Referees on pitch before game

Mentoring & Volunteering

working together to improve the game.

Cornwall FA are committed to ensuring new match officials are provided with the best support available at the beginning of their careers. We have an experience mentoring workforce who have the desire and drive to help guide the next generation of Cornwall refereeing workforce.


Once you undertake your FA Referees Qualification you will complete 5 games in youth football which will be supported by one of our mentors, they will be there to provide advice and support on the day and feedback after each game to support your development.

Other opportunities to support the refereeing workforce include observing, tutoring and coaching. All voluntary positions provide some reimbursement; if you would like to get involved, please contact the Referee Workforce Officer.

Get in refereeing

Referees

Support for all levels

People progressing to more senior levels of the game are often ‘taken under the wing’ of someone who is officiating, or who has officiated, at higher rungs on the ‘refereeing ladder’ to provide such assistance.

Newly-qualified referees invariably find the mentoring scheme particularly helpful. Every registered Referee in Cornwall is welcome to benefit you should contact us using the details below if you would like a Mentor appointed to help you.
FAQs

Any referee can be a Mentor to other referees but the more experience you have the more relevant advice/support you can offer to other referees. Even if you are a young/ new referee there is always someone else how you can help!
Just contact Referee Workforce Officer Stuart Kane with your name, home town location, age, availability and number of years experience. 

Mentors are asked to watch the people to whom they are allocated as they officiate from time to time. The key points for any Mentor to remember when watching a referee are to:

  • ask the referee how he or she feels about the game
  • congratulate the referee on the three strongest features of his or her game, encouraging them to maintain those strengths
  • discuss possible solutions to the weakest feature of the referee’s game

The mentoring relationship is an ongoing project and is not strictly limited to the Mentor occasionally watching the person being assisted. The person being guided should also watch the Mentor officiate from time to time if they are still active, discussing the game perhaps at half time and certainly afterwards. Both people should also sometimes go to watch a game together, whether a professional game, semi-professional or on the parks, again discussing the performance of the official(s).

It is important that Mentors should be available to assist people whenever the need arises. Normally this is done by telephone but can also be done by email and meeting up from time to time. 

A small amount of paperwork has to be completed by the Mentor - periodic Feedback Forms have to be submitted to the co-ordinator of the scheme so they can keep an overview of its operation and so any widespread training needs can be drawn to the attention of the organiser.

Get In Touch

Lee Swabey

Referee Development Officer

lee.swabey@cornwallfa.com 01208 262981 or 07872 440917