Referee

Welcome to the Region 13 Referee webpage! We have one of the largest and best-supported referee programs in the nation consisting of over 500 highly motivated and dedicated volunteers. Each year, many men, women and youths join the referee ranks in Region 13 and begin to share in one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences they will have in AYSO. With over 200 teams making up the 8 age divisions in Region 13, volunteers at all levels including coaches, assistant coaches, team managers and referees are needed in order for our program to succeed. Volunteers, such as yourself, are the cornerstone of the AYSO program and are the keys in promoting a FUN, FAIR and SAFE soccer experience for our children. All of us on the Referee staff look forward to an exciting season and would be happy for you to join us on the field and volunteer as a referee this year.

To Referee, you must Register as a volunteer, complete referee training for the age divisions your child will play, complete Safe Haven training, and complete concussion awareness training.

Even if you have registered in the past, registration is required every year to ensure you are covered under AYSO’s insurance.

When you volunteer as a Coach, Referee, or Team Manager, you must register or re-register as a volunteer every year regardless of how long you have been a volunteer.

For more information on the steps to be a referee, click here.

Referee training and Safe Haven training are provided at our Clubhouse. Please see our referee training information on this page.

Referees must complete AYSO Concussion Awareness Training. To complete this training…

Go to http://www.aysotraining.org/

Enter your AYSO ID and last name.
Under the “AYSO’S SAFE HAVEN”, Click on “START NOW”
Under “Safe Haven”, click on “CDC Concussion Awareness Training”

After you complete the course, double check that the certification is reflected on your eAYSO record. To do so, log in to your account at www.eayso.org and click on “View certification”.

Training

AYSO offers unrivaled comprehensive training for referees. Because the training is focused on the kids, referee training is more than learning the rules of soccer – it’s a multi-dimensional experience. The U8 Official and Basic Referee courses, which are required elements for all those individuals new to refereeing, emphasize the fundamental elements of the Laws of the Game, namely getting the match started, stopping and restarting play.

For those interested in joining the referee ranks, the required training consists of either a basic, half-day course for those wishing to referee in the U6/U8 division, or a full-day course that is designed for individuals refereeing in the U10 division or higher. Both of these course offerings are held at many convenient opportunities during the year. No advance preparation is required and all course materials will be provided on the day of the class. Refreshments will be provided, along with lunch at the all-day classes.

Completion of the U8 Official course certifies that you may officiate any match at the U6/U8 level. Completion of the Basic Referee course certifies that you may referee at any AYSO soccer match; however, nearly all of our new volunteers begin refereeing games at either the U6/U8 or U10 level. Every volunteer who acts as a center or assistant referee takes the same course, providing Region 13 with one of the best trained referee corps anywhere! Specialized instruction for assistant referees is included in the full-day course. In addition to our on-the-field mentoring program for new referees, we hold workshops and clinics during the regular season for those who wish to hone their skills and referee at a higher level later on.

The Referee Instruction Staff has prepared a training schedule of update classes for returning referees. All returning referees who will be serving at the U10 or higher level need to take one of the Laws Update workshops that are offered. There is a refresher course for returning U6/U8 refs, as well as a “U10 Transition” course designed for those U6/U8 referees who are moving on up and will now be officiating matches at the U10 level for the first time. See the Upcoming Referee Events page for further information.

For those experienced referees seeking to upgrade their badge to either the Intermediate or Advanced level, we encourage you to take one of the Intermediate or Advanced Referee courses that are typically offered within Area 1C. Periodically check www.eayso.org for details of these course offerings or ask anyone on the Referee Staff for information about attending one of these classes.

We also hold our annual Referee and Coach Kick Off dinner which offers workshops focusing on special topics of interest to all referees (and coaches). This year’s dinner will be on Wendesday, August 28th. You may sign up by visiting our calendar and clicking on the dinner event.

Cost

In AYSO there is no out-of-pocket cost in becoming a referee. We only ask that you invest your time to help promote a FUN, FAIR and SAFE environment for our kids. Once you have completed the U8 Official or the Basic Referee class, you will be provided a complete uniform and accessory kit needed in order to get you off to the right start in your first match.

Once again, thank you to all who volunteer to be a referee. We appreciate your commitment to our kids and the AYSO program and we will do whatever we can to make this experience as enjoyable and as rewarding as possible. See you on the field!

Referees are encouraged to check the web site frequently for updates, announcements and other information.

Youth Referees (PRO Program)

In AYSO, we have the Player Referee Organization (PRO) program, in which we encourage players (or volunteers U19 age or younger) to be referees. We have a PRO referee coordinator, and want our PRO referees to contact the coordinator so that we can be aware of them and support them. If you are a PRO referee, send an email to referee@ayso13.org to let us know.

A youth volunteer may become certified as a referee at age 10 (or older). A youth referee must be at least 2 age divisions higher than the players officiated (unless the youth referee has Intermediate (or higher) referee certification — in which case the Regional Referee Administrator or Regional Commissioner will consider an exception).

Care must be taken to ensure that a youth referee is not asked to officiate a level of game at which he/she is not comfortable.

For more information about the PRO Program pull down under “PROGRAMS” and select “PRO”