One of Sydney Schools Football Referees Association's (SSFRA) primary objectives is to encourage the growth of refereeing within our client schools and from that facilitate continuous learning and development opportunities for all referees. To do this, SSFRA is resourced with Instructors who are able to train and certify new referees in accordance with Football Federation of Australia (FFA) guidelines. These resources are available on request to conduct referee courses at schools.

SSFRA's standard approach to basic referee training, is to conduct a course covering the Level 4 Theory and Practical components in the one session. This can be done in either one full day or over two half-days. This approach requires the attending students to complete some pre-work utilising a provided resource manual and DVD before attending the course. The main body of the course will then reinforce the learnings from the pre-work and begin to focus on the application of the practical skills. At the end of the day, upon successful completion of a theory exam, students will be certified at a Level 5 standard. Each student is then eligible for their Level 4 rating and registration with FFA, pending a formal field test under a live game situation at a later date.

Mentoring and further training are other key channels that SSFRA can provide to progress the development of student referees. SSFRA is able to provide senior officials, who can act as mentors to student referees, supervising them in real game situations and providing feedback for learning and development. This can also be complimented by further formal learning such as a FFA Level 3 course and certification.

SSFRA is also eager for student referees to become active members of the branch and to proactively seek development opportunities and expand their refereeing skills. Through active participation in SSFRA, student referees can be then selected for more advanced referee opportunities such as FNSW Youth League appointments and FNSW State Titles. 

If you are interested in conducting a Referees Course at your school, then please Contact Us. Our Branch Coach can discuss with you your requirements and formulate a course to meet your aims and time-frames.

If you are interested in participating in a Referees Course and becoming a referee with SSFRA, then please APPLY NOW online.