Santa Monica, CA Youth Referee Program

by Jason Hintz, Region 20 Referee Administrator

MARCH 27, 1998

Editor's Note (2/15/99): Jason's program wasadopted by AYSO on a National basis. There is a special AYSO site for youth referees. Visit it for details of youth referee programs and latest developments not covered on this page.

(2004) In Beverly Hills, our youth referee program coordinator for 2004 is Bruce Nii.

Surf's Up

The Keys to our Santa Monica Youth Referee Program are:

Individual attention to the development of each youth referee
Flexibility to meet the needs & skills of each referee
Strong administrative support from our Regional Commissioner, Head Coaches, and other Regional Board Members
A group of senior referees who are willing to mentor kids at games
A committed staff leader or leaders to run the program

Why have a Youth Referee Program?

About the age of 11-13 years old, as kids begin to enter the teenage years, they really start to look for experiences where they can assert independence and control of the world around them. Most people call this "rebelling", but it is really a "Wonder Years" time of discovery.

Refereeing is a wonderful outlet for this new burst of energy. Many kids have grown up loving soccer and have constantly been exposed to the authority figure of soccer: the referee. While they first may be attracted to being a referee so they can "red card" their friends, they quickly learn that with authority comes responsibility and discipline.

Youth referees learn through the instruction and testing process that it takes dedication and effort to earn the right to become a referee. After they have done a couple of games, their self-confidence skyrockets as they discover that they can successfully be "in charge" of something. Their leadership skills are strengthened in each game as the players, coaches, and adults look to the youth referee for direction.

They also learn that with this authority of being the "judge" on the field comes responsibility: being at their game on time, learning the rules, and treating both teams fairly. They learn that authority isn't about bossing people around or telling people what to do, but it is a privilege that comes with responsibilities.

Youth referees also begin to learn skills in conflict resolution, for often the referee has to be the center of calm in the storm of a tightly contested match. They learn that the referee has to "take the high road" in a conflict with a player or coach. Refereeing is also ethics in practice - figuring out how to deal with coaches and players who try to circumvent the Laws intentionally.

Many of our youth referees are All-Star players and they have found that studying the Laws has improved their play on the field. On the flip side, this has led to a yellow card or two when they argue the rules with the referee (the youth referee is usually right, but they forget they are not the referee of that match!) - life isn't perfect.

In addition to these benefits for the players, the Region has benefited from this program. A good number of games are done by youth referees. The general level of knowledge of the Laws has increased among the players. And, surprisingly, many of the parents and commissioners feel our overall level of refereeing has improved - many request youth referees for their games because they feel they do a better job than the adults!

AYSO Santa Monica and History of SURF Youth Referee Program

First, a little about our program. Santa Monica AYSO is in a city with about 90,000 people or so - 1,600 of them kids who are registered in our soccer program (and growing and growing!). We are about 10 miles West of Downtown Los Angeles. Soccer is the largest sport in Santa Monica, and has had a marked growth spurt since the World Cup was held in nearby Pasadena in '94.

Click on this or any other picture below to see a larger version

About 3 years ago, we had a couple of kids who were interested in becoming youth referees. Near the end of the season (our regular season runs from September to December) about a dozen kids expressed interest so we held a special Regional Referee class for them. For those not familiar, the AYSO Regional Referee Class is a 6 hour, 1 day course. Participants take a test at the end of the course and if they pass they are certified AYSO Regional Referees. In general, a Regional Badge certifies a referee to do Division 5 games (Under-10). They all passed the test and were certified.

However, after they took the course, there was no real coordination to make sure the kids got games to referee or got helpful advice when they had problems. So, by the end of the season, we had lost of a couple of the kids. In the off-season, we recognized this problem and I was appointed Director of the youth referee program - or what we call the SURF (Santa Monica Under-18 ReFeree) Program. Since Santa Monica is on the ocean, the SURF name seemed appropriate!

Over the last two years, the SURF program has exploded from 10 to 50 youth referees - 25 certified as Regional Referees (12 to 17 years old) and 25 certified as Assistant Referees (mostly 10-11 year olds). Considering we have about 40 adult referees and about 50 games/weekend - we have a substantial number of youth referees for our Region. They center most of our Division 6 (U8) games, 1/4 of our Division 5 (U10) games, and some Division 4 (U12)games. They also line Division 2 (U16) to Division 5 (U8) games.

Our program has pretty much grown on word of mouth between kids that it is a "cool thing" to do - imagine that, referees being "cool"!?! So, we haven't targeted at-risk kids and haven't had specific goals in mind - we've been basically reacting to the demand by kids to become referees.

Sign up & Certification

The program is generally open to 10-18 year olds who want to referee. During the season I have kids come up to me and ask if they can join the SURF program. I'll take their name down and when we have the next course I give them a call. We also collect names of new folks at Registration.

New SURFers can become certified Referees one of two ways: as a Regional Referee or an Assistant Referee. A Regional Referee is certified to center referee a Division 6 or 5 game (U8 & U10). You can not earn a Regional Referee badge until age 12, and we've learned the hard way that that is a good rule. Kids under 12 generally don't have the skills to handle a game in the middle. So, no one can center referee a Division 6 (U8) or above game until they are age 12 (Division 7, our Under 6 league, may be an exception, but that league is informal and focuses more on skill building than "games"). However, we have many eager 10 and 11 year olds who what to referee. Often, they are the ones volunteering to be a club Assistant Referee (AR) at games. So, last year we created a special program and certification for Assistant Referees. The two courses are described below.

Regional Referee Course

The AYSO Regional Referee Course is a 6 hour, 1 day course. At the beginning of the season we hold a Regional Referee course specifically geared for youth referees. We've learned that it's best to have a separate course for youth referees because you can tailor it to the kids. They need more variety in the course, so we mix it up with some chalk talk, then videos, then on-field instruction and the like. Kids also tend to ask lots more questions, so we try to budget ample time for that. The youth refs actually are easier to teach than adults because they know the game. And, frankly, you don't embarrass adults who fail the exam surrounded by kids who pass.

We generally follow AYSO's regional referee course outline, and tailor discussion on things like the "AYSO Team" (Referees, Parents, and Coaches) to include a section on how to deal with difficult coaches. At the end of the course, they take the standard AYSO Regional Referee Exam. Our goal is to pass everyone. So, for people that barely fail the test, we will review their tests then and there and see if there is room for partial credit. For those that don't pass, we quickly schedule a retake time so they don't languish as a "failure."

Assistant Referee Course

Any age can take this course, but we mostly have 10-11 year olds enroll because they are not old enough to take the Regional Referee Course. This is a 3 hour course that has no test. We don't have a test because we don't want to put the pressure of a test on a course with 10 year-olds. We spend a lot of time on the field with a flag for each participant - using kids in the class to act out offside and other scenarios (I recommend hanging onto the ball though, or your lesson can quickly turn into an out-of-control scrimmage!). We budget in time for breaks and goofing off since its asking a lot of a 10 year old to pay attention for three hours. Once they complete the course, they are certified Assistant Referees. We tend to hold this course at the beginning of the season at the same time as we do the Regional Referee course to pool classroom, field, and instructor resources.

Assignment of Games

After a new SURF referee has been certified, we hand his or her name to the appropriate scheduler for assigning. Though we might be changing this system, in 1997 each Division had a referee scheduler and the Assistant Referees had a separate scheduler. All Assistant Referees generally start lining games in Division 5. New Regional Referees either start center refereeing Division 6 or start by Assistant Refereeing. We usually ask each person what they want to do. 50% of the new Regional Referees like to start Assistant Refereeing to get the feet wet before trying to center a game. We make sure we have mentors with each of the kids as they start out. We will assign a mentor to a new referee for his/her first two games at least. Usually after about three games the kid will start asking the mentor "hey, why are you here?", a good sign that he's feeling comfortable refereeing on his/her own (there is more on the specifics of mentoring in the next section below).

Once a kid is up and running, we do not send an adult to the game on a regular basis - they are generally on their own. We do check up on most of the kids here and there during the season - sometime on the field and sometimes on the phone. Each kid grows at his or her own pace and I believe it is important to manage each kid individually. So, I have few hard and fast rules. Instead, I have guidelines that I generally follow and consider before moving a kid up. Many youth referees are very eager to "move up." Because they have played the game before, they may move up 1-2 divisions in a season. I completely support moving a kid up as soon as he or she is ready, but you need to make sure they are REALLY ready. You also have to watch out for the "Johnny got to move up, and I have to keep up with Johnny" competition thing. Don't cave into it. I tell my kids they everyone moves at their own pace and they will move up when they are ready.

Generally, I move a referee moves up in these steps: Each time they move up, a mentor will help them with their first couple games:

1) ASSISTANT REFEREE: Some start as an Assistant Referee in Division 5 or 4 until they think they are ready to center. I generally see if they are getting throw-ins correct and consistently staying with the second to last defender. If they are doing these things, and they personally feel they are ready to center, then I will move them up.

2) DIVISION 6 (U8) REFEREE: This is a nice division to start in because its a small field, no score is kept, no offside is called, there are no ARs, and there are no game cards. Generally, I look for: ability to show up at a field and take charge to start a game (inspect players, do coin toss, get a ball, etc...); Ability to start and restart a game correctly and confidence that they know they are making the right decision; Ability to use a strong whistle; and some demonstration of foul recognition. If they are doing this, I will then move them up.

3) GIRLS 5 (U10) REFEREE. This level has more challenges: Keeping score, marking up game cards with substitutions, calling offside, working with club ARs, and running a larger field. Here is what I look for: complete confidence in running a game, including things like "overruling throw-ins" (the sideline points one way, but the referee feels its the other way and sticks with his/her call); a moderate level of foul recognition - calls the obvious fouls correctly though may miss the subtle fouls; and clear signaling and "selling" of the call with clear arm motions and a strong whistle. If this is going well, I will move them up.

4) GIRLS 4 (U12) REFEREE. Here I look for confidence to "stand up" to a dissenting coach or parent; Effective calling of the basic offside rule; and the ability to start calling less obvious fouls. If they are doing this well, and they are in ninth grade or 14 years old, I will move them up. Generally, I don't recommend moving a referee beyond this level until they are 14, because younger refs are often "in over their head" in a Boys 5 and Boys 4 game.

5) BOYS 5 (U10) REFEREE. I will generally start having the youth referees at this level study for the Area Badge. At this level, it is important to get most of the foul calls correct; to know most of the DFKs and IFK fouls; to properly administer Penalty Kicks; to have high confidence in dealing with dissent coaches; to be able to handle the "hot" game where the sidelines and players get really excited; and to start talking to the kids who foul aggressively. This is a higher standard of knowledge than what we expect of adults refereeing this level, but it is necessary. The "aura" of having a youth referee do a game in the previous steps begins to wear out at the Boys 5 level. The parents and coaches expect good refereeing and they will question the assignment of a youth referee to their game. So, the youth referee starts at a disadvantage and really needs to be a decent referee to gain the confidence of the sidelines. The good news is once the parents and coaches see how well the youth referee is doing, they are amazed and completely support him/her. But, the same group can turn on a youth referee if he/she is not ready and it can hurt the youth referee and tarnish the youth referee program if not handled correctly.

6) BOYS 4 (U12) REFEREE. Currently, I do not have any youth referees moving up beyond Boys 4. But, I would expect them to: Understand the diagonal system and use it correctly; be able to work with certified ARs; know proper positioning on restarts; use the voice to control players (comments like "#2, watch your pushing" and "play!" - stating the referee saw the contact and determined there was no foul); confidently control dissent by players or the sideline through warnings, cautions, and ejections; know the "advance" parts of offside (parrying from goalkeeper, etc..); and have excellent foul recognition.

You'll notice we have youth referees do Girls 4 games before Boys 5 games. This is because I think it is easier to referee a Girls 4 game over a Boys 5 game. Boys 5 and Boys 4 games can be calm, but they also can be a rough experience.

Mentoring

We have a number of senior referees that enjoy mentoring the kids from our Regional Referee Administrator on down. I recommend identifying a list of potential referees and invite them to become youth referee mentors. If a good number have not attended an assessor course, I would hold a mini one hour clinic on "How to Mentor."

At the beginning of the game, the mentor greets the youth referee and encourages him/her. This is especially important at the youth referee's very first game because he/she is very nervous. You may gently remind them the steps in starting up a game (inspection, coin toss, etc...).

During the game, the mentor watches from a distance and tries to avoid frequent contact with the referee. You don't want to referee looking to the mentor for approval on every throw-in & call. You have to let the referee gain the self confidence to run a game all on his/her own. You RARELY comment to the youth referee during the game. I've seen some people "coach" referees and correct mistakes during the game - it is a terrible technique, especially for kids. They gain zero confidence when someone is barking commands from the sideline. I've seen lots of referee mistakes while mentoring kids: they award improper kicks, PKs, throw-ins, you name it. But, you have to let it go and not say anything unless the game has come to a complete halt and the referee needs some help to get it restarted. Otherwise, they won't learn.

At half time, you should step up with some hearty words of encouragement and praise. You should make suggestions at half time only if there is a major problem that should be corrected. Leave the "speech" for the end of the game. And, for that end of the game speech - focus on no more than three things to improve on. For a new referee, you could write a novel on "areas of improvement" - but that will do the youth referee no good. Help the referee focus on three keys areas he/she can work on. Then, end with a heavy dose of praise and encouragement.

Dealing with Difficult Adults

Unfortunately, we do have a number of incidents with adults getting on the case of youth referees. This often happens even in Division 6 (U8) - a division where we don't even keep score or standings! To counter this, we do a number of things:

First, we teach the youth referee not to tolerate repeated verbal abuse. If a parent is the problem, we teach the youth referee to talk only to the coach. We practice using short, concise, and friendly but firm statements such as, "Coach, I would appreciate it if you let me do my job. If you have any questions, please ask me at half time/end of the game." We role play these events at the referee course. We tell the kids that no matter how many bad calls they think they have made, the coach/parent is always wrong to question the referee's authority during the game. We also teach the youth referees that if at any time they are not comfortable with the situation they are in, they should feel free to stop the game and leave the field.

We also make it clear at coaches meetings that youth referees are off-limits and that the region will not tolerate verbal abuse of youth referees.

We then back that up with support for our leadership and, if necessary, take action against a coach for verbally abusing a youth referee. One coach was suspended for several games for such an incident. Another was asked to send a letter of apology. We try to match the "punishment" with the crime.

Usually our preventive measures avoid extreme situations. Division commissioners and referee mentors will help step in if they are around to avoid something getting out of hand. Most of our problems occur with brand new 12 year old referees who are just starting out and happen to run into a hyperactive coach. Often the youth referee will take care of the situation. I've seen a number of kids calmly but firmly "come to the sideline" and talk with the coach. When the youth referee has the confidence to do this, it works and the coach calms down. I've never had a kid throw out a coach. (Though a note of caution: some kids can't wait to red card someone, and so we also talk about keeping the coach in the game and make sure to give warnings before throwing someone out).

Equipment

The youth referees love getting the referee uniform and its important to outfit them just like the adult referees. For a new Regional Referee, we give them: a referee shirt (standard black shirt with pockets and white collar), shorts, socks, whistle, rule book, and a Regional Referee Badge. We do not give red and yellow cards and AR flags since most start in Division 6 (U8) and cards and ARs aren't used. We do give them these items when the move up to Division 5 (U10). For Assistant Referees, we give them a referee shirt, shorts, socks, rule books and Assistant Referee badge. The Assistant Referee gets a flag from the center referee at the game.

Rewards!

As you know, AYSO is an all volunteer organization, so we do not compensate our adult or our youth referees. We emphasize this in training and thank them for giving their time to their community. Many referees have community service requirements (the local public & private schools require it) and we sign off on a number of forms certifying their hours.

We give each youth referee a formal looking membership card with the Santa Monica AYSO logo and with their name on it stating they are a "Regional Referee" or "Regional Assistant Referee."

The kids really like the cards and show them off to their friends. We also put important contact phone numbers on it so they know who to call with questions or problems.

Since they are kids after all, we've modified the "end of season volunteer thank you dinner" to an end of season trip to Magic Mountain Amusement Park. After debating a number of rewards structures, we decided something simple was best because we don't want to waste administrative resources on counting service hours. So, basically if they referee or assistant referee 5 games or more during the season (a season is about 12 weeks) they qualify for a trip to Magic Mountain. We pay for their admission and for a bus and get some parents to help chaperone the trip. The kids pay for food at the park and any other expenses. Its a great "reward" because the kids have a lot of fun and really look forward to the trip.

We also send an end-of-season thank you card to each of the kids to thank them for their service.

More Information

Some have asked about materials and handouts. Being a volunteer run program on basically no budget, I really have no "materials" that I hand out. We draw on AYSO's referee instruction materials for the most part. AYSO National also has a pamphlet on starting a Player Referee Organization (PRO). In addition, they coordinate the Summer PRO Camp at California State Long Beach - an excellent three day camp for youth referees.

Feel free to contact me at: jason_hintz@fa.disney.com if you have questions or thoughts or ideas. I would love to hear about your experiences with other youth referee programs!

Last updated July 03, 2006 at 12:46 AM

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