Covering a game and giving feedback

Can you cover a game?

If a referee drops out close to kick-off, the club may ask everyone who said they're free at that time whether they can take the game. You'll get a message the way you've chosen to hear from the club (email, text or both), and under-18s' messages go to their parent, as usual.

1. Open the link. You don't need to sign in. It shows the game, the kick-off, the pitch and the fee.
2. Tap Yes, I'll take it, or I can't this time. You can also reply YES or NO to the text.

The first referee to accept gets the game. If it's you, you'll see It's yours, thank you! straight away, get a confirmation, and the team manager is told you're coming. It's on your referee portal with your other games. If someone beats you to it, you'll see Already covered, and you'll get a message to say so.

You're only asked if you told the club you're free at that time and it doesn't clash with another game you have. Keeping your weekly availability up to date means you're asked about the right games. See Availability and holidays.

How did it go?

On the evening of a game you refereed, you may get a How did it go? link. It takes about a minute and helps the club keep standards up on the touchline. If you refereed more than one game that day, one message covers them all: after sending feedback on one game, the next one opens.

1. Say whether the game went ahead.
2. Score from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent): the home coaches and managers, the home spectators, the opposition's, the players, the pitch and equipment, and how you were welcomed.
3. Say whether you were paid the right fee.
4. Tick anything the club should know about, add a few words if you like, and tick Please ask someone from the club to contact me if you'd like a call.
5. Tap Send feedback.

• A worry about a child goes straight to the Club Welfare Officer, and only to them. If a child is in danger now, call 999.
• Abuse, aggression or discriminatory language goes to the Referee Secretary and the age group's lead, who follow it up with the team.
• If you weren't paid, the home team's managers are asked to sort it out.
• This doesn't replace your own misconduct report to the County FA.

Your feedback also shows on your referee portal dashboard until you've sent it. The link works for two weeks.