Becoming an AYSO Referee
To become an AYSO referee you must attend an
AYSO
referee training clinic. The introductory clinics cover the Laws
of the
Game (for those new to soccer), the way AYSO soccer games are
structured
and held (from coin-toss to end of game handshakes), and the spirit and
philosophy of AYSO. At these clinics, you can also pick up some things
you will need -- a copy of the Laws, the Palo Alto Regional Referee's
Handbook,
and referee uniforms, whistles,etc.
The introductory clinics are designed to be quick,
easy,
and fun to take - even for those with no prior soccer
experience
at all. There are two introductory clinics, one for those who
will referee
U7/U8/U9 players and one for those preparing to referee in U10
or above.
Preparing to Referee U7/U8/U9 Players
The U7/U8/U9 Referee Course is especially designed for
the complete
beginner (although it is equally useful to recalibrate experienced
soccer
players to the Under 8 game!). It consists of a single, two and a
half
hour class session. The class session will answer all your
questions, including
"Do I really want to do this?" (YES!)
There is also a videotape about refereeing in
U7/U8/U9.
Since this was made a few years ago, it shows only 7-a-side play, but
much
of the material still applies to play in this age group. (In
2003, all
U7 and U8 games are 4 v 4, U9 games are 5 v 5, and U10 games are 7 v
7.)
The videotape is available at the Palo
Alto Library. Copies of the tape can also be obtained
directly from
the
U7/U8/U9 Referee
Coordinator.
Preparing to Referee Older Players
The Basic Referee Course is an
introduction to the full Laws,
designed to prepare you to referee U10's and above. This course
takes two class sessions, each two and a half hours long, as well as a
subsequent night where you will take an exam on the Laws that is
required in order to be awarded an
AYSO Regional Referee badge. Safe Haven materials are also presented on
the third night of the Basic Referee Course -- remember, if you have
already taken Safe Haven once, you do not have to stay for this part of
the course. The Basic Referee Course is a little longer than the
U7/U8/U9 clinic
because it covers the full Laws, rather than just the simplified ones
used
for U7/U8/U9.
The Basic Referee Course is good for beginners who
want
to start in U10 (we don't normally recommend starting in
the older age groups). In addition, folks who have previously
refereed in U7/U8/U9, and who are planning to referee older children
for the first
time, should attend the Regional clinic -- the Laws change
significantly
between U7/U8/U9 and U10, and experience in U7/U8/U9, although
a good base, is not sufficient to referee older children's games
successfully.
Referee Training for Experienced Players
If you have played the game extensively, you might
wonder
whether you could just "jump in" at a higher level. While playing
experience
is a great help to a referee, we still recommend that you start
by taking the Basic Referee Course. Although some of the Law
material will be
familiar to you, most players' Law knowledge is a little uneven and the
comprehensive review will be worth while. Also, refereeing is a
skill,
like playing but different, and you should take a little time to learn
the game from this novel perspective.
One kind of experienced player who is particularly
welcome
as a referee are local high school students who are current or former
youth
soccer players. If you are one, and are interested in refereeing AYSO
games,
plan on taking the Basic Referee Course and please also contact the Region
Referee Administrator so we can get you included in the Fall's
schedule.
If you are already a certified referee in
another
organization, please contact the
Region
Referee Administrator. We do cross-certify referees from some
organizations
(most notably USSF) and we'd be happy to get you involved with Palo
Alto
AYSO.
Advanced Referee Training
In addition to the courses described here, there are
also
more advanced classes for more experienced referees which cover the
Laws
and the art of refereeing in greater depth. These are described
in Becoming
a Better Referee.