Role: Women & Girls Regional Referee Support Lead (RSL)

• Are you a current or former Referee, Referee Coach or Mentor?

• Are you committed to supporting Women & Girls Grassroots Referees?

About the Role

Refereeing can be challenging and an inability or unwillingness to overcome those challenges can lead to someone deciding to give up. We know, however, that with the appropriate support, referees are likely to remain active beyond their first 12 months of refereeing. Supporting a new referee is one of the most crucial factors in developing, sustaining and increasing participation.

In order to support approximately 2000 Women & Girls Grassroots referees, it is proposed that 8 Women & Girls Regional Referee Support Centres (RRSC) are introduced across the country with each Regional Support Centres being led by a Women & Girls Regional Support Lead (RSL). The aim of each RRSC is to provide a regional point of contact for anyone wanting support or wishing to discuss the opportunities and progression through the refereeing pyramid.

There will be 8 RRSC across the Country all of which align with the regions of FA CORE:

• North East and Yorkshire– Northumberland, Durham, West Riding, North Riding, East Riding and Sheffield
• North West – Lancashire, Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool, Cumberland, Westmorland
• Midlands – Birmingham, Staffs, Worcester, Derbyshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire
• East – Nottingham, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Hunts, Cambridgeshire
• South West – Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire
• Central – Bedfordshire, Northants, Oxfordshire, Berks and Bucks, Hertfordshire
• Southern – Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset
• Capital and South East – London, Middlesex, AFA, Kent, Essex, Suffolk
• Other Counties - such as the forces will be allocated an appropriate region based on their location

The Aim of the Regional Support Lead (RSL):

• Each RSL will preferably be a current referee, ex referee or a senior member of a County Football Association.
  
  
• Each RSL will lead on their dedicated RRSC and will have a detailed knowledge of processes and practices within refereeing, and will be able to build relationships, give advice and guidance, have constructive conversations over the phone, group chats, social media etc, and if needs be, face-to-face. Most importantly, each will have experience of providing ideas for consideration’ rather than direction, in addition to the support offered through the County FA.
  
  
• The RSL is not a Referee Development Officer or line manager, and they are not there to replace the work that is already happening within County FA's or replace existing support or development groups.
  
  
• The work of an RSL is to assist and guide the referee with the quality of their thinking about their personal self-development, which will help them learn for themselves.

• The RSLs will be more experienced than the referee.
  
  
• They may take on many roles: being a sounding board, helping build networks and a lot of the time simply being there to listen. The role is mostly a remote supporting role but one that offers the referee bespoke support.

How to Apply?

If you are interested in becoming a Regional Support Lead then please complete the application form stating which Region you wish to be considered for and return it to Stephen.Tanner@TheFA.com by no later than Monday 29th March 2021 (if successful informal interviews will be held during the week commencing 12th April 2021)

A Recognition fee of £750 plus expenses shall be payable for the provision of these supporting services per year.