Terms of Service

FindaRef is a referee matchmaking platform operated by FindaRef Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. We connect FA-registered referees with football match organisers across the UK using automated matching and WhatsApp notifications.

We are a technology platform only. We do not employ referees, organise matches, handle match-day payments between referees and organisers, or supervise fixtures. All arrangements at the fixture level are between the referee and the organiser.

By creating a FindaRef account you agree to these terms and our Privacy Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, and Safeguarding Policy. These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

If you do not agree to any of these, do not use the platform.

Referees join FindaRef free of charge. There are no subscription fees for referees.

To use the platform you must:

• Hold a valid FA registration at the grade you list
• Be 16 or over (under-18s require a parent or guardian to manage the account)
• Keep your availability accurate and up to date
• Accept or decline fixture offers within the stated response window
• Honour confirmed fixtures or cancel with reasonable notice

FindaRef may suspend or remove accounts that misrepresent qualifications, consistently fail to honour confirmed fixtures, or breach our Acceptable Use Policy. Three late cancellations within 90 days may result in a temporary suspension.

Organisers access FindaRef via a paid subscription. Subscriptions give you access to our automated referee matching service.

To use the platform you must:

• Provide accurate fixture details including date, time, location, grade required, and whether minors are involved
• Ensure safeguarding arrangements are in place for any fixture involving participants under 18
• Treat matched referees professionally
• Avoid repeated last-minute cancellations

FindaRef does not guarantee that a referee will be found for every fixture. Matching depends on availability, grade, location, and other eligibility factors.

Organiser subscriptions are billed monthly via Stripe. Available tiers:

• Basic — £19.99/month (up to 5 active fixtures)
• Club — £69.99/month (up to 20 active fixtures)
• League — £399/month (unlimited fixtures)

All plans include a 14-day free trial. Your trial converts to a paid plan automatically unless cancelled before it ends. No refunds are issued for partial months. You can cancel at any time from your account settings — access continues until the end of the current billing period.

Subscription fees are for access to the FindaRef matching service only. Match fees paid to referees are agreed directly between organisers and referees and are not processed through this platform.

All prices are exclusive of VAT. VAT will be added where applicable at the prevailing rate.

FindaRef does not process, hold, or facilitate match-day payments between organisers and referees. Any match fees or expenses agreed between an organiser and a referee are entirely their own arrangement and are made outside the platform.

FindaRef Ltd accepts no liability for non-payment of match fees, payment disputes between users, or any financial arrangements made between users.

FindaRef operates a referral scheme under which registered users may earn commission for introducing new organiser subscribers to the platform. By participating in the scheme, you agree to the additional terms in this section.

Eligibility. Any user with an active FindaRef account is eligible to participate. Participation is voluntary and free.

How it works. Each user is assigned a unique referral code accessible from their dashboard. When a new user creates an account using your referral link and subsequently subscribes to a paid organiser plan, you become entitled to commission on that subscription, subject to the terms below.

Commission. Commission is calculated at 50% of the referred subscriber's net monthly subscription fee (excluding VAT) and is payable for a maximum of 6 consecutive months per referred subscriber. Commission rates are:

• Basic plan (£19.99/month): £10.00 per month
• Club plan (£69.99/month): £35.00 per month
• League plan (£399/month): £199.50 per month

Commission amounts are locked at the time the referred subscription begins and are not affected by subsequent plan price changes.

Commission triggers and conditions. Commission only arises when:

• The referred user signs up via your unique referral link
• The referred user subscribes to a paid organiser plan and their first payment clears successfully (free trial sign-up alone does not trigger commission)
• You have provided valid payout details via your dashboard

Voiding and forfeiture. Commission will not be paid, or will cease, in the following circumstances:

• Self-referral: referring yourself, a business you control, or a connected person
• The referred user's subscription is cancelled, lapses, or is refunded before the relevant month's commission is due
• The referred subscription results in a chargeback — any commission already paid on that subscription may be recouped by FindaRef
• FindaRef reasonably suspects fraud, manipulation, or abuse of the scheme
• Your account is suspended or terminated

Payment. Commission payments are processed manually each calendar month. FindaRef will make reasonable efforts to pay within 30 days of the end of each month in which commission is earned. Payment is made to the bank account or PayPal address registered in your dashboard. If no valid payout details are on file, commission will accrue and be paid once valid details are provided (subject to a 12-month expiry on unpaid commission from the date it was earned).

Tax. Commission payments are income. You are solely responsible for declaring and paying any tax (including income tax and National Insurance) arising from commission received. FindaRef will not deduct tax at source. FindaRef reserves the right to request information and apply withholding if required to do so by HMRC or any other authority.

Disclosure obligation. When sharing your referral link, you must clearly disclose to any prospective referee that you may earn a financial benefit if they sign up. This is required under the UK ASA/CAP Code governing advertising and marketing communications. Failure to disclose may result in removal from the scheme.

Changes to the scheme. FindaRef may modify commission rates, conditions, or discontinue the referral scheme at any time by giving 30 days' written notice (by email or via the dashboard). Commission already earned and confirmed at the point of any change will be honoured. Commission on referrals that have not yet converted to paid subscriptions at the point of scheme discontinuation will not be payable.

No guarantee of earnings. FindaRef makes no representation or guarantee regarding the amount of commission any participant will earn. The referral scheme is not a substitute for employment or self-employment income.

By signing up, you consent to receive operational WhatsApp messages including verification codes, fixture offers, confirmations, and reminders. These messages are required for the platform to function.

Marketing messages require separate consent and can be opted out of at any time. You can opt out of all WhatsApp notifications by replying STOP, but this will prevent the platform from contacting you about fixture offers.

FindaRef does not conduct DBS checks, verify safeguarding compliance, or supervise fixtures. For fixtures involving participants under 18, full safeguarding responsibility lies with the organiser. See our full Safeguarding Policy.

All content on the FindaRef platform — including the software, design, trademarks, logos, text, and data — is owned by or licensed to FindaRef Ltd. Nothing in these terms grants you any right to use FindaRef's intellectual property other than as strictly necessary to use the platform as intended.

You may not copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of the platform without our written consent. You may share your unique referral link and use the FindaRef name for that purpose only.

You may not use FindaRef to:

• List fraudulent or fictitious fixtures
• Misrepresent your qualifications or FA registration
• Harass, abuse, or threaten other users
• Attempt to take referee or organiser relationships off-platform to avoid subscription fees
• Create multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions or to generate fraudulent referral commission
• Manipulate or abuse the referral scheme, including through self-referral or creating fake accounts

See our full Acceptable Use Policy. Violations will result in immediate account termination and may result in legal action.

FindaRef is not liable for: cancelled or abandoned matches, referee no-shows, no-shows by organisers, match-day payment disputes, safeguarding failures at fixtures, or losses arising from the failure to match a referee to a fixture.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising out of or in connection with these terms or the platform is limited to the greater of: (a) the total subscription fees you paid to FindaRef in the 3 months immediately prior to the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) £100.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law.

We may update these terms from time to time. We will give at least 14 days' notice of material changes via WhatsApp or email. Continued use of the platform after the effective date of any change constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

For questions about these terms, contact us at hello@findaref.co.uk or visit our contact page.