Andrew Smith has been involved in refereeing for over 27 years, starting at Liverpool TA under the tutelage of Frank Dryden. Fast forward to today, and he is a member of the Senior Referees Panel, helping oversee the Elite Senior Referee Squad.
We sat down with Andrew to get his take on the role senior referees must play in our game
For referees officiating at their local affiliate, what advice would you give about staying involved in refereeing as they get older and life gets busier?
Prioritise yourself and your wellbeing, and be honest about what you can manage. Believe it or not, sometimes there are things that are more important than refereeing.
Life will always present opportunities in different forms family, work, sport and social some you will have control over and some you won’t. Learn which ones you can control and be accountable to yourself for those. The ones you can’t control will always be there.
Communicate with your referee director, coordinator or mentor when things are getting busier, or when other things feel like they are impacting your involvement in refereeing. Set boundaries around your commitment and make it sustainable. It is no good burning yourself out trying to please everyone. Those at your club would rather see you a little less often than not at all.
Ultimately, make sure you communicate and let people know about changes in your level of involvement, if that is what needs to happen for you. Don’t just disappear without a word to anyone and then stop responding to their communication. I get that things come up and life changes, just don’t ghost me — you never know, I might just be able to help in some way.
Many experienced referees step away from the whistle over time. What opportunities exist for them to remain involved in Touch and continue contributing to the game?
There are plenty of roles they could take up, either with or without a whistle involved. It really depends on why they are looking to step away from actively refereeing.
All affiliates would benefit from having a referee coach regularly involved and offering feedback to their referees. Most teams have a coach of some sort, so why should referees be any different? It also allows them to use the knowledge and experience they have developed over time.
Referee director or coordinator is another role to consider for those wanting to stay within the refereeing arm of the sport. Having a central person in this role means other committee members can focus on other areas of the club or sport. It could involve recruitment and retention, game allocations during competition, referee development, and more it really depends on how the club and committee see the role.
If they are looking for a break from refereeing completely, there are numerous roles within clubs where their experience would also be invaluable. Talk to the current committee or executive about working with the committee, or consider becoming a competitions coordinator to help things run week to week at your affiliate.
There are so many options, depending on why they are putting the whistle down and how much time they might have to offer.
The Elite Senior Referee Squad is a unique part of the NSW Referee Pathway. Can you tell us a little about the squad and who its designed for?
The Elite Senior Referee Squad is designed for referees who meet the senior criteria females aged 35 years or over and males aged 40 years or over and who have nominated themselves into the Senior Pathway. Referees must also be a national-level referee to be eligible.
As senior referees, there is some flexibility offered in terms of physical performance requirements compared to open-age referees. However, the expectations around game and player management, teamwork and overall professionalism remain the same.
Being selected in the squad provides the opportunity to attend NSWTA-aligned elite pathway camps, where ongoing targeted education, skill and fitness sessions, and recurring fitness measurements are undertaken.
With specific classifications at NSW tournaments identified in a senior category, referee coaches with the Senior Referee portfolio Amanda Draper, Bill Slade, Debbie Bridgman and myself oversee the appointments of referees into these matches. This allows for clearer goal setting and specific opportunities for our senior referees.
The Senior Panel portfolio was introduced three years ago based on feedback from our senior referees. The Elite Senior Referee Squad formally commenced in mid-2025, with new members added recently following The Championships.
Senior Referees have a wealth of knowledge and experience. How can experienced officials make the transition from refereeing to coaching, mentoring and supporting developing referees?
Most of what they need to support and mentor others is already there from their own experience. What they then need is the same thing we want them to offer developing referees direction and support.
For those looking to mentor or coach, that support might be around how they deliver feedback and check that the message has been received as intended. It may also be about ensuring they are current in what they are coaching others on.
Experienced referees should model the expectations, behaviours and standards that have kept them in the game for as long as they have been. To support developing referees, offer encouraging words and give them your time locally, both on and off the field.
Make the local affiliate a safe place to ask questions and implement coaching they have received, as this is where good habits are formed.
Undertake some self-development and access the referee coaching education pathways available. These will help identify and embed the skills needed, as well as connect you with people following a similar pathway.
If there’s one message you could give the grassroots referees or referee directors to take away from this interview, especially those who have been around the game for many years, what would it be?