Fall 2021 Training Schedule
- Basic Referee Online Companion Course (For U10 and above New Referees including U8 Referees moving up to U10 and above)
- Take the Safe Haven, Concussion and Sudden Cardiac Arrest courses online as detailed below.
- Take the Basic Referee Online Course as detailed here
- Attend the Now Online Basic Referee Online Companion Course
- Thursday, Sept 9th
- 6:00-10-pm (yes it's a long one, promise the time will go quickly)
- Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86405624744?pwd=L3ZtN1lRbzNRYW5EVHpOWGJHbG1DZz09 (ID: 86405624744, passcode: 55LGcANN)
Join by phone: (US) +1 669-900-6833 (passcode: 54616131)
Joining instructions: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://applications.zoom.us/addon/invitation/detail?meetingUuid%3DHcpzbuarRsqYHO%252BijuZt3A%253D%253D%26signature%3D3405cb7f92ec1d56bc8afebfc93d5f8977b2ec1bfa830b5e55e9e6f4c8f0c316%26v%3D1&sa=D&source=calendar&usg=AOvVaw204XW_zWq-1QCA3tM4EiSx
- U8 Referee Course (For New U7 and U8 Referees)
- Take the Safe Haven, Concussion and Sudden Cardiac Arrest courses online as detailed below.
- Take the online course before Wednesday, Sept. 8th as detailed below
- Online ONLY Zoom meeting for Q&A and quick review Wednesday, Sept 8th 7:00 to 8:00p
- Join Zoom Meeting here (passcode: PZi2y3zh)
- (US) +1 312-626-6799 (passcode: 76304255)
- Joining instructions here.
2021 New Uniform and Refresh, order by 8/22 here. It's important that we get your order in so you're properly dressed for your first game! We need sock, shirt and shorts size. All come with slimming vertical stripes (slap on a bowtie and attend weddings - chic). We'll take care of whistles and flags. If this is not your first rodeo, and you want a refresh because of the grass stains from tripping over yourself or whatever reason, use the same link. Uniforms will be distributed at training (see above) and at 968 Menlo Ave (behind 966) starting Friday, September 10th. (please walk down the driveway to 968, boxes will be roughly organized alphabetical groups).
FOR STEP BY STEP REGISTRATION AND TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS SEE BELOW. If you're new to this, please read this Overview for some context.
Overview
AYSO is 100 percent volunteer organization; we all do it for the kids. Each season we need as many referees as coaches (if not more) and refereeing is easier and less of a time commitment - in most cases you will be able to referee your own child's games. AYSO is about playing Fun, Fair and Safe. Our referee training is what makes it possible. If there is no trained, certified official to referee a game the kids don't get to play. We will provide you with everything you need to know to referee, no experience or prior knowledge of the game is required! All you need to become a referee or move to the next level in refereeing is on this page - if you can't find it here, please contact the Regional Referee Administrator.
For context, U7 & U8 (hereafter collectively referred to as U8) play a more age-appropriate game with different rules, so training is simpler and specific to those games. U10 and above require what's known as Basic or Regional referee training, and U12 and above recommend or require higher levels of certification based on the level of play at those ages. You will learn more about that as your child ages up, here we're focusing just on U8 and Basic training for U10 and above.
Systems Overview (for Step by Step see below) Our region uses three different online systems (take a deep breath):
- This website, https://www.missionctrlsoccer.com, is where once you've logged on you do the following:
- Register your child to play, and you as a volunteer referee.
- Signup for the age groups you'd like to ref
- U9 and older refs schedule themselves for games they'll referee. (U8 referees show up for their own games)
- U10 and older refs enter and submit games cards to the region
- BOOKMARK that page as you'll be returning to it often to accept, decline or request referee assignments
- AYSO Sports Connect
- This is the national AYSO system
- Complete Volunteer form and registration
- AYSO University (AYSOU.org)
- Take the Safe Haven Course, CDC Concussion course, Sudden Cardiac Arrest course
- U10 and above take the Regional Referee Online Course
- U10 and above register for the in person courses
All of these systems will be explained in their context below and elsewhere in this website. Once you are done with your training and have your eAYSO number, you typically will do just about everything else on the mpsoccer.org website. It can be a bit confusing, but most of you will be using just our website, mpsoccer.org, once the season gets started, so bear with us.
All referees must be trained and certified in AYSO. There are three types of basic training offered by our region:
1) U8 Training: This training is done online and is required for all new Referees for U7 & U8.
2) FOR New U10 and above REFEREES. Basic Referee Training: Basic Referee training is a combination of online and a three-hour in-person (now Zoom) training. Both are required for all new Referees for U10 and above, and the online training must be completed before the in-person training.
3) Refresher Training: This is for all currently-certified referees who are looking for a refresher course. You do not need to sign up for Refresher training and we'll announce those after the season starts. Returning referees are also welcome to attend the courses listed above, just show up and hang out, you don't need to register if you are already certified at that level. You do have to fill out a new volunteer form for this year. See below.
In addition to the above, each referee must complete the on online courses called AYSO Safe Haven, CDC Concussion Safety, Sudden Cardiac Arrest and be a currently registered volunteer at ASYO Blue Sombrero.
STEP BY STEP REGISTRATION AND TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS
ALL REFEREES
(After completing the below step on creating a volunteer form all all new referees see specific instructions for U8 (inc. U7) and the instructions for U10 and above following the below preliminary steps for all new referees)
- Complete volunteer form
- Login or Create Account at AYSO109.org using your AYSO Sports Connect credentials
- If you have (at least) one child who played in 2019 or earlier, you will have a SportsConnect, formerly BlueSombrero, account, and can login here
- If you are new to our AYSO region, you will need to create an account here
- Keep this login and password separately from your logon for MissionControl which is where you registered your kid(s) and will be getting game assignments
- Go to My Account
- Go to Volunteer on the left
- Click on "Find Volunteer Roles" upper right
- Click on "Volunteer Registration 2021-2022" (not the division that lists your son/daughter's name)
- Click on View Divisions
Select "View Selected Opportunities" lower right
Then select "Referee" (may be at the bottom of the page), who you're volunteering (if more than one on the account), check and fill out information on following pages and you should be set. (IF you are under 18, select "Youth Referee")
- REQUIRED CDC Concussion Course
- Taken Online at AYSOU.org
- If not already logged in, login Here with your login and password from AYSO Blue Sombrero
- Choose Online Courses top menu
- Open "Safe Haven Courses"
- Open "CDC HEADS UP Concussion Training" by launching the modules in order then taking the Post Test.
- Note full assessment and followup is provided by the coach, and many of the instructions are directed to them. You, as referee, are an "official" mentioned in the process.
- If you, as an official, suspect a concussion you should stop play and call the coach onto the pitch (field) for evaluation.
- Most, if not all, of the subsequent steps are the coaches' responsibility and guidelines apply to them
- If you feel there's the possibility of concussion and the coach disagrees and wants the player to continue play, use judgement but if you feel possibility of concussion ask the coach to take the kid off the pitch, allow a substitution, and allow the kid to sub back in after further monitoring if requested by the coach.
- You can print out the certificate, which is suitable for framing, if you wish, but otherwise we'll have it on file so no need to have.
- Takes about 30 minutes
- Stay logged in if you have time and continue below
- REQUIRED Sudden Cardiac Arrest Online Course
- Taken Online at AYSOU.org
- If not already logged in, login Here with your login and password from AYSO Blue Sombrero
- Choose Online Courses top menu
- Open "Safe Haven Courses"
- Open "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Online Course"
- Launch "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Online Course Module"
- Don't stress the pre-test
- Again geared towards coaches, but you're there as part of a team as it relates to health emergencies
- Take the Post-Test
- Exit Course
- Takes about 10 minutes
- Stay logged in if you have time and continue below based on your level of refereeing
- U8 REFEREES - U8 Referee training and certification, taken online
- U10 & U12 Referees: Training & Certification as a Basic Referee, meaning in addition to ALL REFEREES above you must complete both of below courses:
- FIRST: The online "Regional Referee Training Course"
- SECOND: The Basic Referee Online Companion in person (now zoom) course
- Enroll at AYSO.Org under Live Courses - See Below, how to "Register for Live Courses"
- Find the Menlo Park Regional Referee Online Companion Course listed above and register
- Show up, eat dinner, take the training, take the test and you are good to go!
- Completed volunteer form at AYSO Blue Sombrero
- Order your uniform refresh if needed by 8/20 here
- If you were U8 referee in previous season but will be refereeing U10 or higher (U10+) this season:
- If you were a Basic/Regional, Intermediate, Advanced or National referee in previous seasons:
- Completed volunteer form at AYSO Blue Sombrero
- If you don't know what level ref you are, log into aysou.org click on the transcripts tab, then click on the "click here for your transcripts history" link.
- Since returning referees have already completed Safe Haven, there's no need to take that again.
- Order your uniform refresh if you wish by going here
If you are unable to make the trainings at the times above, Login Here with your login and password from AYSO Blue Sombrero and search and signup for alternative courses in neighboring regions such as Palo Alto, Mountain View, or Redwood City using the instructions above for U10 & U12 Referees. NOTE: We've found a bug in AYSOU here. If the results for a search come up blank or back to MP's course, click on Sessions to the right of the MP course and you should be able to find what you're looking for. There are upcoming classes in several nearby cities in week or so following our class. If you don't see a good course there, click on Sessions to the right of that city you see again and a bunch should show up.
If you take a course in another region, please make note of the of the region you took the course in, the roster number, lead instructor's name, date and place you took the training in case there is a problem with a record of your certification later. Also, if you take the course in another region, don't take their equipment (they hate that!) - you'll be able to get that from us per instructions above.
U7/U8 Referees Note: U7/U8 referees may optionally take the Regional certification now and then don't have to take it later. If you think you'll be staying with refereeing we encourage that. And if we do our jobs right, you'll be staying with refereeing.
In addition, all referees must have completed at some point the Safe Haven Course, which is an online course. If you've already taken and passed it online, you don't need to take it again.
The Regional/Basic Online course may be taken any time before the online companion class.
Referee Certification Required