SFA – Articles of Association – Referees

113. All persons intending to participate as referees in Association Football played under the jurisdiction of the Association require to be registered as a referee with the Association and in membership of one of the Referees’ Associations. The Referee Committee shall determine the classification system for all referees. No person below 16 years of age shall be registered as a referee.

114. The Association shall maintain a register of referees. Referees having been included within the register of referees shall be subject to and comply with the Articles and to any regulations, statutes, directives, codes or decisions promulgated or issued by (a) the Board or by any Standing Committee thereof or (b) by FIFA or (c) by UEFA or (d) the Court of Arbitration for Sport. From this register, the Referee Committee shall determine annually the Referee Categories for Senior Football for matches involving a club or clubs in full or associate membership.

114.1 Unless the rules of a European or other competition prescribe to the contrary, or unless the Association gives permission to the contrary, every match in which a club in full or associate membership is engaged within Scotland shall be controlled by a Referee whose name is included within the Referee Categories for Senior Football. All other matches which are played under the jurisdiction of the Association in which one or both clubs are in registered membership shall be controlled by a referee who is a registered referee, and any exception to this Article shall only be allowable at the discretion of the Referee Committee.

115. A referee whose name is included in the Referee Categories for Senior Football shall not be eligible to take part in any match as a player or to be nominated as a representative of a recognised football body or club as prohibited in terms of the Articles unless he has officially resigned as a registered referee and from membership of his Referees’ Association and has satisfied the Referee Committee that he has permanently ceased to be a referee.

115.1 All other registered referees may participate in football as a player or as a representative of a recognised football body or club, provided that to do so is not contrary to the Articles and that there is no conflict of interest between his role as a referee and his role as a player or official.

115.2 If a referee is suspended as a player or official his registration as a referee is suspended for the duration of the period of such suspension.

116. It is not permitted that any club may pay more than the authorised tariff for the services of a match official from the Referee Categories for Senior Football, nor is it permitted for a match official to accept payment in excess of the tariff. A club cannot issue more than two complimentary tickets to each of the appointed match officials at any match.

In all Challenge Cup Competition appointments made by the Association the remuneration of match officials shall be on the scale laid down in the tariff for the Referee Categories for Senior Football. In all appointments made by Affiliated National Associations or other recognised football bodies to matches under their direct jurisdiction the authorised tariff of the relevant appointing body shall apply.

117. A referee shall be permitted to discuss points of play related to a match strictly in accordance with instructions promulgated by the Referee Committee and approved by the Board from time to time.