adidas Referee Kits: Shirt, Shorts, Socks, Footwear and Accessories

 

Here we'll look at what adidas has for the boys and girls in black. Referees and match officials are often overlooked when we talk about football kits. But if we didn't have referees, we wouldn't have a game. And they deserve nice kits too.

 

 

What kit does a referee need?

 

  • Shirt – Referee shirts are traditionally black but do come in a range of colours. Black is often mandatory for the lower levels of the game, so check with your County FA before purchasing any other colours. Referee shirts should have at least one chest.
  • Shorts – Again, traditionally black but should normally match the colour of your shirt. Pockets are important for carrying cards, notepads or any other refereeing essentials.
  • Socks – Normal adidas football socks are fine for referees. Match them to your shirt and shorts to make sure you're looking smart.
  • Footwear – It's important to keep your footing throughout the match, so wear suitable footwear for the surface you'll be refereeing on. We've got a range of adidas football boots for all occasions. Firm ground boots for harder grass pitches, normally in the summer. Soft ground studs for softer, muddier grass pitches. Artificial boots for artificial pitches. Simple really.
  • Equipment/Accessories – A set of cards, stopwatch and a whistle are the main products required. A small notebook and a pen will also be helpful to keep track of bookings or any other match details. You might also want to get hold of some flags for when you are on linesman duty.

 


 

What colour kit should a football referee wear?

 

Although we see Premier League refs wearing lots of bright and vibrant colours, black is the traditional colour for football referee kits at the lower levels of the game. Most County FAs ban teams from wearing black kits at grassroots level to avoid clashing with the ref, for whom a black kit is usually mandatory.

 

If you're not sure what colour you need to wear, then it's always worth checking with your County FA. You might also want to have an alternate colour on the off chance of a clash. The adidas referee shirt is available in a range of colours so you've got plenty to choose from.

 


 

adidas Referee Shirts

 

The adidas 18 Referee Shirt (from £34.36) is available in both long and short sleeved. It features all of the performance and technology of a modern football shirt along with everything needed by a referee. The key features of this shirt include:

 

  • Two breast pockets for storing cards or notebooks.
  • Sweat-wicking material to keep you cool and dry in the heat of the action.
  • A range of 5 colours – Black, Yellow, Red, Cyan and Green.
  • Made with recycled polyester to minimise environmental impact.

 


 
adidas Referee Shorts

 

The adidas Team 19 3-Pocket Shorts (from £27.96) are ideal for refereeing. They feature, you guessed it, 3 pockets.Which are ideal for keeping refereeing essentials in. The key features include:

 

  • Two breast pockets for storing cards or notebooks.
  • One black zip pocket.
  • Ventilated to keep you cool.
  • Adjustable waistband with drawcord
  • Made with recycled polyester to minimise environmental impact. Adjustable waistband with drawcord.

 

Alternatively, if you're looking for a slightly cheaper pair of shorts and are happy to go without pockets, then the adidas Parma 16 (from £6.47) are great value and available in a vast selection of colours.

 


 

adidas Referee Socks

 

Referee socks are pretty straightforward. Normal football socks in a colour that matches the rest of your kit will do just fine. We'd recommend the adidas adisock 18 (from £6.91) for complete style and comfort. The adidas Milano 16 socks (from £5.55) are also a great choice if you prefer something a little plainer.

 


 

adidas Referee Footwear

 

Much like socks, there's no such thing as specialist referee boots. However, it's important to make sure that you're wearing the right boots for the right surface. For harder grass pitches throughout the summer or artificial pitches then we'd recommend firm ground (FG) boots. Whilst for softer, muddier pitches you should go for soft ground boots (SG).

 

Let's be honest, thanks to the mostly wet British weather, you'll probably be needing SG boots more often than not. And as a referee you can't be going round in flashy, brightly coloured boots. So a black, classically styled boot is the way to go. Based on that, the iconic adidas World Cup football boots (from £110.46) are our number one choice because:

 

  • K-Leather upper is durable and comfortable.
  • A cushioned ride is provided by an EVA midsole which distributes stud pressure evenly across the sole.
  • Great traction on soft ground - TPU outsole with exchangeable screw-in studs for grip on soft and very soft natural ground.
  • Adjustable waistband with drawcord
  • Made with recycled polyester to minimise environmental impact. Adjustable waistband with drawcord.

 

If you're after a firm ground version, ideal for firm summer pitches, then go for the adidas Copa Mundial football boots (from £110.46). They have all of the same features but with firm ground moulded studs.

 


 

Referee Equipment & Accessories

 

There are some bits of equipment that a referee just has to have. These products include cards, a whistle and linesman flags. We stock the lot. And at unbeatable prices:

  

  • Samba Referees Set (£2.54) – This set consists of a black plastic wallet with red and yellow cards, complete with a game score sheet.
  • Kitlocker Referee Whistle (£1.25) - Plastic pealess whistle, with a braided nylon lanyard.
  • Kitlocker Linesman Flags (£7.50) - Set of two Diamond design Linesman Flags. Sponge grip handle. Comes as a pair in a carry bag.
  • Stanno Stopwatch (£9.74) – Water resistant with lithium battery and lanyard.

 

To shop our complete collection of refereeing equipment and accessories click here.

 

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