Looking for a way to make your child’s soccer experience even better?  Looking for a way to keep yourself (or your spouse) in shape?  Looking for community service hours?  Consider volunteering a few hours to be an AYSO referee.  It’s easy, fun and free!  We will offer Referee instruction in early Winter and then again before the Fall Season. 

Have any questions on what it takes to be a volunteer referee in AYSO? Scroll down for FAQs.

All referees with a Regional Badge or Higher (for 9U and older), please review the 2022 Annual Update on the Referee Guidelines page.

Steps to become an AYSO Referee:

1. Register as a Volunteer in Region 10. This must be done each year.
2. Complete a one-time requirement of AYSO’s Safe Haven course, the CDC HEADS UP Concussion Training course, and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest online course that are in AYSOU
3. Complete or renew SafeSport training.
   
4. Complete age-specific AYSO Referee Training:
   1. For reffing in 8U in Fall and Winter, the entire 8U Official class is online, no class attendance is required (for Spring Select games, see note on the Referee Training page)
   2. For reffing in 9U/10U and older, complete the 2-Part course: 90 minutes online, and then attend one of the in-person courses at PV Peninsula High
5. All details on referee training including dates and how to complete the above steps, see the Referee Training page here.

CGISports Referee Scheduling

Region 10 uses a referee scheduling system for all divisions.  Referees are encouraged to self schedule their referee assignments and view their schedules using the CGISports Referee Scheduling website. For 8U, the home team provides the referee, so please schedule yourself in the system for these matches.  On Friday at noon, see if any other games still need a referee and volunteer to ref any open game in these divisions.  Any questions?  Ask your Division Referee Coordinator.

The following links will take you to our CGISports websites:

Referee Scheduling System: http://cgisports.com/ref/5550/
Game Schedules and Standings:  http://cgisports.com/ref/5550/stats/?user=public

For information on how to use CGISports, please refer to the following user guides:

Quick Start Guide
User Guide

Referee Guidelines and Other Resources  – See these for what is expected in each age division and how to be a better referee.

All referees should be aware of Region 10’s Playoff Participation Policy.

Youth Referees in 9U/10U and above should be aware of Region 10’s Youth Referee Commitment Form.

Frequently Asked Questions about becoming a Referee

Q: I’ve never played soccer before; can I (or my spouse) really become a referee?

YES, every year in Region 10 we train over 70 moms and dads like you to help their kids learn the sport of soccer and keep it a Fun, Fair and Safe experience.  Try it.  We’ll help you every step of the way and it may become a real passion for you and it is great exercise!  We are also developing a referee mentoring program to guide you through the first few games.

Q: Will I be able to ref my child’s games?

YES, in 8U you can ref your own child’s games.  In 9U and 10U you can be the assistant ref for your own child’s game, and you can self-schedule other games that are convenient for you. 

Q: How much time will this take?

After you attend the training course, the time commitments are usually about 1 – 1½ hours, 2 – 3 times per month during the season.  We are very flexible to accommodate travel schedules and other children’s game commitments.  This is usually much less time than a coaching position and still allows you to volunteer to help your child’s soccer experience.  We ask for 2 or 3 referees for each team so you do not need to ref every week.

Q: Can I start out as an Assistant Referee?

In 8U there is only 1 Referee per game.  At this level all that is required are the skills (and the patience) of a parent at a play group: directing traffic, encouraging the kids to play nicely, making sure everyone shares the toys, and stopping things if there is a boo-boo. It is very easy and straightforward.  At 9U/10U we have a Referee who is assisted by 2 Assistant Referees.  You can schedule yourself to be an Assistant Referee for your first few games to learn the requirements and gain confidence.  Our training covers both positions.

Q: Can I ref my younger sibling’s game?  How old must I be to referee?

YES, becoming an AYSO referee is a great way for soccer players to learn critical leadership, decision making and communication skills.  You can referee a younger sibling’s game as long as you meet the requirements (minimum age of 10 for 8U games and minimum age of 12 for 9U/10U games).  Community service hour worksheets are gladly signed by the referee coordinators.

Q: Why do youth referees have to pay for their uniforms?

Region 10 spends a lot of money and provides uniforms for free to all trained and certified adult referees.  We welcome all interested youths to take the referee courses to learn the laws of the game.  Since most students in our community are very busy, we want to make sure that they and their parents take the commitment of being a referee seriously.  We require youth refs and their parent to sign a commitment form that explains that the $50 uniform deposit will be returned once they have completed 4 games as a referee or an assistant referee.  Otherwise, the deposit is retained in our uniform fund.  Many youth referees have gone on to referee at higher levels, and are able to earn pocket money in college refereeing club games.

Q: I took the SafeSport training.  It does not seem appropriate for my child to take this course.  Must s/he take this?

The SafeSport training, which helps adults recognize certain types of abuse among, other topics, is only required for adult volunteers, not under 18 year-old volunteers.  Likewise, the LiveScan fingerprinting requirement is waived for youth volunteers.  If you have further concerns, please address these with our Child and Volunteer Protective Advocates.

Q: English is not my first language; will I be able to understand the training class?

YES, our instructors are trained to teach the material in a way that is easy to understand.  The online training is self-paced.

Q: Do I need to pre-register for the training course?  Must I provide my Social Security Number?

YES, these are required.  Please see the instructions above.  SSNs are required by AYSO.  These are used only by the AYSO National Office and are never printed on your form.  Sorry, if you do not have a SSN, you cannot be an adult volunteer for AYSO.

Q: I took the 8U class years ago and have reffed in 8U, what should I do?

To ref in 9U/10U you must have the Regional Referee badge.  Take the Regional Referee course as described above. There is much new material not covered previously that you need to know, such as Penalty Kicks and Offside.

Q: Whoaa, Wait a minute: Can’t I just use AYSO as a Babysitting service?  Do I really need to Volunteer my time?

NO & YES, AYSO is an all-volunteer organization.  You obviously care about your child. This is a youth development program run by volunteers. Who would be better than a concerned parent like you?  And nothing beats the smiles and “Thanks Ref” after a job well done!

Q: None of our parents want to referee our games. Can't we just pay people to referee?

Sorry, AYSO policies prohibit the use of paid referees.  It really is not too difficult to start at the younger ages where both you and the players are learning the game.  Refs make mistakes and learn from these mistakes.  We love our volunteers who give freely to make Region 10 the best place around to play soccer.  Can we count on you to help your child and your team succeed?

PV AYSO Referee Hall of Fame

When you see any of the referees listed below on the field, please offer your congratulations to them for achieving higher levels of certification.  If you would like more information on how to upgrade your badge, please contact any of the referee staff.