The Young Referee Network was the idea of one of our BBFA Youth Network members Amit Manna. Amit noticed the need for a space where young referees could connect with each other and have tailored development sessions for young people. 

On the creation of the youth network, Amit said “We felt that it was more important than ever before that there exists space for all young referees across the county to voice their thoughts and be given enough support.” 

Meetings are held online on the 4th Monday of every month from 7pm-8:30pm and include development sessions, Q&A’s and guest speakers from the world of refereeing, with a highlight of last season being Premier League referee Graham Scott’s session on dealing with challenges of a referee’s authority during a game. 

Last season, the network had around 20 members. To mark the end of the inaugural season of the Young Referee Network, BBFA held their first ever Young Referee Conference, where 22 referees under the age of 23 took part in development sessions lead by members of the youth network, BBFA staff and included a keynote speech from Football League Assistant Referee Kevin Howick, who shared clips from his recent games and reflected on some challenges he faced and overcame during the 2023/24 season.

BBFA and the BBFA Youth network plan to continue the Young Referee network this season, building on the positive steps we took to improve young referees experience within the county FA. Monthly meetings will continue be held throughout the 2024/25 season with guest speakers and development sessions, and we plan to host an expanded young referee conference on 13th July 2025, so watch this space! 

On the continuation and planned growth of the network this season, Ben Richards, Youth Network member and Young Referee Network Lead said “The young referee network has been instrumental in both developing and creating links between young referees. Meetings give young people the chance to voice their opinions to the County on how they can be better supported, where important updates can be cascaded down and CPD sessions are run to improve knowledge of Laws of the Game.” 

To join the Young Referee Network where monthly meetings are held online on the 4th Monday of each month from 7pm-8:30pm, please fill in this short form below or contact Referee Development Officer, Adam Parry, via email.
Young Referee Network Signup