Minimum age to be a referee

[davidgh]

Chaps

I have a 16yo on an ELRA Course, which is allowed (min 14yo)

What is your opinion on the sensible minimum age for refereeing Junior and Mini rugby.

Can one allow a child to referee the game, controlling scrum engagement and collapsing mauls etc.? I suspect not.

Input most welcome, any written advice from RFU or CBs most welcome!!

Same question for coaching contact rugby!

Thanks in Anticipation

 

[dave_clark]

all depends, as with all of these things, with the individual referee. i'd suggest that it's probably a bad idea for a young ref to start out with an age group older than their own. likewise it may not be the best idea to ref their little brother's age group.

regardless of the age group, i would always advocate them having a more experienced ref watching them for their first few games (and prepared to take the nuclear approach of stepping in to take charge if necessary).

finally i wouldn't recommend a young ref take the whistle for a league match (if either coach takes the leagues too seriously), or a grudge match.

 

[stuart3826]

My son passed Foundation Level when he was 12, and was allowed then to ref anything one year or more below his own age.

Bloody waste of time & money - he's never taken up the whistle but plays front row.

 

[Dixie]

My current U.15's were regularly refereed by a 15/16 year-old at U.12. That lad has gone on to join his local Society (not Berkshire). I can't see a problem; at 16, he's perfectly capable of refereeing age grades that don't present cynical difficulties at scrum time, and he's 1/3rd as old again as any 12-year-old players he's reffing - a bit like me reffing a 37 year-old and being told I'm too young! Pleasant but inaccurate.

If a 14 y.o was not considered capable of refereeing, he would not be permitted to take ELRA. Last season, my then U.14's were reffed by a 16 y.o.. He screwed up an in-goal decision and one coach thought he was too young, but in truth our team got thrashed because they were crap, not because of anything the ref did or didn't do.

 

[davidgh]

Tricky one this

I now find that the minimum age for a CRB application through the RFU is 16

You have to have a CRB to referee u18s

Why the min age for ELRA of 14 - beats me!

 

[dave_clark]

i guess you can't officially be cleared to work with kids if you're a kid yourself. in which case, why wouldn't the age be 18?

maybe that's not the reason then. bound to be something like that.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

My lad passed ELRA at 14 - he's nearly 16 now and referees Yr7, 8 & 9 at school and TAG festivals at his club.

 

[Adam]

Tricky one this

I now find that the minimum age for a CRB application through the RFU is 16

You have to have a CRB to referee u18s

Why the min age for ELRA of 14 - beats me!

You are allowed to referee juniors from the age of 14 without the CRB check. If you are 16 years or older, you need a CRB check to be able to referee junior matches.

The way it works in Manchester is that you can join the society as a junior member if you have passed the ELRA and you have a 'sponsor' from your local club. If there is someone available, the society assigns a mentor to the junior referee.

As long as the ELRA is done, then the only consideration should be whether they're mentally ready to be responsible for 30 players. However, I would suggest that someone is there to act as a chaperone for the first few matches they referee.

I did one of the first ELRA courses in 2006 aged 14. I refereed a few training matches, did a lads 'n' dads match and one U12 friendly, and then refereed a county vase final (U13) at the end of that season! I've now refereed about 70 15 a side matches at or below U19. I'm now going to get graded and start refereeing adult matches in preparation for university!

If you need any other advice on my experience, post it here, or PM me.

 

[Adam]

i guess you can't officially be cleared to work with kids if you're a kid yourself. in which case, why wouldn't the age be 18?

maybe that's not the reason then. bound to be something like that.

I think it's a bit silly that you are considered a child until 18, but you have to have a CRB check from 16!

 

[sgoat]

I think it's a bit silly that you are considered a child until 18, but you have to have a CRB check from 16!

I had my first CRB at 16 and attended my first Good Practice and Child Protection (now Safeguarding and Protecting Children) workshop then also. Was funny as was a kid at the time as you say.

Do criminal records of over 16s differ from those U16? For instance in terms of disclosure of juvenile records?

 

[jeff]

Just to let you know that crb will not do a crb on a child u16 as they will confirm that they are classed as a child.
And if a person is good enough to referee a team then why not.
My son was reffing mens leagues when he was 15 and is reffing at level 9/10 now for the society.
He is also reffing colts and the coach's comment before the games is some what shocked that the players are older than him but after the game i have had quite a few emails explaining that he is a very good referee and was welcome back anytime.
One thing about my son is that he is now 17 about 6ft.2 and 16 stone and is quite fit.
so if any one is good enough and has been watched by a society and deemed good enough then there shouldnt be an age barrier.

 

[ckuxmann]

I started at age 17, with a college match U-23, then did three U-19 leagues, and a friendly men's match. I find that with my age at the time, no one gave me a hard time, or any more dissent than I have seen with adults reffing these leagues. It is kind of funny when you are asked why are you here so early, because the coach of a team has no idea they are getting a 17 year old sir.

 

[Dixie]

I think it's a bit silly that you are considered a child until 18, but you have to have a CRB check from 16!

Surely it's a bit silly that you can be prosecuted for sexual assault and attempted murder at ages 10 and 12, as we learnt to our horror from the events at Edlington in LLP's neck of the woods, yet if these kids had walked free and wanted to referee rugby a few years on they could have entered changing rooms and showered with the youngsters without being given a second thought.

 

[davidgh]

Some innacuracies here, possibly historical - today - straight from the horses mouth (RFU) after posting yesterday

1. CRB will do a CRB from age 10
2. RFU will only do a CRB from age 16
3. RFU require all REFEREES for childrens games (u18) to be CRBed (written safeguarding rules)

I was wondering what was going on out there in the real world

For clubs and societies that are "employing" REFEREES aged under 16 and hence without an RFU CRB this will shortly/has recently (difficult to know which) become a CRIMINAL OFFENCE on behalf of the responsible people (Club & Society Officers) hence the search for clarification!!

I have asked the RFU Safeguarding (CRB) department to clarify the minimum ages for carrying out coaching, refereeing and first aid. I guess it will take a little while.

 

[davidgh]

Response from RFU:

From: Nic Scott
Sent: 09 February 2010 09:58
To: Chris Rawlings
Subject: RE: Youth CRBs, Youth Coaches, Youth Referees

Ref - U18 referees should have a chaperone with them (CRBd, if not parent); they are insured if appointed by the club at effectively any age but it is recommended that they hold an elra and thus are 14+

Coach - same as above but 16+ for Level 1.

Club can set it own policy as long as they are within the RFU regs and guidance.

We can check at 10 year old but normally only recommend 16+.

Regards

Nic

Nic Scott | Equity, Inclusion & Safeguarding Manager | Rugby Football Development Limited

 

[Simon Thomas]

I posted all this stuff elsewhere a month or so ago.

Chris Rawlings is the man at the RFU to talk to.

RFU Refs Dept used our Young Officials framework as basis for setting up the nationwide scheme, so I know it pretty well.

ELRA 14 +, CRB (currently) is required 16 + but due to the enhanced CRB check and parallel Barring & Vetting Scheme this is likely to change. RFU had Home Office permission to defer the implementation until Oct 2010, even though Alw came in oct 2009 (check with Carole Thelwell-Jones RFU Volunteer Officer), so 16+ CRB still applies.

U18 aged referees should be appointed one year down only. If a fast tracker, then we get written permission of parent/guardian, supportive assessor reports and log of all matches done previously to support any appointment at own age or older (rare but it does happen).

At all times we insist on not just parent, but also referee mentor / coach for any U18 ref who is doing a League or Cup match U13 - U18.

Also if appointed to an adult match (usually only when 17 yrs old) we do the same, and I make a call to clubs so they are aware of Safeguarding issues.
I can recall only a few occasions we have done an adult appt for an U18, as U16 and Colts matches offer every challenge needed for even fast trackers.

We currently have an 18 yr old, who is now doing level 9 (pushing 8 already) adult matches and last season we did appoint him as TJ and a few times as referee to selected adult matches.

 

[davidgh]

Thanks Simon. Great detail. Sorry I haven't seen the previous post

 

[Cymro]

Just been told my 14yr old son cannot start reffing until he's 16 in Wales. Does anyone know of any U16s reffing in Wales and also is there an IRB age limit or is it a WRU/RFU etc.. set limit ?

 

[didds]

My son passed Foundation Level when he was 12, and was allowed then to ref anything one year or more below his own age.

Bloody waste of time & money - he's never taken up the whistle but plays front row.

and of course like all front rows anyway understands the laws perfectly

didds

 

[didds]

Last season, my then U.14's were reffed by a 16 y.o.. He screwed up an in-goal decision and one coach thought he was too young, but in truth our team got thrashed because they were crap, not because of anything the ref did or didn't do.

firstly, well done that young man.

secondly, going by Dixie's use of the word "thrashed" it doesn't sound as if one score made the difference in the scoreline ;-)

didds