AYSO referee training is designed to provide education to referees and prospective referees that will allow them to officiate AYSO soccer matches in accordance with the FIFA Laws of the Game and the AYSO National Rules and Regulations. It is the intent of the AYSO National Referee Program to provide practical, incremental referee training that will ensure consistency throughout AYSO. To register for a course, visit AYSOU. Enter your AYSO user name and password and access short How-To tutorials anytime for free in your My Courses tab on your AYSOU navigation menu. Requirements for upgrades as a Referee, a Referee Instructor and a Referee Assessor may be found in the Appendix of the National Referee Program Manual. Questions on training? Contact Al Prado, Section 1 Director of Referee Instruction.


Upcoming Referee Training in Section 1
Ready to upgrade your skills? Many Intermediate, Advanced and National Referee courses are being offered in and around Section 1. Look up upcoming courses in the table below. Then login & register for courses online at AYSOU. After login, in AYSOU select In-Person Courses > Referee Instructor Led Courses and scroll to register for the course offering you are interested in.

Upcoming Courses


Heads-Up: Concussion Awareness & Safety Training

Many States have recently passed Concussion Awareness & Safety Laws. Key elements from State legislation:

  • Information: Need to inform parents and players about concussions.
  • Training: Require Concussion Awareness Training for Officials (e.g., Coaches, Referees, RCs, etc.) similar to the Center for Disease Control’s online course.
  • Participation Release: Most laws require a Medical Release before a player suspected of having a concussion may return to play.

Best practices and policies are being developed for AYSO as a whole and for local programs impacted by new laws. What to expect in AYSO’s Concussion Awareness & Safety Practices & Policies:

Please watch for the implementation of the new Concussion Awareness and Safety Best Practices and Policies for AYSO and for your Region, Area and Section. AYSO has partnered with the CDC to use the Heads Up program for concussion awareness materials. Go to CDC HeadsUp Training. When you’ve completed the training, print the Certificate of Completion and send to Karen Mihara at AYSO National Office to receive credit for this training.



Referee Course Pre-Tests

As the referee upgrade courses are increasing in numbers, instructors are asking candidate to take the Pre-test to help them prepare. Pre-tests are located in the section Referee Pre-Test and don’t require a password. Your Section Referee Administrator or Section Director of Referee Instruction have the passwords for the Pre-test Answer Keys.


Safe Haven Training

Becoming Safe Haven certified may take a little time, but AYSO families know their child’s safety is worth it. Safe Haven is both a child and volunteer protection program. It was the first of its kind in youth sports. Volunteer protection comes into play as a result of volunteer training, certification and continuing education. The Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 provides certain legal protections for volunteers who have been trained and certified and act in accordance with a written job description. Safe Haven includes these three elements, giving volunteers the highest degree of protection available under the law. Safe Haven training is one of the courses you can take online at AYSOU. You will need to login and click on “My Courses” then open the “AYSO’s Safe Haven Course”.