With clubs busily preparing for the eventual return of competitive football, Essex referees are also getting ready to officiate in matches in a safe and gradual way, with re-registration now open for the 2020/21 season via our website, plus guidance has also been issued by The FA on re-starting the game.

Referees are able to complete re-registration online via The FA’s Whole Game System (WGS), which is much simpler than in previous seasons, and it cuts down on unnecessary paperwork and administration. Officials can login with an E-Mail address and password.

Annual registration with a referee’s parent County FA is a requirement in order to be appointed to games by leagues and other competitions, including friendlies as competitions are forbidden from appointing unregistered referees to games under any circumstances.

Referees who will be officiating under 18s matches or below must have an in-date FA DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) and an FA Safeguarding Children Certificate before registering each season. These both last for three years from the date of issue. On the FA Referees Course, individuals will have already completed an FA Safeguarding Children Certificate.

It is recommended to those who only referee in open-age football, as an example of best practice, that they still retain their safeguarding qualification. Support is available from the Essex County FA Referees Team for anyone who needs to renew or complete an FA DBS.

To find out more about re-registering as a referee for 2020/21, or if you’d like to become a new match official, browse the 'Referees' menu above. Information is also shared by @EssexCountyFA and @EssexReferees on Twitter, and by searching for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook. Online learning and development can also be found on our YouTube channel.

Covid-19 Guidance on Re-Starting Competitive Grassroots Football for Referees

Following UK Government approval for outdoor competitive grassroots football to re-start, support and information has been provided by The FA to all referees. Ahead of matches restarting, referee-specific guidance has been produced and is available below.