2025 Referee Certification Requirements Summary
Certification and annual recertification requirements for all soccer and futsal referees.
New Soccer Referee Certification
Online Frst-time Referee Instruction
Online First-time Referee Test
Safe Soccer Training/Healthy and Safe Playing Environment
SafeSport Training (18 and older)
Background Check/Risk Management (18 and older)
Field Instruction Session - 4 hours
Mentoring: After initial certification, new referees should be mentored at/after games
Soccer Referee Recertification
Online Referee Instruction
Online Referee Recertification Test
Safe Soccer Training/Healthy and Safe Playing Environment
SafeSports Training (18 and older)
Background Check/Risk Management (18 and older)
Mentoring: Periodically, referees should be mentored at/after games
Upgrade To Regional Soccer Referee
Requirement: Each Referee:
Prior to attempting the upgrade process to upgrade to Regional Referee,
-must pass a formal practical evaluation as the referee on a competitive Senior Amateur (Adult) Division 2 or above level match; (the purpose of the prerequisite evaluation is to experience the evaluation process and to understand whether the referee is ready for preparing to upgrade)
-must be 18 years of age;
-must have a minimum of previous three consecutive years’ referee experience; and
-must have 25 games as a referee and 15 games as an assistant referee at the Adult Amateur level, 11v11, two 45-minute halves (must be documented).
To complete the upgrade process to Regional Referee, Referees must pass 3 formal practical evaluations as a referee and one as an assistant referee.
Type of match: Formal practical evaluations will only be performed on matches scheduled for two (2) full 45-minute halves, 11v11, and must be between two current affiliated USSF member teams. All matches must be played to completion in accordance with the rules of the competition. Any evaluation resulting in a not acceptable performance rating will require an additional evaluation at the same level. The minimum match requirements are:
1. One match as a referee on a competitive Highest Youth Level U18/19 match. (Can substitute senior adult amateur D-2 level or above match)
2. One match as a referee on a competitive senior adult amateur Division 2 (D2) level or above match.
3. One match as a referee on a top-level, senior amateur, Division 1 or Premier-level or above match.
4. One match as an assistant referee (position AR1) on a top-level, senior amateur, Division 1 or Premier-level or above match.
Notes:
1. Each match evaluation must be performed by a different Referee Coach.
2. Referees are encouraged to accomplish the formal practical evaluations at the higher levels of competition.
3. Referees seeking to upgrade to Regional Referee, before requesting an upgrade evaluation, must be 18 years of age, must have a minimum of three consecutive years’ experience, and must have the following minimum game experience: 25 games as a referee and 15 games as an assistant referee at the Adult Amateur level, 11v11, two 45-minute halves (must be documented).
4. Other US SOCCER Regional Referee Certification and License requirements can be found in the US SOCCER Learning Center (https://learning.ussoccer.com/referee/resources).
5. The acceptable leagues for the top-level adult and youth assessments can be found on the SRP website.
Referee Coach Level: Any currently licensed Referee Coach, or National Referee Coach is qualified for this level of evaluation.
To complete the upgrade process to Regional Referee, Referees must meet the following additional requirements.
Physical Fitness Test:
- Male – 40-meter sprints, 6.40 seconds; 75/25-meter interval run/walk, 17/20 seconds
- Female – 40-meter sprints, 6.6 seconds; 75/25-meter interval run/walk, 17/24 seconds
Regional Referee Upgrade Course and Field Instruction (after game-count and developmental assessment requirement have been met)
Online Regional Referee Test
Additional annual requirements:
Safe Soccer Training/Healthy and Safe Playing Environment
SafeSport Training
Background Check/Risk Management
Annual Regional Referee recertification instruction
Regional Soccer Referee Recertification
Online Regional Referee Test
Safe Soccer Training/Healthy and Safe Playing Environment
SafeSport Training
Background Check/Risk Management
Annual Regional Referee recertification instruction
Formal evaluations:
1. One match as a referee on a competitive Youth U18/19 match.
2. One match as a referee on a top-level, senior amateur, Division 1 or Premier-level match or above.
Physical Fitness Test:
- Male – 40-meter sprints, 6.40 seconds; 75/25-meter interval run/walk, 17/20 seconds
- Female – 40-meter sprints, 6.6 seconds; 75/25-meter interval run/walk, 17/24 seconds
Emeritus Referee Recertification
The purpose of the emeritus license is to retire from the highest level referee has attained. Emeritus certification may not be used to circumvent fitness test and assessment requirements.
The emeritus license allows a National or Regional Referee the option of retiring from those levels of refereeing while retaining that license and continuing to referee at a lower level.
The minimum age for emeritus referees is 45 years old.
Emeritus referees will complete the online annual training for recertification.
Online Regional Referee Test
Safe Soccer Training/Healthy and Safe Playing Environment
SafeSport Training
Background Check/Risk Management
Annual Regional Referee recertification instruction
New Futsal Referee Certification
Online Futsal Referee Instruction
Online Futsal Referee Test
Safe Soccer Training/Healthy and Safe Playing Environment
SafeSport Training (18 and older)
Background Check/Risk Management (18 and older)
Field Instruction Session - 3 hours
Mentoring: After initial certification, new referees should be mentored at/after games
Upgrade To Regional Futsal Referee
Requirement: Each Futsal Referee:
Prior to attempting the upgrade process to upgrade to Regional Futsal Referee,
-must be 18 years of age;
-must have a minimum of five consecutive years’ experience as a Futsal referee;
-must have 30 games as a referee in a two-referee system at U16 or above (must be documented);
-must pass three formal practical evaluations
***To complete the upgrade process to Regional Futsal Referee, Futsal Referees must pass 3 formal practical evaluations as a referee in a two-referee system.
- One match as Referee 1 or Referee 2 on a competitive, highest youth level U18/19 boys match;
- One match as Referee 1 on a competitive adult amateur match or above;
- One match as Referee 1 on a senior amateur or premier level match or above
*Each match evaluation must be performed by a different Referee Coach (with advanced futsal knowledge)/Director of Futsal
*All matches must be played to completion
*Any evaluation resulting in a not acceptable performance rating will require an additional evaluation at the same level
*At least one match must be with a 3rd referee and timekeeper
All new candidates for upgrade to Regional Futsal Referee must submit a comprehensive list of their games that count for upgrade to Regional Futsal Referee to the Director of Futsal prior to their upgrade approval. This list should include at a minimum, the game date, league, division, teams, score and assignor’s name.
-Online Regional Futsal Referee Instruction
-Online Regional Futsal Referee Test
-Safe Soccer Training/Healthy and Safe Playing Environment
-SafeSport Training (18 and older)
-Background Check/Risk Management (18 and older)
-Physical fitness test
Regional Futsal Referee Recertification
Online Regional Futsal Referee Instruction
Online Regional Futsal Referee Test
Safe Soccer Training/Healthy and Safe Playing Environment
SafeSport Training (18 and older)
Background Check/Risk Management (18 and older)
15 games as a referee in two-referee system
2 practical evaluations
One evaluation as Referee 1 or Referee 2 on a competitive, highest youth level U18/19 boys match
One evaluation as Referee 1 on a competitive adult amateur match or above
Physical fitness test
Revised July 1, 2024