The Football Association estimates that in some areas of the country, 20 per cent of games are played without a qualified match official. The Football Association's goal is to recruit 10,000 referees a year to ensure that, in future, every game has a qualified official who is receiving regular training and support from an FA mentor programme and helpline.
The first stage involved in becoming a referee is to register with the Amateur Football Alliance and arrange to attend a basic Referees Course. A course typically takes 2 hours per evening, one evening a week for eight weeks, with an examination.
Once you've completed that, you're a fully fledged referee ready to take control of a game.
If you're interested in becoming a referee, please contact John Cooke, the AFA Referee Development Officer.