Area SOCCER Referee Guidelines
Updated March 1 2010
2010 New Referee Certification Classes:
We will be holding 2 "new" referee certification classes for the Spring 2010 Season. Each new referee candidate will need to do five things:
- Notify District Coordinator which class he/she will be attending
- Successfully complete the on-line review and test (cincinnatihillsaysoccer.org)
- Fill out the referee registration form (on-line)
- Attend a 3 hour class (either Saturday or Sunday classes)
- Pass the written test
The dates of the new referee classes are as follows:
- Saturday March 20th, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Mariemont Parish Center on Plainfield Road
- Sunday March 21st, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Mariemont Parish Center on Plainfield Road
Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer Area Referee Guidelines:
- Contact information
- Referee registration and training
- Minimum age
- Testing and training requirements
- Communications
- District assignor
- Referee roster
- Game cancellation notification
- Compensation
- Pay scale
- Payment of referees
- Game day responsibilities
- Pre game responsibilities
- Uniform and equipment
- Lightning policy
- Game cards
- Red cards
- Referee grievances
- Referee guidelines compliance
- Questions, comments and suggestions
Refereeing for the Cincinnati Hills Say Soccer Area provides valuable work experience that is fun and challenging. Please remember that Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer players, coaches and parents rely on you to help provide a safe and fair recreational environment. It is important for our referees to show up to their assigned games on time, fully prepared and properly equipped to apply our SAY league game rules. Remember, the game is for the players.
1) Contact Information
Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer Area Referee Coordinator
James Ferguson- 2 Emery Lane
Cincinnati, Ohio 45227
271-5249 HM, 477-7045 Cell
jferguson@getcoactive.com
Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer Area administrator
Steve Barker- 3906 Pocahontas
Cincinnati, Ohio 45227
561-2479
srbarker@fuse.net
Deer Park District Referee Coordinator Alyson Miskimens - miskimensa@xavier.edu
Eastgate Soccer District Referee Coordinator John Delaney - delaneysoccer@fuse.net
Fairfax District Referee Coordinator Renee Henderson - RENEEOBABY@aol.com
Indian Hill District Referee Coordinator Jack Alley- jack.alley1@fuse.net or jalley@ihill.org
Mariemont District Referee Coordinator Phil Stephens- Philips@cms.hamilton-co.prg
Madeira District Referee Coordinator Jeff Bauer - jbauer@csa-cpa.com
Terrace Park District Referee Coordinator Tad Krafft - tadkrafft@hlumail.com
2) Referee Registration and Training
All referees must be at least 12 years old and have completed the sixth grade.
All adult referees (above the age of 18) must complete and submit the SAY volunteer’s disclosure form. The volunteer disclosure form must be submitted to the district referee coordinator prior to the start of the season in order to be considered a certified referee.
The district referee coordinator for the district in which they will referee certifies all referees.
All referees are required to be certified through Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer each year at the district level. Re-certification takes place in the Fall of each year. New referee training takes place prior the Spring season of each year.
Each district is responsible to implementing the approved Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer training syllabus and procedures each year. Referee certification is valid for one calendar year.
Each district should also implement a mentoring referee system and be responsible for monitoring the proficiency and progress of its referees.
Each district referee coordinator shall determine whether a referee in his district is ‘certified’ or ‘qualified’ according to SAY’s guidelines.
Referees are not employees of Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer Area and the Area does not withhold taxes or maintain records of referee compensation.
Each district is responsible for providing a list of all certified referees to the Area Referee Coordinator prior to the beginning of both Spring and Fall seasons to include contact information and certification level.
3) Communications
Each district shall have an assignor of referees. The assignor may be the same as the District or Area referee coordinator. The assignor shall keep a roster; with addresses phone numbers and ages of its district’s qualified and certified referees for each season. The assignor shall forward the roster of its district’s referees for each season to the Area referee coordinator at the beginning of each season.
The assignor is responsible for assigning two referees to each of the games its district hosts. The assignor shall have assigned two referees to any game no less than seven days prior to the scheduled game.
All referees must be certified to referee at all age groups.
Each district shall have a field supervisor that determines whether fields are playable prior to the commencement of games for each scheduled play date. Each district assignor shall be responsible for notifying referees when games are cancelled because of field conditions or other reasons.
Referees are expected to work all games assigned to them. If a referee has a conflict and cannot work a scheduled game, he should contact his assignor as soon as he knows of the conflict. If a referee is ill or has an emergency situation on game day, he should still contact the assignor before the game time.
Referees assigned to any game shall be at least two years older than the oldest players in that game.
4) Compensation
- Pay Scale: Each referee is paid
- $15 for passers games
- $20 for wings games
- $20 for strikers games
- $25 for kickers games
- $30 for minors and seniors.
Cincinnati Hills SAY soccer uses a two-man referee system. In the event the second referee doesn’t show, the referee who is there will be paid the compensation for both referees, and take appropriate measures to officiate the game.
Referees are paid when they arrive to officiate the game. If the game is cancelled for any reason after referees have been paid, the referees keep the pay. Referees are entitled to be paid for all games they are scheduled to work, when they show up on time (15 minutes prior to the scheduled game) in uniform and fully equipped to officiate the game, if they haven’t been notified beforehand of the cancellation of the game. The district representative shall be responsible for payment of the referees in the event of no notification for cancelled assigned games.
Volunteer sideline judges are not to be compensated.
Each coach is responsible for paying the referees.
5) Game Day Responsibilities
All referees shall be informed in writing at the beginning of each season stating who their district referee assignor is and who will contact them in the case of cancelled games.
All referees are to arrive at their assigned game at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start, check the field and equipment for correctness and playability, check players equipment, introduce themselves to the coaches and communicate with the coaches and/or players to answer questions or resolve any special circumstances and to conduct the coin flip to allow for the game to start promptly at it’s scheduled time.
Referee’s shirts should be USSF approved standard manufactured jerseys. Both referee’s jerseys should match in color and not be similar in color to either team and display the SAY referee patch. It is recommended that either black or yellow referee jerseys be worn. Shorts or long pants should be black. Black referees socks should be worn. If a cap is worn it should also be black.
Referees should clear the field for 30 minutes when lightning is observed. The referee may resume the game as long as 30 minutes have passed since the last observation of lightning. The game should be cancelled if the delay lasts 40 minutes or longer. When lightning detection equipment is in use, games may be restarted when the detection equipment gives the ‘all clear’ signal.
Both referees should be equipped with a game card, pencil or pen, timing watch or stopwatch, coin, red and yellow card, and a rule book.
6) Game Cards
Referees should fill out a game card for each game. Each district referee coordinator is responsible for how the district archives its game cards.
7) Red Cards
If a referee issues a red card it must be recorded on the game card along with a description of the circumstances, specifically noting what infraction occurred that led to red card decision. The game card must be delivered to the district coordinator that same day. The district referee coordinator must report the red card incident to the Area referee coordinator as soon as possible and within 48 hours. The district referee coordinator must also report the incident to the district president for any further disciplinary action. All red card game cards and description of the circumstances will be archived by the Area referee coordinator.
8) Referee Grievances
Any complaints about referees are to be directed to the district referee coordinator. Each district referee coordinator is responsible to report any complaints about their or other districts referees, other than those considered minor in nature, to the Area referee coordinator in a timely manner. The Area referee coordinator may temporarily suspend any referee for any given period until the district board may act on the complaint.
9) Referee Guidelines Compliance:
All districts and their referees are expected to comply with the referee guidelines set forth in this document in order to remain in good standing with the Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer Area. The Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer Area Board of Directors will address any non-compliant activity directly with the district and/or referee in question.
10) Questions, Suggestions and Comments
All questions and comments about the referee guidelines should be directed to the Cincinnati Hills SAY Soccer Area referee coordinator.
To All Referee Participants:
We look forward to welcoming you to our certification program.
We offer two levels of training...Passers level and below (U7), and Wings and above (U9 plus). Prior to attending a class, all applicants are required to take on on-line course/test in addition to filling out a Cincinnati Hills Soccer referee application form.
How to get certified is listed below:
Step 1: Pre-Registration:
For Indian Hill, please e-mail your referee coordinator or Jack Alley, at jalley@ihill.org to reserve a spot in a class. Specific which day you will be attending.
Step 2: Take the On-line Course:
Review the on-line referee course (See link below) and take the on-line test. At the end of the course, you will be issued with a certificate. Be sure to bring this to your certification class.
http://site1063.tmpdomain.com/reftraining/Training/index.htm
Step 3: Fill Out the Referee Registration Form (attached)
Download the referee registration form, fill it out and bring it to the certification class.
Step 4: On-line Volunteer Risk Assessment Form (Risk Assessment Section on Home Page of cincinnatihillssaysoccer.org.
All coaches and referees 18 years and older are required to fill out the risk assessment form on-line at our website. This needs to be done prior to attending a class.
Step 5: Attend a Referee Certification Class:
Dates, locations and times are as follows:
- Sunday Aug. 23rd from 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - New Referees only
- Sunday Aug. 23rd from 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - Those Referees who need Recertification
- Both sessions are at the Mariemont Parish Center in the center of Mariemont
In addition to reviewing the key Laws of the game, each participant will be
given a test during the certification session. In order to become a
certified referee, participants are required to get a score of 80% or more.
Step 6: Review the CHSS Referee Guidelines: (Referee Guidelines on Home Page)
Once certified, it is important to read a copy of the referee guidelines which can be accessed at cincinnatihillssaysoccer.org.
BASEBALL/T-Ball UMPIRES
Please contact Jim Kohl a jkohl@one.net for information.
