Level 4 Supply League Referees: Referees selected to officiate on a Supply League and who meet the requirements of the promotion criteria for this level.

Supply Leagues - are nominated divisions, within specific Leagues as determined and considered by the Football Association, suitable for the advancement of Referees from Level 4.

Selection and promotion within Level 4 will be determined as follows: Referees who have been selected to act as an Assistant Referee on the National List of Contributory Match Officials, following nomination by an Affiliated Association to The Football Association, and those Referees who satisfy the criteria established by The Football Association from time to time. 

To gain promotion to Level 4, a Referee must continue to display the dedication and commitment already demonstrated in their earlier promotions.

They must also be under 43 years of age at the 1st March in the year of nomination to Level 4, and they must complete a fitness test.

This entails a continuous run for 12 minutes during which a minimum distance of 2500 metres must be covered to measure stamina.

Following a break, two separate sprints of 50 metres within 7.5 seconds each must be run - to measure speed off the mark.

Once Referees have successfully carried out the fitness test, their name may be submitted by the County FA to the Contributory League Review Board for consideration to join the National List of Contributory League Assistant Referees. If invited, they will have to attend one of The Football Association's fitness tests in either June or July. It is upon successful completion of this test and subsequent attendance at a seminar that successful Referees will be classified as a Level 4 Referee and be able carry out the duties of an Assistant Referee in the Contributory League system. Level 4 Referees will also be allocated a Supply League to officiate on. The County FA in conjunction with the relevant Supply Leagues will do this.

The Supply League competition is the vehicle to the next step up the Refereeing ladder. There are a further three steps, but by achieving Level 4, a Referee has entered the world of semi-professional football and the top 2000 officials in the country.

Note 1: The age limit for a Contributory Assistant Referee is 43 if you are not on the National List; 48 if you are.

Note 2: For promotion to Level 4 and above Referees will be required to successfully complete a fitness test and a written examination, as determined by The Football Association, annually prior to having their classification confirmed. On initial selection for promotion to a higher level, Referees may be required to attend an interview to ascertain their suitability against criteria determined by The Football Association.

On initial promotion to Level 4, the Affiliated Association who administers the Referee must allocate the Referee to an appropriate Supply League.

The Football Association will determine the acceptable number of matches required for consideration to be selected to Levels 4 and above.

A Senior County Referee is a Referee who has demonstrated to the satisfaction of The Football Association, Affiliated Association or Service Association as required by FA regulations, the ability to officiate at Level 5. If you achieve Senior County Referee status you may be nominated by the County FA for promotion to Level 4.

Prior to season 2001/2002, Level 5 (and above) Referees were previously known as  Class 1 or 1X  levels.

Where a Referee as achieved a level higher than Level 5 and is not retained, the Referee is to be classified as a Level 5 Referee, with the option of further promotion in the normal way or until a status of non-active is declared by the individual.

A Service Association is an Affiliated Association having responsibility for the administration of the game as determined by The Football Association from time to time in or relating to the "Armed Forces" (the Royal Navy, the Army, the Royal Air Force).

The responsibility of promoting Referees to Level 5 rests with the Affiliated Association in which the Referee resides and who administers the Referee's registration. In accordance with the marking year all selections to Level 5 must be  made by 25 March each year.

For promotion from Level 6 to Level 5 (and/or Level 4), the Referee must:

Apply for promotion in writing to the Affiliated Association by no later than 1 June preceding the season in which promotion is sought. 

Promotion is based on a Referee's practical performance on the field of play determined from Competitions for players over the age of 16 years by:

Assessment reports and markings given by Referees' Assessors on a minimum of three games. An Assessor is an individual authorised by The Football Association to carry out assessments at levels determined by the Football Association. Assessments are written appraisals of a Referee's performance on the field of play, carried out by an Assessor, on behalf of The Football Association, Affiliated Association or Competition and submitted to the appropriate body. Marks are a numerical indication of a Referee's performance on the field of play, awarded by an Assessor on completion of an Assessment, on a scale defined by The Football Association (1 to 100). It is important for Referees seeking promotion to inform the Assessors' Appointment Secretary of their appointments so that they can be assessed on a minimum of three matches.

Club marks received: Clubs in Supply League football (or equivalent) and below, mark the Referee's performance on a scale of 1-10. Club marks are a numerical indication of a Referee's performance on the field of play, reported by competing Clubs after a match. These marks along with marks obtained from Assessor assessments, are used in promotion criteria.

Officiating as a Referee in a minimum of twenty games during any one marking period.

If eligible to be promoted to Level 4, act as an officially appointed Assistant Referee in at least five games.

Attending an in-service training seminar as determined by The Football Association, (the respective parent County FA will inform the Referee of these).

Successfully completing a written multiple-choice examination on the Laws of the Game set by The Football Association (examinations are usually held at the same time as the in-service training). 

Club Marks and Assessments are to be collated by the Affiliated Association during the marking season from 1st March in any year until the last day of February in the following year.