We have a severe shortage of referees across the Madison area, the state, and the country. 

You can help address that shortage, as new referee certification courses are open ahead of the Spring 2023 season.

The Grassroots First-Time Referee course is for candidates who haven't previously been registered as a referee, or for previously registered referees who have had a lapse in registration. The minimum age for referees at the 9U and up levels is 13.

*Rock Soccer Club offers 11 and 12-year-old players the opportunity to referee our 7U/8U In-House program as a stepping stone to becoming an official referee. Please contact Jenn Schroeder for more information: 

Email the In-House Director

The total cost of the course is $70-100, depending on the referee's age. However, successful candidates will receive a full reimbursement of their registration fee from the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association, plus a $50 uniform kit allowance.

Additionally, the Madison Area Youth Soccer Association offers a $50 bonus to first-year referees after they have officiated their first five MAYSA league games. And, referees who officiate 10 MAYSA league games or more receive a $65 bonus after completing their recertification course the following offseason.

GRASSROOTS FIRST-YEAR REFEREE COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Complete all U.S. Soccer required assignments in the U.S. Soccer Learning Center
2. Create a GameOfficials account
3. Successfully complete all pre-course work
4. Successfully completed in-person & virtual course

This is a 16-hour course:

• 8 hours in the U.S. Soccer Learning Center
• 4 hours of individual pre-course work
• 4 hours virtual online Zoom course with instructors on site

STEPS TO REGISTER AS A 2023 USSF REFEREE

WisRef utilizes 2 platforms. Registration and learning are within the US Soccer Learning Center. Game assignments, after completing all requirements, will be in the WisRef GameOfficials platform.

1. Create a Referee profile in the US Soccer Learning Center: https://learning.ussoccer.com/.

This profile or account is for the Referee, not the parent. Full name & mailing address is required; the name, address & primary email should be the same as will be input into GameOfficials. Please note that school email addresses are sometimes problematic, so should be avoided.

Directions: https://ussoccerfederation.force.com/lcsupport/s/article/Sign-Up-for-an-Account

If you are 18 or older, you will be prompted to pay for and complete a 2-year background check and complete the SafeSport module. If you turn 18 during a registration period, you will be required to complete the background check and SafeSport in order to continue refereeing during the seasons.

https://ussoccerfederation.force.com/lcsupport/s/article/How-to-find-and-sign-up-for-a-course-in-the-Learning-Center

2. After you create your account, pay the $70 US Soccer 2023 registration fee and WisRef course fee. Register in the following course: 2023 New Grassroots Referee - Assignment Course (August)

3. Complete all US Soccer Learning Center required assignments in the following pathway: Courses/My Courses/Go to Classroom/Assignments. Remember to log out if you take a break from the training and continually save your progress. Chromebooks are not always compatible, may not load, save, or display properly, and may be incompatible with the Zoom program required later.

4. Set up a GameOfficials account for game assignments in the WisRef GameOfficials assigning platform: https://wisref.gameofficials.net (use this link). This account is for the Referee, not the parent. Full name & mailing address is required; the name, address & primary email should be the same as was input into the Learning Center. Please note that school email addresses are sometimes problematic, so should be avoided. There will not be any coursework completed in GameOfficials (GO). GameOfficials is only for game assignments once you have been registered as a referee.

5. After completing steps 1 through 4, notify sue@wisref.org to choose a date/time to attend a WisRef Virtual online Zoom session (“Virtual”) or a Classroom/On-Field session (“Field”). You will be able to pick a session date and time from the list in her email reply. Session dates/times are listed in the course details when you register.

* The Virtual or Field session time of 4 hours is 100% accurate. Referee candidates are required to be present for the entire session. These sessions meet US Soccer requirements and failure to be present for the entire session will result in full attendance not being granted and your certification will not be processed.

*Signing up for the Virtual or Field session will be available after you complete the required Learning Center assignments and have created your WisRef Game Officials account - steps 1 through 4 above. You cannot reserve a spot for the Virtual or Field session until you complete these steps. Requesting an In-Person date before all steps above are completed will not generate a response. If a Virtual or Field session is near capacity, there are no guarantees that slots will be available by the time you finish steps 1 through 4. We strongly encourage Referee candidates to complete their assignments in the Learning Center and the WisRef coursework well in advance of the Virtual or Field session they wish to attend. We reserve the right to cancel any scheduled Virtual or Field session for low attendance numbers. Referee Candidates will then be able to choose another date/time to attend.

* The deadline for choosing the Virtual or Field session is 48 hours before the start of the session. WisRef requires course rosters to be set by this deadline. Please be diligent if you desire a session for a particular date and time.

6. Attend the selected Virtual or Field session. The Field session will start in the classroom and move outdoors for training so please dress accordingly. The Virtual session is interactive, and requires active participation from all candidates. Instructors must be able to see and hear you throughout the session. Video MUST be on at all times and you must have the ability to mute/unmute your microphone. There is a maximum of one referee per electronic device - no sharing, and attendance needs to be in a stationary, unobstructed, quiet environment and not in a vehicle of any kind, whether moving or stationary.

7. Once you pass all the requirements, you will be certified by the State Referee Administrator as a 2023 USSF Grassroots Referee. Your 2023 Referee badge will be mailed to you and you will be enabled in the WisRef GameOfficials for game assignments. Take this opportunity to make sure your mailing address is correct and consistent in both the US Soccer Learning Center and the WisRef GameOfficials. You will only receive one 2023 badge, so please be careful with it.

LINKS



Wisconsin Soccer Referee Development Program

Madison Area Soccer Referee Unit

MAYSA Referee Information

Game Officials

2022 RE-CERTIFICATION CLASSES



2022 Grassroots Referee Recertification courses are now available in the U.S. Soccer Learning Center. If more than one course is open, please select the first one – they are all the same.

You may register for this course if you were a registered referee in 2019, 2020 or 2021. Once you register, you will have 30 days to complete the assignments in the Learning Center. All of the course content is in the Learning Center; there is no content in GameOfficials and there is no in-person or virtual component required for 2022 recertification.

All referees need to keep a current status in their Safe and Healthy Playing Environments (Courses/Available Courses/Supplemental Courses/Intro to Safety). All referees 18 or older also are required to maintain a current status in the Learning Center for both background check and SafeSport. 

Two to three weeks after you complete the requirements in the Learning Center, including making sure your Safe & Healthy Playing Environments and background check and SafeSport (if required) are all up to date, your 2022 badge will be mailed to you and you will be enabled in GameOfficials for 2022 assignments. The sooner you complete the Learning Center assignments, the sooner you will receive your badge.

If you have registration or certification questions, please email Sue Walter at sue@wisref.org.

LINKS



Wisconsin Soccer Referee Development Program

Madison Area Soccer Referee Unit

MAYSA Referee Information

Game Officials