POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CLUB REFEREE

We are often asked by Clubs and Club Referees who officiate games what powers and responsibilities do they actually have when taking the whistle. The answer to this is very simple, and is covered within the Standard Code of Rules: 

“Where an official referee isn’t appointed, the agreed individual has the full powers, status and authority of a registered referee”
 To further this, The FA Disciplinary Regulations discuss the responsibilities of The Referee to report any disciplinary offences that may occur during or after a game:

"13 - Referees must submit a report to the relevant Affiliated Association within two days of the Match (excluding Sundays) stating the cautionable, sending-off offences and/or extraordinary incidents"

Therefore, a Club Referee has exactly the same power when officiating to a qualified, registered Referee, and are also obliged to ensure that any disciplinary offences are reported to the County FA. It is extremely important to report discipline, as it will help us to ensure that poor behaviour is dealt with appropriately in line with FA Regulations.

Below you will find a Club Volunteer Referee document to help with the reporting of discipline cases, and also a slide deck with some further information on the roles and responsibilities of a Club Referee.