Dear Secretary,

A Level 1 Referee course will be held on 23rd and 24th of April in the Centre of Excellence in Currans. This is a 2 day course and the attendee must attend both days from 9:30am to 4pm. Candidates must be 17 years of age before Jan 1st 2022. The course is to prepare candidates to referee underage competitive games. Names must be sent to the secretary’s email by 9pm Friday 8th April.
It is essential that clubs that currently do not have an active referee provide  suitable candidates for the course. The candidates will be expected to ref games at underage on a weekly basis once they are qualified. Clubs who currently have no referees or referees who are not currently active must provide 2 appropriate candidates and clubs who currently have active referees must provide 1 candidate.
We are currently in a serious situation where clubs who are not confirming their fixtures on time and clubs who cannot provide referees for fixtures going forward after the course will have no referees provided for their games. This is not a threat but a reality based on the numbers of referees available. For example in mid Kerry there is only 1 referee active, no referee active in all of South Kerry, 1 referee active in all of the Kenmare area. The majority of referees are dual referees who are referring both LGFA and GAA. If fixtures are not confirmed by clubs before the deadline these referees are already booked for GAA games and are not available to help the clubs in the LGFA.
The purpose of this email is not to threaten/penalise clubs but to make it clear to club executive members, coaches, players and parents that we are in a position currently as the season progresses that games will be cancelled due to lack of referees if new referees are not put forward from clubs. 
Once these referees are qualified they will be reffing underage fixtures and we need to retain them. The main reason retention of new referees is currently not maintained is abuse from sidelines and spectators. This problem has been identified countrywide by the LGFA. There has to be a knowledge of the rules and the code of behaviour from all parties involved in our games. If a club has an issue regarding the referee this needs to be managed through the proper channels and an email sent from the secretary of the club to the secretary of the County Board. Referees will be encouraged to report any abuse to CODA. 
Kind Regards

Nora

Secretary Kerry LGFA