Referee Training

Referee Training Information

PHMSA Referee Training

All games in the PHMSA program are refereed using volunteers. 6U and 8U teams must have at least one referee per team, while every team 10U and above must have a minimum of two certified referee volunteers designated at the beginning of the season to ensure the matches are properly covered. Referees must be certified to referee the level of matches that they officiate. Note that there is no requirement to referee the level at which your child plays. The more we can get new referees to officiate the younger matches, the more games involving older players will have a full crew of experienced referees.

Registration for all courses is through AYSOU. The new platform will be accessed through the volunteer tab on your SportsConnect account. Visit how to access AYSOU for more information.

All referees must have completed Safe Haven, SafeSport, CDC Concussion training, and Sudden Cardiac Arrest trainings and be registered volunteers for the current year. Those who volunteer more than 32 hours in a given year must also be fingerprinted in accordance with AB 506. Fingerprinting events will be held throughout the year.

6U and below

There is no specific referee certification at this age group. The home team is responsible for providing someone to manage the game, and coaches are allowed to carry out this task.

8U referees

Training to officiate 8U matches is all online through AYSOU and soon to be moved to ETrainU. As with 6U, the home team is responsible for providing the referee. Volunteers who complete their training will be given a referee shirt and a whistle.

10U (Regional) referees

There are two ways to become trained to officiate 10U matches. Signups for both are through AYSOU. The first is a fully in-person course, which is recommended for those without prior soccer experience. The next is a hybrid course, where most of the instruction is online, but participants attend an in-person field session. This option is recommended for those with prior soccer experience, either as a coach or a player. Upon completion of the course, new referees are provided with a full referee uniform, including whistle, flags and match reporting wallet.

Each team is expected to provide one Assistant Referee (AR) for games while the center referee should be unaffiliated with either team. Signing up for games occurs through refscheduler.net.

Certified USSF referees may become cross certified at the AYSO Regional level after completing Safe Haven & Sudden Cardiac Arrest trainings and registering as a volunteer. Contact [email protected] for more information.

12U & 14U referees

Referees wanting to officiate at higher levels must first become certified as Regional referees. Once they've become more experienced they can take the Intermediate (12U) and Advanced (14U) courses to be able to officiate matches at higher levels. All three referees at this age should be unaffiliated with either team. Signing up for games occurs through refscheduler.net.

Helpful Information

Unable to register for courses?

If you are unable to register for the 8U or Regional Referee courses through AYSOU, please check out the help information at AYSO Wiki and contact AYSO National for support if you still can't register:

https://ayso.org/contact/

800-872-2976

Need to pick up referee gear?

If you are a Regional or 8U referee and need gear, please contact [email protected] to arrange pickup. Please be prepared to show proof of referee certification. Pick-up is at the Soccer Locker at 370 Civic Dr. in Pleasant Hill. The locker is in the back of the parking lot, near the fence.

Referee Training Events

2024 Event shown below. 2025 Events will be added soon.

MDSA / Concord / PHMSA Regional Referee Companion Course
Course Description:
This is the in-person companion course intended to be taken by entry-level referee volunteers after they completed the Regional Referee online course.
This course will provide the referees with additional information, practical training, and experience to help them acquire the confidence to start their referee careers in AYSO.

Pre-requisites:
The requirements to be certified as a Regional Referee are:
Minimum Age: 12 years old
Registration as an AYSO volunteer
Safe Haven Certification
CDC Concussion Awareness Training
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Training
SafeSport Training
Livescan: Required by law for volunteers 18 years of age and above
Completion of the Regional Referee Online Course
Summary here - https://www.mdsoccer.org/mt-diablo-soccer-association-ayso/volunteers/referees/referee-requirements/

Teaching Objectives:
Confirm completion of the online Regional Referee Course. This will be accomplished quickly by using the questioning technique.
Show the students the soccer field components (if a soccer field is available)
Provide the students practice so they can learn and demonstrate the proper use of the whistle; correct signals for referees and assistant referees; proper positioning for referees and assistant referees; and simple communication techniques to be used in working with the coaches in support of the Stewards of the Game principles.
Provide the students with the opportunity to ask questions about refereeing and the concepts presented in the online module and this course.
Provide the students with support and confidence that they will be ready to go out on the field and referee

Date/Time: 10th Aug 2024 9:00am - 12:30pm
Location: Mountain View Elementary School, Thornwood Dr, Concord CA 94521
Instructor: Scott Gallagher phone

Website Manager

Pleasant Hill/Martinez Soccer Association