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Referee Overview

A referee "grade" is not a school "grade." Referee grades are from 9 (low) to 1 (high).

A referee can only work a game up to one year below their age. For example, a 12-year-old referee can only work up to U11.



Referee Grades and Ages

Recommended Class - Referee Referee Age*

Can Referee What Teams?

Grade 9 - Recreation Referee 12 and Over U6 - U13 (Centers or Lines)
Grade 8 - Entry; R2 15 and Over U6 - U19 (Center or lines; adult, select, premier, county
Grade 7 - Entry; R1 18 and Over U6 - U19 (Center or lines; adult, select, premier, county

*Referee age:  a youth referee may be admitted to a class other than for the age brackets listed, due mainly to their experience and comprehension. Contact the referee assignor in advance for Referee Development approval.

The sessions are classroom style, with little or no outdoor activity. Therefore, here are a few of the things you will need:

  • pen / pencil and tablet for taking notes
  • your Social Security number

Here are a few things to consider:

  • food and beverages aren't allowed in the meeting rooms.
  • meeting rooms are to be returned to the condition we found them in: if chairs are on the tables, put them back up make sure windows are closed and doors locked.

If a parent is picking you up afterwards, be sure to check with the instructor before each class. Sometimes the session ends earlier than scheduled.



Class Structure

Grade 09 - Recreation

The 9-hour training, mainly classroom and held over several evenings, deals with recreation level games. The class is more in-depth than the Grade 11 class. Instruction includes offside and penalty kicks; laws of the game, FIFA rules and local variations are studied. Handling spectators, coaches and players is discussed.

The referees receive information on penal and technical fouls, restarts, working with the assistant referees and field positioning. Class participation and questions are encouraged, as the group is often younger in age but generally has more soccer experience.

Where available, the class will watch a newly released video, The Myths of the Game.

There is a 50-question test at completion. Attendees are required to pass by 75%. The referee will complete an application form, attach a check for $20 (payable to "WSRD"), and receive a "REFEREE" badge. Please have your Social Security # at the class

Grade 08 - Entry Level Referee - R2

Class is an 18-hour class, generally held over a two-week period, six nights of three hours per night or on two weekends. The class isn’t designed to instruct the referee on all local issues. It is a training class with international study, footnoting local variances.

Most of the class centers on theory and actual experiences. The students are expected to read and study The Laws of the Game and an Assistant Referee Handbook.

The student will receive a book on the laws of the game, local rules and regulations, referee procedures and assistant referee procedures. The students will study penal and technical fouls, restarts (throw in, drop ball, goal kick and corner kick), direct and indirect kicks, yellow cards, red cards, offside and penalty kicks.

Where available, the class will watch a newly released video, The Myths of the Game.

There is a 100-question test at completion. Attendees are required to pass by 75%. The referee will complete an application form, attach a check for $25 (payable to "WSRD"), and receive a "REFEREE" badge. Please have your Social Security # at the class.


Mandatory Annual Re-Certification

All referees are required to attend an annual re-certification class. The length of time is from 2-3 hours (grade 11) to 4-5 hours (grades 8, 9 and 10). The purpose is to make sure the referee is current on changes from the governing soccer affiliations.

The annual fee for re-certification is as follows:

Grade 09 - Recreation Grade $20 test at completion

Grade 08 - Entry; R2 Grade $25 test at completion

The referee will complete an application form, attach a check (payable to "WSRD"), and receive a current-year badge. Please have your Social Security No. at the class.

***Referees not certified for the current season are prohibited from refereeing games.***

Referees attending training classes or certifications from August 2007 through July 2008 are certified through December 31st, 2008. You needn't be concerned about re-certification until fall 2008, but you need 5 hours of training prior to that time.


Club Compensation for Training and Re-Certification

Check with your club or referee assignor. Clubs vary on how much they will pay toward your training fees, re-certification, uniforms and incidentals. Most will pay for your annual dues, though you may be expected to referee a set number of games prior to receiving the refund.

Pay Structure
The following chart is the Prairie Soccer Club compensation rates approved by the PSC board for the 2007-2008 seasons. It isn't a guarantee of your pay. It is meant to give you an idea of the how the referees are compensated as they work to improve their abilities. Generally, you must submit a game report after each game. Additionally, clubs pay usually at mid-season and at the end of the season, not after each game.

Age
Center
Assistant Referee
U-6
Not Paid
N/A
U-7
Not Paid
N/A
U-8
Not Paid
N/A
U-9
$14.00
N/A
U-10
$14.00
N/A
U-11
$20.00
$12.00 (if available)
U-12
$20.00
$14.00
U-13
$22.00
$14.00
U-14
$22.00
$14.00
U-15
$30.00
$17.00
U-16
$30.00
$17.00
U-17
$37.00
$17.00
U-18
$37.00
$17.00
U-19
$37.00
$17.00
U-12 Select
$30.00
$15.00
U-13 Select
$30.00
$15.00
U-14 Select
$35.00
$17.00
U-15 Select
$35.00
$17.00
U-16 Select
$35.00
$17.00
U-17 Select
$40.00
$20.00
U-18 Select
$40.00
$20.00
U-19 Select
$40.00
$20.00


Additional reimbursements which are an incentive to referee PSC games are:

  • 10-14 games during a calendar year: $25.00 uniform reimbursement.
  • 15+ games during a calendar year: $25.00 uniform reimbursement plus $50.00 certification reimbursement

Preferred USSF referee uniform colors in order of preference are black, yellow, red, and blue. Around the Vancouver area, yellow seems to be preferred over black.

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