Introduction to Match Officiating

The Introduction to Match Officiating course is aimed at those interested in refereeing rugby in the youth and adult game (S1/U13 and above). Match Officials must be minimum 15 years of age to complete the course. Once complete, you will be permitted to referee in Scotland.

The Introduction to Match Officiating course aims to equip match officials with fundamental refereeing skills and tools.

By the end of the course learners will:

• Understand the fundamental refereeing skills
• Be able to apply the essential laws of the game
• Promote player welfare and manage player behaviours during a game
• Appreciate the principles of refereeing

The course also includes a tackle/contact safety session to ensure safe practice at all levels of the game, and to raise awareness of concussion protocols.

Attendees must be a minimum of 15 years of age to complete the course. The course is free of charge.

Pre-course learning

All match officials must have completed the following before attending the course:

• RugbyRight 2021-22 (available via SCRUMS)
• World Rugby online Introduction to Match Officiating course
• World Rugby online Laws exam
• Download Introduction to Match Officiating Course Descriptor

For a further overview of the course, watch this short video presentation.

Booking and Certification

From July 2021 all course bookings will be administered via the SCRUMS system. To book onto one of the courses below you will need to register and create a profile on SCRUMS (if you don’t have an account already). Once you have completed your course, your certificate will be available to download via your SCRUMS profile, as well as information on the next steps.