completed the course in the past 12 months or so as they will have recently been through the process themselves.

If you wish to be a mentor and you believe you possess the desirable characteristics of a good mentor please complete the application of interest by clicking HERE.

As a mentor you will be allocated a trainee referee who has successfully completed the practical and theory parts of the basic referee training course and is ready to begin their initial 6 matches. You will need to contact the trainee and make yourself available as someone they can call upon for help, advice and support. We ask our mentors to watch at least one and preferably two of their trainee’s initial 6 matches and give informal feedback afterwards. The key points for any Mentor to remember when watching a referee are to:

• Say “well done!”

• Ask the referee how he or she feels about the game

• Congratulate the referee on the three strongest features of his or her game, encouraging them to maintain those strengths

• Discuss possible solutions to the weakest feature of the referee’s game.

What sort of training will I receive?

Staffordshire FA will arrange evening training sessions for mentors. This training is approved by The FA and once you have attended the session your record as a referee will be updated to show mentoring as a qualification. We ask all our mentors to attend the course when they can and it is free of charge.

Staffordshire FA will arrange evening training sessions for mentors. This training is approved by The FA and once you have attended the session your record as a referee will be updated to show mentoring as a qualification. We ask all our mentors to attend the course when they can and it is free of charge.

What about safeguarding requirements?

Mentors need to have up-to-date CRC checks and Safeguarding Children certificates (these should not be more than 3 years old). We can help to update these certificates should they need to be updated before mentoring.

Further information

For more information regarding the Referee Mentor Scheme please contact Referee Development Officer, Matthew Jones on any of the following:
(E): matthew.jones@staffordshirefa.com
(T): 01785 256994
(M): 07969 295102