How to Become a Referee in North Carolina

 Thank you so much for taking interest in officiating soccer. We are excited to have you become at part of the referee team!

Why Become a Soccer Referee??

Well, if you're on this page, then you've at least considered the idea of putting on the jersey, badge, and whistle and taking charge of a game. Refereeing can be an enjoyable and fun experience, and a great way to stay involved in the beautiful game of soccer. Read on for some of the great benefits of being a Referee!

EXERCISE

Refereeing a soccer game is good exercise. You can be outside and run around, enjoy exciting games, and make a few dollars. It can keep you in shape for your own sports, help you lose weight, or just have some fun.

THE KIDS

The game needs referees. Referees are there to make sure the game is fair, fun, and safe. You are doing a service to the community and to the players, coaches, and fans. Just remember, people have been playing the beautiful game for a long time and some of the best games ever played were in backyards, parks, or backstreets without a single fan, coach or referee. Just players who wanted to play and just enjoy kicking the ball around. You are not bigger than the game.

CHALLENGE

Life is full of challenges and being a referee is a perfect way to learn how to meet them head-on and know that you can handle them. Soccer is an emotional game. Players get excited. Fans get excited. Coaches get excited. Learning how to cope with their emotions while keeping yours in check will serve you well throughout your life. Other challenges are pushing yourself to learn more, run longer and faster, and work better with your partners. As the referee, you are in charge and your decision is final. However, that does not mean you are not responsible for your actions and that you are all-powerful. A referee who officiates because of the power usually does not last long. Players, coaches, fans, and fellow officials sense this power hunger and soon want to avoid you.

MONEY

There are not too many things that a young person can do that pays as well as being a soccer referee.  You can work a few hours and make some pretty good money.  As you improve and work higher level games, the money improves. The hourly rate is higher than working at a fast-food restaurant and you can work outside. Don't kid yourself though. You won't get rich and the season does not go year-round. There will some weekends where you want to do other things. The money is good but it's not worth it all by itself.  You need to look for more than just money to enjoy being a referee.

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge is a great thing. The more you know, the more you can do and see. With a complete knowledge of the Laws of the Game, you are better referee, a better player, a better coach, and a better fan. The clinic to follow is the beginning of this journey to learn more about the game and the Laws. You must never stop learning. 

FRIENDSHIP

Becoming a soccer official is a great way to meet friends that have similar interests. Working with different referees help you understand about how different people can be so much like you and that you have as much to learn from them as they have to learn from you. Some of the people you will meet will become your friends for the rest of your life. Take the time to get to know them and understand them.

So, obviously before you can step out onto the pitch proud to be a ref, you will need to get certified. To begin, simply select the link attached down below and it should bring you to the registration page. Just fill out the information and once you're signed into you new account, USSF requires each official be at 14 years of age (or 90 days from then) to certify, and must be 14 to step onto the pitch. To begin the certification process, simply select the link attached down below and follow the on screen instructions to register for the most up to date (could even be the following year) New Grassroots Referee Certification. *Note: this will take a few hours.* At this point, you should, have created an account in Arbiter, registered for the most up to date year available, created an account on US Soccer, and registered for the free course on US Soccer. 

There are 2 sections to the course on US Soccer: Section 1: Videos (you must watch every video from start to finish to recieve credit for completion), Section 2: Questions (you must answer all the question correctly for copmletion). Once you have completed the course (*NOTE: officials over the age of 18 must also complete the SafeSport training module), please download and email your certificate to smith@foothillssoa.com to be added into the system. 

Please also go to your profile in Arbiter (to access, click on your name, go to "official," and click on "profile"), select the checkbox beside "ready" (indicating you are ready to be assigned), select "save," then click "custom fields" (in blue), scroll down to where you see "USSF ARA & Assigner #(s)" and in that field, type "(189)" (yes, you must type in the parentheses), then select save. 

Please, if you have any question concerning this, email me at smith@foothillssoa.com and we can arrange an email conversation, text, call, or zoom to help you out.