OVERVIEW OF OFFICIATING IN MASSACHUSETTS This manual covers the requirement to become a CERTIFIED referee in Massachusetts. This is required if you want to referee in tournaments or in travel leagues such as the South Shore League. East Bridgewater s encourages people that want to referee in our fall recreational program to become certified, however, there are certain age groups where we do not require a certified referee. Organized soccer in Massachusetts involves approximately a quarter of a million participants excluding their fans and families. Players range from seven years old to over fifty years old including men and women. As many as thirty thousand soccer matches are played annually in Massachusetts organized in leagues by gender and age. All of these matches require at least one certified soccer official and matches at higher levels of skill and competition require three certified soccer officials. The international governing body of soccer is FIFA. In the United States soccer is governed by an affiliate of FIFA called the United State Soccer Federation, USSF. USSF publishes the Laws of the Game, the rules that govern all affiliated matches in the US. These rules are administered by certified soccer referees. These referees are formally trained by the USSF and annually recertified. The certification process ensures consistency in the application of the Laws and provides blanket insurance coverage for all the affiliated referees. Each of the United States has its own administrative organization, the state referee committee that administers training, certification, assessment and registration of referees in their state. The Massachusetts State Referee Committee, MSRC, administers more than six thousand five hundred referees, making it the fourth largest program in the country. HOW TO BECOME A REFEREE How to Become a USSF Certified Soccer Referee Being a soccer referee can be both rewarding and fulfilling. Whether for a young person learning responsibility or an adult contributing to the sport, referee training and development is the primary mission of the Massachusetts State Referee Committee (MSRC). To this end, the MSRC has established the following process to ensure that every person who wishes to become a referee is afforded the opportunity to become certified. Step 1 Create an account on the MSRC Central Database: This allows the MSRC to contact you by E mail and be alerted to upcoming events and courses. The information you provide is secure and you will be able to set up a username and password and update your personal information. Page 1 of 6
Step 2 Choose the Right Course: There are entry level course for Referees is the Referee Grade 8 Entry Level Course. To successfully comple the Referee Grade 8 Entry Level Course, the candidate must be at least 14 year of age, complete the online course study prior to the course, attend eight hours of classroom instruction, and pass a 50 question written test. Step 3 Locate a Course Nearby: This is the complete listing of all courses be offered in the state, the course status and the distance of that course from your home address. It is updated continuously. If you do not see a course that is convenient, you can log in to your MSRC Central page and submit a request/alert to be notified when a new course is added to the schedule. Step 4 Enroll in your Course: Once you have found a course you wish to take, and are logged in to MSRC Central, all you need to do is click on the "Enroll" button, confirm your registration, and send the course fee to the name and address on the enrollment information. You will receive confirmation by E mail from the MSRC and the course you have selected will appear on your personal page when you log into MSRC Central. If unforeseen circumstances require you to drop or change courses, you can do so from within MSRC Central. See the Course Cancellation and Refund Policy. Step 5 Attend the Course: On the day of the course, plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time. There is a lot of material to cover and the instructor will allow breaks between each of the modules. Bring paper and pen or pencil. If it is an all day session, bring your lunch and a snack. In the event of inclement weather or other unforeseen event causing the course to be rescheduled or delayed, you will be notified by E mail. USSF REFEREE GRADES EXPLAINED All referees affiliated with FIFA have a designated referee grade. The grade indicates the qualification of the referee to officiate at various levels of local, national and international soccer competition. There is no relationship between a person's grade in school and their referee grade Grade 1 Referees: Referees who officiate in the World Cup and international matches are designated as Grade 1. Grade 2 Referees: Assistant Referees to Grade 1 Referees are designated as Grade 2. Grade 3 and 4 Referees: In the United States competition at the national level (including professional soccer and MLS) requires Grade 3 or 4. Grade 3 indicates the referee will primarily be assigned in the role of Assistant Referee. Grade 5 and 6 Referees: The highest level of competition within a state (amateur leagues beyond youth) requires a Grade 5 or 6 where Grade 5 indicates the referee's readiness to be considered for national service. Page 2 of 6
Grade 7 Referees: Grade 7 is an experienced referee in the state qualified to officiate all but the highest levels of amateur soccer. Grade 8 Referees: This is the entry level for new referees aged 14 and older. Once certified, these referees can expect to be working competitive or recreational games in both Youth and Adult Leagues and Tournaments depending on the age of the referee. Grade 9 Referees: No longer offered in Massachusetts. As referees advance to higher grades they are required to demonstrate their continued qualification for their grade through "maintenance" assessments and sustained high level competition experience. Each referee at Grade 6 or higher is also required to successfully pass a physical fitness field examination which includes distance, agility and speed tests (as set out in the Referee Administrative handbook). The results of this testing are recorded to fulfill part of the annual registration / recertification qualifications. In rare circumstances referees who fail to maintain their qualifications are "downgraded" by the MSRC and this is reflected on their next registration. ALL REFEREES MUST ATTEND ANNUAL RECERTIFICATION TO MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT GRADE If you would like to find out how to progress to a higher Referee Grade please follow the menu on the left by choosing Upgrade under the Referee menu to the left. Approximately 90% of all referees in Massachusetts are Grade 8, 7% are Grade 7 and the rest are Grade 6 or higher. CHOOSE THE COURSE THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU You Must Take the Grade 8 course if: You are at least 14 years old AND OR You wish to referee small sided games only (typically 6 8 players per team on the field). You want to referee small recreational games only. That means that the players did not go through a formal tryout process for the team and the games take place between teams that come from the same town. You want to referee only players who are under the age of 14 You wish to referee full sided (11 players a side) soccer. You want to referee competitive players. That means that you want to referee the higher skilled players, those that have been selected to play for their town, and who will play in games against other towns. You can find a listing of courses, when they are available and register for them at http://www.massref.net/central/courseofferings.cfm Page 3 of 6
REFEREE GEAR You can find discounts for referee gear here http://www.soccerspot.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=52&category_id=4&manufact urer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&itemid=32&vmcchk=1&itemid=32 ADVICE FOR NEW REFEREES Welcome to the U.S. Soccer Referee Community Congratulations on becoming a member of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). There are about 140,000 referees in the country, and that number grows every year. There are more than 5000 referees just in Massachusetts! When you step onto the field for your first match, you may think you are all alone, but you have a very good team behind you. The Massachusetts State Referee Committee (MSRC) is responsible for delivering the referee program in our state. This document contains useful information and some advice to help new referees navigate the system. Understanding the Laws of the Game Make sure you register at www.massref.net so that you can access the following publications for reference. Read and know the Laws of the Game and work to learn the correct interpretations.http://www.massref.net/ussfpublications.cfm Know the generally accepted mechanics approved by the USSF and found in the Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and 4th Officials. You should have received this booklet in your entry level course.http://www.massref.net/ussfpublications.cfm Read the Advice to Referees. More than just telling you what the Laws of the Game are, this book gives practical advice on how to referee.http://www.massref.net/ussfpublications.cfm Know the local Rules of Competition. You can usually get this from your assignor. o Length of halves o Size of ball o Number of players o Substitutions o Penalty kicks or no penalty kicks o Direct free kicks allowed or only indirect free kicks o Offside, no offside o What you do with the game report o Uniform requirements As an inexperienced referee, you will not make all the right decisions. You will learn from experience and from working with more experienced referees. Page 4 of 6
Dress and act professional The MSRC has teamed with The Soccer Spot to provide special prices on referee gear. Complete kits and all accessories are available at discounted prices. http://www.soccerspot.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=4&option=com_virtuemart&itemid=26&itemid=32 &vmcchk=1&itemid=32 Official Sports is a sponsor for the referee program of USSF.http://www.officialsports.com/ Getting referee assignments Initial assignments will likely come from a youth league assignor and will be in the lower level games. Make sure you received the name of your local assignor during the entry level course. If you didn t, contact your instructor for the course and ask how you find out who the assignor is in your area. (There is a place to note your assignor s contact information at the end of this document.)http://www.massref.net/findassignor.cfm When accepting more than one assignment in a day, make sure you allow enough time to travel to the next game. Make sure you let your assignor know what your game schedule looks like if you are playing and if you have any conflicts of interest with other teams, such as family members playing on or coaching teams in the same league. If you are interested in working as a referee at tournaments in your state, watch for a listing on the Mass Youth Soccer website. The referee assignors for tournaments are usually listed, as well as a way to get in touch with them.http://www.mayouthsoccer.org/default.aspx Game fees: The game fees paid to referees vary from state to state, and sometimes even from league to league. You will be able to find out what the game fees are and how you get paid from your assignor and/or your area (district) referee administrator. Things you will need to have You may need your 16 digit USSF identification number for tournaments. You will find this number on your referee account in the State Referee Committee website, and on the ID card you receive in the mail after you have taken the course and registered. You will get a new card each year, but the number will always be the same. If you need your ID number before you receive your card, please contact your area referee administrator or your SRA. If they don t have it, then you may contact U.S. Soccer.http://www.massref.net/Central/login/login_form.cfm?CFID=2188467&CFTOKEN=65365833 A referee bag that should contain the following: o A watch with stopwatch functions two watches is preferred, one for starting and stopping and one for keeping a running time in case you forget to start the first one. o Pens/pencils, o Notebook o Red and yellow cards o Tossing coins o Whistles always have an extra in your bag o Flags for the Assistant Referees or Club Linesmen (if you are working alone) o Cold weather gear when the time of year makes it necessary Page 5 of 6
o Street shoes and dry socks o A large plastic trash bag (to put your ref bag inside in case of rain) o Sunscreen o Snacks (energy bars are great!) if you are going to be doing more than one game. o Rubber bands or baggies to hold and separate player/coach cards for each team. o Water don t forget to bring water. At the conclusion of the game, you may need to fill out a game report. The report is typically mailed to the league where the match is played. Your assignor should be able to tell you where to send the report.http://www.massref.net/refereeforms.cfm Staying up to date with annual Recertification Referees must register each year with U.S. Soccer through their State Referee Committee. Referees may need to meet some annual requirements in order to be recertified. The Referee Administrative Handbook tells you what you need to do to recertify. http://www.massref.net/ussfpublications.cfm The email addresses for all Area Referee Administrators can be found at the state website.http://www.massref.net/about.cfm Recertification takes place in the fall and winter months before the start of the spring playing season. Information about recertification and a link to pre enroll in a clinic can be found at the state website. http://www.massref.net/recertification.cfm Eventually you may wish to be considered for an upgrade. You can find the criteria for upgrading from grade to grade in the Referee Administrative Handbook, which you should receive at your entry level clinic. http://www.massref.net/upgrade.cfm If you miss a year or more of registration, you may need to take a recertification course before being allowed to reregister. Contact the State Director of Instruction for guidance. SDI@massref.net Educational Resources http://www.massref.net/ussfpublications.cfm http://www.massref.net/ussfpositionpapers.cfm http://www.massref.net/ussfdirectives.cfm http://www.massref.net/instruction.cfm Laws of the Game (and Laws of the Game Made Easy) Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and 4th Officials Referee Administrative Handbook you will find the criteria for upgrading here, along with how to write misconduct reports and other valuable information about the Referee Program Advice to Referees Offside Made Easy Position papers Most important ones are available at the state website. You Make the Call Ask a Referee Many other training presentations are available at ussoccer.com/referee Programs/Referee Development Page 6 of 6