Common Questions and answers about becoming a
Referee in LWYSA (updated 1/9/2007)
The information below… applies to becoming a licensed referee for U10 and older matches within
LWYSA. For U7-U9 matches, LWYSA uses parent volunteers from each team. Information about
training and becoming a U7-U9 volunteer referee is available on the LWYSA web site.
Why do we try to recruit referees year round? It is important that we have any new referees trained
BEFORE the start of the season, since we need referees right from that very first game. LWYSA begins
play over the Labor Day weekend. In addition, there is a huge demand for referees during summer
tournaments. Because of the demands placed on referees, referee training is pretty substantial. The
“Entry Level Clinic”, taken by most referees, is 16 hours long. In order to fit in that much training, we
need to provide multiple chances for people to take the class so they can fit the time in around their
schedule. Classes are designed to be offered during a “down time” for soccer so that instructors are
available and education can be completed before the start of the season. Team officials that put off
asking parents to be referees until later in the year often find themselves faced with a long list of reasons
that a person cannot fit in the necessary training time. But by soliciting people to be referees early
enough, they are presented with many training opportunities, available across multiple months and in
multiple locations, so that prospective referees can be sure there is a training time that will fit in their
schedule.
Why is there such an emphasis on getting adults to referee? To be clear, LWYSA welcomes the
opportunity to work with young people, age 14 or older, as referees. Many of these youth make excellent
officials. However, history tells us that 97+% of those who are officials at age 14 will quit before they are
18, with most of those quitting before they are 16. Experience also tells us that the majority of adults who
try being a referee will stay with it, at least while their children are playing. This gives these adults a
chance to learn skills over multiple years and become good referees. In fact, there is a notable percent of
these adults who take up being an official as a hobby and continue even after their children stop playing.
While being a referee is not for everyone, many adults discover that they actually enjoy it, once they get
past the initial nervousness that comes with learning anything new. Even if an adult never does an
advanced level game, the continuity they bring to the program helps improve the overall quality of
officiating we deliver.
What happens if our team doesn't find a referee? It is important for your team to realize that LWYSA
does not really consider providing a referee “optional”. Somebody has got to do the work, and if your
team does not provide a referee, then somebody else is fulfilling your team’s responsibility, which isn’t
really fair. If you don't supply a referee and LWYSA is unable to get enough referees elsewhere, (usually
youth that have come to us), then your team will get lower priority when we are assigning referees. There
is a greater likelihood that you will not have a referee assigned and the coach may end up having to
officiate a game if nobody shows up. When your team gets older, your team may face financial penalties
as well.
Do parents referee their own child's games? No. Once we begin to keep score and track standings,
which we do in LWYSA at U10, it is important that a “neutral” party be the referee for these games.
Therefore, you referee games other than your own child's. Similarly, if you are a youth, you do not
referee the game of your brother, sister, cousin, etc. You may step in to be an “emergency” referee if one
does not show up for your child’s game, but this sometimes awkward situation is to be avoided, if
possible.
How are games assigned? Games are self-assigned. You choose the games you want to do from
the list of available matches. This is done electronically via the internet. The assigning system is
available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. That way, you can work around YOUR schedule, both in terms
of when/where you sign up for games and in choosing the games you want to ref. Younger youth
matches are played on Saturday, as well as most weeknights early in the season. For those officiating for
EKCSRA, youth matches are played almost any day of the week, with the majority on Saturday and
Sunday.
How much are referees paid? Pay for LWYSA games ranges from $13 to $35 per game, depending on
age and session. In addition, if a person refs 10 games for LWYSA or EKCSRA in their first year, LWYSA
will reimburse them the cost of the referee class, uniform (up to $60), and US Soccer Referee registration.
Officials for older and more competitive matches, such as those assigned by EKCSRA, may earn up to
$55 per match. The total amount a referee may earn in a year varies widely.
How many games does a referee have to do? To meet a team's obligation to provide a "ref in the
pool", the referee must officiate matches for the organization that supplies referees for your matches.
• U10-U14 Recreational teams, as well as U11-U12 Crossfire teams: officiate 5 games for LWYSA.
• U15+ Recreational teams, as well as U13+ Crossfire teams: officiate 10 games for EKCSRA.
Our team has found somebody to ref, but they can't get to our class. Now what? Send them to the
LWYSA web site (http://www.lwysa.org). They should click on “Referee”, the “Team Referee
Requirements”. Links can be found to the Washington State Referee Committee web site, which lists all
referee education available in the state (http://www.wasrc.org). A new referee may attend ANY “Entry
Level Clinic” or “Recreational Referee Clinic” offered in Washington. They need not attend a clinic
sponsored by LWYSA. Classes are offered almost every month at some Eastside location during the
summer.
Is it hard? I have some adults considering becoming a referee, but they are nervous. Being a
referee is like any new skill. It will get easier the more you practice that skill. A recreational referee is
assigned initially to U10 and U11 matches. The kids in these matches are generally very cooperative and
will go along with almost any decision you make. The number of rules you must remember is small. This
makes being a referee for those ages easy and fun. The sidelines are somewhat less forgiving, but we
have found that our new adult referees generally have few problems. Soccer is a very "logical" game and
we find that a mature person can apply common sense and be very successful as a referee very quickly.
The adults I’ve been talking to are concerned they may not be fit enough to be a referee. How
much running is involved? It is important for a new referee to consider the level of match they will be
officiating when asking this question. A new referee for a U10-U11 match needs to be able to move
freely, jog occasionally, and feel comfortable making decisions. They should also be willing to study a
little to improve themselves as the need presents itself. This is the age level that most referees begin
with. Any adult that practices a “moderate” level of activity will easily be able to keep up with these
players. It is true that referees of older and more competitive matches need to be fit enough to jog for a
good 90 minutes. For a U17+ premier level match, that can easily equate to four to five miles of workout
and really only those referees with a “significant” level of activity should be officiating those games.
HOWEVER, that level of effort is only for experienced referees on the most competitive matches. The
new referee is not assigned to such matches, and would not assign themselves to such matches until
they feel they are ready, and their assignor sees that they are ready.
None of my parents have ever played. How can they be a referee? Player skills and officiating skills
are two completely different skill sets. It is helpful for a referee to have been a player so they can
empathize with what the player is experiencing. However, being a player does not necessarily mean you
know the rules or how to officiate. That is what we teach you in class. Many people have actually
become a referee and found they enjoyed the game so much they went out and joined an “oversomething” age league to try playing.
Isn’t there online study or something to reduce the amount of classroom time required? One of
the biggest objections we hear to becoming a referee is that the amount of class time required to become
a referee is too great. It represents a significant commitment on the part of the person that signs up to be
a referee. The US Soccer Federation, which is the organization that certifies referees, currently does not
have a program to grant training time credit for online work. Many instructors have also found that the
level of compliance on the part of students who are asked to do work outside of the classroom is quite
low. Therefore, the classroom education requirement stands. If you think about it though, you DO want
your referee to be well trained. Referees are one of the most trained groups in Washington State Soccer.
What are the precise training requirements? The US Soccer Federation has different “levels” or
“Grades” of license. The highest level of license is a Grade 1, “International Referee”. A referee begins
their career as either a USSF Grade 9, “Recreational Referee” or as a Grade 8, “Referee”. A description
of each of these levels is:
Grade 9, Recreational Referee: required to be eligible to officiate in any recreational youth
match, as a center referee or assistant referee, up through U14. In order to become a Grade 9
referee, you must complete an 8-hour clinic, pass an examination, and pay an annual fee to
register with the USSF. These referees should NOT be used to officiate “select” or “premier”
matches (though their use as an A/R on younger “select” matches under the supervision of a
mentor or senior referee IS appropriate).
Grade 8, Referee: required to be eligible to officiate in any youth match at any level. In order to
become a Grade 8 referee, you must complete a 16-hour clinic, pass an examination, and pay an
annual fee to register with the USSF. Grade 8 referees are also used on recreational adult
matches.
Note that the above are the minimum levels required for being an official in the level of match indicated.
Referee skill is assessed by an “assignor”, who considers the experience of a referee and determines
what level of match a referee is ready to officiate. Thus, a brand new Grade 8 referee may have learned
all the rules that they need to officiate a U18 Premier match, but an assignor would not allow them to be
assigned to such a match until they had a history of doing other younger matches that demonstrated they
were ready for the higher level match. LWYSA strongly recommends that new referees begin by taking
the Grade 9 clinic while supporting a U10 or U11 team. As a new “Recreational Referee” you can perfect
your skills and technique on younger age matches, in which the players are generally cooperative and in
which the players do not do things which may require more advanced referee technique to manage. If
you find yourself enjoying being a referee at that level, you have the option to take a shorter “bridge class”
to become a Grade 8 referee, and begin moving up the referee ranks. Of course, you are free to remain
a Grade 9 referee and support the younger players. They are entitled to experienced referees too!
What is the difference between EKCSRA and LWYSA referees? Throughout this article and in
various web sites, you may see references to EKCSRA. This is the “East King County Soccer Referee
Association”. EKCSRA assigns referees to adult, collegiate, and many higher level youth matches. They
also assign referees for many leagues, including youth, which may not be large enough to have a referee
training program. In the case of LWYSA, we contract with EKCSRA to provide referees for all Crossfire
matches as well as our recreational matches for ages U15 and up. Doing so gives us access to a much
larger pool of experienced referees than we would have if we used only “in house” referees. Because of
the level of matches supported by EKCSRA, people taking assignments from EKCSRA should have more
experience and be willing to accept the challenges that come from more competitive matches. Beginning
referees in EKCSRA are normally assigned the role of “assistant referee” (on the line) so that the unique
challenges of match management on higher level games can be dealt with by a more experienced
referee. LWYSA and other associations typically have their own referee programs for younger youth
games. These are ideal training grounds for new referees, as referee mentors are more widely available
to deal with the issues facing “beginner” referees. In general, referees are FAR more successful if they
can spend at least one season, preferably two, working in an association setting. This gives them an
opportunity to practice decision-making and referee technique in an environment in which support is more
readily available to them. Organizations like EKCSRA are more focused on promoting referees to higher
levels, and their mentoring and assistance programs are directed accordingly. EKCSRA expects a
referee in their organization to have sound “fundamentals”, though our current shortage of referees
causes all referee organizations to be more flexible. It is also noted, that because of the age and
competition level of games supported by EKCSRA, a referee should be at Grade 8 (or higher) to accept
their assignments. There are very few matches assigned by EKCSRA that are appropriate for a Grade 9
official.
Why don’t we recruit referees from other sources, like colleges and athletic clubs? Actually, it is
important to note that if 100% of LWYSA teams were to provide a referee in the pool that met their
commitment, there would NOT be enough referees to cover the games being played. This means that
organizations like EKCSRA are, in fact, retaining referees from other sources. For example, if every
Crossfire team provided a referee that did 10 assignments, that would meet about 25% of the Crossfire
need for referees over a year. With recreational teams, who participate in fewer tournaments and have
shorter seasons, the figure is closer to 55%. So, the “gap” between what is asked and what is needed is
quite large. It is especially large during the fall season, when the demand for referees is at its highest.
We’ve been hearing about a referee shortage for years, but games keep getting covered. Is this a
“made up” crisis? It is true that referee organizations have been proclaiming a shortage for years, and
it is true that a very high percentage of matches continue to be covered each year, especially in the Puget
Sound area. But soccer becomes more and more popular each year. In the “Eastside” area, coverage
has been accomplished by taking advantage of technology, which allows referees to be assigned very
efficiently (as opposed to the old telephone tree methods used) and by a large pool of adults, many
recruited in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, that continue to referee long after their children have
stopped playing. Many of these referees have begun to retire. The hoped for plan of having youth
referees grow up with the program has not been successful, as youth quit and don’t return. Therefore, as
our older referees retire, there is nobody moving up to replace them and shortages are beginning to occur
in some places. EKCSRA has a long history of very high levels of coverage, but fell short of their goals
for the first time in 2005. Their coverage rate was about 93%, still excellent compared with many parts of
the state that had coverage levels as low as 65%. In 2006, while the coverage rates remained in the mid90% range, there were multiple cases of uncovered U16+ games, which is highly undesirable and reflects
the fact that more senior referees are retiring. The pipeline of referees for EKCSRA is very near empty,
and additional shortages can be expected in 2-3 years, unless new referees, in particular new ADULT
referees, are recruited to refill that pipeline immediately.
Prepared by Phil Mangum – LWYSA Referee Services Team
refereedirector@lwysa.org