What is a (10U) Regional Referee?

In a nutshell, the Regional Referee is the entry level referee grade to officiate 10U and older division matches.  We operate teams of 3 Referees for each match at 10U through 19U, with 1 Referee on the field and 2 Assistant Referees on the touchlines.  Referee teams wear uniforms.

As a Referee gains experience, they may chose to go through additional training to achieve upgraded referee grades (Intermediate, Advanced, National).

Who can be a Regional Referee?

Basically anyone 12 years and older.  You will need to be able to run on the field.  Referees can be parents, siblings, children, aunts and uncles, neighbors and even players.   You may act as an Assistant Referee in matches involving your children / siblings during the regular season.  During the post-season tournament we ask that referees and assistant referees not be involved in matches where there is a family relationship to a player.

Youth 10 years or older may become 8U Officials

How do I become a Regional Referee?

1. Send a note to [email protected] and let the Referee Administrator know that you want to be a Referee.  

2.  Register as a referee volunteer.  For "Role", choose "Referee" or "Youth Referee" (under 18).  Do not chose "Assistant Referee".  We train all referee volunteers to be both Referee (center referee) and Assistant Referee.  Which assignment a referee takes in a match is up to them.

3.  For adult volunteers, consent to a background check, and get finger printed, and complete SafeSport online training per California law

4. In AYSOU, in the Refereeing class group, take the Regional Referee Online + In Person Companion Class, including completing the online test.

5.  Take 3 short online training modules (AYSO Safe Haven, Concussion Awareness, and Sudden Cardiac Arrest) (more info here)

6. In AYSOU, using the Training Events tab, Enroll in and attend one of the In Person Regional Referee companion classes (see Training Calendar)

What is the time commitment?

The training and certification will take some time.  Much of it is required by State and Federal Law governing volunteers in the company of children.  Most of the training is "one-and-done" - so once you have completed it, it is no longer required.  For Adult referees, SafeSport is one exeption, as there are refresher modules that are required in subsequent years.  Background checks are required for adult referees and these must be re-done annually.  Fingerprinting is one and done.

The regular Fall season runs from the 1st Saturday after Labor Day to the 7th Saturday after (usually end of October).  Then begins a 3 week post season tournament that ends in a Championship, usually mid November. 

Referees "self assign" to the matches and match assignments they want to do.  There is a google sheet that tracks match assignments that all referees have access to.  So the number of games that you do, and the role you serve (Referee or Assistant Referee) is your decision and based on your interest and availability.

During the regular season you are allowed to be an Assistant Referee in matches involving your children.

The referee volunteer is asked to come to the field 30 minutes prior to game start, and the rest depends on the duration of the match.  10U matches usually start on the hour and are finished at 5 minutes to the next hour.  Taking 1 10U game assignment on a Saturday this is about an hour and a half.

If you are the designated referee for a 10U team, you are asked to do at least 6 match assignments during the regular season.  See "What is the 10U Referee Rule" below.

What does the Referee do?

At 10U and above, referees serve in teams of 3 and wear uniforms.  There is the Referee in the center, who carries the whistle and is responsible for starting and stopping play, calling fouls and awarding free kicks, monitoring player, coach and spectator behavior, and ensuring a safe, fair and fun game environment. 

Starting at 10U, the full Laws of the Game are enforced, with some Player Development Initiatives at the 10U level.  

10U are played on a small field (49er East and West),  7 versus 7, with 25 minute halves.  No goalkeeper punts or intentional "headers" allowed.
12U are played on a slightly larger field (Bechet East and West), 9 versus 9 with 30 minute halves.  No intentional "headers" allowed
14U and up are played on regulation size fields (McGarvey and Bechet), 11 versus 11.  14U has 35 minute halves, 16U 40 minute halves, and 19U 45 minute halves.

10U and 12U also use AYSO substitution rules that require a player not sit out a second "quarter" until all other players have sat out 1 "quarter".  14U may use this rule or use free substitutions.  16U/19U use Free Substitutions.

The Referee

Also known as the Center Referee, this is the referee who carries the whistle, starts and stops play, makes calls for fouls and infractions, and generally is responsible for providing a Safe, Fair and Fun game environment.  The Referee also is responsible for monitoring Coach, Player and Spectator behavior.

The Assistant Referee

The Referee is aided by 2 Assistant Referees, who operate on the touchline (sideline), carry flags, and help with Offside, Throw Ins, Goal Kicks, Corner Kicks and Goals Scored, among other things.  The Assistant Referee also assists in monitoring and maintaining the game environment, and calling fouls that the Referee may not have seen due to positioning or blocked sight line. 

What is the 10U Referee Rule?

Each 10U team must produce at least one referee to get trained as a Regional Referee, and who must cover a minimum number of game assignments during the season in order for the team to be eligible for the post-season tournament.  More details can be found here.  It basically means if you are the designated referee for a 10U team, you have to do 3 game assignments within the first 5 weeks, and do at least 3 more assignments in the regular season for the team to enter the tournament without a 1 point deduction in pool play points.  Extra pool play points can be earned with additional assignments.

What are the other Referee Grades?

The AYSO National Referee Program has 5 levels of Referee

- 8U Official

and

- Regional Referee
- Intermediate Referee
- Advanced Referee
- National Referee

As a referee upgrades to the next level, they receive a badge which is affixed to the referee jersey

I have never been a Referee.  I have never played soccer before

It is not required to have been an 8U official in order to become a Regional Referee.  It helps but many of our regional referees were not 8U officials.  While it undeniably helps to have been a player, it is not a requirement, and many great referees do just fine with the training and experience they gain on the field.  

The higher level referee badges loosely correspond to the referee level ideally suited for 12U (Intermediate), 14U (Advanced) and 16/19U (National), but capability and experience are more important factors for most games held during the season.  There are perhaps some tournaments that implement required badge levels for different age groups.  We have Regional Referees helping out on 14U and 16U/19U matches here in Redwood City.

Do AYSO Referees get paid?

AYSO is a 100% volunteer organization, and as such coaches and referees and board members are not paid.   Referees who achieve Intermediate Referee badge level may cross register with USSF and get assigned to USSF club matches, which are paid referee assignments.