Regular coaching sessions are scheduled for referees on theory during the year.

There is a pre-season course for all federation referees held in March each year. There are also fortnightly one-hour coaching sessions held for Dunedin based referees at the Caledonian on Wednesday nights starting at 7.00pm and regular coaching sessions held in Timaru and Invercargill. Contact the Referee Development Officer for details of the next course coming up and contacts in South Canterbury and Southland.

Referees who wish to advance are eligible to attend Referee Development Academies run by New Zealand Football. The Stage 2 Academy is usually held in March in Napier in conjunction with the National Age Group tournament with intensive coaching and help for new, young referees. The Stage 3 Academy is usually held in September in Nelson in conjunction with the premier secondary school boys tournament. This builds on the Stage 2 academy and provides more coaching and assessment.

Pathways to Success

New Zealand Football sets out a development path for referees as follows:

• Introductory Referees: club based and juniors.
• Level 1 Referees: local games at a senior level, talent identified and coaching provided.
• Stage 2 Referee Development Academy: talent identified at Level 1, attend academy and then introduced to federation senior league games as Assistants and then Referees.
• Stage 3 Referee Development Academy: after refereeing and coaching in federation leagues, taking Level 2 referee course and field tests then offered spot at academy.
• National Youth and Women's Leagues: after attending Stage 3 Academy offered chance to participate in these leagues.
• National and International: the pinnacle after referees work their way through local, premier, and then youth and women's leagues.