Steps to Become a Referee

8/10/12/14U — Becoming a volunteer referee and/or assistant referee for 8/10/12/14U  games involves taking online “Regional Referee” training modules/quiz, and then attending an in-person classroom session that reviews the online material and goes into more detail on how to actually “run the lines” or “take the whistle.” Upon completion of this training, you’ll be certified as a “Regional Referee,” which means you can help as an “assistant referee” at any age group, and/or a “center referee” at 8U and 10U games. In order to center referee at the older ages, you’ll need to take the Intermediate, and then Advanced, training (to CR at the 12U, and 14U divisions, respectively).

5/6/7U referees only need an hour-long Zoom session, called “Volunteer Parent Referee Orientation,” that goes over the simple basics to overseeing their little scrimmages. It’s easy, fun, and the best seat in the house. Contact us at rra@ayso20.org and we’ll get you a ZOOM link.

ALL volunteer referees and assistant referees in 8U and older divisions need to get their background check, and take the AYSO and state mandated “safety courses” that review proper interacting with youth athletes and volunteers, concussion awareness training, sudden cardiac arrest training, and Safe Sport (another behaving-around-child-athletes tool). There will also be Live Scan fingerprinting required.  5/6/7U parents just need to take Safe Haven (in addition to the background check).

Here we go:

  1. Be registered in your family’s InLeague account as a “volunteer” in your Family Profile, and choose “referee” as a volunteer preference. Be sure to scroll down and click “submit volunteer preferences,” and then sign off on an electronic “disclosure” form. This will start the background check process in motion, and allow you access to the online training.
  2. Go to online educational platform: eTrainU/AYSOU.  While on InLeague (be sure to be logged in under your name/email and password–not a spouse’s), look in the upper corner for a “graduation cap” icon, which is the link to our online educational platform, eTrainU/AYSOU. Click it and you’ll be brought to eTrainU. 
  3. Click the “Training Library” tab on the left column.
  4. Click “Refereeing” tab (‘View Courses’).
  5. Click “Regional Referee Online + In-Person Companion Course”  tab (‘Enroll’). This will take you to the online referee training modules and quiz (don’t worry, you’ll pass). Take these and for good measure make a copy of your certificate of completion. Don’t worry if you don’t finish them in one sitting; you can always log back in to InLeague, go to eTrainU, and click on “My Training” tab which will bring you back to the modules waiting for you. You can always go back and re-do the material if you need a review. 
  6. Take the in-person classroom session that compliments the online material. Contact us at: rra@ayso20.org for a list of dates and times for the in-person classroom session. There will be several opportunities to take the in-person class, starting August 3. (Refer to a list of classroom sessions—Let me know if you plan on coming–don’t just show-up; class may be cancelled due to low interest…) Classes run from 11:50-4pm at the Colorado Center “Community Room,” OR at one of the other community rooms in Santa Monica (i.e., at Douglas Park’s “Santa Monica Bowls Club” clubhouse; times may differ)
  7. Also, take the required “safety courses” by logging into InLeague, and go to eTrainU (graduation cap icon).  Click “Training Library.”
  8. Click “Safe Haven” tab (‘View Courses’). 
  9. Take the following safety courses and save a copy of your certificate of completion, just in case: “AYSOs Safe Haven,” “CDC Concussion Awareness,” “Sudden Cardiac Arrest,” and the “Safe Sport” course (which brings you to their own website). 
  10. For 8U/10U/12U/14U volunteer referees, Get a Live Scan fingerprinting. Region 20 has a LiveScan session set up on August 18th from 10am – 1pm.  You need to sign up online for a slot. If you haven’t had your fingerprinting by AYSO, you’ll need to get it done for AYSO (even if you’ve had it done for another entity). Here is the link to sign up for a slot:
    https://www.applicantservices.com/ayso-billed