Referee

Youth-to-Adult

Progressing to Open-Age Football

support available to referees of any age

Transition Scheme to Assist Progression

What is the Youth-to-Adult Transition Programme?

The Youth-to-Adult Transition Programme is a programme designed for referees who are looking to progress into open-age football from youth football. The programme is open to referees, who are 16 years old and older.

Our Referees Department have partnered-up with the Essex Alliance Football League Essex & Suffolk Border League and the ProKit UK Essex Olympian Football League (whose top divisions feed into the National League System) to allow the opportunity for referees who are part of the programme to gain experience of open-age football by being an assistant referee on the Premier/Senior Divisions of the respective leagues.

The programme lasts for around six to twelve months (depending on the referee), where the official will benefit from experiencing what open-age football is like and learning from senior county referees. They’ll also be able to attend CPD (Continuing Professional Development) sessions four times during the course of the season.

Upon completing the programme, the referees will then have the opportunity to move into refereeing open-age football, which will lead to the referee joining the referee progression pathway for the following season as well as, potentially, joining one of the two Step 5&6 Leagues based within Essex (Essex Senior League and the Thurlow Nunn League).

How do I join the Youth-to-Adult Transition Programme?

You can join the Youth to Adult Transition Programme at any point within the season.

However, at the start and mid-point of the season, the Referees Department will look to get in touch with referees who have been identified through feedback from league referee club marks and league referee appointment secretaries of youth leagues who could progress to the next format of the game. For further information, please get in touch with the Referees Department.