What are the basic beginner Referee Clinics?
Answer: There are two beginner Referee Clinics:
United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Grade 9 Associate Referee
United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Grade 8 Referee
A Grade 9 Associate Referee can officiate local games as a referee (with a whistle) for age groups up to and including Under-14. This person can also officiate competitive games (such as SuperLiga) as an assistant referee (with a flag) for age groups up to and including Under-14.
A Grade 8 Referee can officiate any youth games as either a referee or an assistant referee.
How long are these clinics?
Answer: The Grade 9 clinic is 6 hours long, and is usually done over two 3-hour sessions. The Grade 8 clinic is 10 hours long, and is done either in four 2.5-hour sessions or in two 5-hour sessions.
What can I do if I have a scheduling conflict with some of the dates of a clinic?
Answer: If it is convenient for you, you may attend sessions from clinics at different locations. For example, you can attend the first two sessions of the Grade 8 clinic in Barrington, and the second two sessions of the Grade 8 clinic in Warwick. All that we ask is that you notify the instructor about your situation, so that we can give that information to the instructor of the second clinic.
Is there any pre-registration necessary for these clinics?
Answer: YES! We now have PreRegistration Form to (hopefully) make both the student's lives and the instructor's lives easier. Click Here to go to the list of clinics, and there you'll find the link to the PreRegistration Form.
What are the costs for these clinics?
Answer: The Grade 9 clinic costs $40, and the Grade 8 clinic costs $50. Both of these fees include all the materials, law books, and USSF Certification fees.
I haven't reached the 8th grade yet. Can I still attend one of these clinics?
Answer: Absolutely! The term "grade" was chosen by USSF to represent the experience level of an official. It has nothing to do with a person's grade in school.
How old do I have to be to attend a clinic?
Answer: USSF has specifically said that there is no minimum age requirements, and have left that decision to the individual states. The Rhode Island Referee Committee recommends that a person be at least 11 years old - however, we do currently have 10-year olds who are registered officials.
So if there are two "beginner" clinics, which one should I attend?
Answer: An excellent question. That depends upon the person's age, the years of experience the person has as a player, and the maturity level of the person. It is the recommendation of the Rhode Island Referee Committee that individuals who have a few years of experience as a player and are under the age of 16 should attend the Grade 9 clinic. This way, the person can get a "feel" for officiating without a tremendous amount of pressure. After officiating for a year (or so), you may feel ready to try the Grade 8 clinic.
What happens after I complete a clinic?
Answer: Once you are registered as an official, you will be added to a database of officials. From that point, referee Assignors in your area will contact you to see if you are available to officiate games.
When and where are the next clinics?
Answer: Click on the REFEREE CLINICS link on the TOP of this page to get the current listing of clinics throughout the state.