Making it to the Top

(or the Pyramid System explained)

When you first qualify you are a ' Level 7 Junior Referee' or 'Level 8 Youth Referee' if you are under 16). 

At this level you can be appointed to referee in the local leagues and act as an Assistant Referee on the next leagues up - the supply leagues. In this area these are the Combined Counties, Hellenic, Suburban, and Spartan Leagues. 

Promotion to Level 6 County Referee and Level 5 Senior County Referee is achieved through assessments, club reports and a written examination over the course of a complete season for each level. It is not possible to be promoted by more than one level at a time.

To Supply and Contributory level

Once you have reached Level 5 status, your County FA may put your name forward for inclusion on the Assistant Referees' List of a contributory league (Dr. Marten's or Ryman's Leagues in this area). If accepted (which means passing a fitness test), you will be promoted to the Referees' List of your supply league, thus achieving Level 4 Supply League Referee status.

To achieve Level 3 Contributory League Referee status, you will need to be one of the top two or three referees on your supply league in terms of club and assessor marks -and then get through an interview.

Promotion to Level 2 Panel League Referee is achieved in a similar manner through excellent club and assessor marks. By this stage you may well have been invited on to the National List of Assistant Referees.

The National Referees' List and beyond

Exceptional performances at Panel League level (the FA Conference and Football Combination) could well open the door to Level 1 - the National Referees' List and finally on to the prestige of the select list of Premiership Referees and, ultimately, the
FIFA list.

How long is all this going to take? 10 years is usually quoted as the minimum, assuming you are that good, but our own Iain Williamson has just done it in nine. Age is another obstacle, so if you haven't picked up a whistle before 30 then the height of your ambition may be Level 3 Contributory League Referee - which is still in the top 5% of referees in the country.