To Register as a New or Returning Referee
Volunteer to Manage Great Game Experiences
Volunteer Referees are an essential part of every AYSO soccer game. Volunteers often begin by officiating their own children's games, and advance their skills as their children advance year-by-year. As they learn the Laws, develop their own techniques for managing the game and gain an appreciation for how important the role of the referee is to a fun, fair and safe soccer experience, volunteer referees find it rewarding to expand their knowledge and experience with AYSO’s training and certification.
AYSO’s referee training is considered to be among the best and includes local classes, area classes, on-field mentoring, and online training.
Soccer knowledge is not required to get started. AYSO has 50 years of experience delivering training designed to meet you at your level of knowledge, and help you get to the next level. If you have no soccer knowledge at all, AYSO can get you quickly enabled and on the field. AYSO referee training will give you all you need to know to have a terrific experience on the field with your kids.
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What Does It Mean to Referee in AYSO?AYSO has a very clear philosophy -- its games are to be played so that they are a safe, positive, enjoyable, growth experience for the children. However, this is not achieved by adopting idiosyncratic or peculiar rules. AYSO games follow standard, international soccer FIFA Laws of the Game very closely, with only a very few changes to implement AYSO's philosophy (e.g., controlled substitutions to ensure that "Everyone Plays") and, at the youngest age levels, to adapt the game to the physical and mental maturity of the players.When Do I Referee Games? The AYSO season in Palo Alto starts just after Labor Day and continues until some time in November or early December, depending on the age group. The clinics that prepare (or refresh) referees for the season are held during the summer or the first couple of weeks of the Fall (see Clinic Schedule). We hope to see you at one of them!Why Should I Referee?
The best reason for being an AYSO Referee is for the kids. Referees play a vital role in keeping the games Safe, Fair and Fun -- what AYSO is all about and why kids enjoy AYSO so much.
But why should YOU do it? While everyone is welcome, refereeing is especially likely to appeal to you if:
- you like being involved
- you enjoy sports, even strange ones (you wish you were playing, instead of just your kids)
- you enjoy (or need!) physical activity (refereeing is a great, light, regular workout)
- you enjoy a challenge (where you pick the level of difficulty)
- you don't have enough time during the week to be a coach
- you want to participate in a sports tradition that is practiced worldwide
If any of these describe you, give refereeing a try.
When you do, you'll find out that it's fun! Especially at the younger age levels, AYSO refereeing is not particularly stressful. Your role is to help the kids structure their game as soccer, teach them a bit about the game and the role of the Referee, and, occasionally, to intervene to keep everything fair. Best of all, you get to be out on the field with the kids, enjoying the game from "up close", while everyone else has to watch from the touch lines. How Do I Become a Palo Alto AYSO Referee? Becoming an AYSO referee in Palo Alto is fully described in Becoming a Referee. If you have a young child in Palo Alto AYSO and are volunteering to referee your child's games, find out your child's Division and plan to attend the corresponding training clinic. Other new referees should start by taking the Basic Referee course and then chat briefly about their refereeing interests for the Fall season with the Regional Referee Administrator. | 
