REFEREE TRAINING CLASSES

AYSO referee training requirements by level and division

Training requirements vary by the level of referee certification you're seeking. Anyone may take the training and exams for 8U Official or Regional Referee, but Intermediate or higher certifications require completion of the lower level qualifications and a certain level of experience. The 8U official can be completed entirely online; all other levels have an in-person training component.

New referees are recommended to take the Regional Referee badge. This qualifies a referee to center ref up to 10U and be an assistant ref at any level. Anyone 12 and older can be certified for Regional Referee. While background checks and SafeSport will require periodic renewal, the referee badge doesn't expire.

GETTING STARTED

Volunteer on AYSO18.org, go to AYSOU for classes and sign up! If your child is already signed up, you can use your regular AYSO18 username and password.

Step-by-step instructions for signing up can be found in the linked PDF: How to Sign up for referee courses. Note that Youth referees will need their own account on ayso18.org. If you have multiple linked accounts (e.g. one for each parent), you must use the main account to create the account for the youth referee and sign them up.

To vounteer as a referee:

• Log into ayso18.org, navigate to My Account, click on the volunteer tab, scroll to the bottom and click "Find volunteer roles". Select the program and referee role and enroll.
• Complete a backround check by clicking the volunteer tab, checking the box next to "risk status" and then clicking "Renew & Update". (This is not required for youth referees.)
• Complete online training requirements at AYSOU. From the My Account section of ayso18.org, access AYSOU by clicking on the mortarboard icon on the left navigation. Find and enroll the necessary online courses.
• All referees must complete AYSO Safe Haven, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and Concussion Awareness before being certified.
• Complete the online portion of the referee training for the relevant badge level and/or register for the in-person course for that badge level.
• 8U Official is completed entirely online. Other levels may have options for 1) an online portion and an in-person companion course or 2) full in-person course.
• To find in-person courses on AYSOU, navigate to Training Events and use the search function. It will default to Region 18; search other regions by clearing the region filter and setting a location and radius.
• Complete SafeSport training (federal mandate) and Live Scan fingerprinting as required by the badge level.
• Register for the ref scheduling system (RSS) at https://www.cgisports.com/ref/5504/. Your registration will be approved after your certification is verified.
• Request a uniform and equipment here. Allow 3-5 days to coordinate pickup or dropoff.

Region 18 Training Courses

8U Official (Divisions 7/8U)

8U Official is completed entirely online (see above). This badge permits refereeing 7U and 8U divisions only. (Note: 5U and 6U do not have referees.)

Regional Referee (Preferred for new referees)

Regional Referees may be the center referee at divisions 10U and below. There are two options to complete the referee training course:

1. All in-person Regional Referee class. Typically a full-day course, but hours will vary.
2. Half online, half in-person. Complete the online Regional Referee class first and then complete the in-person Regional Referee Online Companion Course. The Companion Course is usually ~3 hrs.

Intermediate Referee Course - 12U

Intermediate Referees are eligible to center referee 12U matches and below. Regional Referee Certification is a prerequisite for this course. Some local courses are listed below, but check AYSOU for the most up-to-date information and trainings at additional regions.

Advanced Referee Course - 14U

Advanced Referees are eligible to Referee 14U matches and below. Intermediate Referee Certification is a prerequisite for this three-day course. Some options are listed below; check AYSOU for a full listing of available classes.