The Lancashire Amateur League is a Charter Standard League and is continually looking to improve standards. The quality of grounds, facilities and player and club discipline is crucial to attracting and retaining match officials.
As part of that process, we welcome any suggestions as to how we might continue to successfully attract, retain and help with the development of our match officials.
We remain in need of more match officials. Any additional help would be greatly appreciated on a full/part time/occasional basis. Please contact Jimmy Garsrud 07841 990610 or lalrefsec@gmail.com
Our fee for Match Referees for league and cup games is £40 plus travel at 25p per mile and the fee for Assistant Referees at £20 plus travel at 25p per mile. Travel expenses are from the officials' home address.
CLUB ASSISTANT REFEREES
It is the Lancashire Amateur League's policy that referees officiating in our league and cup competitions should use Club Assistant Referees to the fullest of their ability.
MARKING OF REFEREES
It is vitally important that referees' marks are also sent in on the LAL 6 form using the marking system which has recently been updated.
The FA now require the make to be broken into three elements.
- Overall decision making. Marked from 1 to 40. (eg: General fouls, Handballs, throw ins etc)
- Judgement of major decisions. Marked from 1 to 30 (eg: Penalty decision’s, Send Off, Bookings etc)
- Overall control. Marked from 1 to 30. (eg: Flow of game, discipline, players behaviour etc)
The FA Guide to Marking pdf can be found by clicking HERE
If the mark adds up to less than 60 you MUST provide a reason why.
This allows us to monitor the standard of refereeing in the league, and is also valuable to identify our highly-rated officials when appointing for cup finals or when giving awards at the end of the season.
Clubs are strongly encouraged to write words of praise or to note concerns about individual refereeing performance so that these can be passed on constructively. This can be regardless of the score given, even if above 60. This is your opportunity to highlight excellence just as much as to offer suggestions on how the official could improve his or her performance.
REFEREES' INSTRUCTIONS
Please read these instructions carefully, as they may
differ from those of other competitions. ALL instructions
must be fully complied with by each referee.
1. All appointments must be confirmed to the Referees’ Hon. Secretary once
received. Otherwise without any further notice they may sent to another
official. Once having accepted an appointment with this League. You must
not accept another appointment from any other competition without first
having applied for and received your release from the Referees’ Hon.
Secretary. In making such an application for release, full details of the
subsequent appointment must be given. Officials engaged by senior
leagues please note that nil appointments of this League are notified to all
senior competitions to prevent overlapping of engagements, and it is
essential that all appointments with this League are returned or
confirmed by return of post or other means.
2. In accordance with Rule 23, home clubs must notify in writing or by email
or telephone the appointed referee of location of ground and time of
kickoff, at least 48hrs prior to the date of the match. The referee
appointed MUST acknowledge this within 24 hours, in writing, email or
by telephone.
3. Referees who find themselves available for matches at short notice or to
take other game after receiving their list of matches are asked to contact
the Referees’ Hon. Secretary, who will be glad of their services, and who
will make every effort to fill open dates given.
4. Should you find you are unable, through illness (or other cause), to fulfil
your engagement, please inform the Secretary of the HOME CLUB and
the Referees’ Hon. Secretary IMMEDIATELY. Remember he has to find
a substitute to take your place, and this takes time. You can save much
work if you give consideration to the heavy duties undertaken in making
appointments.
5. Travelling expenses (as per Rule 23(E)) must be kept to a reasonable
amount. All referees will show the travelling expenses only charged by the
home club on LAL/4 (Referee’s match report form). These will then be
collated and totalled for all first and second team games within the league,
and averaged in an Equalisation of Expenses exercise.
6. (a)Referees’ fees as per rule 23(E). Should by reason of a pitch being
unplayable, and you travel to that match, then a half fee, plus expenses, is
payable. If the game is not played for any other reason, then the appointed
match officials are entitled to full fee and expenses Rule 23F.
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7. Matches must commence at the stated time according to this handbook,
and repeated as item 12 of these instructions. Referees are instructed to
be themselves ready on the field of play at such stated time, and must
report in writing all late starts and short teams to the League Hon.
Discipline Secretary, stating the defaulting club or clubs.
If either team has not arrived 15 minutes after the appointed kick-off time
(Saturday matches only) then the referee at his discretion may call the
match off. The onus, however, is on the referee to wait that length of time.
8. All matches shall be played under the Laws of the Football Association,
and the provision of goal nets, corner flags and a First Aid kit (within two
yard of the touch line and at the centre line) and an adequately marked
out pitch is compulsory under League rules and is the responsibility of the
home club. Any inadequacies should be reported on the match report
form. In addition, a separate changing room is to be provided for referees,
which it is expected all referees will use. This shall have direct access to
showering/ bathing and toilet facilities.
9. Please note that the Lancashire Football Association has requested all
referees to examine the studs of players’ boots prior to each match. If
teams arrive in colours which are similar, play should not commence until
one changes to a distinctly alternative strip.
10. Make sure you receive from the home team, before the match, the report
form (LAL 4) complete with players’ names thereon, and please fill in all
other relevant details and post to the League Hon. Discipline Secretary
within 24 hours of completion of the game, using the back of the form for
any comments you feel relevant. In order to assist in the selection of
possible League side players, it would be of assistance if referees would
note the names and positions of all outstanding players.
11. At a club’s discretion, three substitute players are allowed at any time in a
League or Cup match, except to replace a player who has been dismissed
from the game by a referee. The three substitutes must be named, and
their names given to the referee prior to the commencement of the game.
A player who has been replaced by a substitute player, himself becomes a
substitute, and may be allowed back onto the field of play. See Rule 20F.
12. Kick-off times
A) For League games - August to October and February to May inclusive:
2.30 p.m. November to February inclusive: 2.00 p.m. Ko times may vary in
exceptional circumstances due to ground availability.
B) For Cup competitions - see relevant competition rules.
13. ALL cases of misconduct must be reported by the referee within two days
(Sundays not included) to the Secretary of the relevant County Football
Association.
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14. Referees are marked by clubs out of 100 as directed by the Football
Association.
15. No application for retention on Referees’ List is necessary, as this League
is operating fully the Football Association Points Award scheme.
16. Should you require any guidance or information, do not hesitate to write
to the Referees’ Hon. Secretary. All letters requiring a reply must be
accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Should you feel the
quality of hospitality shown by a club, to either yourself or a visiting team,
is worthy of note or comment (in either a good or derogatory sense), then
please let the League have your comments, as feed-back is always useful.