All USSF affiliates, including California Youth Soccer Association North (Youth) and California Soccer Association North (Amateur) leagues, require that all referees be certified by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).

CNRA offers USSF Grade 8 Referee and Grade 9 Recreational Referee clinics through the nine CYSA-N Districts. To determine in which District you are located, please refer to Contacts.

The Grade 8 clinic consists of six (6) 3-hour sessions, for a total of eighteen (18) hours of instruction. Attendance at all sessions is required for successful completion of the course. Upon successful completion of the course, candidates may register as Grade 8 Referees with the United States Soccer Federation for a registration fee.

The USSF Grade 9 Recreational Referee may officiate games as either a Referee or Assistant Referee on recreational youth games for under-14 and younger only. They may not officiate older ages, competitive youth matches (Class 1), or adult matches. For the latter matches, you must be at least a Grade 8 Referee. The Grade 9 clinic consists of a one-day eight-hour class. Upon successful completion of the course, candidates may register as Grade 9 Recreational Referees with the United States Soccer Federation for a registration fee.

To enroll in a USSF Referee Clinic, please refer to the Calendar for a list of clinics and contact information. You may also look up your District Referee Coordinator in the Directory under Contacts and contact them for information.

The USSF policy regarding recertification states the following:

USSF Referee Administrative Handbook, p. 31 and 31a
6. REFEREES NOT REGISTERED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR
Any referee who was not registered with the U.S. Soccer Federation the previous year may be certified at the grade he previously held after taking and passing the written qualifying examination, fitness test, and assessments. This applies to referees who were previously certified and registered with the Federation. A referee who has not been registered for two or more consecutive years may be registered at the level immediately below the grade previously held and then be tested for the grade level he once achieved at the next available testing session and can register for that grade after successfully completing all of the requirements.

On September 13, 2003, the Referee Committee considered a request for a change in policy with regard to referees who have not registered for two years (or more). The current policy requires that referees who miss two or more years of registration re-take the entire Entry Level Referee Training Course.

After discussion, the Referee Committee recommended that the states use the following guidelines for re-registering referees not certified for two years or more:

• Grade 8 referees who miss 1-2 consecutive years of registration can be re-registered as a grade 8 after completing a Referee Re-certification clinic.
• Grade 8 referees who miss 3-4 consecutive years of registration can be re-registered after taking the Referee Bridge (Grade 9 to Grade 8) Course or the entire Entry Level Referee Training Course.
• Grade 8 referees who miss 5 or more consecutive years must re-take the entire Entry Level Referee Training Course.
• Grade 7 Referees and Higher - Referees can only be registered at the grade they qualify for. Referees who were Grade 7 or higher should be downgraded one (1) grade, as per current policy. Once they retake the appropriate course as listed above for grade 8 referees and have completed all the requirements for the previously held grade, they may be upgraded.
• Grade 9 Referees who miss one or two years of registration may be re-certified after fulfilling all re-certification requirements for that grade. A Grade 9 Referee who misses two years of registration can be eligible to take the Bridge Course (9-8) after he or she has met the requirements to be re-certified as Grade 9.

Referees are registered annually, for the period January 1 to December 30. Current year Referee, Assignor, Instructor, and Assessor registration forms are accepted by the National Office from September 01 of the previous year to June 30 of the current year (10 months). Referees who did not have the opportunity to re-register during the prescribed current year registration period may register for the following year without penalty. (e.g. A referee last registered in 2002 may take a 2004 re-certification course in August 2003 without having to pay a 2003 registration fee.) HOWEVER, re-certifying referees who wait until after June 30 to re-register should not be added to assignment lists until the following January 1. (e.g. A referee last registered in 2002 may take a 2004 re-certification course in August 2003 but shall not be assigned until January 01, 2004.)

On April 3, 2004, the Referee Committee voted to amend this policy to include the following:

U.S. Soccer Federation Referee Instructors who wish to re-certify as a referee after a lapse in referee registration may do so upon meeting current re-certification requirements, no matter how long it has been since they last registered as a referee, if they are currently registered instructors and have taught at a minimum of one U.S. Soccer entry-level referee training course in the last two years.

You can immediately register as a USSF Referee at the next lower grade which you previously attained by following the instructions for registration.

You can upgrade to your previously attained grade once you satisfy all the requirements for upgrading.

For referees from other countries, you may certify with the USSF without taking a course provided you have credentials from your certifying country.

Make copies of your certification and send them to the State Referee Administrator for Cal-North. DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS. The SRA submits your paperwork to the USSF, which replies with an equivalent USSF Referee Grade plus any recertification requirements to be fulfilled. The SRA then notifies the applicant of their USSF Referee Grade.

If you have no certification, you must take either a Grade 8 or 9 referee course.

AYSO Referees may cross-certify with the USSF and obtain an equivalent USSF Referee certification without taking a referee course.

You must download the form (in Adobe Reader, PDF), complete it, and mail it to the appropriate authority as indicated on the form.

Once you are certified with the USSF, you must satisfy annual renewal requirements to retain your USSF certification. Furthermore, if you wish to upgrade within the USSF, you must satisfy additional requirements.