WHY BECOME A REFEREE?
Referees are critical to soccer – games can’t be played without them. The referee’s job is to be the official in charge of the game.
- like being involved (you tend to get fidgety on the sidelines);
- enjoy sports and/or wish you were playing
- enjoy/need physical activity (refereeing is a great, light, regular workout);
- don’t have quite enough time, patience or soccer skills to be a coach.
If any of these describe you, you should give refereeing a try. MDSA will provide you with all the needed training, equipment and mentoring to be successful. When you do, you’ll find out that it’s fun! We also need volunteers – “no certified referee, no game”!
REFEREE DUTIES & REQUIREMENTS
Mt. Diablo Soccer has a very clear philosophy – its games are to be played so that they are a safe, positive, enjoyable, growth experience for the children.
However, this is not achieved by adopting idiosyncratic or peculiar rules. Our games follow standard international soccer (FIFA) Law very closely, with only a very few changes to adapt to AYSO philosophy (e.g. controlled substitution to ensure that “everyone plays”) and, at the youngest age levels, to adapt the game to the physical and mental maturity of the players.
HOW TO BECOME A REFEREE
REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL REFEREES
As with all AYSO Volunteers, becoming a referee involves 3 easy steps:
- Volunteer Registration
- Mandatory Volunteer Training
- Referee Certification
- Self-Assign games through inLeague
Step 1 – Register as a Volunteer with AYSO
| Adult Volunteers | Youth Volunteers | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | – Complete current year registration in inLeague (annual requirement) – Select Referee volunteer role |
– Parent must add Youth as a new user on inLeague Account – with unique email address – Select Referee volunteer role |
| Background Check | – Once the Volunteer Application is submitted it will trigger a background check to Sterling Volunteers to complete the (AYSO National requirement) – CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR AN UPDATE FROM STERLING VOLUNTEERS. Follow the steps in this email to submit your Background Check. – You will receive an email from Sterling Volunteers when your Background Check is complete, and you are eligible to volunteer. – Background check must be completed annually |
No background check is required until the volunteer reaches their 18th birthday |
- For info and FAQs on the Volunteer Registration, see the inLeague Help Section.
Step 2 – Complete Mandatory Volunteer Training
- Sign in to AYSOU using your inLeague email and password.
- Under Online Courses, complete 3 courses:
- AYSO’s Safe Haven – outlines the important elements around protecting our children and volunteers
- CDC HEADS UP Concussion Training – understanding the signs and required actions for concussions
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest training – understanding the signs and required actions for possible sudden cardiac arrests
- AYSOU automatically tracks your progress and completion. You cannot referee without completing these courses.
Step 3 – Complete the applicable age-appropriate official Referee Certification
- It’s time to learn how to be a referee! We provide training options depending on the age group you want to referee, both online and in person (subject to current health guidelines). We are moving to more virtual options so check AYSOU.org for the latest and email refadmin@mdsoccer.org with any questions.
| Age Group | Certification Required | Course Options (AYSOU.org) |
|---|---|---|
| 8U | 8U Referee | Online – 8U Referee |
| 10U | Regional Referee | Online – Regional Referee Course + Online / In Person – Regional Referee Companion Course (Field session) |
| 12U | Intermediate Referee | Intermediate Referee Course |
| 14U | Advanced Referee | Advanced Referee Course |
| 16U+ | National Referee | National Referee Course |
Click HERE to see our current course offerings or contact our Referee Admin Team for upcoming trainings or view Upcoming Courses in AYSOU.
Want to be an Elite Team Referee? You will need your USSF certification as well in order to receive payment for refereeing Elite CalNorth games:
- Cal North website has all the details including contact names for more information – https://www.cnra.net/new-referee/
- If you have at least an Intermediate AYSO referee certification – you can cross certify to a USSF Grassroots referee here without needing additional training.
Step 4 – Self-Assign on Game Schedule
Once all your required training is complete – the referee schedule should be available for self-assignment. AND always bring your gear to the game as you will likely be asked to help out.
- For Fall, Spring and Select Program games: inLeague (someone from refadmin will approve the self-assignment).
- For Elite Program CalNorth games (authorized referees only): RefScheduler – select USSF>CA-N>4>Heritage