REFEREE INFORMATION
The Referee’s job is to be the official in charge of the match. He/she is the independent arbiter and manager of the match. A referee’s authority extends to everyone at the field, including players, substitutes, team officials, spectators, and assistant referees.
The first priority for the Referee is to keep the game as safe as possible for the players. While there is risk in all sports, the referee is responsible for minimizing such risks from field conditions, equipment, spectators, and the players.
The Referee is responsible for enforcing the Laws of the Game in such a way as to keep the game Safe, Fair & Fun. The referee is expected to interfere with the game as little as possible, avoiding making calls for doubtful and trifling offenses.
Refereeing in AYSO is a challenging and rewarding volunteer experience. Here is an opportunity for you to join the kids on the pitch as they learn to love the “Beautiful Game”. You’ll have a great time and get some exercise too!
AYSO refereeing is available for youth and adult volunteers. Kids as young as 12 years old are permitted to officiate matches in the U10 division. Kids in high school can manage more challenging matches and even earn community service hours. Refereeing in AYSO is a terrific way to help kids learn responsibility, build self-confidence, and possibly even begin to build a career. Just as there are professional soccer players who started out as kids in AYSO, there are also professional soccer referees who started out as kids in AYSO.
Information from: https://ayso.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=856223
Each AYSO referee must meet the following requirements
Referee Contacts
New Referees
- Becoming an AYSO referee is a three-step process. The first two steps are the same for all AYSO volunteers.
STEP 1 – Complete your volunteer application
- Go to https://www.soccer-n-winnemucca.com/, and choose “Register now” on the upper right hand corner and create an account.
- After signing in, select “Volunteer” on the left hand panel.
- Choose “Find Volunteer Roles”, on the next page you will find one program “Fall Core”, click on the green “+ Select” button, then “View Roles” below.
- A complete list of possible volunteer positions from all divisions will populate, choose “Referee” on either one of them and “Sign up”, then “Continue”.
- Select yourself and “Continue”.
- Complete the volunteer application (you will need a photo ID, i.e. your drivers license, for verification purposes) and accept the waiver, then “Continue”.
- E-sign your volunteer application, then “Continue to Review”.
- Last, review your application and “Submit signed volunteer application”.
- E-mail the Regional Referee Administrator, Ron Espinola [email protected], so we can track processing of your application and notify you when it complete.
STEP 2 – Complete AYSO’s Safe Haven and CDC Concussion certification
- Go to AYSO U and log in.
- Click on “My Courses” to see a list of online courses, and then click on the “AYSO’s Safe Haven” course.
- PRINT your certificate and bring it with you to referee training.
- Click on “My Courses” again, and then click on the “CDC Concussion” course.
- PRINT your certificate and bring it with you to referee training.
To log in to AYSO U, you’ll need your either your AYSO Blue Sombrero ID/login. If you can’t remember your Blue Sombrero ID, use the “Forgot your Username or Password?” option
STEP 3 – Sign up for training
- Go to AYSO U and log in.
- Click on “Live Courses” on the red menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Under the calendar click on “Show All”, then scroll through the courses until you find “Regional Referee Online Companion Course”.
- Click on the “Sessions” icon, and look for a course nearby (we are Section 2, Region 546, if you want to find a course available in our local region).
- Select the course you wish to attend and click “Register”.
- Before attending the in-person course, you will have to complete the online portion of the course as a mandatory pre-requisite. On the red menu bar at the top of the screen click on “eCommerce” and choose “Products” from the drop-down menu (We will reimburse the charges, see below).
- Choose the course “Regional Referee Training” and click “Buy now”.
- In the cart you will have to add your/a postal code for the shipping estimate, even though this is an online course and available immediately after purchase. Then proceed to “Secure checkout”.
- Fill in your personal information and click “Review order”.
- Fill in your payment information and click “Place order now”
- Launch the course and complete all modules except the final exam, print the progress page (see below) and bring it to the in person class. The exam will be administered at the class, even if you took and passed the exam online (This is necessary due to a system glitch). We will reimburse the charges for the online course at the class
Safety
Jewelry
- A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous.
- All items of jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, leather bands, rubber bands, etc.) are forbidden and must be removed.
- Using tape to cover jewelry is not permitted.
Weather events: https://www.aysovolunteers.org/weather-safety/
DO NOT allow a match to start until the goals are anchored! If you still have questions, watch this video.
Policies, Procedures, and Forms
| Number of players, ball size, game duration by halves, etc. by age division. |
| Division | Players | Min # Players | Durationof half | Halftime break | Total Time | Schedule | Ball Size | Heading | Punting | Offside | Buildout Line | GK | Throw Ins | Corner Kicks | Time Between |
| 14U | 11v11 | 7 | 35 | 5-10 | 75-80 | 90 min | 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 min |
| 12U | 9v9 | 6 | 30 | 5 | 65 | 75 min | 4 | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 min |
| 10U | 7v7 | 5 | 25 | 5 | 55 | 60 min | 4 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5 min |
| 8U | 4v4 | 4 | 20 | 5 | 45 | 60 min | 3 | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | 15 min |
| 7U | 4v4 | 4 | 20 | 5 | 45 | 60 min | 3 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | 15 min |
| 6U | 4v4 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 25 | 30-45 min | 3 | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | 5 min |
Game Management
Substitution breaks will occur at a natural break in the game (eg, throw-in, goal kick, free kick) approximately halfway through each half.
The game clock will not stop during substitution breaks. Therefore, it is important to have substitutes ready and keep the other players on the field.
Game Cards
- Assuming the referee is at the field before the start time s/he should find the coaches to get their cards before the game begins. Having designated warmup areas would help with this.
- Team information on Game Cards must be completed prior to the game.
- Game Cards must be completed by referees with names/teams PRINTED.
- Game Cards must record the final scores and any Yellow/Red Cards, and/or Coaches/Spectators ejection.
- Game Cards must be returned to the Referee Coordinator/Ref tent on the same day.
- Referee Match Report must be filed if there is any ejection and/or serious incident.
If a game starts late, each half will be shortened to ensure it ends 5 minutes before the next games' start time.
Enforce significant throw-in violations at U12 and above. Below U12 give them a "do over".
Cautions should not be necessary below U12 and seldom used in U12.
Free substitution will be used for U15. Playing time requirements are still enforced.
GAME CARD IMAGES FROM: https://ayso.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?tabid=947377
Common fouls and rules
Direct Free Kick Fouls
- Kicking or trying to kick opponent
- Tripping or trying to kick opponent
- Jumping at opponent
- Charging opponent
- Holding opponent
- Striking or trying to strike opponent
- Pushing opponent
- Above require offense to be committed in a manner considered to be “careless, reckless, or using excessive force”
- Tackle an opponent to gain possession, making contact with opponent first
- Holding an opponent
- Bites or spits at someone
- Throws an object at the ball, opponent or match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object
- Handling ball deliberately (includes goalkeeper outside box)
Indirect Free Kick Fouls
- Offside (no offside for throw in, corner kick or goal kick)
- Goalie takes longer than 6 seconds or touches ball with hand after release or after deliberate kick or throw from teammate
- Dangerous play (not “high kicking”)
- Impeding progress of an opponent (obstruction)
- Prevent goalkeeper from release ball from hands
- Wasting time
- Touching the ball a second time after the ball is in play following a throw-in, goal kick, corner kick, penalty, or free kick
CAUTION-YELLOW
- delaying the restart of play
- dissent by word or action
- entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission
- failing to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick or throw-in
- persistent offenses (no specific number or pattern of offenses constitutes “persistent”)
- unsporting behavior
- excessively using the ‘review’ (TV screen) signal
SEND OFF-RED
- denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (except a goalkeeper within their penalty area)
- denying a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent whose overall movement is towards the offender’s goal by an offense punishable by a free kick (unless as outlined below).
- serious foul play
- biting or spitting at someone
- violent conduct
- using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
- receiving a second caution in the same match
HANDLING (2019): It is an offense if a player:
- deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, including moving the hand/arm towards the ball
- gains possession/control of the ball after it has touched their hand/arm and then:
- scores in the opponents’ goal
- creates a goal-scoring opportunity
- scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper
- It is usually an offense if a player:
- touches the ball with their hand/arm when:
- the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
- the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the player deliberately plays the ball which then touches their hand/arm)
The above offenses apply even if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close.
Except for the above offenses, it is not usually an offense if the ball touches a player’s hand/arm:
- directly from the player’s own head or body (including the foot)
- directly from the head or body (including the foot) of another player who is close
- if the hand/arm is close to the body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger
- when a player falls and the hand/arm is between the body and the ground to support the body, but not extended laterally or vertically away from the body
WALLS
Where three or more defending team players form a ‘wall’, all attacking team players must remain at least 1 m (1 yd) from the ‘wall’ until the ball is in play