The club appoints referees for home games only. The Referee Secretary chooses and contacts the referee — you don't need to do anything in the app. For away games the fixture page says Not needed — away game.
Checking the referee
Open the fixture from the calendar or My Requests. The Referee box shows:
- the referee's name in green and Confirmed — they've accepted
- a name in amber and Awaiting confirmation — they've been asked but haven't replied yet
- Not yet assigned in red — nobody has been appointed yet
To see the referees for every team's games, use the Fixture List. See All club fixtures and grounds.
The Referee Fee is shown at the top of the fixture page. It comes from your team's usual fee unless it was changed on the request. The app shows the fee so you know what to bring — it doesn't take or record the payment.
Emails to the team's staff
These go to the staff set up for the team who run it on match day — managers, coaches and team admins (not welfare officers or first aiders). A copy also appears in your Communications inbox.
| What happens | What you get |
|---|---|
| A referee confirms | Referee appointed — the referee's name, registration numbers, contact details and the fee. |
| A referee turns the game down before confirming | Nothing. The Referee Secretary finds someone else. |
| A confirmed referee withdraws | Referee change — they're no longer the referee, the club will appoint a replacement, and the referee fee for the match. |
| The club replaces a confirmed referee | Referee change, then Referee appointed when the new referee confirms. |
| The league or competition provides the official | Referee change saying no club referee is needed (if one had already confirmed). |
| The fixture is edited | Fixture Updated, including the referee. The referee is sent the changes. |
| The fixture is cancelled | Fixture Cancelled. The referee is stood down and told. |
When a game only needs a league-appointed official (for example some county cup ties), the fixture page shows No ref required from club and Confirmed.
If a match is called off, cancel it in the app so the referee is told straight away — and phone them too if it's short notice. See Editing, rescheduling and cancelling fixtures.
Under-18 referees
Some of the club's referees are under 18. You'll always see the referee's name, but the only contact details you're given are their parent or guardian's. The email says "This referee is under 18 — please contact their parent/guardian, not the referee directly". Messages from the club about the game also go to the parent or guardian. See Under-18 referees and parents.
If something's wrong
If a referee hasn't turned up, or you think the wrong referee is showing, contact the Referee Secretary. You can't change the referee yourself.
Still stuck?
Fixtures and pitches: Jo Gavin