Refereeing: Overview
Being a referee is a great way to get involved as an AYSO family. It's also fun, and — most importantly — makes it possible for the kids to play. Without referees, there are no games.
No soccer experience is needed to become a referee. We will provide you with all the necessary training and a uniform. As a referee, you can pick which games you want to do, and in most age groups, you can even referee your own kids' games, so apart from the training the additional time commitment is minimal.
Who can become a referee?
Pretty much anyone! If you have a child playing this season, you should definitely consider it. Even youths can referee games! The minimum age to become an 8U Official is 10, and to become a Regional Referee is 12.
How do I become a referee?
Becoming a referee is easy. First, figure out which level of games you will be refereeing, then register as a volunteer and take the appropriate training and safety courses under your own account. The courses are mostly online, with one in-person component depending on which type of referee training you sign up for.
What are the different types of referee?
Beginning referees can train at one of two levels, 8U Official or Regional Referee. 8U Officials can referee games at the 6U, 7U, and 8U level. Regional Referees can referee at 10U and above, in addition to the 6U-8U levels. This is different from coaching certification -- a higher level referee course allows you to referee games at that level and all levels below it.
If you have kids playing in 6U, 7U, or 8U, we recommend you take the 8U Official course (though you may take the Regional Referee course if you wish). If your kids are playing in 10U or above, you will need to take the Regional Referee course.
How to Get Certified
- Log in to or create an account on our registration portal, inLeague, at ayso70.com.
- We recommend adding any players in your family that you intend to register so that you can see the division(s) they would be placed in.
- Select 'Volunteer Registration' and volunteer as a referee.
- Select the 'Dashboard' (home) menu item and you should see your volunteer dashboard along with certification, livescan, and background check requirements.
- Follow links either from your volunteer dashboard or the graduation cap icon on the navigation menu to AYSOU.
- SafeSport: Follow the link to Safesport and completed the required online training.
- AYSOU: Follow the link to AYSOU (powered by eTrainU); inLeague will automatically log you in. Complete the Safe Haven, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and Concussion training courses.
- In AYSOU, sign up for the 8U Official Referee course, or (if you have players in 10U and above), the Regional Referee course.
Background Check
Once you select either a coach or a referee role, your volunteer application is sent to the league for review. Once this occurs, you will receive an invitation from Sterling Volunteers, the company chosen by AYSO to perform background checks. If you have not received the email, please check your spam folder. You may also find your personalized link on your inLeague family profile. Follow the instructions in the email to create an account with Sterling Volunteers, or (for returning volunteers) log in to your existing account.
Once the account is set up, you will spend a couple of minutes entering the information required to launch the background check. You will notice a $25 fee for the background check. Region 70 pays this fee for approved volunteers, but if you would like to help defray our costs, you may pay this fee by credit card.
You’re finished registering when you get to the "Congrats!" screen. You’ll be notified by Sterling when the background check is complete. Results will be sent directly to AYSO and inLeague will be updated automatically. Please note that, without a valid background check, you cannot sign up for games using the referee scheduler. Background checks usually take 24-48 hours to complete.
