No one wants to go home without playing so at the last minute one of the parents on the sidelines steps forward and says they will take charge.

It’s a solution – but it’s not ideal. And now John Baker is heading an FA campaign to ensure that type of scenario happens even more rarely.

Baker is The FA’s Head of Refereeing at grassroots level, and he is currently working tirelessly to get more young people in the game.

Being the man-in-the-middle may not sound a lot of fun too most budding footballers.

But for those who have come to terms with the fact they will never make it as a top player it gives the opportunity to make some money from the game and make their mark in the world of football.

Baker explains: "A match is very different without a referee in charge. Games without a qualified ref tend to break down.

"But there are around 20,000 games to be covered every weekend so it’s not always easy.

"Currently we have about 33,500 referees at all levels. Some play in the week then referee on the Sunday and so they're not all available all of the time. We could probably do with a 10-15% increase to cover all the games.

"We are trying to get young people to become involved with refereeing more.

"Some will see it as a way of continuing in the game after playing, and it will give youngsters who may not be good enough to turn professional an opportunity to be involved in the game at a high level."

The FA are looking to recruit 10,000 new refs each year and are particularly keen to recruit people between the ages of 18-25.

The route to the taking charge of a major Cup Final or international tournament is not easy, so The FA want to give budding Paul Durkins the chance to start early.

Refereeing will not only give you the chance to tread the same turf as your footballing heroes, it will also give you skills that can be used in your life off the pitch.

And Baker explains how a new two tier training scheme will help candidates progress in their all round lifestyle.

Baker adds: "It develops interpersonal skills. There are 20 evaluated activities and courses on things such as communication. At the end you will have a vocational qualification that you can use on your CV."

The new training scheme is designed to make refereeing more accessible. The first four-week session will see you learning the laws of the game. The second five-week session will hone your technique and give you the chance to referee some matches.

Baker is now stepping up his efforts to meet his 10,000 refs quota – and you can find out more by contacting your local County FA, who are helping the campaign with displays in leisure centres and libraries across the country.

So there's really nothing stopping you now, and you never know, you could soon be rubbing shoulders with the greats in an FA Cup Final.

The FA is responsible for the governance and development of football in England, and core to its work is the belief that everyone should have the chance to be involved in the national game.

In 2001, The FA launched a five-year Football Development Strategy to develop our national game, seeking to shape and develop innovative programmes to support and develop young people, teachers, coaches, leaders and parents.

The FA also recognises that sedentary lifestyles and obesity are a problem for this country, and is committed to working with the government and other partners to promote healthy lifestyles, and to use the power of football to achieve this wherever possible.

GET INVOLVED - Your guide on how to play your part

Date Article
02 August Get Involved in... Coaching
03 August Coaching Feature: Les Gets Involved
04 August Get Involved in... Refereeing
05 August Refereeing Feature
06 August Get Involved in... Playing
09 August Playing Feature
10 August Get Involved in... Volunteering
11 August Volunteering Feature
12 August Get Involved in... Women's
13 August Women's Feature
16 August Get Involved in... Administration
17 August Administration Feature
18 August Get Involved in... Science
19 August Science Feature