READ ALL OF THE DIRECTIONS BELOW

This certification path is for NEW referees who started the certification process in spring 2022 and did not finish.  You have been transferred to the 2023 Referee Grassroots Online PreClinic, so you can complete the online lessons, attend the field training session, and be certified for 2023. 

Regardless of whether you completed all the online sessions, you will have some online lessons to complete as there have been some changes to the Laws of the Game, and the safety training and referee test are required annually.  

Your requirements for your new referee certification are a combination of online lessons and an in-person field training session.  

TO START.  Go to our Officials Management System (OMS):  https://mdcvasrp.omgtsys.com 

Select “Member Sign In.”  Enter your username and password.

On your Member Information Page, to the right of your reserved clinic, click on “Online Lesson.”

ONLINE LESSONS.  There are seven online lessons:

1.  2023 Introduction to the Learning Center  (4 hours, 30 minutes)   
2.  2022-2023 IFAB Law Changes  (30 minutes)

3.  2023 Referee Signals  (9 minutes)
4.  2023 Assistant Referee Signals  (11 minutes)
5.  2023 Ceremonial Restarts  (4 minutes)
6.  2023 LC Intro to Safety  (15 minutes)
7.  2023 New Grassroots Referee Test - Part 1 (30 minutes)
8.  2023 New Grassroots Referee Test - Part 2 (30 minutes)
9.  2023 LC SafeSport  (90 minutes)         

LEARNING CENTER COURSE

If you already completed the Grassroots Referee Course at the US Soccer Learning Center, you will have credit for the course.  This course is a one-time requirement.  The Introduction to the Learning Center will show Complete if the course is completed.  If the Introduction does not show Complete, start the lesson.  Click Start to start the lesson, then click the Learning Center button to go to the Learning Center.

The Introduction to the Learning Center lesson is both an introduction on how to sign in and log in to the US Soccer Learning Center, and 4.5-hour Grassroots Referee Course.

Part 1 of the Introduction to the Learning Center explains how to Sign Up and create a profile, username, and password at the Learning Center.  BE CAREFUL TO ENTER YOUR NAME THE SAME AS YOUR NAME IN OMS.  If your name does not match, the results of your Learning Center course will not download to our OMS.  Click on the "Click Here" button at the end of Part 1 to go to the Learning Center.  After you create your pofile at the Learning Center log out of the Learning Center; return to our OMS; and complete Part 2 of Lesson 1.

Part 2 of the Introduction to the Learning Center explains how to Log In and start and complete the Grassroots Referee Course.  BE CAREFUL TO USE LOG IN.  If you use Sign Up, you will create another account at the Learning Center.  Click on the "Click Here" button at the end of Part 2 to go back to the Learning Center.

There are five Parts to the Learning Center course.  You must complete each Part in sequence.

As you progress through the Grassroots Referee Course, you must view everything on a page/slide.  You will have to click on each option to read or watch a video.  Sometimes you will have to scroll down or to the right to see everything on a page/slide.  If you do not see the CONTINUE button, you have not viewed everything on the page/slide.

If you need to stop the course to resume later, select CLOSE and log out of the Learning Center, so your progress will be saved and you can resume where you left the course.  If you just close your browser window or get logged out for inactivity, your progress will not save.

When you complete the course, go back to OMS to complete the other lessons.

REMAINING LESSONS.   Complete the remaining online lessons by selecting “Start” beside each lesson, in order.

Everyone must complete Lessons 2 – 8.

Lesson 9, SafeSport Training, is required for referees 18 years or older.  Lesson 8 will show as Complete for referees who are not 18.  The first time SafeSport Training takes about 90 minutes to complete.  Subsequent annual SafeSport Training takes about 15 minutes to complete.

FINAL STEP.  The final step of your referee instruction is completing the field training session.

Once you complete the 9 online lessons, your grey Online Lessons button will turn green.  This may take up to 24 hours after you complete the last lesson.  When it does, click on the "Pick a Clinic" button and pick a Field Training Clinic.

If you decide to change your Field Training Clinc, on your OMS Member Information Page, to the right of your reserved clinic, click on “Transfer” to select another Field Training Clinic.

FIELD TRAINING SESSION  

You need to bring your own whistle, referee flag, and flipping coin to the field session.  We try not to share referee equipment during the pandemic.

Dress for the weather and for mild activity on the field.  You will be outside on the field for 4 hours.

You should receive your referee badge at the end of the field training session.

REFEREE EQUIPMENT

You can search the internet for soccer referee uniforms or equipment.  You should find many alternative brands and vendors.  You can also procure your referee kit at a soccer store.  Official Sports is the brand that sponsors and is affiliated with the US Soccer referee program.  However, any brand should be acceptable.  Be careful to procure the current referee shirt and socks styles.  You will see these as you complete the Grassroots Referee Course, and are shown under resources at the US Soccer Learning Center.

We recommend that you procure a complete referee uniform/equipment kit, which includes a referee shirt (yellow is the primary color), referee shorts, referee socks, referee flags, whistle, yellow and red cards, etc.  The kit will provide the best value and all of your referee equipment.

Referee shoes should be black athletic shoes.  Predominantly black is usually acceptable.  Manufacturer logo of a different color is acceptable.  The referee shoes should not be distracting, or draw attention.

Congratulations on becoming a referee!  Your next step is to contact a referee assignor to schedule yourself to officiate. Names and contact information are located on the Assignor page of this website.

Revised July 22, 2022