AYSO

Volunteer referee pathway

Referees Keep the Games Moving

Referees protect the game. They keep young players safe, teach the restart, calm the noise, and make the match possible. You do not need to be an expert to start, but the role matters.

Open AYSOU training Open inLeague Laws guide Contact refadmin

U8 referee classes at King

Entry-Level U8 Referee Training

Chris Bandouveris and Lucy Roberts will teach field-side U8 referee classes next to the field at Thomas Starr King. No classroom and no advance sign-up are needed. This is often the first referee step for parents who want to understand the game better and help their team in a concrete way.

Fall class dates

  • Saturday, September 191:00-2:00 PM
  • Saturday, September 261:00-2:00 PM
  • Saturday, October 31:00-2:00 PM

Attendees should complete the online U8 Referee class in AYSOU in advance when possible. After the field session, expect to receive a referee uniform and whistle. The field session is 60 minutes. U8 officiating is focused on game flow, possession, restarts, safety, and helping young players understand what happens next.

Start here

How to Become a Referee

Register as a volunteer

Add the referee volunteer role in inLeague so your training and game assignments can be tracked correctly.

Open inLeague

Complete training

New referees usually take Regional Referee training: online work plus a field session, or a full in-person course when available.

  1. Complete the referee course assigned in AYSOU.
  2. Complete required safety items shown in your volunteer record.
  3. Youth referees follow the youth-specific requirements in inLeague.
Open AYSOU

Tell the refadmin

Once training is complete, the referee admin can help with game access, gear, and a mentor for your first matches.

refadmin@ayso1567.org

Game assignments

How to Sign Up for a Match

Game assignments live in the inLeague Referee Scheduler. Use the Self Assign tab to find open Center, AR1, and AR2 slots.

  1. Log in to inLeague and open Referee Scheduler.
  2. Use Calendar to see your assignments.
  3. Use Self Assign to search by date, site, and level.
  4. Choose the open slot you want, then confirm the assignment.
  5. Use Master Schedule when you want to see all games and slots.
Need to back out? Email refadmin@ayso1567.org with the game number, date, time, location, and role as soon as you know.

Referee coverage and playoffs

Volunteer Points

Referee points are not busywork. They are how teams prove they are contributing to the league they want to compete in. Every team is expected to help cover referee assignments, and teams need 15 volunteer points to be eligible for postseason play.

Team target 15 points
Full referee team 4 points
Postseason path 4 matches

How points are earned

  • A center referee assignment earns two points.
  • The two assistant referee assignments earn two points total.
  • A complete referee team covers one match and earns four points.
  • Four fully covered matches put a team over the 15-point threshold.

Why it matters

AYSO works best when more parents understand the Laws of the Game and enough of them are willing to administer those laws on match day. With training, refereeing is manageable. With coverage, the whole division gets better.

Questions or missing points? Send the game details and preferred team allocation to refadmin@ayso1567.org.

Match-day judgment

Where to Referee

The goal is fair coverage and clean standings. Referees can support many games across the division, but standings conflicts should be avoided.

  • Avoid signing up for your own child's game.
  • Coaches and assistant coaches should not referee standings games in their own division or pool.
  • If a game is short an assistant referee at kickoff, help if asked and email the refadmin afterward.
  • Use extra care late in the season when games may affect playoff placement.

Early-season style

Teach First, Then Tighten

Especially early in the season, referees can keep games safe and fair while helping players learn. As the season progresses, move toward more consistent enforcement.

Throw-ins

During check-in, remind players about feet down and ball behind the head. For younger divisions, a quick retake can teach without breaking the game open.

Goalkeepers

Explain goal kicks, keeper releases, and when to roll the ball back into play before the game begins.

Game flow

Balance teaching, safety, fairness, and flow. When in doubt, ask for a mentor or contact the referee admin.

Reference links

inLeague

Volunteer record, AYSOU access, referee scheduler, and assignments.

Open inLeague

Laws of the Game

Our plain-language guide to the 17 laws, common restarts, and youth referee context.

Open local laws guide

Official IFAB Laws

The full official law book, updates, and downloads for the current season.

Open IFAB Laws

AYSO Area 1P

Area-level referee and playoff context when regional teams advance.

Open Area 1P

AYSO Section 1

Section-level AYSO information and tournament resources.

Open Section 1

AYSO National

National AYSO policies, programs, and referee resources.

Open AYSO