Books & resources that make me a better referee

Last updated: July 12, 2023

Getting out there and working games is just the start when it comes to progressing as a referee.

But there’s a lot more to do if you want to make it to an elite level.

Below are a few good resources that have made me a better referee.

• I’ll update this page regularly as I come across new resources.

• If you find anything outdated, just let me know and I’ll get it updated!

1. Books

Some fun thought exercises and edge cases to really test your knowledge of the Laws Of The Game!

• The Rules of the Game | Pierluigi Collina

• Soccer Match Control | Stanley Lover

• The Referee's Survival Guide | Jeffrey Caminsky

• Blowing The Whistle: The Psychology of Football Refereeing | Stuart Carrington

• The Man in the Middle: The Autobiography of the World Cup Final Referee | Howard Webb

• Whistle Blower: My Autobiography | Mark Clattenburg

• A Foul is a Foul! Isn't it?: Reflections on 50 Years as a Soccer Referee | Dr. Peter M Aufsesser

• Attain Peak Referee Fitness: How to Train Smarter to Become a Better Referee & Balanced Individual | Benjamin T. Mueller

• The Man in the Middle: The Autobiography | David Elleray

• Seeing Red | Graham Poll

• You Are The Ref | Paul Trevillion

• Never Binge Again | Glenn Livingston Ph.D.

2. Other helpful links

It all starts here!

• IFAB Laws Of The Game | The most important resource for all referees everywhere. Get to studying!

• UEFA Referee Assistance Program (RAP) | The best place online I’ve found to study video clips and accelerate your referee education digitally.

• US Soccer Referee Center | A place to learn everything you need to know about refereeing as it relates to US Soccer

• USSF Pocket Guide | A great starter guide for what to do before the game, during pre-game, during the game and after the game.

• REFSIX | A great app for referees that tracks mileage, heatmaps, sprints, game logs and so much more. I’ve written about it here before.

• US Soccer 2024 Referee Program Pathway Eligibility & Requirements | If you’re going to map out your progression as a referee, you need to know the pathway and how to hit milestones.

• FIFA Refereeing Fitness Test (and audio files for training, you can also find them here at US Soccer) | This is something we all have to pass at some point. Whether you need to start training now or feel like you have your fitness under control, it’s best to know what’s in store for our futures.

• Lose It! app | The mobile app I’ve used to lose weight and make sure I’m physically capable when I’m out there on the field. Here’s proof!

3. Blogs

Yep, this is our homepage!

• RefJourney | This Substack! Check out what’s in the archive or subscribe for free.

• Dutch Referee Blog | A solid blog to help you become a better referee written by Dutch football ref Jan ter Harmsel.

• The Third Team | Develop resilience and boost your confidence as a referee with help from Nathan Sherratt.

Know a soccer ref? Feel free to share this with them 💙