MWFRA Team Referee Courses

 

As part of the Manly Warringah Football Association’s (MWFA) competition requirements, all senior men’s teams in AL2 and below, as well as Over 35, Over 45, and Over 55 competitions, are required to provide two accredited and registered referees, known as Team Referees.

To be eligible as a Team Referee, individuals must be turning 19 years of age or older in 2026 and must hold a current Football Australia Junior Match Official accreditation (formerly Level 4). Referee accreditation is valid for five years, inclusive of the year it is obtained. To maintain accreditation over this period, referees must officiate a minimum of 20 MWFA competition matches.

To become a Team Referee, candidates are required to complete two online courses administered by Football Australia and attend one in-person training session conducted by the Manly Warringah Football Referees Association (MWFRA).

In addition to fulfilling MWFA requirements, becoming a Team Referee offers the opportunity to contribute to the standard of local football, improve fitness, and receive match payments. The MWFA covers MWFRA costs associated with becoming a Team Referee for up to two individuals per team, including registration fees and the provision of a referee shirt and equipment.

Step 1: Obtain the Football Australia Online Laws of the Game Certificate

Football Australia delivers all referee training courses and accreditations through etrainu. To access etrainu, you must first register as a  Learner(NSW) via PlayFootball.

  1. Complete the Leaner (NSW) registration using the provided link

  2. Working with Children Check:

    • If you have a WWCC please enter the details and upload a copy of the email you received from ServiceNSW

    • If you DO NOT have a WWCC when prompted about a Working with Children Check, select No, then click Request an Exemption. In the reason field, enter: “Senior Team Referee ONLY”

  3. Contact PlayFootball and request that they:

    • Approve your registration (this is not automatic), and

    • Onboard you to etrainu.

  4. Once approved, you will receive an email from PlayFootball with instructions on how to log in to etrainu.

  5. Log in to etrainu and select “Learner (Football Account)”.

    • If you experience any login issues or error messages, please contact PlayFootball. 

  6. After logging in:

    • Confirm that the learner details displayed are correct.

    • Scroll to “Learning Tailored for You” and select Referees.

    • Click View Courses under the Referees section.

    • Select Enrol for Laws of the Game.

  7. Complete the online Laws of the Game (LOTG) course.

 

Step 2. Complete the Junior Match Official Online Course on etrainu – This part of the course will cost $33.00.

 

Step 4. Register for the compulsory MWFRA in-person session. 

In-person training sessions dates will be published once finalised. Typically, the in-person (theory) session is held between 6-9pm on a Monday or Tuesday night in March. All participants must attend the entirety of the session to become an accredited referee. Registration will again be completed on etrainu.

Step 5. Register with the MWFRA for 2026.

  1. Go to: PlayFootball.
  2. Log in using your PLAYER log in details
  3. If you have not registered as a player yet, but have registered previously on PlayFootball, please use your previous account.
  4. Select the New Team Referee product.
  5. Complete all the registration pages including the Working with Children Check (WWCC) page. The following instructions are provided by FNSW for completing the WWCC:
    • Click No to the question: Do you have a Working with Children Check then click Request an Exemption. In the reason field, enter: “Senior Team Referee ONLY”

 

Step 6. Attend the in-person training sessions that you registered for in Step 4. You must have completed the online modules prior to attending the in-person sessions.

 

Please note all steps must be completed before your Team Referee registration can be approved.

FAQs

I was told that I don’t have to pay the course fee. Why do I have to pay Football Australia $33.00?

The payment goes directly to Football Australia for the provision of the course. There are no other costs involved

I have refereed previously. Do I need to recomplete the course?

To be a team referee you need a current FFA approved referee accreditation. FFA Accreditation continues for 5 calendar years from the year you first completed the course. You must have officiated at 20 games in those 5 calendar years for your accreditation to remain valid (ie 20 games in 5 years, not 20 games per year).  If your qualification is not current, you will need to complete the course again. If you are unsure about your current accreditation, please contact [email protected] for more details.

Do I get paid as a team referee?

Yes! Team referees are paid $56.40 per game

Questions?

Please don’t hesitate to contact Robert Iacono by emailing [email protected] or Sigrid Mulherin [email protected] with any questions about becoming a referee with the MWFRA.