I’ve never played soccer before; can I really become a referee?
YES, when moms aand dads like you volunteer to referee, it helps kids learn the sport of soccer and keeps it a Safe, Fair, and Fun experience. You do not need to have any experience to start the process. Try it. We’ll help you every step of the way and it may become a real passion for you. It is great exercise! Mentors are available to give advice to new referees. Reach out to any of the referee staff and we will be happy to guide you.
Will I be able to referee my child’s games?
YES, in 8U you can referee your own child’s games. In 9U and 10U you can be the assistant referee for your own child’s game, and you can self-schedule other games that are convenient for you.
How much time will this take?
After you attend the training course, the time commitments are usually about 1 – 1½ hours for every game that you referee. You can sign up for as many games as your schedule allows. Refereeing is usually much less time than a coaching position and still allows you to volunteer to help your child’s soccer experience.
Can I start out as an Assistant Referee?
In 8U there is usually only 1 referee per game. At that level all that is required are the skills (and the patience) of a parent at a play group: directing traffic, encouraging the kids to play nicely, making sure everyone shares the toys, and stopping things if there is a boo-boo. It is very easy and straightforward.
At 9U/10U and above there are three officials for each match: a refeee and 2 assistant referees. You can schedule yourself to be an assistant referee for your first few games to learn the requirements and gain confidence. The training covers both positions.
Can I referee my younger sibling’s game?
YES, becoming an AYSO referee is a great way for soccer players to learn critical leadership, decision making and communication skills. You can referee a younger sibling’s game as long as you meet the requirements (minimum age of 10 for 8U games and minimum age of 12 for 9U/10U games). Community service hour worksheets are gladly signed by the referee staff.
I took the SafeSport training. It does not seem appropriate for my child to take this course. Must s/he take this?
The SafeSport training, which helps adults recognize certain types of abuse among, other topics, is only required for adult volunteers, not under 18 year-old volunteers. Likewise, the LiveScan fingerprinting requirement is waived for youth volunteers. If you have further concerns, please address these with our Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate.
English is not my first language; will I be able to understand the training class?
YES, our instructors are trained to teach the material in a way that is easy to understand. The online training is self-paced and available in different languages.
Do I need to pre-register for the training course? Must I provide my Social Security Number?
YES, these are required. Please see the instructions above. SSNs are required by AYSO. These are used only by the AYSO National Office and are never printed on your form. Sorry, if you do not have a SSN, you cannot be an adult volunteer for AYSO.
I took the 8U class years ago and have refereed in 8U, can I referee older games?
To referee in 9U/10U and above you must have the Regional Referee badge. You will need to take the Regional Referee course. There is much new material not covered previously that you need to know, such as penalty kicks and offside.
Woah, wait a minute - can’t I just use AYSO as a babysitting service? Do I really need to volunteer my time?
NO & YES, AYSO is an all-volunteer organization. You obviously care about your child. This is a youth development program run by volunteers. Who would be better than a concerned parent like you? And nothing beats the smiles and “Thanks Ref” after a job well done!
None of our parents want to referee our games. Can't we just pay people to referee?
Sorry, AYSO policies prohibit the use of paid referees. It really is not too difficult to start at the younger ages where both you and the players are learning the game. Referees make mistakes and learn from these mistakes. That's fine! We love our volunteers who give freely to make Region 10 the best place around to play soccer. Can we count on you to help your child and your team succeed?