Referees perform a vital role in the game, and with the growth in the popularity of football, particularly for women and children, the demand for match officials is increasing.

The Football Association estimates that in some areas of the country, 20 percent of games are played without a qualified match official. Their goal is to recruit 10,000 referees a year to ensure that, in future, every game has a qualified official who is receiving regular training and support from an FA mentor programme and helpline.

The first stage involved in becoming a referee is to make contact with us to discuss your aspirations and the second stage is to attend a Basic Referees Course and pass the exams at the end of the course.

To find what is involved for the level of football you are interested in then click on the attachment on the right. Once you know what you want, email Matthew Hurst on Matthew.Hurst@LeicestershireFA.com with your name and full contact details and we'll send you the appropriate documents.

Referees can now download the latest blank electronic report forms, from the documents section below. Submission of electronic reports must be emailed to Discipline@LeicestershireFA.com

Any refereeing queries should be directed to:

Matthew Hurst
Referee Development Manager
E: Matthew.Hurst@LeicestershireFA.com
T: 0116 284 4953
M: 07534 507 472