WHY BECOME A SOCCER REFEREE?
Soccer continues to grow in popularity and, with players becoming involved at such a young age, the need for good soccer referees has never been stronger. Have you been thinking about supporting NYSA and becoming a referee? Since you landed on this page, you've at least considered the idea of putting on the jersey, badge, and whistle and taking charge of a game. As an association, NYSA is committed to recruiting new referee’s, helping get them trained, and supporting their growth through our mentor program. Refereeing can be an enjoyable and fun experience, and a great way to stay involved in the beautiful game of soccer. Below are just a few of the great benefits to becoming a soccer referee.
EXERCISE
Refereeing a soccer game is good exercise. You get to be outside and run around, enjoy exciting games, and make a few dollars while doing this. In a game where players can run up to six miles, being a soccer referee is a great way to maintain good physical conditioning to keep you in shape for your own sports, help you lose weight, or just have some fun.
THE KIDS
The game needs referees. Referees are there to make sure the game is fair, fun, and safe. By becoming a soccer referee you are doing a service to the community, players, coaches, and fans.
MONEY
There are not too many things that a young person can do that pays as well as being a soccer referee. As a soccer referee you pick the days and games you would like to work to ensure it fits in with your family, soccer, church, and work schedule. You can work a few hours outside and make some pretty good money. As you improve and work higher level games, the money improves.
KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge is a great thing. The more you know, the more you can do and see. With a complete knowledge of the Laws of the Game, you are better referee, a better player, a better coach, and a better fan. Signing up as a referee is the beginning of this journey to learn more about the game and the Laws.
FRIENDSHIP
Becoming a NYSA soccer referee is a great way to meet friends and mentors that have similar interests. Working with different referees help you understand about how different people can be so much like you and that you have as much to learn from them as they have to learn from you. Some of the people you will meet will become your friends for the rest of your life.
GETTING YOUR REFEREE LICENSE
You have decided to take the next step and become a soccer referee! Your first step is to get your Referee USSF license. To become a US Soccer Federation (USSF) Referee you are required to attend an Entry Level Clinic given by a specially trained and certified instructor. To support the growth of referee’s in our service area, NYSA typically hosts a few grade 8 clinics in July and August. However, if the classes being offered at the NYSA Offices do not fit into your schedule, then you can take a referee clinic offered by another soccer association. Your referee license is good anywhere in Washington state, which means you can referee anywhere in Washington and for any soccer association. New referee’s begin as a Grade 8 Referee. The purpose of the Grade 8 Referee Course is to prepare officials for competitive and recreational youth games. Based on the level of training provided, U.S. Soccer recommends that these officials be assigned accordingly to best service the game.
All Washington Referee Clinics are run by the Washington State Referee Committee (WASRC). To find out what classes are offering in NYSA and the surrounding area click here to head to the WASRC website. Once on the website you will want to create a member registration and then register for the appropriate clinic.
Once you are a certified referee you are ready to submit your paperwork and sign up for games. A separate web site is used by our referees to sign up for matches, report scores, find current training opportunities, and obtain interpretations of rules. Some parts of our referee site are also available to any NYSA member. To visit our referee site, just Click HERE
