Essential Things a New Referee Needs to do

You have just qualified as a new referee after successfully attending the referee's basic course, passed the theory and also the physical fitness test. This is just the beginning. You are now categorized as a trainee referee. What are the essential things that you need to do to improve or develop into a good or excellent referee?
1. You need to learn and understand the Laws of the Game better. The more you know it the better and more comfortable you become. Making mistakes because you do not know the laws are the worse feeling that you can get.
2. Getting your equipments is also important. You will need to buy at a set of referee's jersey, black shorts, black long stockings and a black colored boot. For carrying out your duties, you need 2 whistles, a digital watch with countdown or chronometer, 2 pens/pencils, 2 sets of yellow/red cards, a wallet with scorecards and a set of flags. An enthusiastic referee will purchase these equipments instead of waiting for others to provide it.
3. Get to know your senior referees or the referee assessors who will be responsible in guiding you to a higher level by giving appropriate guidance and training tips.
4. Accept your appointment promptly and arrive early for your duty. Get acquainted to the other match officials in the pregame discussions. If given any chances, grab any available match experiences through friendly or school level matches. This will enrich your refereeing experiences.
5. As the usual culture, you will have to get a lot experiences as an assistant referee while waiting for the opportunity to be in the centre. Giving correct offside decisions, pulling fouls in your vicinity and giving correct clear flag signals when the ball leaves the field of play.
6. Positioning in play as a referee is vital. Being in good or proper position will enable you to see and judge correctly. This definitely need your ability to use your fitness capacity to your advantages.
7. Seeing, identifying fouls, giving correct decisions and proper sanctions will take time though some may learn faster. Applying the advantage rule in play need you to be at a proper position during fouls and a wider scope of vision. Ability to anticipate the next phase of play will require more experience and match reading.
8. Man management and preventative refereeing need you to have an assertive but pleasant approach and the ability to take precautionary measures during set play or in play.
9. Proper writing of match report is important as all misconduct and the show of cards need to be reported. All match records like the score, match officials, teams, field and weather condition and other relevant information need to be reported.
10. Post-game briefing either by senior referee in the team or referee's assessor on duty or in the vicinity will erase or reduce mistakes, weaknesses and to improve or enhance the strength in refereeing. Self-evaluation also plays a vital part in improving and motivation of one-self.
The above mentioned are only the basic requirement to fulfill the role of a referee. Further enhancement will require more effort, training, readings and exposure to match experiences.