We’re delighted to announce that referee registration for new season is now open!

Referees are required to register with their parent County FA each season to ensure they can be appointed to games in affiliated leagues, competitions, tournaments and friendly matches.

The cost of registration to Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA remains at £20.00 for the season.

Please find some important information below.

Safeguarding Requirements
Referees who officiate youth football must have an in-date FA DBS and an in-date one of the following safeguarding education courses:

• Safeguarding for All
• Safeguarding Children Course
• FA Safeguarding for All (if you're aged 14-15 years old)

All safeguarding courses are online and can be accessed via this link

Information on how to apply for an FA DBS through SHCFA can be found here.

Referee Registration

The short online re-registration process on the Referee Registration portal allows you to update your contact details, complete an equality/diversity form and state the types of football you would like to cover.

Step by Step Guide
A step by step guide is available to support your referee registration process and can be downloaded here.  

Providing Consent for 14 or 15 Year Old Referees
In order for 14 and 15 year old referees to register, they will need to ensure their parents/carers have provided permission. Parents can find out how to give consent by looking at the guidance produced by the FA.

It’s important to remember that if you have not registered you should not officiate in league fixtures, competitions, tournaments or friendly matches until you have completed the process.

Additional Information

Referee ID Cards
SHCFA have a referee ID card system in place to support safeguarding within youth football.  Any referee who wishes to officiate within youth football must apply for an electronic SHCFA ID Card. To obtain one of these, please send a headshot photo, along with your name & FAN to Support@SheffieldFA.com.

Yellow Armband Campaign
In 2022 we launched our ‘yellow armband' campaign’ which aims to support and protect referees who are under the age of 18.  Current registered referees (who are aged under 18) can apply for a yellow armband for free by completing this online form.

Promotion
Please find information below about applying for Promotion.  If you are interested in applying, please express your interest via our Online Form.  Following submission of your form, you will be given a Referee Promotion Pack for the specific level you are looking to progress to.  Please note that there is a £30 promotion fee to cover the costs associated with this opportunity - you will receive an invoice for payment via the Whole Game System in due course. 

Insurance
You are now able to purchase additional insurance through your registration process as an additional product. 

Benevolent Fund
If you wish to pay into the Sheffield FA Benevolent Fund. This can be done through the registration process. More information about this can be found HERE.

FAQs
How do I register?
Please log into the Referee Registration Portal.

Is there a deadline to register?
No, but you cannot referee until it has been completed (this includes pre-season friendlies).
 
I have forgotten my password for my Whole Game System account. What do I do?
You can reset your password HERE.

The Whole Game System will not accept my email address. What do I do?
You can log in using your FAN HERE.
 
What is the cost to Register?
This year’s fee will remain at £20.

Where can I view the Laws of the Game?
To view the Laws of the Game, you can download the IFAB App. No hard copies will be available.

How do I register my child to Referee?
Please see the document HERE with further instructions.
 
How do I renew my DBS?
Please see information HERE and arrange to verify your documents with either a member of staff or our Designated Safeguarding Officer, Sarah Pridmore. Our offices are open on Wednesdays and Thursdays to verify documents (please arrange a visit with a staff member prior to attending).

Get support

If you have any questions about the registration process or you’d like more information on how to get involved in refereeing, please contact Danny Guest, Referee Development Officer, at Danny.Guest@sheffieldfa.com