CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. History of the Warwickshire Society of Referees
3. The Organisation and Structure of the Society
4. Referee Appointments
5. Grading and Promotion of Match Officials
6. What is Expected of you as a Referee
7. Meetings and Training
8. Touch Judging
9. Expenses
10. Match Administration
11. What Clubs and Players Expect of Referees
12. The Whistlers Trophy
13. The
14. Being a Referee – Aide Memoire
1. Introduction
This booklet has been written to introduce new rugby referees and other match officials to the Warwickshire Society of Referees (WSOR) and to give them an indication of what is expected of them and how:
Appointments are made
The WSOR is run
Progression is achieved within the Society
It is not about the art of refereeing or how to referee but it does contain useful tips for new referees to make their refereeing easier.
Welcome to the fraternity of rugby football referees in general and especially to the WSOR. The Society has a history going back to 1895 and all its members proud of the Society’s service to the game and its traditions. All members are expected to continue these traditions and every assistance will be given to enable them to do so.
Much enjoyment lies ahead for you both on and off the field – and that is what the game and the WSOR is all about.
2. History of the Society
The Warwickshire Society of Referees was founded in 1895 and has been serving Rugby Football in Warwickshire and beyond ever since. The Society has grown to have in the region of 120 members 100 of which referee on a regular basis. The Society appoints match officials to 55 clubs and 64 schools in the area covered by the
The Society was founded at the end of the 19th century in order to fulfil a need created by the increase in the number of clubs in the area and the increase in competition between the clubs. Before 1881 the two captains “refereed” the game by consensus. Following a dispute during an
Some of the clubs that existed in Warwickshire at that time are still playing today.
Up until the 1950s, when car ownership became commonplace, referees’ appointments were very local with an occasional visit to another town in the county. Now referees are expected to travel to any ground in Warwickshire and the better referees travel anywhere in
The Warwickshire Society has many referees and other officials who are members of the RFU Panel of National Officials. It is nice to have these high fliers and see them on TV most weeks but the vast majority of referees in the Society are happy to referee every week with just the hope of an enjoyable afternoon for their reward.
3. The Organisation and Structure of the WSOR
The organisation and structure of the Society is set out in the Constitution and Rules which are not set in stone and are constantly being reviewed and amended in this fast changing world.
The day to day running of the Society is the responsibility of the Executive Committee which usually meets once a month throughout the season to discuss issues that have arisen and to make sure that the Society is there for the benefit of all its members. This committee, with the exception of the President, is elected by the members at the AGM which is held in early June. Details of the membership of this committee are set out in the Constitution, but in essence is as follows:
President: This non voting role is the President of the Warwickshire RFU and is invited to attend all of the Exec Meetings. The President provides a valuable link between the County and the WSOR
Chairman: Chairs the Exec Committee meetings and is the person who keeps a check on all parts of the Society to ensure the aims and objectives of the Society are being met.
Secretary: Deals with all the correspondence that the Society receives and sends, takes and keeps the minutes of the Society meetings and keeps the details of the membership up to date. Also manages the Society website.
Treasurer: Looks after the finances of the Society by managing the income and outgoings of the Society and keeping records of all transactions. The Treasurer liaises with the Society Auditors and presents the annual accounts to the membership at the Finance Special General Meeting held in August each year. Your expense claims are sent to the Treasurer and it is from the Treasurer that you will receive your expenses.
Appointments Secretary: Chairs the Appointments Team meetings and is responsible for the collating of fixtures received from the clubs and making a suitable appointment of match officials to those games. Also liaises with the Treasurer to submit invoices to the clubs and
with the Grading Committee as to the current grades of all match officials.
Chairman of Grading: Chairs the Grading Committee which meets regularly throughout the season. This committee is responsible for the monitoring of performance of all match officials and allocating grades to those officials depending on their current performance. The Chairman of Grading liaises with the Appointments Secretary as to what level of game certain referees need and appoints match observers to watch match officials throughout the season. Also liaises with the Training and Development Officer to identify individual or group training needs as identified in match observer reports.
Recruitment and Retention Officer: Responsible for finding new members of the Society and then providing strategies for making their membership as rewarding as possible. This can be the first point of call for any grievances or suggestions for the improvement of the members’ lot. Recently the R&R Officer has been responsible for arranging kit for the membership and an incentive scheme for extra perks for those who officiate at the most matches throughout the season.
Training and Development Officer: Chairs the Training and Development committee which organises all the training events in the Society. The TDO liaises with the Grading and the Appointments committees to identify training needs for individuals or groups of members, either during the regular monthly meetings or at other training events. The TDO also supervises the management of the
4. Match Officials’ Appointments:
Each new referee is obviously keen to know how to become a member of the WSOR, when they will start refereeing and how they will progress and improve their performance. There are things that must be done but most depends on individual ability and commitment to the Society’s aims.
a. New Members:
Recruitment to the Society is largely through the local clubs and schools but membership is open to anyone who is willing to contribute to the Society.
Applicants are required to complete an application form, obtainable from the Secretary, which is reviewed by the Executive Committee. If successful, the applicants are accepted as Probationary Members and can then start on their new career as a referee or other match official. There is an annual membership fee of £15 to be a full member of the WSOR payable upon membership or at the start of each season. The membership fee for those under 18 years of age is £5.
Before a referee can actually be appointed to officiate at their first match for the Society they must have completed the RFU “Entry Level Referee Award” (ELRA). This is a two day course and is run by the RFU using one of their team of tutors. The time and location of one of these courses can be found on the RFU Website (www.rfu.com) or the WSOR website (www.warwickref.com) and a fee in the region of £50 is payable for this course. The course is as follows:
Part 1: The Theory of Refereeing and the Law which ends with an exam on what has been learnt during the day.
Part 2: Putting the knowledge into practice with practical refereeing and an assessment on your skills.
Part 3: When you have completed Parts 1 and 2 of ELRA you can be appointed to referee a match where you will be
formally assessed and your performance reported on. If your performance is satisfactory you will be allocated a grade by the Grading Committee and your full membership of the Society ratified.
Full members of other societies are accepted as members of the WSOR, usually at one grade below their existing grade which is reviewed following assessment as soon as possible. RFU Panel Officials are accepted as such.
Application for membership for those U18 is dealt with in the section on the
b. Match Appointments:
The Appointments Committee will match fixtures with referees of suitable grades but you may be given games below your grade if there is no match at your level available. You may, on occasions, be given a game one level above your grade in order to test you prior to possible regrading or if there is no suitable referee available and you are judged capable.
Appointments are usually done for the month ahead, however you may be notified of a change in your game due to injury of other referees or a change in fixtures. Please assist the Appointments Committee by informing them of any unavailability and be flexible in accepting appointments received. It is a difficult job to appoint to some 75-100 fixtures each week and the co-operation of match officials is much appreciated. Co-operative, committed referees might even get looked on favourably when a special game becomes available.
Matches do not only take place on Saturdays and refereeing midweek or on Sundays can mean there is an increased chance of being assessed and therefore to be re-graded. Again making yourself available will mean you being seen in a favourable light.
You might also be asked to run the line for a more senior referee in a potentially difficult match or in one of the cup competitions. Do not consider this to be a lesser appointment than refereeing, it is a vital skill that needs to be developed and you can learn a great deal from working with a better referee or in a higher level match than you are used to.
Appointments are posted on the Society website (www.warwickref.com) and all match officials are expected to check where they are appointed to referee, run the touch or assess another referee. The home clubs are required to confirm, by telephone, with all the match officials the time of kickoff, team colours ground directions etc. at least 72 hours before the game. If the club has not confirmed by 48 hours before or the game is not on you are advised to notify the appointments hotline (024 7636 3649) and you will be advised what to do next. It is your job to contact touch judges or assessors that have been appointed to games that you are refereeing. You should confirm that the game is on, what time you are going to arrive and any other details that are important.
If you have to cry off an appointment you need to inform the home club, the appointments hotline and any other officials appointed. Do not assume everyone knows!
5. Grading and Promotion of Referees:
All matches are given levels which are calculated according to the clubs’ league positions. L1 is the Premiership, L2 the Championship and so on, down to L10 leagues in Warwickshire. Second team matches are levelled by adding 3 to the first team level and third teams by adding 5 to first team level. Schools, Colts and other junior teams are given L8 and below.. To find a match level in a friendly or cup match between clubs of different levels, average the two levels and round up.
Referees are graded with levels that match the levels of the clubs and your first grade will normally be L13 allowing you to referee L10 club second teams. As your skills improve and you gain experience then you should expect to be upgraded. If your skills do not match your grade then you might be graded downwards, but this is rare. Objective data is obtained from reports from referee coaches or assessors. You are asked to get the team captains to complete a report card on your performance after each match. These will not in themselves lead to a re-grading but consistently high grades will indicate to the Grading Committee that you are worth a formal assessment.
Promotion to each successive level becomes harder and requires a greater number of formal assessments. You might also be asked to take a fitness test to referee at the higher level matches and to have attended a certain number of training sessions. The grading policy is constantly being reviewed and the current policy is available for viewing on the Society website.
All referees think they should be graded at a higher level but it is not possible to assess all referees every week so referees need to be patient. If you are not happy with your grade then talk to the grading committee and discuss your level. You might be given valid reasons for your current grading or set targets to meet in order to be promoted. D o not forget not everyone can referee internationals! The maximum level that can be achieved in the Society is L5 and very few referees reach this level.
Society Development Squads:
Referees of all grades who are showing outstanding potential will be asked to join one of three development squads in the Society. These members will receive extra coaching and training, have their matches videoed and be asked to referee all over the country to develop their skills further and be asked to show a greater level of commitment.
Central England Federation Referees:
If you reach L7 and are showing potential to reach higher levels still you might be selected to be a member of the Federation Development Squad. The WSOR is federated with East Midlands, Hertfordshire and Cambridge University & District and squad members will be appointed to L6 league matches, be assigned a coach and be formally assessed at every appointment.
Midland Group:
After success at Federation level you may be promoted to the Midland Group Squad. These referees are expected to be promoted to the RFU Panel within 3 seasons and high fliers will receive some National League Appointments, be videoed and be assessed for promotion to the Semi-Professional ranks.
RFU Panel:
The best 50 or so referees in the country are members of the RFU Panel. These referees referee at the top 4 levels in the country and receive a match fee. They are expected to show the extra commitment required for the top of the tree and to be part time professionals. A vey few referees from this group will be asked to become full time referees where refereeing is their only job. These referees will referee Premier and Championship matches and get to travel all over the world and the very best will be selected to join the IRB International Panel.
The RFU Panel also has members who are touch judges, referee and touch judge coaches and assessors and are promoted on merit. The WSOR is very well represented on all of these senior panels with the exception of the International Panel, or not yet anyway!
Assessors:
Assessors are usually experienced ex-referees who have “hung up their boots” but could be senior referees who undertake this task as part of their responsibilities to the Society. All assessors have a duel role at the junior level of the game. Firstly it is to help and guide new referees so that they can improve their performance and secondly it is to assess the referee’s performance in an objective manner in order to provide information for use by the Grading Committee. At the more senior level less advice is given and the role is purely for assessment.
Unfortunately, like most societies, the WSOR does not have as many assessors as it would like so you will not be assessed every week but as and when the Grading Committee deems fit. This is usually in response to feedback from the clubs and maybe because you are refereeing well or could be that issues with you refereeing have been identified that may need addressing.
Referee Coaches:
These like assessors are senior members of the Society who have been identified as having skills to improve referees’ performance. They usually work with two or three individual referees so as to build a relationship and understanding between coach and referee. The coach will watch the referee on a regular basis and identify areas where the referee can improve and offer advice to address those needs. The coach is also a point of contact before and after matches if the referee has identified any issues to do with that match. The coach will again provide information for use by the Grading Committee and the Training and Development Officer.
6. What is Expected of you as a Referee
The main objective of the Society is to appoint referees and other match officials to matches and to develop those referees so that they can reach their full potential. The Society makes in the order of 2400 appointments a season so in order for this to run as smoothly as possible the Society demands three things of all match officials – availability, reliability and communication.
Availability:
Appointments are made monthly at meetings of the Appointments Committee. The dates of these meetings are published on the Society website and the appointments made are uploaded to the website for clubs and referees to view. If you are unavailable for any reason you must let the appointments team know. Referees are at times unavailable but it becomes very frustrating if referees regularly cry off after appointments have been made. There are 3 rules that should be followed:
1. Referees should notify the appointments team as soon as they become unavailable. For example the team can always cater for a referee who works shifts as long as they know the rota.
2. Some referees are kept on reserve in order to fill in for matches that come in late or other referees who have to cry off late. You should leave yourself available up to 12-30 on the day in question. Do not think that reserve means no game, it means what it says, you are a reserve for the day and you WILL get an appointment.
3. Referees should ensure that the appointments team has received a message. Do not rely on email or voice mail, always speak directly.
Reliability:
The Appointments Committee has to have absolute faith in the reliability of referees. The appointments team has to be confident that it can send a referee to a game knowing that, whatever the difficulties the referee will be there. Reliability has five important facets:
1. Once a match has been confirmed a referee should always turn up, unless officially informed that the match has been cancelled. Nothing is more frustrating for a club to arrange a match for the referee not to turn up. League games have to be replayed and sponsorship for that match will be lost. Always contact the appointment team if there is a doubt whether the match is on.
2. The referee should arrive at the ground, on time and ready to referee. The referee should be at the ground no later that 1 hour before kick-off so the referee should know exactly where the ground is, are there any travel issues on the day and should you therefore set off early to ensure you arrive on time.
3. Your kit should be ready and this should be checked before departure. Do not assume the clubs are wearing their usual kit and you should always have a backup just in case.
4. You should arrive at the match alert and mentally and physically fit for the match. Not being ready will have an adverse effect on your performance and could ruin the enjoyment on the 30 odd other people on the pitch. If you are not in a correct frame of mind for a match or have an injury, however slight, have a word with the Appointments Team. Alternative arrangements can be made and they will be sympathetic to your needs. You will not be the first person to have encountered problems and you will not be the last.
5. Finally a good referee is prepared to go anywhere. Every match needs a referee and no game should be beneath the
dignity of any referee. Appointments Secretaries do not like “Prima Donnas” and someone will have to go and referee that match. The match is the most important thing for the players involved on that day and the referee should take it the same way and always do their best and referee with professionalism.
Communication:
Communication is a two way process. The Appointments Team will communicate with you as to your appointments and you should communicate back with them if there is any feedback from clubs you have visited or if any issues cropped up at matches you refereed. You might find a pattern has developed and the problems you encountered have been experienced by other referees. The WSOR will then be able to address these problems.
If you experienced problems with your refereeing then talk to one of the Training and Development Committee. It may be some thing very simple that can be addressed over the phone or require a visit to one of your future appointments.
Please remember these simple rules when contacting others:
1. If it is necessary to contact people at work, keep it short and to the point.
2. Try and avoid phoning people at home before 7pm during the week unless an absolute emergency. Remember even the Appointments Secretary has a home life.
3. Try and avoid email or voice mail if you require a quick reply. If there is no answer try someone else do not assume people will pick up messages.
7. Meetings and Training
Monthly Meetings:
The Society meets once a month between August and May, usually on the last Monday in the month, but the exact date and venue are published on the Society website. The main purpose of these meetings is for the delivery of training materials leading to RFU certification and qualifications such as Continuous Referee Development Award (CRDA) and to give out important information to the membership. All the minutes of Society meetings are available for viewing at these meetings and it is also a chance to meet other members of the Society and to talk to committee members and sort out any issues that you have.
Attendance at these meetings is important, especially if you are a member of a development squad. The TDO organises visiting speakers and other experts to talk on relevant issues to do with officiating and the game in general. Evidence shows that members who attend these meetings progress at a quicker rate than those who chose not to attend. The meetings are also good fun and discussion is lively and thought provoking.
Training:
The Society also organises training events apart from the monthly meetings. These range form fitness sessions and testing, squad meetings, video analysis and other courses delivered by the RFU. The Society also has a training section on the website with important information and an online forum where members can discuss issues that arise. The TDO uploads video clips to YouTube on topics such as Law issues, interpretations and directives. These clips are often linked to the website forum where members can discuss online their view on what is being shown.
8. Assistant Referees (Touch Judges)
When you are appointed to referee at a match in Warwickshire each club has to provide an assistant referee. They should remain neutral and perform their job without favour to either team. When you arrive at the ground it is a good idea to find out who has been appointed to run the touch and meet with both of them to explain what you require of them during the match. This is as follows:
1. Signal when the ball goes into touch and kicks at goal are successful
2. Assist you in marking 10m back at the lineout and 5m back at scrum.
3. Inform you when replacements and substitutions are to be made
4. Assist you in keeping time
5. Assist in keeping coaches in their technical areas and spectators behind the barriers.
Referees may find themselves appointed to run touch in cup games and other important matches. Here the assistant referee is exactly that and you will be asked to carry out numerous other duties by the referee in the pre-match briefing. This is an important role and must not be taken lightly. You will usually get to work with a referee of a higher grade than you and at a higher level match so use the experience as part of your learning curve. The home club should confirm with you in the normal way and you should expect a call from the referee to confirm kit colour, arrival time etc. If the referee does not phone then phone him.
Always remember to thank assistant referees at the end of the match, after all they have made the effort to help you in your duties. A nice touch is to buy them a drink in the bar afterwards.
9. Expenses
The Society charges the clubs for appointments of match officials at a rate set by the Executive Committee and for every appointment you are given you are entitled to claim for out of pocket expenses. For games in Warwickshire this is for costs involved in travel and you claim at a mileage rate agreed at the Finance SGM in August of each season. These are submitted to the Treasurer on a claim that is downloadable from the Society website. How often you claim is a matter for you but in order for the Treasurer to manage the Society’s budget you are asked not to leave it all to the end of the season. The Treasurer, on checking your claims will issue a cheque to cover your expenses.
For travel further afield you are allowed to claim for meals and accommodation as well as travel but this must be agreed before you travel. Overnight travel is usually agreed for journeys of over three hours each way. Subsistence allowance is set by the EC and all of these extra expenses must be supported by receipts.
No monies should be paid to you direct by clubs but the clubs are expected to offer hospitality in the form of a meal and other refreshments after the match. Many clubs will offer you drinks before the match and at half time but do not assume this will happen and take your own drinks to assist your correct hydration. Do not abuse this hospitality as there is nothing worse than a referee thinking he can drink the bar dry at the expense of the club.
10. Match Administration
Unfortunately refereeing is not just about learning the Laws, getting fit and turning up to a match and blowing the whistle at the right time, there are certain administrative tasks that you have to do as well.
Match Cards:
Most matches today are part of a competition and friendly matches are now in the minority. Before the match, with the exception of friendlies, you will be given a match report card from each team. The clubs will have already written the teams, with their nominated front row players indicated, onto the card. If front rows are not highlighted it is now that you should ask for them to be indentified. That is all that needs to be done for now but keep the cards safe.
After the match you will enter the score on both cards, sign and date it and then make sure that both clubs sign it to agree. You then hand the cards back to the clubs to post off.
That is all you have to do unless:
The game finishes with uncontested scrums
Either club does not comply with the rules relating to ground and match management.
Uncontested Scrums: These take place if either team cannot provide suitably qualified from row players at any time during the match. It is not your job to question this at the time but to make few notes.
Was it the first occasion during the match that a team was required to provide a front row replacement and could not?
Was it the second time they needed a replacement?
What was the time the match went to uncontested scrums and what was the score?
Which team could not provide the replacements?
Ground and Match Management: It is up to the clubs to manage the regulations relating to Ground and Match Management. This means that:
all spectators must be behind a barrier whether this is permanent or temporary.
All coaches, physios, water carriers and replacements must be in their technical areas all all times unless the replacements are warming up, physios are treating injured players, there is a break in play or it’s half time. This means that coaches stay in their technical areas at all times during play. If they want to stand elsewhere they go outside the barrier.
Both teams must be on the same side of the pitch.
Do not worry if teams do not conform to these simple rules unless it is causing a safety or discipline problem. You are quite within your rights to ask for anyone to be removed from the ground if they are causing a problem. For any transgressions just tick the box on the card and let the competition organisers sort it out but please inform the Society Secretary as well. Points may be deducted for any non-compliance.
Sending off a Player:
It will come at some time in your refereeing career that you will have to send off a player. This is not a pleasant experience for match officials but players do the most stupid things at times and for the sake of the game these players have to be removed. There are certain things that have to be done at this time and this will make things easier later if this advice is taken.
The Sending off: Blow your whistle to stop play and separate the two teams and isolate the culprit. Get yourself calm before you call the player over with his captain, wait until he is listening and then ask him his name, tell him what you have seen and that he is being sent off. Show him the red card and make sure that he completely leaves the playing area. Make a few notes on your scorecard at this time noting the player’s name, the time of the incident and the score Do not get into a discussion with the player or his captain and leave it there. It might be a good idea to talk to the non-offending captain and remind him that the incident has been dealt with and there will be no retribution taken. Restart the match with a penalty.
After the Match: Immediately you get back into the changing rooms make some notes relevant to the incident as you will need this information later. Write down everything you can about the incident while your memory is fresh, where it happened on the pitch, what happened, who else was involved, was there any injury, what was the player’s reaction etc.
When you get into the bar do not talk about the incident with anyone, especially the player concerned. He may come over and apologise for what he did, accept the apology and leave it there.
When you get home: Telephone the Discipline Secretary immediately and inform him who was sent off, which club and answer any questions he has. You then need to complete the report form which can be done on-line through the Society website. This has to be done within 48 hours but the earlier the better while your memory is fresh. If you are unsure about what
to write ask for advice from the Discipline Secretary but you will need to enter all the relevant information about offence, time, player’s name etc.
You will also need to write a description of the incident. Do not make this overcomplicated or offer subjective comment but it needs to give the details of the incident; what led up to it, where you were, where the incident was, what happened and what the result was, what the player’s reaction was and was there any injury.
Discipline Hearing: If the player disputes his sending off you may be asked to attend the discipline hearing. You should arrive early and be smartly dressed. Do not talk about the incident before or after the hearing. You may be asked to clarify your report but do not add anything or change your mind unless you realise you made a mistake. You will feel under pressure but stick to the facts and keep your cool. After the hearing you will be offered expenses and these are paid by the player’s club if he is found guilty; if not you claim for expenses from the Society.
11. What Clubs and Players Expect from Referees
Before the Match:
Players expect the referee to arrive in good time and a minimum of 1 hour before kick-off is recommended. The referee will need to carry out formalities such as obtain match cards, indentify touch judges and medical staff, the toss and the briefing of the players. This all needs to be done before the final team talks and you need to get yourself prepared for the match.
During the Match:
Whilst the match is in progress the players have expectations on the referee in three main areas:
The referee will be expected to be fit and keep up with play. Fitness is an essential element in the make-up of a good referee but should not be confused with ability. Being supremely fit does not make anyone a good referee but it is impossible for anyone to be a good referee without being fit. Indeed, it is impossible for referees to enjoy a match if they are not fit. Fitness allows referees to arrive early at the breakdown and players will accept the 50/50 decision if the referee is there to make it rather than 20m behind play.
Players will expect a referee to control a match and to be fair and equitable. Good control and the creation of space allows for the best rugby to be played and the most enjoyment for players, officials and spectators alike. Players understand that referees from week to week will vary but they expect consistency during the match. They will tolerate the odd mistake as long as the referee is fair to both sides.
Players, coaches and spectators will expect referees to be excellent communicators and be clear and unrushed in their decision making. Referees should not be pompous, bombastic
or overbearing, neither should they run around with a constant grin on their face.
After the Match
Players and coaches usually like to see the referee in the bar after the match where they can socialise and talk through incidents that have occurred in the match. Coaches or players should wait at least 30 minutes before wanting to talk to you about the match and all conversations should be on your terms. Both parties can always learn a lot in the after match discussions and you would be surprised what secrets they give away. They never think that you might referee them again or that you talk to your refereeing colleagues. This is the time to get your match cards signed and your report cards filled in by the respective captains.
Players, coaches, club officials and spectators that just want to pick an argument are best avoided. Never get involved, just politely make your excuses and walk away.
As stated before, never discuss any red cards that you might have given or as you move up the grades make off the cuff remarks to the members of the press, you will be surprised when you see what you thought you said put down in print.
If there are any contentious issues in the match you can always ask a coach to telephone later in the week when both parties have had time for reflection. It gives you a chance to ask advice from a senior member of the Society before that call.
12. The Bob Arnold Whistlers Trophy
The Whistlers Trophy is awarded at the Society annual dinner to the club which, throughout the previous season was, in the opinion of the referees the most complete club. The clubs are assessed by the referees at all levels on their efficiency in all aspects of the match from organisation, spirit of the game and hospitality.
The Trophy is named after Bob (Scratch) Arnold, a long time servant of Nuneaton Old Edwardians, who sadly died in 1993. Scratch, probably more than anyone, made referees feel welcome before the match and provided copious encouragement and hospitality after the match, regardless of the actual performance of the referee. His attitude towards referees embodied exactly the criteria for which the Whistlers Trophy is awarded.
The referee is asked to complete a card after each match that is returned to the Society with your expense claim. The more cards that are completed means a better reflection on the clubs and the Trophy is therefore awarded to the most deserving club.
12. Youth Academy
Referees or other match officials who are under18 years of age become a member of the Society Youth Academy on joining the Society. The Academy allows these young officials to develop at their own pace depending on their performance and maturity. Appointments are made to junior matches hand picked to aid the development of the official and a referee coach will always accompany the official to these matches. The age group of these matches will be younger than the referee. The Academy has its own team of coaches who are picked because of their skill
