Training Nights

Starting out as a Ref can be a lonely experience. This is best tackled by attending training on a regular basis where you will get fit and have a bit of fun in the process. One other major benefit though is that you can get support from others who have been through everything you have and will freely offer advice and support. Team spirit, you'll find, is not only for the players.

Feel free to come along to any one of the three weekly training sessions. Details of venues are available from the secretary.

You should come prepared for outdoor training and you will find that the sessions cater for all levels of fitness.

FIFA Fitness test
The FIFA Fitness test is a physical fitness test for referees. All referees in senior categories must pass the test at least twice per season. In addition, referees wishing to officiate at Junior matches must also pass the test. As of January 1 2007, a new fitness test will replace the previous Cooper test which has been specifically designed to measure a referees ability to perform repeated high-intensity runs and shorter, faster runs. The test is in two parts:

Part 1

6 x 40 metre sprints in 6 to 6.6 seconds dependent on referee category, with 1 minute 30 seconds recovery between each run.

Part 2

Referees are then required to complete a minimum of 10 laps and a maximum of 15 laps of the following circuit. Each lap comprises 2 x 150 metre runs in a maximum of 30 seconds, where each run is followed by a 50 metre recovery which varies from 35 to 45 seconds, dependent on the category of the referee.