New Grassroots Referee courses are being offered by the Wisconsin Soccer Referee Development Program (WisRef) for 2022 registration, for a 2022 USSF GrassrootsReferee license expiring 12/31/2022. The successful Referee candidate will have the opportunity to officiate games for the 2022 spring, summer and fall soccer seasons.
This course is for new, first time Referees that have not been previously registered as a Referee OR a previously registered Referee who has had a lapse in registration (2019 or prior lapse). Minimum age per US Soccer policy is 13 years old at the time of registering for the course.
WisRef & the WYSA have partnered in order to encourage players, parents and others to become a New Referee. WYSA is providing reimbursement of registration & course fees and background check fees for New or Lapsed Registration Referees who successfully complete the requirements to become a US Soccer Referee for 2022. In addition, these Referees will receive a $50 uniform kit allowance, redeemable at Stefan’s Soccer (the sooner your complete all the course requirements, the higher likelihood of receiving your kit timely).
What do these two organizations ask in return? We ask that you commit to refereeing all of 2022 and registering again for 2023 at a minimum. We would also hope that you continue in 2024 and beyond.
Many clubs and districts also provide additional Referee incentives, for a minimum number of games worked in a season or other requirements. You will need to work with your local games Assignor for more information on those programs.
We hope to see you in a New Referee course, and on the fields come spring!
This is a 16 Hour Course
8 hours online US Soccer Learning Center course work (on your own)
4 hours online WisRef course work (on your own)
4 hours WisRef Virtual online Zoom session (with Instructors) (active participation required)
After successful completion of the above, you will be registered as a new Grassroots Referee.
Steps to Register as a 2022 USSF Grassroots Referee
We utilize 2 platforms. Registration and learning are within the US Soccer Learning Center. Game assignments, after completing all requirements, will be in GameOfficials.
1. Create a Referee profile in the US Soccer Learning Center: https://learning.ussoccer.com/. This profile or account is for the Referee, not the parent. Full name, & mailing address is required; the name, address & primary email should be the same as will be input into GameOfficials. Please note that school email addresses are sometimes problematic, so should be avoided.
Directions: https://ussoccerfederation.force.com/lcsupport/s/article/Sign-Up-for-an-Account
If you are 18 or older, you will be prompted to pay for and complete a 2-year background check and complete the SafeSport module. If you turn 18 during a registration period, you will be required to complete the background check and SafeSport in order to continue refereeing during the seasons.https://ussoccerfederation.force.com/lcsupport/s/article/How-to-find-and-sign-up-for-a-course-in-the-Learning-Center
2. After you create your account, pay the $70 US Soccer 2022 registration fee and WisRef course fee. Register in the following course: 2022-New Grassroots Referee -Assignment Course.
3. Complete all US Soccer Learning Center required assignments in the following pathway: Courses/My Courses/Go to Classroom/Assignments. Remember to log out if you take a break from the training and continually save your progress. Chromebooks are not always compatible, may not load, save, or display properly, and may be incompatible with the Zoom program required later.
4. Set up a GameOfficials account for game assignments in the WisRef GameOfficials assigning platform: https://wisref.gameofficials.net (use this link). This account is for the Referee, not the parent. Full name, & mailing address is required; the name, address & primary email should be the same as was input into the Learning Center. Please note that school email addresses are sometimes problematic, so should be avoided. There will not be any course work completed in GameOfficials (GO). GameOfficials is only for game assignments once you have been registered as a referee.
5. After completing steps 1. through 4. notify [email protected] for instructions for the WisRef course work, which will then be emailed to you, at the primary email listed in your Referee profile in the Learning Center.
6. Once the WisRef course work is completed, again notify [email protected] to choose a date/time to attend a WisRef Virtual online Zoom session. You will be able to pick a Virtual session date and time from the list in her email reply. Session dates will be held January – April based on interest. Sessions are generally held on the weekends, with both morning and afternoon time slots, based on interest. Additional times or days may be added, based on interest.
* The Virtual online Zoom session time of 4 hours is 100% accurate. Referee candidates are required to be present for the entire session. These sessions meet US Soccer requirements and failure to be present for the entire session will result in full attendance not being granted and your certification will not be processed.
*Signing up for a Virtual online Zoom session will be available after you complete the required Learning Center assignments & WisRef course work and have created your GO account – steps 1. through 5. above. You cannot reserve a spot in a Virtual online Zoom session until you complete these steps. If a Virtual online Zoom session is near capacity, there are no guarantees that slots will be available by the time you finish steps 1. through 5. We strongly encourage Referee candidates to compete their assignments in the Learning Center and the WisRef course work well in advance of the Virtual online Zoom session they wish to attend.
* The deadline for signing up for a Virtual online Zoom session is 48 hours before the start of the Virtual online Zoom session. WisRef requires course rosters to be set by this deadline. Please be diligent if you desire a session for a particular date and time.
7. Attend the selected WisRef Virtual online Zoom session. The session is interactive, and requires active participation from all candidates. Instructors need to be able to see and hear you throughout the session. Video MUST be on at all times and you must have the ability to mute/un-mute your microphone. There is a maximum of one referee per electronic device – no sharing, and attendance needs to be in a stationary, unobstructed, quiet environment (and not in a car or other auto).
8. Once you pass all the requirements, your account will be certified by the State Referee Administrator and a 2022 USSF Grassroots Referee badge will be mailed to you. Take this opportunity to make sure your mailing address is correct in both the US Soccer Learning Center and the WisRef GO. You will only receive one badge.