Questions about being a refereePrintable

Common Questions About Being a Referee for LWYSA

The items below are some of the many questions we are often asked when people are interested in becoming referees for LWYSA. If you have a question that is not addressed here, or you want a clarification, send a note to our LWYSA Referee Mentors and we'll get back to you with an answer. In the meantime, thank you for your interest in LWYSA's Referee Program.

FAQ
Do I referee my own child's games?
From U7-U9, LWYSA uses parent volunteers to officiate games. The volunteer will normally officiate 1/2 of their own child's game. You do NOT need a referee license to do this and LWYSA offers free training seminars of a couple of hours to help prepare the volunteer for this. Beginning at U10, LWYSA uses licensed referees to officiate. At U10 and older, you will NOT be officiating your own child's games.
Does this mean I will miss my child's games?
Not at all. LWYSA uses this web site to allow you to sign up for games that are at a time and place convenient for you. LWYSA has games scheduled seven days a week, so there is no need for you to miss even one of your child's games.
I've never played or coached, how can I be a referee?
Being a referee is a totally different skill set than playing or coaching. While having played the game may offer some benefits, especially in older and more competitive play, you will acquire the skills and knowledge required to be a referee through classroom education and, more important, through practicing your new skill on the field.
Do I have to ref the same age that my child plays?
No. You sign up to ref the level of match that you feel comfortable officiating. You could have a U14 player and still be officiating U10 games. Similarly, if you like being a referee and have developed the needed experience, you could be officiating a U14 game while your child was playing a U10 match.
What is a "Referee Pool"?
The collection of referees that are trained and able to officiate games is known as the "pool of referees" or "Referee Pool". There are two different "pools" of referees that officiate LWYSA matches. LWYSA recreational games through U13 are covered by a pool of referees managed by LWYSA. Other LWYSA homes matches are covered by a pool of referees managed by the East King County Soccer Referee Association (EKCSRA). In general, LWYSA is set up to support and manage newer referees. While EKCSRA does have a place for newer referees, in general, most referees in EKCSRA have at least two seasons of experience, and are familiar with the various procedures required for higher levels of competition.
What is the advantage of being a "Referee in the Pool" for a team?
There is shortage of referees. While LWYSA and EKCSRA have managed to keep coverage levels very high, each year it gets harder and harder. When a team has a "Referee in the Pool" and that referee is actively taking assignments, then that team gets a "priority" when LWYSA or EKCSRA is struggling to find referees. They will try to make certain that teams with a Referee in the Pool get referees before they work on other teams.
If I sign up to be a Referee, how many assignments must I take to fulfill my "obligation"?
While there is no minimum number of assignments you must take, to gain any benefit for a U10-U13 recreational team by being a "Referee in the Pool", you must take five (5) assignment within LWYSA (assigned through the http://referees.lwysa.org web site) during the fall or at the year end recreational tournaments. For U14+ recreational play and for Crossfire play, you must take ten (10) assignments assigned through the EKCSRA web site. In all cases, these assignments may be as a center referee OR assistant referee on youth games.
What if I cannot meet the minimum numbers above?
There is no "penalty" for not doing a minimum number of assignments. Priority is determined by counting the number of matches you have signed up to officiate. When the "priority" system is used, we are allocating our resources as fairly as we can - and believe it is most fair to allocate referees to those teams supporting the referee program.
How much training is required?
Referees complete a US Soccer Federation training course which requires about 3-5 hours of online study plus 8 hours of classroom education. Classroom education is normally provided in two evenings or on a weekend day. In addition to these "entry level" requirements, a referee must renew their license each year and take continuing education every year. As of 2013, most of that education will be completed online.
Does it cost anything to become a referee?
LWYSA uses referees that are licensed by the US Soccer Federation. In addition, we expect referees to wear a proper referee uniform. Therefore, there is a cost to obtain and maintain the license as well as obtain the necessary uniform.
How much are referees paid?
The amount varies with the organization you work for and the competition level. In LWYSA, the shorter small sided recreational games (U10-U12) pay about $30. As players get older or matches get more competitive, the amount paid per match increases. A referee that officiates multiple games each weekend can earn several hundred dollars during a season. It really varies with how much you wish - and are able - to referee. When thinking of being a referee for a recreational program, it is really best to think of yourself as a volunteer as much of the money you receive will offset costs (gas, coffee on a freezing morning, extra uniform pieces, a meal on the run, etc.). However, there is also the potential to earn a notable sum. LWYSA does have a small number of referees that earn over $1000 each year.
I'm not very athletic. How fit do you have to be to be a referee?
Its important to remember that YOU choose the matches you wish to officiate. So, you never need to take an assignment that is beyond what you would feel comfortable doing. Because the fitness level required varies with the age and competition level of the players, we actually have some referees who use being a referee as part of their exercise program. With the promotion of small sided games games on smaller fields, U10 and U11 matches can be easily managed by walking and sometimes jogging. You can then work your way up, over a long period of time, to the highest youth levels (U18 Premier). Those are 90 minute matches during which you should be jogging most of the time, with some running. A higher level of fitness is definitely required for those matches. But remember - you NEVER need to take an assignment above a level you are comfortable with. We have some referees that have chosen to stick with U11 and under - and the teams getting a very experienced ref at that age really appreciate those referees.
When are classes offered?
Classes are offered throughout the year, though most are offered in July and August, right before the soccer season. You can attend any entry level class. You need not attend a class sponsored by LWYSA. You can find classes throughout Washington by going to the Washington State Referee Committee web site -> [a2]HERE .
Can players be a referee?
Yes. Approximately half of LWYSA's matches are officiated by current players or brothers or sisters of players. While many of these youth are excellent officials, because of their many activities and changing interests, very few officiate more than one to two seasons. We train about 70 youth per year. After three years, only 2 or 3, at most, will still be reffing. By the time most youth quit, they have only progressed to covering U13-U14 age matches.
Why not get more youth instead of pleading for more adults?
As indicated above, the attrition rate for youth is quite high - about 65% per year and after 3-4 years, those that remain move on to college or their professional lives. The attrition rate for adults is about 30%. After 3-4 years, adults who have not quit will tend to remain referees as long as they have children playing. Some of these will even remain after their children stop playing. It is this collection of referees that serve as the core of officials for U15 and older matches. Thus, the long term health of our programs requires that adults be recruited.
Games keep getting covered, is there really a shortage of refs?
Actually, they are not all getting covered. In 2015, almost 25% of LWYSA's U10 matches went without a referee. U11 and U12 were fairly well covered in 2015, but already in 2016 we have had more uncovered U12 matches than in the previous five years combined. The total number of uncovered matches has increased each year since around 2013. Making it even more difficult is the increasing number of games because there are more teams when you reduce the number of players on the field and the number of "competitive" (vs. recreational) matches, which generally require a referee with some experience, has increased dramatically. Assignors and leagues have taken different actions to try and make sure that we at least have a center referee on each game. Older and highly competitive matches (U16+) often have to be officiated by a single referee, which is extremely difficult and leads to a lot of unhappy players and spectators. We are out of places to "cut" referees. Already, we do not assign assistant referees to many matches that really would benefit a lot from having them, leading to many controversial referee decisions, especially concerning offside and close goal line calls. We are "promoting referees" to work higher level matches sooner than we would like to. While many referees are successful with being "stretched" like this, each year we are doing this more and more often with less than ideal results. Finally, the average number of matches taken by experienced officials keeps going up. The challenge with this is that fatigue can cause excellent referees to have too many "off games". Now, the "older referees" that have been sustaining the numbers of referees in our area have finally started retiring in numbers and there are few younger adults in the pipeline to replace them. The solution is for parents of participating players to physically support the sport by becoming referees themselves. Absent that, more games will go uncovered.
I want to be a ref... how do I get started?
  1. Take an Entry Level Referee Class. Classes are listed here -> [a2]Referee Classes in Washington <-
  2. Sign up on your local soccer association web site
  3. Complete their administrative requirements.
  4. Jump in and ref a few games
  5. Still have questions? --> [a1]Ask it HERE! <-
The important thing is to give it a try. While being a referee is not for everyone, a very large percentage of referees who ENJOY being referees were very skeptical at first, sometimes even a bit fearful. It was not until they actually tried being a referee that they discovered they enjoyed it.