In 8U and 6U games the primary responsibility of the referee is to manage the time and help kids stay focused on the game.

All 8U games are expected to be officiated by one AYSO-certified referee, typically a parent, an older sibling, or a relative of a player. Anyone 10yo or older qualifies.  The referee is optional in 6U games.

Referees need to register as volunteers every year. Most certifications only need to be taken once, but a few may need bi-annual or yearly reviews.

To become a referee, follow the steps on the Registration section in the Referees page, in short: register online (~5 min) and do the online trainings (~1hr). There is no field training requirement. Once certified, we'll provide you t-shirt and you can referee games.

For questions or comments about the referee program please contact us at ref-team@aysofc.org. 

All games are self-assigned via MySoccerLeague.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I be the referee for my child's match?
   • Yes. For 6U and 8U parents can referee their own child games.
   • Always bring your referee jersey to the field, sometimes the referee is a no‐show or the acting referee cannot complete the game.
   • We have many matches available and are always needing referees to volunteer. Feel free to sign up for matches before and after your child’s match too.
   • We encourage all referees to sign up for at least 2 matches over the season.
     
2. Can Referees provide coaching advice when officiating the match?
   • No.
3. Are jewelry, taped earrings, or hard casts allowed?
   • No player may wear jewelry, non-medical wristbands, earrings (taped or not), or hard casts during the match. These are considered dangerous for all players.
4. Are Med‐Alert bracelets allowed?
   • Yes, provided they are secured with tape or covered with cloth. Refer to the AYSO Guidance for Referees, Coaches, Other Volunteers, and Parents.
5. Where should the coaches and spectators be during the match?
   • For 6U and 8U games, each team and spectators typically sit on opposite touchlines, at least 1 yard away from the touchline, per AYSO Guidance for Referees, Coaches, Other Volunteers, and Parents.
   • Coaches are responsible of addressing misbehavior by the audience.
6. What are the specific rules for each category?
   • See the cheatsheet at fcayso.org/rules

Quality soccer games require referees. To ensure we have referees in our games we instituted an incentive program:

• We encourage 8U teams to have at least one certified referee, ideally two. Teams with only one coach cannot have their coach be their only referee... coaches should be coaching!
• Adults officiating more than 7 games are eligible for prizes.
• Youth refs (ages 10yo-18yo) officiating more than 5 games are eligible for prizes.
• Becoming a referee and having one in your team is important:
• It makes the program better and more wholesome to have a referees in the games
• This is the family league, ran by volunteers, help is part of the process
• You are qualified to be a referee if you are a good parent. Most AYSO referees did not have previous knowledge of soccer!
• It is not much to ask
  • Costs $0 and takes less than an hour to complete the training.
  • You're already at the games, just put a jersey on
  • Anyone 10y and older can become a referee. A parent, an older sibling, a cousin, an aunty or uncle, a grandparent, or a neighbor, anyone can do it.
  • You self-assign the games you want to do
    
• Those who referee U8 games consistently say it's a lot of fun