For the very first time, all Associations with responsibility for the promotion of Gaelic Football, Hurling, Ladies Football, Camogie and Handball will have an aligned pathway and vision for the development of match officials.
The Match Official Pathway follows on from the successful launches of the Gaelic Games Player Pathway in 2021 and the Gaelic Games Coach Pathway in 2023. Players, coaches and match officials will now develop within one shared framework – from Go Games at club level all the way to national finals at Croke Park.
The vision of the Pathway is to support ALL match officials in achieving their full potential.
Its mission is to deliver effective, engaging and accessible learning opportunities for match officials, relevant to their phase of the Pathway. This will be achieved by engaging, supporting and retaining match officials and match official developers, who in turn take responsibility for their own learning.
Mirroring the Player Pathway, the Match Official Pathway is built around three phases – Foundation, Talent and High Performing – which are further divided into seven stages:
· F1 Go Games: officiating non-competitive games for U7–U12 year olds
· F2 Youth Club: officiating competitive youth games
· F3 Adult Club: adult club competition, including referees, linespersons and umpires
· T1 Demonstration of Potential: first development opportunities beyond county level, including the Gaelic Games Female Referee Academy
· T2 Provincial Practising & Achieving: provincial academies and referee panels, including the LGFA Provincial Accelerate Programme
· T3 National Breakthrough: the LGFA National Accelerate Programme, the Camogie Association’s Peter Downey Academy and GAA support panels
· H1 National Match Official: refereeing national inter-county fixtures at the highest level
02 October 2026; In attendance are, from left, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns, Uachtarán Chumann Peil Gael na mBan Trina Murray, and Uachtarán an Chumann Camógaíochta Brian Molloy, at a GAA, LGFA & Camogie Association Match Official Pathway photoshoot at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
The refereeing journey can begin early. Through the LGFA’s Grab Your First Whistle initiative, young people aged 13 to 15 can take their first steps as referees, while the Go Games referee course is open to those aged 15 and over across all three Associations and handball referees can begin their journey through the online Bronze course.
The Pathway also sets out clear minimum standards. To be eligible to referee, every match official must be in receipt of a valid Gaelic Games Associations vetting acceptance letter prior to undertaking their role or have completed their Access NI check. Referees must complete the Gaelic Games Associations Referee Safeguarding Module (safeguarding module built into the referee in-service training) which is available to all Referees on Tobar. Referees must have a minimum referee qualification and complete an annual in-service.
There are no exceptions.
At every stage, the Pathway identifies the people who support a match official’s development – from club referee mentors, blitz organisers and competition administrators to referee assessors and families. Team coaches carry a specific responsibility to ensure referees are treated with respect and have a safe environment in which to officiate.
The Pathway is aligned with the Give Respect, Get Respect and Take a Second campaigns. It also places a strong emphasis on wellbeing through the RefWell programme, referee warm-up and injury prevention resources, and concussion guidance.
Each stage is supported by a dedicated learning space on Tobar, the Gaelic Games Learning platform. Resources include stage-specific videos, webinars on the match official mindset, pitch positioning and communicating with players, and the playing rules of each code.
This announcement once again reinforces the joint approach to Games Development across the Associations. It builds on previous collaborations such as Go Games, Féile, Be Ready to Play, and the Gaelic Games Player and Coach Pathways.
02 October 2026; Pictured at the GAA National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin, during a photoshoot to mark the launch of a new Match Officials Pathway by the Gaelic Games Associations are, from left, GAA referee Rory Hanley, Camogie referee Jenny Casserly, LGFA referee Angela Gallagher and GAA Handball referee Frank Daly. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns, Uachtarán Cumann Peil Gael na mBan Trina Murray, Uachtarán Cumann Camógaíochta Brian Molloy, along with leading referees from the applicable codes, were on hand to launch the Match Officials Pathway.
Speaking about today’s launch, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Jarlath Burns, said: “Recruitment and retention of match officials is a challenge shared by all of us in Gaelic games, so I welcome this initiative as a means of creating a pathway that assists us in this endeavour. We need to support those individuals who step up to the role of being a match official and just like playing, as many as possible for as long as possible is our goal. This match officials pathway aligns to similar approaches to coach education and the player pathway. This new programme will allow the considerable knowledge and expertise that exists to be put to good use, and I look forward to there being long lasting benefits from this integrated collaboration.”
Uachtarán an Chumainn Camógaíochta, Brian Molloy, said: “Match officials are central to the future of our games, and I am delighted to see the launch of the Gaelic Games Match Official Pathway today. This is an important step in giving our referees and other match officials a clear and supported pathway from their earliest involvement at club level through to the highest levels of our games. Just as we have done with our Player and Coach Pathways, working together across our Associations in the Gaelic games family allows us to provide greater opportunities for development and progression.”
Uachtarán CLG Liathróid Láimhe, Kevin Cooke, said: “As Uachtarán of GAA Handball, I am delighted to welcome the launch of the Gaelic Games Match Official Pathway, and proud that GAA Handball is standing alongside our colleagues across the Gaelic Games family in supporting this important initiative. Match officials are essential to the success of our games, and this pathway provides a clear structure to support their development, learning and progression at every stage. It also highlights the shared responsibility we all have to foster a culture where officials are respected, valued and supported in carrying out their important role. We would encourage all current and aspiring referees to embrace the opportunities this pathway provides, continue developing their skills and knowledge, and play their part in shaping the future of Gaelic Games.”
Uachtarán Cumann Peil Gael na mBan, Trina Murray, commented: “The Ladies Gaelic Football Association is proud to stand alongside the GAA, the Camogie Association and GAA Handball in launching the Gaelic Games Match Official Pathway. Referees are the heartbeat of our games, and this shared framework gives every official, from a teenager taking up the whistle through Grab Your First Whistle to those refereeing All-Ireland finals at Croke Park, a clear route to reach their potential. Like the Player and Coach Pathways that have come before, this is proof of what we can achieve together as one Gaelic games family. I’d urge everyone to show match officials the respect they deserve.”
For full details on the Gaelic Games Match Official Pathway,
visit: https://learning.gaa.ie/MatchOfficialsPathway and
https://read.uberflip.com/i/1546914-gaelic-games-match-officials-pathway
For more information, contact:
Camogie Association – National Development Manager, Neil O’Driscoll: Neil.ODriscoll@camogie.ie
GAA – GAA Club Referee Development Lead, Mike Henchy: mike.henchy@gaa.ie
Handball – Operation and Competitions Manager, Padraig Gaffney: Padraig.gaffney.handball@gaa.ie
LGFA – National Match Official Development Manager, Lizzie Flynn: lizzie.flynn@lgfa.ie
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