Referee

Parent Survey – AYSO Region 13
Hello AYSO Region 13 Parents,

This Fall we’d like to learn about the quality of your experiences as an participant in AYSO. Your feedback will be used to improve our programs for everyone, especially the kids.

Will you please complete this short survey about your experiences last week (and over the weekend)? You can do it on your mobile phone. It will take about 2 minutes:

http://ezsurvey.com/region13/?W=3

With some helpful feedback, we will issue this survey at regular points throughout the season.

Thank you,
John
——

John Sweet
Regional Commissioner
AYSO Region 13 – Pasadena, Altadena, La Canada Flintridge, and Sierra Madre
linkedin.com/in/jvsweet
https://ayso13.org

AYSO provides world class youth soccer programs that enrich children’s lives.

Everyone Plays • Balanced Teams • Open Registration • Positive Coaching • Good Sportsmanship • Player Development
All about game cards (Region 13, U10-U14)
Game cards are the official record of each game in U10 and older. This post pertains specifically to Region 13’s own games (not Extra, not upper divisions).

There will be a supply of blank game cards at the Clubhouse and at Victory Park. You may also use this spreadsheet and print onto blank card stock (please, not regular paper).

Before the game: Coaches list every player on the team, in numerical order, even if they are expected to absent; provide the division (as “B10U”), team number, team name, and the names of the coaches; write the date, time, and field at the bottom; and hand the card to a referee. Referees verify the cards and write the two team numbers in the score section at the very bottom.

During the game: Referee team keeps track of substitutions and goalkeepers by “quarter”; notes goals scored (with tally marks) by each player by half; writes the number of goals scored in each half and the final score at the bottom. Usually each assistant referee has the game card for the team on their touchline.

After the game: Referee team records the final score on each card (be sure both cards are correct!); marks the sportsmanship for each team (a typical game is 3 for coaches, 3 for players, 3 for spectators); adds other comments as appropriate; prints the names of all three officials on both cards; and turns in the cards.

Where to turn in the cards: At Victory Park, take them to the tent by the south entrance to the field, where there is a black plastic box to receive them. At Area H, the tent and box are on the apron of the “blockhouse” in the northwest corner. At all other fields, there will be a white envelope tied to one of the goals. Fold the cards in half and place them into the envelope. After the last game at one of these fields, a referee must untie the envelope and return it to the Region 13 Clubhouse.

Thank you for your cooperation in all steps of this process. The accuracy and timeliness of the weekly standings updates depends on the accuracy of the game cards and the timeliness of their return.

— Bill Owen, region 13 statistician
2017 regular season schedule is here!
The schedule files have been uploaded to the website and are now available for your perusal. On the region’s home page https://ayso13.org hover (do not click) on Players on the gray bar at the top of the page, then hover over Schedules, then click on one of Team Schedules, Weekly Game Schedules, or Division Schedules.

A few things to note:
- EXTRA teams’ games do not appear on this schedule.
- Although the division names have changed, for instance from “Girls under 6” to “Girls 6 and under,” we are sticking with the old abbreviation in the form of “GU06” until such time as all the software on the website can be updated.
- Girls 14 and under (GU14) has nine teams this year. To accommodate this odd number, each week one team will play two games. Please check the schedule carefully! Teams playing two games will also have two referee assignments that day.
- We are still short of U14 field space on 10/28 and 11/11 (weeks 8 and 10). Some games on these days will show up in the schedule with the field “TBD” and notional game times. These games will eventually find homes, probably at different times from what is currently shown, and we will inform the teams when that happens.
- The two fields at Muir North are different from recent usage. U10 will now play on field “Muir North 1” in the northwest corner, and U12 will now play on “Muir North 2” in the southwest corner.
Thank you for your patience.

— Bill Owen, region 13 scheduler and statistician, stats@ayso13.org
Special Meetings for 10U & 12U Initiatives
To All 1oU and 12U Coaches and Referees:

You should know by now that AYSO has nationally adopted U.S. Soccer’s recently published Player Development Initiatives for 2017. U.S. Soccer, as a member of FIFA, is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. As a proud member of U.S. Soccer, AYSO has committed itself to adopt these new Player Development Initiatives — which we believe will lead to better development outcomes for our children as athletes and soccer players.

In a nutshell, you will see substantial changes in the way 10U and 12U games are played this year. To explain these changes and give you the opportunity to think about how you will coach and referee players under the new player development initiatives, we are offering two final informational sessions at the Clubhouse.

These sessions are mandatory for referees and strongly encouraged for coaches who wish to attend:
- For 12U Referees – Wednesday, 9/6 (TONIGHT) from 7-9pm.
- For 10U Referees – Thursday 9/7 from 7-9pm.
Referees and Coaches in 10U are especially at risk of floundering this week if they fail to attend the 10U session. Thursday’s session is the LAST CHANCE to be introduced to the new development concepts that we are introducing this year.

So please make every effort to attend. There are no make-ups.

Finally, as a note to the entire community: You may wish to know that these changes — although they are new to us — are familiar and unremarkable in other parts of the world. Please remember that AYSO is unveiling these changes for the very first time in this weekend’s games.

To all spectators and all participants in all games this weekend — let me call upon you to praise and congratulate our volunteers, including all coaches and referees, for their devotion, bravery, and willingness to launch these new initiatives — and to make them a success.

— John Sweet, Region 13 Regional Commissioner, Coach, and Referee
Referee Classes Added!
Part of AYSO’s commitment to our kids is to provide training for all volunteers. For any teams with referees who still need training, there will be two last opportunities in Region 13 to take classes:

On Sunday September 10 from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM we will hold the “Regional Referee Course.” (Coffee and bagels and then lunch will be provided.) This is the class that is necessary to referee at 10U or higher.

On Wednesday September 13 from 6-10 PM we will hold the “8U Official” course. (A light dinner will be provided.) This is the class that is necessary for anyone to referee at 8U, 7U, or 6U.

Both classes will be held at the clubhouse. Registration must be done through AYSOU, after completing the volunteer application through Blue Sombrero. (Please try to complete that process. If you are unable to complete the process, still show up at the class and we’ll help you through. But signing up helps us plan–including making sure there is enough coffee!)

Prospective referees may also take courses in other Regions. All classes being offered are posted on AYSOU.

Note that these courses are after the first game of the season. That means that referees planning to take these courses will not be available to referee that first game. Coaches who do not have sufficient referees to meet their referee obligations for the first game are responsible for finding substitutes. (Coaches can talk with their DCAs for guidance.)

For 6U and above — see you on the fields for our Opening Day of games on Saturday, September 9!
Team Formation Underway
Hello AYSO Soccer Families,

You might like to know that our Division Coach Administrators (our DCAs) are hard at work recruiting coaches, referees, and other volunteers as part of our team formation process leading toward the start of the Fall MY2017 Soccer Season.

We approach team formation in a very careful and structured way. We strive to organize teams so that every child will have an enriching experience playing soccer — and we go to great lengths to balance our teams with player, coach and referee talent.

Over the course of August, each age division (from 6U on up) will have its own target date for team formation. As teams are formed (on a staggered schedule through August), coaches will be reaching out to parents. At the same time, coaches will also be working within our reservation system to choose a date, time and location for practices. All coaches will have contacted families by the end of August.

For 6U and up, our first practices will begin during the week after Labor Day, and our first games will take place on Saturday, September 9, 2017. Our 4U and 5U divisions will be on a different schedule, with the first events taking place on Saturday, September 16.

Did you know that we have over 780 people (so far) who have already agreed to volunteer for our kids in this year alone? We are so glad to have you as part of AYSO and hope that you will consider becoming a volunteer so that you too can help enrich our kids’ lives.

Your coach will be contacting you before the end of August. If you have any questions that cannot wait for your coach at the end of August, please feel welcome to follow up with the DCA for your child’s division. (If you do, please understand that there are 2500 other kids that the DCAs are working to serve.) All of our DCAs are listed here: https://ayso13.org/coach/coaching-staff/

Thanks again for being an AYSO soccer family!
New Heading Ban
See the information below on the new AYSO heading ban in effect with the 2016 Fall Season. The ban applies to all players in the U12 age division and below.

I. HEADING THE BALL

1. Consistent with the U.S. Soccer mandates on heading the ball, heading is banned for all division players U-11 (U-12 and below for programs without single age divisions) and below in both practices and games.

Heading for players in U-14 is limited to a maximum of thirty (30) minutes per week with no more than 15-20 headers, per player. There is no restriction on heading in matches.

2. An indirect free kick will be awarded to the opposing team if a player age 10 or younger, deliberately touches the ball with his/her head during a game.

a. The indirect free kick is to be taken from the place where the player touched the ball with his/her head.

b. An indirect free kick awarded to the attacking team inside the opposing team’s goal area, must be taken on the goal area line parallel to the goal line at the point nearest to where the player touched the ball with his/her head.

3. Neither cautions nor send offs shall be issued for persistent infringement or denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity related to the heading infraction.
Revisions to Laws of the Game
The “guardian” of the Laws of the Game, the IFAB (International Football Association Board), recently completed a comprehensive rewrite resulting in many revisions. These new law changes will be in effect during the 2016 Fall Season. While most of the revisions are minor in nature, and will not have a significant impact on games, it might be worthwhile to understand these changes.

For a summary of the revisions, including kickoffs in any direction, see the slides attached below.

ifab-2016-2017-law-changes-summary

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”