How to Become a Little League Football Referee

If you love the game of football and are looking for a way to be a part of the game, being a little league football referee might be a goof fit for you. Referees in youth football provide a service to their communities, while helping to teach sportsmanship and game fundamentals to local youths. While refereeing requires knowledge, training and commitment, the effort is certainly worth it.

Instructions

1. Observe the games from local youth football leagues. Pay attention to the duties and discipline of the referees, in order to determine whether or not you have the appropriate knowledge and temperament to perform the job appropriately.

2. Ask permission to attend the meetings of local youth football leagues which you are interested in officiating for. By sitting in on meetings you can determine the organizations from which they obtain their referees, as well as develop a relationship with league officers and coaches.

3. Join a local organization that is responsible for officiating youth league games. Involvement benefits everyone. By associating yourself with local leagues and officiating groups, you will gain exposure to the programs, become familiar with the rules, understand the responsibilities of the game and learn from the experiences of others.

4. Plan to sit for an exam administered by a state or national athletic governing body. As mentioned in step 4, Pennsylvania state youth leagues might require that potential referees pass the PIAA test for football officiating. Other leagues require that referees pass the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) exam, which seems to be the most popular. Material for the NCAA exam is available on their website (linked below), and you can sign up for on-line and paper exams through the USA Football site (link below).

5. Familiarize yourself with the specific rules and regulations of not only football, in general, but also of the specific leagues that you hope to become involved with. Review the rules for NFL football, as well as your state's interscholastic and local youth football rules. While most of the rules are the same, there will be variations on the rules from league to league at the youth level, as well as additional regulations to protect the athletes.

6. Work to become registered as a referee with your local interscholastic sports governing body. For example, youth football leagues in Pennsylvania often use officials affiliated with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). The PIAA website offers instructions, study materials and test date registrations. Working with these types of groups will help you get started, and help fulfill any requirement a league might have in regard to hours of officiating and training prior to being on your own.

7. Be prepared to complete a form for a background check to be able to referee football at the little league level. Background checks are generally handled by the National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI), and involve checking information on the National Criminal Database, the OFAC Federal Terrorist Database, state sex offender registries and Social Security Number and address. Have personal information such as your driver's license or state ID and Social Security Number readily available to complete the form. Depending on the league you become involved with, you might be responsible for the background check fee, which ranges from $10 to $25.

Tips & Warnings

• Realize that there is a certain level of fitness required of referees. Consider beginning a conditioning program for yourself, as football officiating will require frequent running to keep up with players who are most likely faster and have more energy.

Resources

• USA Football Officiating Information
• NFL Football Rules
• National Association of Sports Officials Home Page
• NCAA Football Rules Site