Becoming a New Referee

All referee training is provided free of charge, and Region 10 provides required uniforms for its referees who complete the training.

Prerequisites

To referee in 8U games, you must be at least 10 years old.

To referee in 9U or 10U games, you must be at least 12 years old.

Instructions

Please READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY, and follow the steps to the letter!  If you have any questions, please contact the Director of Referee Instruction.

1. Register as a volunteer in Region 10 by following all of the steps in this document. (If time is short, you may complete the 3 Save Haven and SafeSport courses AFTER you complete the Regional Referee course).
   
   
2. Locate the AYSOU referee training courses:
   
   Log into your Region 10 volunteer account.
   
   Click "AYSOU" in the left menu.
   
   Click "Training Library" in the left menu
   
   Find the "Refereeing" block and click "View Courses."
   
   
3. Complete the age-specific training course:
   
   
   1. To referee in 8U or younger (in Fall and Winter),  find the "8U Official - Online" block and click "ENROLL."  Take all the modules in order, including the exam at the end.  Once complete, contact the Referee Staff to get a referee T-shirt and whistle.
      
      
   2. To referee in 9U or older, or 8U Spring Select, take either the "Regional Referee - Full In-Person Course," or the "Regional Referee Online + In-Person Companion Course."  The Full In-Person course does not have an online training requirement, but requires a longer in-person session.  Both should take roughly the same overall amount of time.
      
      For the Full-In Person course, locate the course block and click "ENROLL VIA EVENT."  You will be able to search for available course offerings.  It is recommended that you click the "X" next to "Region 10" in the "Regions" box and enter your zip code and desired range in the "Location" box to find available courses offered by Region 10 and other nearby Regions.  Click on your desired course and then click "Enroll."  Be sure to read all course information and prerequisites.  Some of the course offerings are listed below.
      
      For the Online + In-Person Companion course, locate the course block and click "ENROLL."  Take all the modules in order, including the exam at the end. You must complete the online course before coming to the in-person class.  It is recommended that you take a picture of your completion certificate to bring with you to the in-person course.  To complete training, you must also enroll and come to one of the in-person companion classes - Part 2 of the 2-part bundle.  Click "Training Event" in the AYSO menu bar to search for available courses.  In the "Courses" box, search for and select "Regional Referee Online + In-Person Companion Course."  It is recommended that you click the "X" next to "Region 10" in the "Regions" box and enter your zip code and desired range in the "Location" box to find available courses offered by Region 10 and other nearby Regions.  Click on your desired course and then click "Enroll."  Be sure to read all course information and prerequisites.  Some of the course offerings are listed below.
      
      
4. Region 10 referee volunteers attending a Region 10 in-person course will be given a referee uniform upon completion of the course.  If you take your course in another Region, please contact the Referee Staff to obtain a uniform.
   
   Special note for Youth Referees coming to the Companion Class: Please understand that becoming a referee takes a significant commitment from the referee and his/her parent or guardian. We require all Region 10 youth referees to turn in a signed Youth Referee Commitment Form and a check in order to receive the referee uniform. Please see the Youth Referee Commitment Form for all details.

Upcoming Referee Training Courses

Training course times and dates are tentative and subject to change.  Check AYSOU for the most up-to-date course information.

Please note: You cannot just show up to these classes.  You must register in AYSOU and, for the online course, complete the online module beforehand, as described above.

For any questions on which course to take, please email the Director of Referee Instruction.

Returning Referees - Annual Renewals

There are two items that must be periodically renewed to stay current as an adult AYSO volunteer:

1. Background check
2. SafeSport online training

Youth volunteers (under 18 years old) do not need to complete these items.

To check your status, log into your Region 10 volunteer account, and click "Volunteer" in the left menu bar.  If your background check or SafeSport certifications have expired, you will need to renew these using essentially the same process as described for new referees above.  If you have any problems, contact the Director of Referee Instruction.

Returning referees are also encouraged to retake the online portion of the Region Referee training module as a refresher.  See above.

Returning Referees - Upgrades and Other Training

Want to get your name on the Referee Hall of Fame (bottom of the Referee page)? Then upgrade your referee badge this year to Intermediate, Advanced, or National.

What are the requirements to upgrade your badge? See this attachment: AYSO Referee Certification Requirements.

Contact the Director of Referee Instruction to let him or her know that you want to start the upgrade process.

Referees in 11U/12U are expected (highly encouraged) to have the Intermediate Referee badge, and in 14U and older, the Advanced Referee badge.  These take a commitment to study the laws, attend a course, pass a law exam, and be observed or assessed in a match.  Once you achieve this level you will have more confidence in your abilities as a referee and will be looked up to as a leader on the field.

Course offerings can be found on AYSOU (log in through the Region 10 volunteer page).  The Ken Aston Camps are a great opportunity to take these classes over a summer weekend in Orange County.  See Ken Aston Camps for more info.