Referee Resources

Cieanna Tovar

REFEREE ASSIGNOR

Phone: 214-475-1320

Email: assignor@midlothiansoccer.org

Catrina Whitley

REFEREE CHAIR

Phone: 214-803-2013

Email: referee@midlothiansoccer.org

There are two options for someone to get started in refereeing.

Option #1 – Grade 9 Referee – minimum age 12. This level of a referee will work games that are Under 4 - Under 8. Small sided games of 4v4. These games have only one referee. This is the perfect place for the 12-year-old and some 13/14 year-olds to start with refereeing. The Grade 9 Referee clinic is 5.5 hours.

Option #2 – Grade 8 Referee – minimum age 13. This level of a referee can work up to Under-16 games as either a referee or an assistant referee (sideline referee). The age level of game one will work will depend on the referees age and experience level. The Grade 8 Entry level clinic includes an online session that is critical to their success as a new referee. The online portion is done prior to the date of the classroom session. The classroom session is eight hours.

You can find a list of available referee clinics on the North Texas Soccer webpage.  You can attend any available class and still referee in Midlothian.

Midlothian Soccer Association uses GameOfficials to schedule and pay referees.  Game Officials is the website you used to register for the referee training class.  

If you would like to referee for the Midlothian Soccer Association, after you have passed your referee test, you must follow these important steps:

1. Join the Midlothian Soccer Association Group on GameOfficials.net.  To do this, log into your account.  Click on the link to the left for "My Assignors".  On the line that says "Join New Group" click the "show" button.  Enter "1489" for both the Group Number and Group Access Code and click "join group"

Group Number/Access Code: 1489

2. Email both the referee assignor and the referee chair.  Their contact information is found at the top of this page.  They will need to know what your referee experience and preferred assignments are.  Provide any information they will need about your overall availability. "My soccer practices are Tuesday and Thursdays so I am not available for week night games." or "I am typically available on short notice if you need a fill in for a sudden cancellation" are all important things for them to know.

 You will need a yellow uniform shirt, black shorts (without any colored stripes), black referee socks, and black shoes.

Locally you can purchase these items from The Soccer Corner in Arlington. The address is 961 W. Interstate 20.

Online you can purchase these items from:

http://officialsports.com/

http://soccer.epicsports.com/cat/18/p1/referee.html

Referees should wear a black shirt under their uniforms. When they are not actively refereeing a game or walking back and forth to a game, they will need to remove their referee shirt.

A watch is REQUIRED. Referees will not be able to use their phone to track time. A watch with a beeping stopwatch that counts down is best but not required. This allows you to program the amount of time for a period and it will beep at the end.  Referees should have a second watch with them while refereeing in case of any issues.

Having a backup watch in your referee bag is a good idea.

Keep SEVERAL pens in your referee bag.

Also make sure you bring a coin for kick-off, quality whistle, and red and yellow penalty cards for (U8 and above games).

We do not keep these things at the fields for you so please make sure you come prepared!

You do NOT know everything you need to know about the rules of the game. Referees that have been doing it for years still question calls or game time decisions!

It is important that you read through the Laws of the Game often to keep learning. 

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) establishes and publishes the official "Laws of the Game".  These laws cover the game from youth all the way to adults.  You can find the most current Laws of the Game here.

 While this Association establishes the overall rules of the game, it is important to remember that they structure them so local associations are able to modify the Laws as necessary for their needs.  Most of our modifications can be viewed in our Quick Game Summary.  Click on the picture for a larger version or scroll to the bottom to download your own copy.

We implementied the final set of changes to move to the US Youth Soccer small-sided games rules in the Fall of 2017. Because these rules are still fairly new, they might not be reflected in all education/training documents. 

• Application of Advantage
• Assessing Challenges
• Fouls and Misconduct
• Getting to the Next Level
• Offside
• Positioning and Mechanics

IFFAB's Practical Guidelines for Match Officials

North Texas Soccer Referee Policy Manual 

FIFA Presentation regarding Law 5: The Referee

FIFA Presentation regarding Law 6: The Assistant Referee

 Here are a few rules from Law 12.

An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, commits any of the following offences:

• controls the ball with the hands for more than six seconds before releasing it
• touches the ball with the hands after releasing it and before it has touched another player
• touches the ball with the hands after it has been deliberately kicked to the goalkeeper by a team-mate
• receiving it directly from a throw-in taken by a team-mate

A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball when:

• the ball is between the hands or between the hand and any surface (e.g. ground, own body) or by touching it with any part of the hands or arms except if the ball rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper or the goalkeeper has made a save
• holding the ball in the outstretched open hand
• bouncing it on the ground or throwing it in the air

A goalkeeper cannot be challenged by an opponent when in control of the ball with the hands.