Berkshire Society of RFU Referees
Referee Practical Experience
The RFU courses Refereeing the 15-a-side Game and its predecessor the Entry Level
Referee Award provide a basic introduction to refereeing the game of Rugby Union Football.
To transfer the skills learnt during the course from the classroom to the pitch requires
experience and practice. The Berkshire Referee Society (BSRFUR) requires newly trained
referees initially to obtain that experience and practice in a controlled manner over a
programme of 5 matches before it will accept that referee for appointment to games under
its jurisdiction.
This requirement exists both to protect the referee from being over-appointed in the early
stages of his refereeing and also as a duty of care to the clubs and players to whom it
appoints referees.
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If you are interested in joining the Referee Society you should contact The Recruitment
Officer in the first place. He will discuss with you suitable venues for the initial games
and put you in contact with the clubs/schools. Contact details can be found on the
BSRFUR website www.bsrfur.co.uk.
Arranging the matches is your responsibility, but BSRFUR will help wherever possible.
For each match refereed you need to complete a Match Self-evaluation Form.
One of the matches will need to be observed by a Referee Society approved Observer.
During the observation the observer will complete the Stage Three Observation Checklist
on your performance.
On completion of all five matches you will need to complete the Summary Evaluation of
Refereed Matches Form. The aim of this form is for you to demonstrate that you are
able to reflect on your refereeing and show improvement across the five games
refereed. In this document you are asked to identify appropriate solutions for the
challenges that you have been presented with during the evidence-gathering period.
On the reverse of the Summary Evaluation of Refereed Matches Form you are required
to produce a plan for further personal development, identifying appropriate and priority
areas for improvement as a referee.
Having completed all of the above you should make contact with The Recruitment Officer
to have the evidence assessed.
Having reviewed the evidence The Recruitment Officer will ask you a number of
questions that will explore your understanding of the role and ensure you have a clear
action plan for further development as a rugby union referee.
During this whole process The Recruitment Officer will be available to assist in resolving
any problems, either logistical in arranging matches or technical regarding problems that
may have arisen.
Berkshire Society of RFU Referees
Referee Match Self-Evaluation Form
Referee name:
Match date:
Match between:
Level:
Score:
Match Type:
Was your preparation
for the match
appropriate?
Were there any
Health and Safety
issues arising from
the match?
To what extent was
your approach to the
match appropriate?
Give up to three
examples of where
you think you
refereed well and
why:
Give up to three
examples of where
you think you could
improve and why:
What feedback have you had from other people involved in the match on your:
management of the
game
communication
positioning
law knowledge
If you were to
referee this match
again, what might
you change?
Berkshire Society of RFU Referees
Referee Match Self-Evaluation Form
Personal Action Plan
Particular points that you think you should address at the next/future matches:
Witness Statement
The person identified below is able to witness that I refereed the match, on which this
evaluation is based.
Name of
witness:
Role/position:
Tel number:
Summary of the contribution of others involved in the match (i.e.: touch judges, club
coach, club official, etc):
For your future reference identify the names of other people involved in the match (i.e.:
team captains, Club President; touch judges, club officials etc):
Name
Position/role
Berkshire Society of RFU Referees
Referee Observation Checklist
This Observation Checklist supports the observed assessment of the practical experience and will be
used to record a candidate’s refereeing performance. If used the outcome column should contain
either a  or AP, the latter suggesting an action plan point against the area on which the candidate
needs to work.
Candidate name:
Observer name:
Club/Match:
Preparation The candidate:
Match Date:
Outcome
is appropriately prepared and presented for
the match with the required resources
checks the suitability of the pitch and
players equipment
understands the pre-match logistical
responsibility of the referee
Attitude The candidate:
Outcome
exhibits an appropriate attitude to the
match and players
seeks feedback from the players at the end
of the match
Judgement and Materiality
The candidate:
shows an understanding of how to make
appropriate judgements in a variety of
situations (contextual judgement)
Outcome
shows an understanding of how to referee
within the spirit if the game (materiality)
Game Management The candidate:
Outcome
manages the match so that there is a fair
contest for possession
makes all efforts to manage the match in a
manner which is enjoyable to the players
uses Advantage appropriately
Communication and Positioning
The candidate:
communicates clearly and appropriately with
the players at specified phases of the match
Outcome
positions themselves appropriately to
manage the players at specified phases of
the match
Law Knowledge The candidate:
appropriately applies the Laws of the Game
in the spirit of the game
Outcome
Notes
Berkshire Society of Rugby Football Union Referees
Referee Observation Checklist
The observer is asked to summarise their observations on the referee's performance and
identify particular areas for improvement.
Feedback
Action Plan
Observer's
Signature
Referee's
Signature
Date
Berkshire Society of RFU Referees
Summary Evaluation of Refereed Matches
This summary supports the BSRFUR Practical Experience Programme and provides you with a means to summarise the evaluations you
have conducted for each of the five games you refereed. Use the page overleaf to develop your plan for future development.
Candidate name
Match date:
Teams:
Identify three areas of
each match you refereed
that you thought went
well?
What was it that you did
that made this part of
the match effective?
Identify up to three
areas of each match you
refereed which didn't go
as well as you would
have wished
Explain why each of the
above aspects were a
problem?
What solutions can you
identify that would
remedy the above issues
in future matches
Trainer Signature
Date
Candidate Signature
Berkshire Society of RFU Referees
Plan for Further Personal Development
Use this plan to summarise what you think you need to do in the future to improve your refereeing.
No:
Action Point
Who could help me?
When am I going to try to
achieve it by?
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The Trainer is asked to summarise their observations on the referee's log and evaluations and identify particular areas for improvement.