Referees are walking away from grassroots football.
But it's not always because of abuse or poor behaviour on the pitch - it’s often down to lack of support, training, and a sense of community.

Many grassroots referees qualify, get handed a whistle… and then feel forgotten. That’s where automated workshops delivered through a platform like GoHighLevel can make a measurable impact.

By running structured referee workshops using HighLevel, leagues and referee development officers can reduce churn and boost long-term retention. Here’s how.

💬 Why This Matters to Me

I’ve been refereeing grassroots football since August 2019, and I’ve seen first-hand how tough it can be for new referees starting out. The pressure, the isolation, the lack of communication - it’s no wonder so many don’t make it through their first season. I’ve watched talented, committed people walk away from the game not because they weren’t capable, but because they didn’t feel supported. That’s why I’m passionate about improving referee retention at the grassroots level. With the right tools - like structured training, ongoing support, and better communication - we can create an environment where referees are more confident, better prepared, and far more likely to stay in the game long-term.

⚠️ The Scale of the Challenge

Each weekend during the season, there are around 40,000 to 45,000 grassroots football matches played across England alone.

That means at least 40,000 referees are needed every single weekend - and even more if assistant referees are appointed.

With demand this high, every referee matters. But year after year, grassroots football loses thousands of qualified officials - not because they’re not good enough, but because they feel unsupported, overwhelmed or disconnected.

👋 1. Welcome Workshops That Set the Tone

HighLevel lets you automate a new referee welcome series - including a live or recorded onboarding workshop. This helps new officials:

• Understand match allocation processes

• Learn how to report incidents

• Get tips from experienced referees

• Meet key people in the league

➡️ Why it matters: Many referees feel thrown in at the deep end. A structured onboarding workshop makes them feel prepared and supported - not just "left to it."

🧠 2. Regular CPD & Law Update Workshops

Use HighLevel to schedule and run ongoing training workshops - monthly, quarterly or seasonally - covering:

• Law changes or clarifications from the FA

• Game management best practices

• Common match-day challenges

• Case studies and decision-making sessions

Each session can be delivered via Zoom and promoted via automated email, SMS or WhatsApp reminders using HighLevel workflows.

➡️ Why it matters: Referees who are improving and learning are more likely to stay. They feel part of something bigger than just the Saturday match.

🚨 3. Incident Support Workshops

If there’s been a spike in dissent, abuse, or tough match conditions, you can quickly spin up a reactive support workshop in HighLevel:

• Invite all officials from affected leagues

• Include an FA rep, referee mentor, or experienced official

• Let referees talk openly and ask questions

• Automate the follow-up for further support

➡️ Why it matters: When referees feel heard after a difficult incident, they’re more likely to keep going rather than quitting in silence.

📅 4. Pre-Season Briefings & Community Building

Every year, run a live pre-season workshop to re-engage returning referees and inspire new ones:

• Cover changes to matchday processes

• Discuss expectations for clubs and managers

• Introduce mentoring options

• Invite Q&A from the referee community

Set this up as an automated annual event using HighLevel’s calendar booking, reminders, and funnels - and track attendance across years.

➡️ Why it matters: Referees return to the season feeling included and prepared - not ghosted by the league since May.

🤝 5. Peer-Led Confidence Workshops

Let your top referees lead informal “coffee chat” style Zoom workshops for newer officials:

• “What I wish I knew in my first season”

• “Managing your first adult game”

• “Dealing with dissent confidently”

You can automate invites based on referee level or match experience using HighLevel’s CRM filters and tags.

➡️ Why it matters: Peer support builds camaraderie. Retention improves when referees feel they’re part of a supportive, learning-driven culture.

🛠️ Why Use HighLevel?

Because HighLevel does more than just host events:

• It automates reminders, follow-ups and attendance tracking

• You can record and repurpose workshops into a referee learning portal

• New referees can self-register via funnels

• You can segment referees by age group, location or experience to target training effectively

• Feedback forms and surveys can be automatically sent after every session

In short, it builds a repeatable system - not just a one-off Zoom link.

From Isolation to Integration

Running workshops via HighLevel helps create a culture of learning, support and professionalism around refereeing - something that’s often missing at the grassroots level.

When referees are educated, connected and heard, they stay.

⚽ What’s Your Next Move?

Grassroots football needs its referees - and retaining them doesn’t have to be a guessing game. If you're ready to do something about it, you’ve got three choices:

✅ 1. Learn the System

Read Workshop Marketing with HighLevel by Julian Mills - a practical guide packed with ready-to-use snapshots, examples, and pro tips to help you launch and run referee support workshops that actually work.
📘 Download the book here

✅ 2. Get Personal Help

Book a 20-minute discovery call with the MarketerM8 team. We’ll help you map out a system using HighLevel to onboard, support, and retain your referees with less manual admin.
📅 Book a discovery call

❌ 3. Keep Chasing Your Tail

Or you can keep trying to manually check in, follow up, and touch base with every referee needed to cover the 40,000+ grassroots fixtures every weekend - hoping they stay. But let’s be honest… that’s not a strategy.