Become A Referee

Referee clinics for new referees are offered through the U.S. Soccer Learning Center. When first accessing the U.S. Soccer Learning Center, you will need to follow these steps after arriving on the U.S. Soccer Learning Center web site.

All candidates must be 13 years or older to create a profile in the Learning Center and register as a First-time Referee.

‍After clicking on the “Sign Up” in the upper right hand corner, you will be prompted to create a user account. Once your account has been created, you may register for the First-time Referee Course will include both an online course and an in-person course with a total fee of $55.

To register for the First-time Referee Course, after you log-in, click on “courses” in the upper left hand corner and in the left column, you will see a button for First-time Referee and after clicking to that page, you will see a button on the right to go to the course list. For courses in your area, set the “Host” filter to South Texas Referee Committee and registering for the course of your choice.

The First-time Referees Licensing Course involves a 4.5 hour e-learning experience that unites a variety of videos and learning modules which prepares candidates for their assigned tasks and responsibilities as a Referee. Additional online assignments include:

1. Safe Sport Training (if 18 years old or older – required by Federal Law)

2. Introduction to Safe and Healthy Playing Environments

3. Referee Certification Quiz

‍ A new referee is required to complete all the online assignments AND attend the In-Person Course to be officially licensed with U.S. Soccer as a Referee.

‍The online assignments do NOT have to be completed in order to attend the in-Person Field Training Clinic. However all online assignments and the in-Person Field Training clinic must be satisfactorily completed to obtain your U.S. Soccer Referee License.

NOTE – IF YOU ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, IT IS REQUIRED THAT YOU COMPLETE THE U.S. SOCCER BACKGROUND CHECK WHICH IS VALID FOR 2 YEARS.

Download the U.S. Soccer “Profile Of The Referee”.

If you have problems creating an account, or problems with the U.S. Soccer website, email U.S. Soccer Referee Department or call U.S.Soccer at (312) 528-1296 for assistance.

The In-Person portion of a student’s coursework includes practical exercises for aspiring candidates wishing to become U.S. Soccer First-time Referee. The goal is to prepare the candidates by offering a SAFE, FUN, reality-based, holistic experience.

The purpose of this session is to provide an opportunity to reinforce concepts and knowledge covered in the online portion of the course via practical exercises. The focus must be on preparing the referee candidate to be ready for their first game.

The course fee for the First-time Referee Course is $55. 

If you are 18+ it is required that you complete the U.S. soccer background check which has a cost of $23 and is valid for 2 years. This cost will be an additional charge when registering for the first-time referee course.

The First-time Referee Course is available starting in late-July through December and staring again in January and continuing through mid-May. See the listing of first-time referee licensing courses on the events page.

A new referee is required to successfully complete both the Online assignments AND attend the In-Person session to be officially licensed with U.S. Soccer as a Referee.

Once you have become registered for the current year, you may find games to officiate immediately through your local assignor. If you are not aware of whom this individual may be, go back in your course in the US Soccer Learning Center and in the Communication – Group discussion chat, see the top of the chat for “IMPORTANT – READ THIS ENTIRE MESSAGE CAREFULLY” for more information as to next steps and a list of assignors for you to contact to obtain assignments. If you do not see an assignor for your area, post a message asking for your local assignor’s contact information.