GOAL: To ensure a FUN, FAIR, and SAFE environment for our players by having qualified referees for all games.
To qualify for play-offs, each 10U-14U team must earn the following minimum amount of referee points during the regular season: for 10U – 80 points, for 12U – 90 points and for 14U – 100 points. 10U-14U Teams that fail to obtain the minimum number of points will NOT be eligible for post-season play.
Rules and Procedures:
1. Each team will be asked to provide a minimum of two (2) adult referees. Teams may provide as many additional adult or youth referees, as they desire.
2. All coaches are to provide to the Regional Referee Administrator the names of their designated referees or candidate referees by the end of the third week of the season (Sunday, 09/22/2024).
3. A referee must be at least a Regional Referee or 8U Referee and must have completed a volunteer application via Sports Connect (www.Region71.org) for the current season. No points will be awarded to referees who have not registered as a 2024-2025 AYSO volunteer. This includes completed all the requirements:
a. The on-line course via AYSOU: Safe Haven, Concussion Awareness, and Sudden Cardiac Arrest
b. SafeSport via the links provided in www.region71.org
c. LiveScan/fingerprinting along with providing the information required to Sterling Volunteers for a background check.
d. Referee Training: Region 71 will train and certify new referees by offering a Regional Referee course via the on-line Regional Referee course and the companion in-person course to be offered at various times during August-September 2024. This course will also be good to referee 8U matches and be an assistant referee for 10U matches and allow growth to referee 10U and 12U matches. See this link for details, including how to take the online 8U Referee course to be able to referee only 8U matches.
4. Referees may award their points to a team that a family member plays on (e.g., son, daughter, and/or sibling). In the event the referee has more than one team that is being supported, their point will be allocated to the team most in need of points as determined by the Regional Referee Administrator and the Statistician. Referees should let the Statistician know of such situations.
a. Referees should note the team they wish their points to be assigned on the back of the game card used for each match. Clearly notate the division including age and gender with the team number and if unsure write the coach’s name.
5. A referee may allocate up to 20 points (4 matches) towards a designated team that does not contain a family member. The maximum at team can earn from this provision is 20 points, subject to approval by the executive board of the Board of Directors.
6. A coach that meets the referee training requirements and does not have a family member playing may allocate their points to their own team. However, a coach may not referee their own team’s matches.
7. Board Members including Division Representatives who have a child on a team may earn 5 points for attending a board meeting up to 10 points (2 meetings) between August and November.
8. An approved referee by the Referee or Assistant Referee Administrator may also be a field monitor and/or a mentor a referee for a match and earn 5 volunteer points for that match up to 20 points (4 matches) for the season.
9. Referees may earn 5 points per Saturday during prior Spring Soccer season up to a maximum of 20 points for any one team towards the Fall Season for a given calendar year. The 5 points is per Saturday not per match regardless of matches refereed each Saturday.
10. Referee points are earned by registered volunteers as coaches, assistant coaches and referees including youth referees as follows:
a. Training Points: up to 40 points per team for the 10U division, 30 points per team for the 12U division, and 20 points for the 14U division may be earned by attending referee training classes, clinics and/or Law Day (5 points per event with Law Day points limited to 20 points per team. These points are limited to coaches, referees and candidate referees. An additional 10 points will be awarded regardless of division for any registered volunteer referee for obtaining the Intermediate or Advanced badge before the last day of matches for the regular season. This means there is a total of 50 points for 10U division, 40 points for 12U division and 30 points for 14U division can be obtained via Training Points.
b. Field Points: five (5) referee points are earned for refereeing any 8U-19U division matches as well as VIP matches, and includes if signed up but match is cancelled or postponed due to weather/fires.
- All referees must referee at least five (5) matches as either Referee or Assistant Referee to have their Training Points count.
- For every fifth (5t) game officiated by a referee an additional five (5) points will be awarded.
- Earning these points includes ensuring the Referee Administrator and Statistician know what team the new referee is representing by the end of the 3rd weekend of matches (as outlined in #2 above), as well as ensuring when they sign in they clearly note that team on the sign-in sheet and the game cards.
11. Recently-certified referees must referee a minimum of four matches or have the recommendation of a referee staff member to referee pool play matches (matches that count for play-offs usually after a few weeks into the season). No referees will be allowed to earn points after the Regular season ends.