Becoming a Referee
Are you interested in joining our team of referees?
Well, you’re in the right place! Here you’ll find everything you need to get started. Anyone aged 13 and over can become a referee. We especially need more adult and female referees.
There are so many great reasons to become a referee. It’s a way to:
- earn some extra money
- give back to the game you love
- stay fit and active
- help you to be a better player through your knowledge of the Laws of the Game
- build leadership skills like effective communication, working as a team and decision-making.
Whether you’re a player, past player, parent, club volunteer or new to our game, we’ll equip you with all of the knowledge and support you need to enter the rewarding world of refereeing. Who knows, you might even officiate in the A-League or internationally with FIFA!
To become a referee, you must be at least 13 years of age. You need to complete the six free C0 Laws of the Game online learning modules. You then need to complete the four paid C3 Junior Football Match Official online learning modules and attend a three hour C3 course.
- Click on the following link and use your FFA number to have a free account set up as a Northern NSW Football learner with ETrainu, the company that looks after the online learning modules for FA. Football Australia You may already have an account set-up and can try step 3. If it does not work, return to step 2. Please ensure that you either enter your Working with Children Check details or apply for an exemption (for example, if under 18 years of age, click “No”, “Other Exemption”, and type “Under 18”). If you have registered already without entering WWCC details or for an exemption, you will need to add this to your Play Football profile in “Supporting Documents”.
- Once the account is set up (it usually takes around 24-48 hours for it to be approved and sync to ETrainU Learning Centre), then complete the six free C0 Laws of the Game online modules on ETrainu. Use the following link (Football Australia) and log in to Learner (Learning Centre Account) with your FFA number and Play Football password, going to Training Library, Referee Community, and Laws of the Game.
- Register and pay ($33 to Football Australia) to enrol in the Junior Football Match Official Online Course, which unlocks the 4 online learning modules of the C3 course, the bulk of the course content. These can be accessed going to Training Library, Referee Community and selecting the online course.
- Once the online modules are complete, register to attend an in-person C3 course to complete your training. Register online on ETrainu (Junior Football Match Official (Level 4) or via the Referee Course Dates page on the Northern NSW Football website (Referee Courses | Northern NSW Football) for whichever face-to-face C3 Junior Football Referee Course you wish to attend and pay online at the same time the $150 (plus a small credit card fee). The $150 includes all the in-person learning, a green shirt (for new referees), a black shirt (your 2nd year onwards), shorts, socks, whistle, flags, set of cards cards, notebook and coin. Your registration and insurance to start refereeing in 2025 are also included.
- Attend the three-hour C3 course.
If you have any questions about becoming a referee, please contact our Referees Department at referees@northernnswfootball.com.au
Cost to become a referee
The C0 Course (formerly known as Online Laws of the Game Course) is free to undertake.
The rest of the C3 Junior Match Official (level 4) course costs $183, including:
- Course registration (FA component included)
- Green First Year Referee shirt
- Black Umbro Shirt (for the 2nd year onwards of officiating)
- Black Umbro socks and shorts
- Whistle
- Set of assistant referee flags (2)
- Red and yellow cards
- Match book
- Play Football registration for the first year as a match official