How to Become a Licensed Soccer Referee
Officiating any sport is often the hardest job on the field. To become a quality soccer referee, a candidate isn't required to have extensive playing or coaching experience, but he does need a thorough understanding of the rules, physical fitness, the ability to make split-second judgment calls and the fortitude to deal with unruly players, spectators and coaches. Becoming a soccer referee is relatively easy, but climbing the ladder to high levels of competition takes years of experience.
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Instructions
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Study the Laws of the Game (LOTG). Many players, coaches and spectators aren't entirely familiar with the way the rules are written. For instance, although referees are regularly criticized for not calling certain hand ball situations, the rule is actually against intentionally handling the ball to create an advantage, and the distinction is more than just semantic. Understanding the nuances of the game as written in the LOTG is critical for refs, and the LOTG can be found in many places, including the FIFA and U.S. Soccer Federation websites.
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Find and take an appropriate licensing course. You can do this through an entity like your state soccer association. This process is different from place to place, but the courses and certifications are essentially the same. In Massachusetts, for example, interested candidates can learn how to become USSF-certified by visiting the Massachusetts State Referee Committee website, creating an account on the site and choosing a course. The entry-level courses are the Recreational Referee Course (Grade 9) and the Referee Course (Grade 8). Grade 9 course candidates must be at least 12 years old, go through eight hours of courses and pass a written test. Grade 8 candidates must be at least 16, take 16 hours of courses and pass a written test of 100 questions. The site also provides course schedules and locations and allows candidates to enroll online. As of 2010, course costs ran anywhere from $75 to $105 depending on the course.
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Earn game experience and take higher level courses to continue earning credentials. To referee at higher levels, candidates can progress only when they reach certain benchmarks. Some of the requirements for referees to reach Grade 5, for instance, include advancing through the Grades 6 and 7 stages, reaching a minimum age of 19, and spending 150 games as a referee and 50 as an assistant referee (formerly known as linesmen, these are the sideline refs with flags; the referee is the official on the field with the players). Of the 150 games as a referee, a minimum of 50 must be at an adult Division 1 level.
Grades 3 and 4 refs can officiate at the professional level, while those in Grade 2 are the assistant referees capable of working international matches. Grade 1 referees are those who can work in World Cup and international matches. An excellent resource for those interested in reaching higher levels of soccer officiating is the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association, which represents more than 5,000 soccer officials and provides referees to college soccer matches.
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