How to Become a Pop Warner Referee

Like teachers and parents, Pop Warner referees help teach children the value of good citizenship and adherence to laws. A referee calls a holding penalty during a game to demonstrate to a child that rules must be followed in order to compete in life. You can become a Pop Warner referee in a few easy steps and help the next generation learn important community values.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Background check form
• Whistle
• Resume with focus on volunteer experience

Sign on as a Pop Warner Referee

1. Review the rules that govern Pop Warner football. As a referee, you need to be an expert on every game regulation in order to keep the game fair and maintain the safety of each child. The official Pop Warner rule book is available online to every referee, coach and volunteer.

2. Make your way to a local Pop Warner football game before you sign up to be a referee. By observing referees in action, you can assess the physical and mental rigors of the game before agreeing to participate.

3. Complete a background check sheet provided by your local Pop Warner league. League officials need to ensure that every adult volunteer has a clean criminal history before they can become a member of the Pop Warner family.

4. Converse with fellow officials in your league to get advice. Experienced officials in Pop Warner can point out common penalties, identify difficult coaches and offer tips for avoiding potential crowd disruptions during the game. You should also build relationships with these officials because you will work with most of them during the regular season.

5. Provide your services to individual teams during practices. Pop Warner coaches often stress the importance of obeying rules during games. Your presence at scrimmages and individual drills can reinforce lessons about sportsmanship that are encouraged throughout youth sports.

6. Discuss the possibility of officiating regional and national tournament games. As you become more experienced, you can build a good reputation in your Pop Warner league. Coaches and league organizers can recommend that you help referee games at the next level of competition.

Tips & Warnings

• Think carefully about your goals as a Pop Warner referee. As a football referee, you need to be physically able to keep up with active kids while observing the rules of the game. You need to have an accommodating schedule and family in order to add a refereeing position to your busy life.

Who Can Help Sponsored

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[PWFB]

on 10/7/2008 We had a referee tell our boys BEFORE the game that they would never win a game he refereed. Guess what - not only did we loose that game but the ref thought it was funny and laughed when one of our boys face mask was pulled so hard it came off of the helmet. He allowed the other team to pick up the football after it was a downed ball - pick it up and run it in for a touchdown. When our head coach asked to approach him about it - he threw him out of the game. (Which was later overturned). How do I get this referee removed from this league? His revenge has now filtered down to our children and they are no longer safe on the field with this ref. He is not upholding his duties as a ref. if he refuses to keep our children safe.

[Ref2Ref]

on 9/20/2008 this being our third year with Pop Warner football. We are still seeing there Ref's not doing thier jobs. And they are not teaching our kids nothing but how to have one bad call after another. Mr Washington if you read this maybe you should check out your guys! They are onesided and indiffernt to following the rules. One day a player is going to be hurt badly and it will be on your guys. Who should know the rules and have fair play in minded and most of all be above playing favorites!!!!!! Kids can spot a cheater a mile away and your ref's need to learn to quit and play nice.

[SGVFOA]

on 8/4/2008 After three or four years at the D-I level, depending on attrition at the NFL level, an official may be considered to work in the NFL. To be an actual referee (as opposed to umpire, linesman, line judge, back judge, side judge, or field judge), it takes a few more years in the NFL.

So, in short, it takes about 15 years of officiating to make it to the NFL. Of course, some officials will make it much quicker, and most officials will never make it to the NFL. The most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing and be the best that you can at the level you are doing.

If you'd like more information on becoming a referee, please visit www.sgvfoa.com.

[SGVFOA]

on 8/4/2008 To become a football referee is pretty simple. First, you need to find a local football officials association. Once you join the association, they will train you on the rules and mechanics. Depending on your association, you may start working high school football games your first season!

It takes a lot of training to become a professional "referee". For American football, football officials generally start with officiating high school and youth football, such as Pop Warner or Junior All-American. After two or three years, officials may begin to work varsity games.


After four or five years of working varsity football, an official may begin working junior college football. Two or three years of JC football will move an official to D-III, D-II, or D-IAA. A couple years at those levels, and an official could start working at the Division I level. After three or four years at the D-I