OVERVIEW
- Carry your uniform and equipment with you. In many cases there are no-shows, or mix-ups, or traffic, and by being prepared to step in and referee can, and has, made the the difference between the kids being able to play or not. So please keep your equipment with you.
- We recommend you carry the following with you in addition to your regular gear (whistles, cards, flags, etc):
- plastic bag (dogs....)
- mini-cones to mark hazards
- water
- small pump (for under-inflated balls)
- Hang around a bit after your game if there is a game following to be sure there's coverage there.
- Check around - are there other games being played at your field that are uncovered that you can help out at? If you're scheduled to be an AR but your game has a CR already, and a game next to you has nobody reffing, please go and referee the other game.
- Recommend you download the latest Laws of the Game and/or the Laws of the Game App and either download or link to the Guidelines for your division.
Always inspect the field before a game. Mark hazards (exposed sprinklers, holes, deep puddles) with a cone - you can usually borrow one from a coach if you don't have. Clear the field of sharp or dangerous debris. Make sure the goals are anchored. Make sure dogs are leashed.
Have the players line up, inspect for jewelry, non-prescription glasses, casts, etc. Remember: hard casts or splints, bobby-pins or hard clips, jewelry of any kind (except medical alert) that might injure another player or themselves are not allowed. Check shin guards - are the covered by the socks? Are they long enough? Then have players turn around and lift to show their cleats - there can be no metal cleats, no toe cleat.
Each team should provide you with game cards. Have an AR keep track of substitutions and scores with those cards. For age U10 and up, the CR should enter those game cards into the system after the game. Please remember to do this, otherwise we have to find you. And while we always do, it's never pretty....
During the game:
- Use tally marks to records goals scored by each player. Use one column per half
- Mark absent players with an "A"
- Mark the keeper with a "G"
- Mark eligible substitutes, ie. those not playing at the start of that quarter, with an "X", mark injured players who are unable to play at the start of that quarter with an "I". In other words, a player injured during a quarter is still marked as playing that quarter.
- Write halftime score and who is winning
- If a player receives a card, or an incident occurs with a spectator or coach, record the details on the reverse side.
After the game:
- To enter a game card into the system, logon at missionctrlsoccer.com
- Click on <yourName> Referee Page
- Select the date of the game and, if needed, the division
- Select "Game Card" to the right of the game you're reporting
- Click "Turn on Edit" at the top
- Note the "Playing Status" codes at the top. These are the same as the codes you or your AR recorded on the cards as mentioned above
- Transfer the information from the game card to the electronic versions on this page
- Click "TurnOffEdit" and then "Update" and then "Done"
- And you're done.
If your game is starting late, and there are games following yours, shorten each half by an appropriate time to try to get back on schedule and inform the coaches you'll be doing this. If the games are running late then inspect the teams when they're present and while the other team is playing to gain back some time. Ask them to warmup on the sidelines so you can start sooner. If there is a game after yours, give them a short time for some scoring drills if there's a little time, otherwise get right into your game to try to get back on schedule.
There are no referees in the Kinder League; instead, the coaches facilitate Kinder games.
Game Management
Please see the U7 & U8 Guidelines for general guidelines for play at this level. All Laws of the Game are enforced with the exception of offside. Also per the guidelines, no slide tackles are permitted at this age.
Please remember that the primary duty of referees, especially at this level, is safety and to provide instruction on the rules and their enforcement. Consider allowing "do-overs" for restarts, especially throw-ins. Call all fouls, but followup with an explanation of the foul, what not to do next time, and how to restart if there is some hesitation. If no whistle, and the players have stopped play for some reason, let them know to continue playing unless there is a whistle.
- For U7: Each full team is inspected at one time by the referee before they are divided by the coach into two evenly skill-balanced mini-teams of 5 players each which stay intact for each of the two mini-games. 4 kids will play, one sub.
- For U8: Each full team is inspected at one time by the referee before they are divided by the coach into two evenly skill-balanced mini-teams of 6 players each which stay intact for each of the two mini-games. 5 kids will play, one sub.
- One referee should be the official timekeeper so both mini-games end at the same time.
- The home team provides the game ball for both mini-games.
- A coin toss is conducted at the beginning of the first mini-game to determine which team will take the first kick-off of the mini-game. The restart after the substitution break in the first mini-game is a kick-off by the team that did not kick-off the first period.
- The visiting team calls the coin toss. The winner of the coin toss chooses the goal it will defend and the other team kicks off.
- A second coin toss begins the second mini-game. The restart after the substitution break in the second mini-game is a kick-off by the team that did not kick off the first period.
- U7 games do not use goal keepers. U8 games do use goal keepers.
- Each mini-game is made up of two 10-minute periods. Substitutions are done at the 10-minute breaks and between the two mini-games. So the kids are playing a total of 40 minutes.
- At the end of the first mini-game, the home team players remain on their respective fields and the visiting teams switch fields.
- Referees stay on the same field for both mini-games.
- A pass-back (when a team member kicks the ball to his/her own goal keeper and the keeper picks up the ball) is not treated as a foul in U8.
- All kicks taken after a foul are direct kicks (a goal may be scored without another player touching the ball).
- Goals may be scored on kickoffs.
Game Assignment
Games in U7and U8 are self-assigned with one referee per mini-game, i.e. you coordinate directly with other referees on your team and possibly with the coach, ask your coach what he/she prefers. One referee from every team should be prepared to referee one mini-game, the referee on the other team will do the other. It's generally a good idea to carry or wear your uniform to every game you attend just in case - if nothing else you'll look good.
Each U7 and U8 team should provide a referee. If there are more referees available, one referee can handle both short games or the job can be shared. If there are no uniformed referees for a game, then a coach will act as the referee.
Game Management
Please see the Guidelines for general guidelines for play at this level. All Laws of the Game are enforced, including offside. Also per the Guidelines, no slide tackles in U9.
These games use three referees: one Center Referee (the Referee, or CR) who runs on the field and follows the play, and two Assistant Referees, who each run on one of the side lines for half of the length on diagonally opposite sides. This is the Diagonal System of Control.
Each team is required to provide a certified Regional Referee for each game to serve as a Referee; then hopefully there are enough certified referees to act as Assistant Referees. Since most parent referees will occasionally be unavailable, each team should train at least two referees, so they have a backup.
In U9 and U10 games, you can act as either the Referee (CR) or as an Assistant Referee (AR) for your own child's games. For U12 and U14 games you may act as the AR for your own child's games, but may be the CR only with prior permission of the Regional Referee Administrator or in the case where there is no-one else to referee a game and otherwise the game would have to be cancelled. Note that the CR for U12 should be an Intermediate Referee and for U14 an Advanced Referee unless no referees at that level are available.
Game Assignment
Games in U9 - U14 are self-assigned through our online system which means we expect you to go on to the system and sign up for those games you're able to referee. Each division also has a scheduler assigned to it. They will be contacting you periodically to fill in holes in the schedule. Please just do what you were able to do, they do it as quickly as you can to reduce the workload on them and so we can focus on getting every game refereed. If your scheduler contacts you and requests an email response please do that quickly. If your scheduler puts out a blanket request for more referees to sign up please just go in and sign up for those games you are able to do, there is no need to respond if you are unable to do a game. We know you care.
To schedule yourself for a game, please do the following:
- Logon to your account on our website :