Referees are increasingly difficult to find, this is a shame because whistling is a lot of fun! Without the referee there is no football, you manage 22 players and make sure the match is run smoothly, a big responsibility.

Can you handle that responsibility?

Maybe becoming a referee is something for you! If in doubt, you can always lead one (or more) matches of pupils or youth to see how you think this is.

Are you already a referee or do you want to know how good your knowledge of the rules is, it is of course good to test this. Do one of our game control keys!

How do I become a soccer referee?

You can become an officially certified referee by following a referee course at the KNVB. The KNVB offers courses for different target groups, namely:

The course that is done most often is the Association Referee course in addition to the training referee III field. This addition is for those who want to play for the KNVB whistle and not just for their own association. After successful completion of this course, the arbiter is allowed to whistle A-youth, B-youth and seniors.

What does the referee course involve?

The Association Referee consists of 4 meetings of 3 hours, almost always this takes place in the evening at a football club. This training is provided by the KNVB, which sends an experienced supervisor (teacher) to guide this in the right direction.

The following matters are discussed in these 4 meetings:

• the 17 football rules
• organization and administration
• knowledge of football and soccer players
• leading football players
• injury prevention
• practical application of these topics

In this course, all days are practically arranged with a lot of practice.

For the students who want to whistle for the KNVB, they also have a game rules exam and they must write a criminal report based on a practical example.

A penalty report is a report that is sent to the KNVB if a player has immediately been shown a red card. The form used for this can be found here: Referee report form.

When you successfully complete level 1, 2 and 3 of field football, you actually have your professional football referee diploma in your pocket.

Is there an E-learning I can do to practice refereeing?

Certainly! The KNVB has various E-learnings that you can you can follow here for free. This way you can learn the rules as a referee, and you can also master the basics from an assistant.

You can clearly see how important they think the next generation of good arbitrators is, because they invest a lot in (online) training material and education.

Can I practice in other ways?

You can certainly do that, I always advise to gain as much experience as possible. Have fun whistling at as many matches as possible. The more experience you gain, the better you will become. Better to keep an overview, better in game situations that do not occur so often. Always look proactively for feedback:

• feedback from fellow referees and linesmen
• feedback from players, were you clear in your instructions, could they understand your decisions? The easiest way is of course to ask players from your own club
• feedback from parents/spectators. Could they follow all your actions? Do they have any tips?

What about the referee app?

Since 2017, amateur football is also over. The digital revolution does not stand still for anyone and so is the referee app. Meanwhile, amateur football has also switched to the mobile match form. From now on you can fill in your match form with this match business app and it is therefore important that you familiarize yourself with it. Here you can download it in the play store.

Not only can you now easily record your matches, but because everything is saved you can now also view your personal program and results via the match business app.

player passes

In addition, the digital player passes are now in the match affairs app. The plastic player passes are therefore no longer necessary and have therefore been abolished. Any expired player passes do not need to be renewed after March 3, 2017. In the future, a player pass will no longer expire, this process will then be completely digital.

I am not a member of a football club, can I still do it? become a referee?

Yes this is possible! Most people are footballers and become next to or instead of referees. The association then often contacts the KNVB and registers this person for the course, and therefore also pays the costs (€50). There is currently also a pilot in which the books and course materials are delivered digitally, thereby reducing costs.

For the current situation, please contact the KNVB. However, if you are not a member of a football club, but you do want to become a referee, you can do this by voluntarily becoming a member of the KNVB. This costs €15 on an annual basis, and the course costs €50. For this money you get the course with all associated materials and therefore your license (if you pass the course).

The teaching material consists of a course folder with practice questions per lesson and you keep a log in this. You will also receive a book with the official rules of the game and the Basic Book of Arbitration Field Football that will be used during the course. No this is not necessary. You have to decide for yourself whether you want to become a club referee or whether you want to whistle for the association (KNVB).

If you are a club referee you will only whistle matches at your own association. If you start working for the KNVB as a referee, you will be assigned by the KNVB as a referee at football associations and you will also receive a fee for your service.

You can indicate yourself how far from your place of residence you want to act as a referee.

Especially if you're just starting out as a referee, it's quite exciting, you don't want to make stupid mistakes and let the match go well. As time goes on and you get more experience, you will notice that sometimes you have to do things a little differently. Usually it is very small practical matters that make it all easier. Perhaps there is another good tip for you as a referee!

Tips for referees

• Put your toss coin into your sock after the toss; while running you will quickly lose the coin from your pocket.
• If you don't have a booklet to put your cards in, put the yellow card in the pocket on the side of your pants and the red card in your back pocket. This way you can quickly take the cards if necessary and never take the wrong one.
• Concerning the tip to split the yellow and red cards, the following comment from, among others, Serdar Gözübüyük should be taken into account;
  The disadvantage of splitting the cards:
  – You can immediately see that Red will be shown
  – A possible "fright second", especially with novice referees, is negated, and there is no going back.
  – Precisely by keeping them together in the breast pocket, you indicate “more confidently” what the imposed sanction is.
  In general, it is therefore not advised..it can be an aid, but the above arguments should be taken into account when deciding whether to keep the cards in two places.
• Some umpires cut the yellow and red cards smaller to make them more manageable. If you find them too big, you can do this too!
• Use a digital watch (with stopwatch function) or stopwatch to keep track of the time. Let the stopwatch run to 45:00 per half. This way you will never be confused about how long there is still to play and you can easily stop the time in the event of a long delay.
• Always write down when they scored and who gets a card and changes. In amateur football it is easy to get confused by many goals, fouls or many substitutions.
• Use a wristband to which your flute(s) are attached, this way you can never drop your flute and you always have it easily in your hand.
• Make agreements in advance (for example at the toss) with the linesmen when they should / should not flag. Explain the difference between offside and punishable offside and explain what to do at corner kicks. You can also discuss beforehand how you indicate that you have seen his signal but do not accept it.
• Try to keep the pace in the game, players experience this as pleasant and the less delay, the less time for comments to you as a referee.
• Communicate with clear arm gestures. You do not whistle, you do not distract the players, but you indicate that you have seen something and you indicate your decision with an arm gesture.
• Always pack your bag yourself, so that you are not in the changing room and you have forgotten shoes, socks, etc.

More tips? Then mail it to [email protected]

Film about referee gestures

Is a referee a profession?

Many who want to get started professionally with whistling competitions often wonder, is it a job? Can I earn something with it? Is a referee a real profession?

Referee is definitely a profession. When you move up from amateur football to referee in the premier league and international matches, game supervision as a referee can receive a high salary. Where some see it as a hobby during the amateur football of one of their children, playing the whistle is also a job with a lot of allure.

How much does an amateur referee make?

If you whistle for the KNVB (federal referee) you will receive a compensation, how much this is is clearly stated on the website of the KNVB mention:

After consultation with the COVS, it has been determined that the compensation for a half-day (four hours) is set at the 'normal' competition compensation (€ 20,10). Of course, there are also travel costs of € 0,26 per kilometre. For two half-days (more than four hours active at a tournament), the competition fee (€ 20,10) can be declared twice (of course the travel costs only once). The match fee for a friendly match remains € 20,10 plus the travel expenses incurred.

How do I become a referee in the Eredivisie?

Where an amateur referee does not even receive 25, - for his part of the day, it can quickly add up in the refereeing world with considerable salaries. This does mean that you will really have to climb up.

A referee in the Eredivisie earns about 70.000 euros per year. That is about 5.800 euros per month. Not a bad salary!

You will first have to complete your referee exam level 1 and 2, and then start with level 3. After that you can whistle official matches of the KNVB. But even then it will take quite a bit of experience and networking to get through to the premier league. You will have to show your achievements.

Once you can officially whistle for the KNVB you will be assessed. A reporter regularly visits competitions to see how you are doing. He or she takes along an extensive assessment form on which he (or she) gives a grade for each component on a five-point scale.

All these assessments together will ultimately lead to whether you can make a career in professional football.

Object to a statement by a KNVB reporter

If you are on your way to making a nice career as a referee and you do not agree with a statement from a reporter, you can object to this. This can be very important as the only numbers you get are from these reporters.

It is even so important that the KNVB has a special objections committee and specific forms ready to be filled in. If the objections committee makes a decision that you do not agree with, you can still submit a notice of appeal. After all, it's about your future as a referee and one bad match could throw a spanner in the works.

But all these demands together doesn't mean you can't make it at a young age. The youngest referee ever, Stan Teuben, started playing his first game whistles at the age of 21. Everything is possible in the world of KNVB. So is there a certain maximum or minimum age for refereeing? New! Not at all.

What is the salary of a referee in the Europa or Champions league?

If you are good enough and build a name for yourself, you may be asked for the Europe league, or maybe the Champions league. Because these are often separate matches where your arbitrator may be, you will be paid per match. And 5.000 euros for a game of football is a nice chunk of money.

What does a referee receive at the World Cup?

The ultimate competition to whistle is of course the World Cup. When you are asked to do this, you really have already had some matches under the belt, and all whistled in a perfect way. But once you receive that invitation, a check for 25.000 euros can come your way. Plus of course the exposure of a worldwide event!

What is the salary of a referee at the European Championship?

Also at a European Championship the average is 25K per game. European or World Championship makes no difference to a referee in that respect.

Where do you earn the most as a referee?

A World Cup match is of course a nice bonus, but it is often only a one-time invitation. You also need steady income. Then look at the national competitions.

We have already covered the Eredivisie, but where do you earn the most?

In Spain you certainly get the most salary. The referees who whistle in the Spanish League often earn an annual salary of around €200.000 per year. That is about €6.000 per game. That makes a difference with the Netherlands.

In the other football competitions in Europe you will receive a little less for your whistle earnings. England pays out about €1.200 per game, although you do get a fixed annual fee of 40.000 euros here, regardless of whether you whistle matches. In France it is €2.800 per game and €3.600 for a match in the Bundesliga in Germany.

Where can I go if I need a referee?

In the past you still had to go to a nearby association in the hope that they still had a referee available when you were up. Call off all your contacts and hope they could help you. It was sometimes difficult to find a replacement that way.

Nowadays you can also search for divorcees online. There are several sites where you can hire one. This can be a handy solution, for example many clubs do this when they organize a tournament where you often have a shortage of eyes and whistle. But of course you can also be embarrassed about this when there is a sick person.

These are the sites you can go to. They each have their own price point and some have more members on offer or are for a more professional or amateur purpose:

• refhuren.nl
• affordablescheids.nl
• rentafootball.nl
• renteenscheids.nl
• iklaatfluten.nl
• ikzoekeenscheids.nl

Hire a referee for less aggression

It turns out that hiring a referee for sensitive matches can also have a very positive influence. For example, the aggression is a lot less when an impartial referee is present, who is not affiliated with one of the teams. Every league has two of those teams, who are always in a very strong rivalry. Renting can then offer a solution.

Offer you as a referee

Of course you can also offer yourself as a referee on these sites. A great way for some extra income, and to gain more experience and practice if you want to develop further in the profession.

What is the maximum age of a referee?

Whistling is actually still possible as long as you still feel young enough. That is certainly the case in amateur football. However, it has not always been that way in professional football. For a time, FIFA had a maximum age limit for international football, which they strictly enforced. For example, both Dick Jol and Mario van der Ende stopped earlier than they actually wanted because of this rule. UEFA also enforced these rules for top referees.

• Until 2000, referees were allowed to be a maximum of 47 years in the KNVB
• Until 2002, referees were allowed to be a maximum of 45 years in both FIFA and UEFA matches
• Meanwhile, the age limit has been abolished for all paid football matches

Yet you see that many referees often stop before their 45th birthday. It is just as tough as professional football and you also have to keep up with those youngsters as a referee. Now it is literally as long as you are still fit enough.

Joost Nusselder, the founder of referees.eu is a content marketer, father and loves to write about all kinds of sports, and has also played a lot of sports himself for most of his life. Now since 2016, he and his team have been creating helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with their sports activities.