Welcome to the first official Referee Update of the 2025/26 Season! For those of you that read the update regularly, its here to keep you all informed of everything that is going on within Refereeing in Middlesex County FA and also across the Country! Should you every feel that we should include anything within the updates as a one off or a regular basis then please let us know by emailing referee@middlesexfa.com
Referee Registration
We are now 12 days into the 2025/26 Registration process and I'm delighted to say that so far we have 222 match officials re-registered for the season ahead of us!
For those of you that are still yet to register, please note the following points.
ALL Match Officials are required to have an in date Safeguarding Qualification in order to register for the 2025/26 season. ANY Match Official that is over the age of 16 AND wishes to referee in Youth Football MUST have a valid DBS check. ALL 14 & 15 Year Old Match Officials are required to have their parent/guardian log onto the system first in order to approve their child's registration.
In order to complete your safeguarding qualification if it is showing out of date, please click HERE.
If you need to complete a DBS check, please note that details of the new checking process can be found HERE and further below in this update.
For any questions relating to Referee Registration, please email us at referee@middlesexfa.com
Referee Promotion
We have had several emails in regards to promotions for the upcoming season. We are in the process of getting the final bits of information from The FA in regards to any changes in the criteria and we will then send this out too you all. We aim to have this by next week for you all to digest and apply should you wish too.
Match Official Academy Programme
In just 11 days time, we will see 60+ match officials join us for our first Match Official Academy Programme Assessment Day. As part of the Middlesex Academy re-brand, we will be growing the number of officials that are within the group and following on from our previous applications that we opened we are delighted to have over 60 match officials interested in joining the programme.
As part of the assessment day, match officials will take part in a fitness assessment, Laws of the Game exam and a decision making exercise.
New Match Officials Join Middlesex FA
Last week we were delighted to welcome 22 new female match officials into Middlesex County FA who took their course as part of Twickenham Cygnets FC and will be out and about refereeing within the County FA this season! This intake of match officials sees the first of over 100 match officials that will be recruited this season.
Referee Availability
A brief reminder that Middlesex County FA only appoint match officials to Middlesex County Cup fixtures. These normally do not start until September and for that reason there is no need to update your availability throughout June and July. We would expect match officials to start doing this in August to get into the habit of making themselves available.
Please note that this season onwards, all match official availability and appointments will be controlled by the Centre Circle App. If you are not signed up to it yet, please do so now ready for the start of the season no matter your level as this will also be used to get your post match report forms too.
Referee Kit Expectations
The PHMOL and The Premier League have a long-term deal with PUMA that will see match officials within the PGMOL wearing the new PUMA DNA Kit throughout the season. We have had several questions regarding these kits and we wanted to clarify with you where you stand as a referee.
| Referee Level | Operating In the NLS | Operating Outside the NLS |
| Level 2, 3 & 4 | When operating on the National League System at Steps 2-6 you are still expected to wear the Nike Referee Kit. At Step 2 you will wear the National League Badge and at Step 3-6 you will wear the FA Match Official Badge. Officials operating in a duel role and also within the Step 1 and above will be supplied PUMA Kit and Competition badges by the PGMOL. | You are free to wear whatever kit you wish too. You should only be wearing the Middlesex County FA Badge of FA Match Official Badge. |
| Level 5, 6, 7, Y2, Y1 & Trainees | You are free to wear whatever kit you wish too. You should only be wearing the Middlesex County FA Badge. | You are free to wear whatever kit you wish too. You should only be wearing the Middlesex County FA Badge. |
| Level 3W | When operating on Tier 3 or 4 of the Women's Game you are still expected to wear the Nike Referee Kit. At this level you will also wear the FA Match Official Badge. | You are free to wear whatever kit you wish too. You should only be wearing the Middlesex County FA Badge of FA Match Official Badge. |
| Level 4W | You are free to wear whatever kit you wish too. You should only be wearing the Middlesex County FA Badge. | You are free to wear whatever kit you wish too. You should only be wearing the Middlesex County FA Badge. |
In all FA Competitions such as the FA Cup, FA Vase, FA Trophy, FA Youth Cup or FA Sunday Cup you must wear your County FA badge unless the FA has previously awarded you with the Three Lions Badge that you can wear instead of the County FA badge.
In short, any match official that is operating within the remit of the PGMIL and therefore expected to wear a PUMA kit will be supplied this via the PGMOL directly.
For those of you that wish to purchase a new PUMA Referee Kit, please give The Ref Stop a visit where their brand new website has all the new PUMA ranges, current Nike ranges and also lines such as Adidas, Macron and Joma!
We are delighted to announce that effective immediately the FA have introduced a new DBS checking process that will allow individuals to verify their own identification online without having to come into the Middlesex FA Office to have your documents checked.
Details of this new process can be found HERE
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