Referee Scheduling for the Fall Season (updated for 2023)

Volunteer referees are a critical component of the AYSO program. Region 13 works hard to incorporate our referees into our fall game schedule in a manner that respects our referees’ time and efforts, while at the same time providing for Safe, Fair, and Fun soccer games. Here are the rough guidelines for referee scheduling. Note that there are substantial changes for the Fall, 2023 season.

Team Assignments

6-8U: Basically, referee your own child’s game. See more below at 6U-8U Division

10-12U: Basically, Assistant Referee for your own child’s game. Referee the prior game when you’re home. If you’re the second to last game of the day visitor, Referee the game after. See more below at 10-12U Divisions

14U: Basically, Assistant Referee the game before your child’s game. First game of the day? Assistant Referee the last game on the same field. See more below at 14U Division.

Each Week: Confirm Your Assignment

Each week of the season, starting Sunday and prior to Noon on Thursday, Referee who are assigned to a team (most volunteers) should logon to InLeague (our league management system), select Referee Scheduler, locate their assigned game and “self-assign.” We don’t list your name here, because each team has more than one volunteer and only one spot at a time. We expect the team volunteers to coordinate amongst themselves. 

How to confirm your assignment via InLeague: Watch this video

The Referee Staff will confirm pending assignments on Fridays and you will receive a specific email reminder from the system.

At-Large Volunteers should wait until Thursday at 12 noon to take an open spot of their choosing.

What To Do If You Can’t Make A Game

If you cannot make one of your assignments, please do the following:

  1. Reach out to the other volunteers on your team, see if they can make it.
  2. If not, inform your coach. Working with your coach, reach out to the opposing team and see if they can help with their volunteers. Offer to repay the favor later in the season.
  3. If that doesn’t work, complete the Ref Swap Request form. 
  4. If you have questions, email your Division Referee Administrator

Requesting a Mentor

If you would like a mentor, at any time, please request one using the Referee Mentor Form.

We cannot guarantee we will get you one, but we will try. The earlier you request, the better!

Referee Points

We track referee points to ensure that teams are performing their assigned responsibilities. Each volunteer in 10U, 12U, and 14U earns two (2) points per Referee assignment and one (1) point per Assistant Referee assignment completed. Teams are expected to complete a certain minimum (may vary by season) to earn the right to participate in the Rose City Cup. See the Standings Page for more detail.

Generally speaking, the Referee Staff automatically allocates points throughout the season. Automatic allocation is done based on the team on which each parent volunteer is assigned and the roles they play. The data are tracked via inLeague.

To view your points:

  1. Login to inLeague
  2. Click on your name in the top right corner
  3. Select “Your Profile”
  4. Select “Volunteer Points”
  5. Select “To legacy Volunteer Points”

You can also view and allocate your points:

  1. Login to inLeague
  2. Select “to InLeague Classic” in the top
  3. Select “Referee”
  4. Select “Allocate Referee Points“
  5. If an allocation is wrong, contact your DRA (e.g., ref10u@ayso13.org, ref12u@ayso13.org)
  6. If an allocation is blank and you would like to change it, select from the team list.

We have a quick video on how to allocate points you can view.

If you pre-arranged a substitute successfully, the referee staff will issue you a credit. Please note that refereeing in 6U, 7U, or 8U divisions does not generate a volunteer point towards 10U, 12U, or 14U.

Team Assignments Detail

6U-8U Division

Referees in the non-competitive 6U-8U divisions will always referee their own games. Normally, those divisions play two simultaneous games on two side-by-side fields. Each team is responsible for providing two referees – one referee to each field. E-mail ref8u@ayso13.org if you have any questions.

10U and 12U Divisions

For 10U and 12U we are starting to develop referees into the standard three-person team that is used throughout soccer. However, we are also aware that referees may have many obligations, including multiple family members playing in different divisions. As such, referees are scheduled as follows in 10U and 12U for the regular season:

  1. Both teams at a game must provide one Assistant Referee (AR) to their own game. Each AR should work the opposite team’s touchline, not their own team’s touchline.
  2. The home team (except the first game) must provide a Referee to the game before their game on the same field (regardless of whether it is boys or girls). This will provide a neutral Referee to all games on a field except the last game of the day on that field.
  3. The visiting team from the second-to-last game on a field must provide a Referee to the last game on that field. This provides a neutral Referee to the last game of the day on a field, and also prevents the first game of the day from having to provide a Referee at the last game of the day.

Here is a table illustrating this:

10U/12U Games Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7 Game 8
Home Team Aardvarks Baboons Cows Dogs Elephants Fish Gorillas Horses
Visiting Team Insects Jackals Kangaroos Lemurs Monkeys Newts Octopi Pigs
Team for Refs                
Center Referee Baboons Cows Dogs Elephants Fish Gorillas Horses Octopi

AR 1

 Aardvarks Baboons Cows Dogs Elephants Fish Gorillas Horses
AR 2 Insects Jackals Kangaroos Lemurs Monkeys Newts Octopi Pigs

E-mail ref10u@ayso13.org or ref12u@ayso13.org if this referee assignment system is not clear.

 

14U Division

For the 14U division, we will continue to schedule referees in the same manner as in past seasons:

  1. The (center) Referee for all 14U games will be assigned by Region 13 from a pool of experienced referees. If you are a referee with an Intermediate Candidate or above badge level and would like to start getting experience at the 14U level, please e-mail referee@ayso13.org to be placed on an e-mail list for these positions.
  2. The teams playing the first game on a field must each provide one Assistant Referee (AR) to the last game of the day on that field.
  3. Teams at any other game on a field (except the first game) must each provide one Assistant Referee (AR) to the game before their game, on the same field.

Here is a table illustrating this:

14U Games Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6
Home Team Aardvarks Baboons Cows Dogs Elephants Fish
Visiting Team Insects Jackals Kangaroos Lemurs Monkeys Newts
Team for Refs            
Center Referee (Region 13) (Region 13) (Region 13) (Region 13) (Region 13) (Region 13)

AR 1

 Baboons Cows Dogs Elephants Fish Aardvarks
AR 2 Jackals Kangaroos Lemurs Monkeys Newts Insects

E-mail ref14u@ayso13.org if this referee assignment system is not clear.

16U/19U (Upper) Division

Referees in the Upper Divisions (16U and 19U) are generally of higher badge level (Advanced and above) and are assigned by Area 1C using other methods (primarily the CGI-Sports web tool). If you are interested in refereeing at that level – as a Referee or Assistant Referee – please e-mail udref@ayso13.org. We would love to have you!