South Texas Soccer Referees, Inc.

Referee Training and Assessment Program Information

Table of Contents:

US Soccer Registration Cards
Referee Adult Participation Pass for STYSA
Recent Documents
New Referee Registration
Finding Games to Officiate
Referee Recertification
Lapsed Referee Recertification
Emeritus Referees
Re-taking the Written Test
Replacing Lost Badges
Requesting an Assessment
Assessment Fees

2012 State and Grade 7 Upgrade Clinics Scheduled in San Antonio for Nov 18-20th

• 06-10-1111-R56 Grade 5/6 Recertification (see preclinic assignment below)
• 06-11-1111-U07 Grade 7 Upgrade clinic (see preclinic assignment below)
• 06-12-1111-U06 Grade 6 Upgrade clinic (see preclinic assignment below)
• 06-13-1111-U05 Grade 5 Upgrade clinic (see preclinic assignment below)

Click Here for Clinic Agenda

These clinics are being held at the OMNI San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade .
STSR has established a group rate of $89.00 / night at this hotel. To make reservations,
please call 1-800-THE-OMNI by Friday October 28th.

The Hotel address is:

Omni Hotel at Colonnade
9821 Colonnade Boulevard
San Antonio, TX 78230

The Fitness test will be held on Saturday morning 7:00 AM whistle at a nearby track.

Attire is blue/black blazer and tie, with slacks Friday night, Polo and slacks for the Saturday and Sunday sessions.

Pre-clinic Assignments

State Recertification Clinic: November 2011

A recent article in US Referee Connection cf.   (http://www.usrefereeconnection.com/#!__referee-articles/--5-toughest-calls-in-the-game)
identified the five most difficult calls a referee has to make as 1) Denial of a goal scoring opportunity;  2) Handball (Handling the ball) inside
the penalty area; 3) Attacker involvement in offside;  4) Was it diving or an actual foul; 5) Ejections.

By October 8, 2011, US Soccer’s “Week in Review” series cf. (http://www.ussoccer.com/Referees/Week-In-Review.aspx) had recorded
29 episodes with as many as two weekly examples of referee decisions. More will be coming in October and November. Based upon the
frequency with which examples of the five most difficult calls have appeared in the “Week in Review”, explain the two most important
factors in getting the calls correct in each of the five instances listed as most difficult.  For each of the five most difficult instances cite at least
two examples from the “Week in Review” and at least one explanation from Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game which illustrate proper
procedures for making the five most difficult calls.

The assignment is due the evening of November 18 th at the beginning of the Friday session of the clinic.

Upgrade to 7

For this assignment, each candidate will watch all three videos loaded on youtube, from the links below. Next, follow the instructions for each video
using the appropriate resources available, such as the USSF Directives, Position Papers, the Laws of the Game and the Interpretations and Guidelines
for Referees, the USSF Guide to Procedures or the Advice to Referees.

On video clip #1, watch the video and write a USSF game report. The date of the match is October 30, 2010 – you are the referee and your ARs are
Tim Sonnier, grade 8 and Steve Ruggeri, grade 8.

Click here to watch Video Clip #1
Click here to download USSF reports page 1
Click here to download USSF reports page 2

Video Clip #2 & #3

On video clips #2 & #3, watch the videos and using any of the reliable sources, write what you perceive to be
the correct decision and appropriate restart. Legibly, write your response, listing the source and exact language,
on a separate sheet of paper.

Click here to watch Video Clip #2
Click here to watch Video Clip #3

Have your USSF report forms along with your response for videos #2 and #3 – including your name and USSF ID number.
The assignment is due the evening of November 18th at the beginning of the Friday session of the clinic.
In addition, bring your entire referee kit for the clinic on Saturday.

Upgrade to 6

"List three of your strongest and three of your weakest skills as a referee.
In under 200 words tell us how you expect that becoming a State Referee
will build those skills for the benefit of USSF and the players in your charge." 

The assignment is due the evening of November 18 th at the beginning of the Friday session of the clinic.

Upgrade to 5

For this assignment you will:

1. Identify the steps and process that you will implement to upgrade from Grade 6 to Grade 5;
2. Identify your goals and objectives as a referee for the following year (Nov. 2011 through November 2012).
3. Define your role as mentor in the STSR mentoring Program.
4. Identify the steps and process that you will use for your continuous improvement and development as a referee
5. Define the grade 5 to National upgrade Requirements.

Note: The work should be no more than two pages. 
The assignment is due the evening of November 18th at the beginning of the Friday session of the clinic.

US Soccer Referee Registration Cards & Adult Participation Passes

Per South Texas Youth Soccer Association policy, all adults on the team side of a field must visibly wear their current|
Adult Participation (kidsafe) passes. The referee has authority to check for these passes, and to require any adult not
possessing a pass to move from the team side.

Effective with the receipt of the 2010 or later US Soccer Registration card, all adult referees are required to have this card in
their possession when performing referee duties at a STYSA sanctioned event. This includes when arriving at the fields,
and during any breaks between games. While referees are not required to visibly display their card, they should have it
readily available if requested. Referees are encouraged to make a copy of their card and laminate it when they first
receive it, to reduce the possible loss or damage to the card. The 2010 or later US Soccer Registration card with Texas South
specified on the card will qualify for Adult Participation (kidsafe) verification. In addition, any individual on the STSR
approved list (viewable at www.stsr.org) is considered to have met the Adult Participation Pass requirement.

Recent Documents

2010 Guide for New Referees, click here.

Latest Advice To Referees available for download, click here.

"Week In Review" put out by US Soccer each week. Each week the Referee Development Department of US Soccer covers
issues faced the previous week in games played in the MLS. These reviews are excellent sources of information and interpretations
handed down by USSF on a case by case basis. We strongly suggest you review these as you will probably see many of the same
game situations in your games here. (Tim McCurley - New USSF State Assessor)

Find the lastest Memorandum and Position Papers (organized by date)
Click here to access

2009 U.S. Soccer Referee Directives have now been published.
Click here to access

New Referee Registration

Our Entry clinics for the fall soccer season start around the first of August. Entry clinics for the
Spring season start in January and continue through March. Once you pass the clinic and
receive a Referee badge, you can start refereeing immediately.
The clinic cost will remain $30.00 and the Grade 8 or 9 Registration fee will remain $50.00 for a total of $80.00 to become certified as a
USSF Soccer official. . In order to view available clinics use the Available Clincs List, or your Home Page, once you
register with STSR. In addition, USSF has provided a great guide for New Referees. It can be found here.
For more information about becoming a soccer official, click here.

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Finding Games to Officiate

Once you have become registered for the current year, you can find games to officiate by signing into your account at www.stsr.org
Member Sign-In and click on the Assignor Directory in the Member Services box at the top of your Home page. This will allow you to find
local soccer associations and their referee assignors, association web page, assignor email and phone information. If you cannot
find an association or assignor in your area, contact the district Directors for your area who can be found here to
assist you in contacting local area assignors.

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Referee Recertification

All USSF Soccer officials must renew their certification and registration annually. The badge / Registration year runs from Jan 1st to Dec 31st.
However, recertification clinics for the next badge year start in August of the current year. You are expected to recertify and register BEFORE
your badge expires on December 31st. Beginning with the 2010 badge year, recertification has increased $25.00 for Grades 8 and higher,
however STSR will provide a $25.00 discount of this new fee if you take a clinic and Register before Dec 31st of the current year.

STSR also provides Recertification clinics in the January - May timeframe for the procrastinators among us, however the on-time
recertification discount is lost. If you wish to reserve yourself a seat in a recertification clinicyou will need to Sign-in as a STSR soccer offical. In
order to view available clinics, use the Available Clinics List, or your Home Page, once you Sign-in . If you are new to South Texas but
were certified in another region of Texas or the United States, use the Transfer facility by clicking here.
For more information concerning the STSR Recertification program, click here.

The USSF Recertification and Upgrade requirements can be found by clicking here.

Recertifying after having missed one or more years (lapsed registration)

Any referee who was not registered with the U.S. Soccer Federation the previous year may be certified at the grade previously held after taking and
passing the qualifying clinic, written examination, fitness test, and assessments. The following policy applies to referees who were previously certified
and registered with the Federation but have lapsed a year or more in registration:

1. Referees can only be registered at the grade they qualify for.
2. Referees who were Grade 7 or higher will be downgraded a minimum of one (1) grade, as per current policy
   (as long as they have met the criteria for that grade).
3. Once they retake the appropriate course listed below for Grade 8 Referees and have completed all the requirements
   for the previously held grade, they may be upgraded. If the referee is attending a clinic for the next badge year, they
   may or may not begin refereeing in the current year, depending on the number of years lapsed as indicated for
   Grade 8 Referees (below).

Last Certified as a Grade 8

1. Grade 8 referees who miss 1-2 consecutive years of registration can be re-recertified as a grade 8 after completing a
   Grade 8 Recertification clinic. If the referee is attending a clinic for the next badge year, they may not officiate until
   January 1st of the year indicated on the badge.
   
2. Grade 8 referees who miss 3-4 consecutive years of registration can be re-certified after taking the Referee Bridge
   (Grade 9 to Grade 8) Clinic or the entire Entry Grade 8 Referee Clinic. If the referee is attending a clinic for the next
   badge year, they may begin officiating immediately in the current badge year, upon meeting the requirements of that grade.
   
3. Grade 8 referees who miss 5 or more consecutive years must re-take the entire Grade 8 Entry Level Referee clinic. If the
   referee is attending a clinic for the next badge year, they may begin officiating immediately in the current badge year,
   upon meeting the requirements of that Grade.

Last Certified as Grade 9

1. Grade 9 Referees who miss one or two years of registration may be re-certified at Grade 9 after taking and passing the Grade 9
   Entry/Recertification clinic. If the referee is attending a Grade 9 clinic for the next badge year, they may not officiate until January
   1st of the year indicated on the badge.
   
2. A Grade 9 Referee who misses three or more years of registration may be re-certified at Grade 9 after taking and passing the
   Grade 9 Entry/Recertification clinic. If the referee is attending a clinic for the next badge year, they may begin officiating immediately
   in the current badge year, upon meeting the requirements of grade 9.
   
3. A Grade 9 Referee who misses one year of registration is eligible to Upgrade by taking the Bridge Clinic (9 to 8 Upgrade). If the referee
   is attending a clinic for the next badge year, they may begin officiating immediately in the current badge year, upon meeting the
   requirements of grade 8.
   
4. A Grade 9 Referee who misses one or more years of registration is eligible to Upgrade by taking the Grade 8 Entry Clinic. If the referee is
   attending the Entry clinic for the next badge year, they may begin officiating immediately in the current badge year, upon meeting the
   requirements of grade 8.

When registering for a clinic, you will be requested to enter your personal information, or verify your Personal Information. Then you will see a
Clinic Reservation page. You will need to scan down the left side and find the "click here" to continue registration and click on it, if no clinics are listed.
Your current grade and Recertify should be already checked. Press Submit, then click on "Reserve" to reserve the clinic. Lastly, proceed to the
"Checkout" section on the right side to pay the fees. Do not attempt to checkout before you have reserved a clinic.
You are not registered in the clinic until the fees are paid.

Click here to register for a Referee Clinic

Current Year Registration List- Click Here

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Emeritus Referees

Referees at the State or more advanced level for at least a period of 3 years of their refereeing career, may elect to go Emeritus
(Retire from their highest position) by selecting the GO EMERITUS when registering at the www.stsr.org website. This may not
be used ot circumvent the testing and registration procedures of U.S. Soccer. Active Emeritus Referees must qualify each year
for the level that they will be officiating and pay the fees for that level. For example, if officiating , they must at least take and pass
the Grade 7/8 Recertification test. If officiating at higher levels than Grade 8, fitness test and Assessment requirements apply.

An Emeritus Referee may reinstate as an active referee at the level the official retired from, once all the criteria for the grade has been met.

Re-taking the Written Test

If you attended an Entry Level or Recertification clinic and did not pass the test, you may retake the test, free of charge by signing back
into your account at www.stsr.org , locate the clinic you attended on the left side of your Home Page, and click on Retest. You will then
be provided a list of clinics that you may retest in. Then click RETEST on the clinic you choose to retest at. You must bring the one or
two copies of the Registration form given to you at your original clinic with you to the retest.You MUST register for this retest online. For
Entry level clinics, the test is normally given in the last 2 hours of the clinic. For the Recertification clinics, the test is administered during the
2nd hour of the clinic. In addition, some local Soccer Referee associations may provide testing at their monthly meetings. These testing
opportunities will be listed as testing clinics that you may RETEST at. Known soccer referee organizations that offer retesting opportunities,
at least monthly are:

Austin Area: Capital Area Soccer Referees Association (CASRA)

When other area assocations notify us of this capability, we will add them to this list.

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Replacing Lost Badges

If you have lost your current year badge, and wish to order a replacement, you can sign into your account at www.stsr.org Member Sign-In
and select the"Request Replacement Referee Badge" in the Fee Based Items list. Then pay the $6.00 fee by performing the
checkout function. Once the fee has been received, a replacement badge will be mailed to the address of record.

If we have already sent you a replacement badge for the same year, you will have to order the next replacement badge from the US Soccer
online store. To order from the US Soccer store, click on the link below, and user your 16 digit USSF ID (without the dashes) as the UserID
and use your date of birth in the mmddyy format as the password. Then click on Badges.

US Soccer Referee Ordering site

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Requesting an Assessment

In order for you to be assessed, you MUST have a current year Referee registration. In addition, all members of your officiating crew on the
match being assessed must be currently registered as Referees as well. To request an assessment, sign into your account at
www.stsr.org Member Sign-In , and select "Request Assessment" in the Fee Based Services box at the top of your Member Home page.

Annual Assessment Requirements can be found here.

• Developmental Assessments
  • You may request an informal or developmental assessment at anytime. To do so, you will need to contact your local
    District Director of Assessments or you may request your assignor to assist you in scheduling a developmental assessment.
    • If your local soccer association is not paying for the developmental assessment as part of a tournament or referee
      development program, you will need to:
      • Sign in to your account www.stsr.org, select Request/Register for Assessments (under Fee Item box),
        select Developmental. Set the date of the Assessment. Perform the check out procedure to pay by
        credit card or check/money order. If you pay by check/money order, follow the directions
        on the receipt. Bring the receipt to the Assessment.
• Grade 8 to 7 Upgrade or Grade 7 Maintenance Assessments
  • Arrange the match with the Assignor, at least two (2) weeks in advance - verify that your assigned crewmembers are CERTIFIED !
  • Sign in to your account www.stsr.org, select Request/Register for Assessments (under Fee Items box) , select Upgrade or Maintenance.
    Set the date,time and location of the Assessment. Perform the check out procedure to pay by credit card or check/money order. If you pay by
    check/money order, follow the directions on the receipt. Bring the receipt to the Assessment. (If you do not checkout - the assessment will
    not be ordered !)
  • District Director of Assessments will assign the Assessor- you will receive an email notification with contacts.
  • The complete offciating crew on the match will be assessed
  • You will be verbally debriefed by the Assessor after the match

 

• Grade 7 to 6 Upgrade or Grade 6 Maintenance Assessments

• Arrange the match with the Assignor, at least two (2) weeks in advance- verify that your assigned crewmembers are CERTIFIED !
• Sign in to your account www.stsr.org, select Request/Register for Assessments (under Fee Items box) , select Upgrade or Maintenance.
  Set the date of the Assessment. Perform the check out procedure to pay by credit card or check/money order. If you pay by
  check/money order, follow the directions on the receipt. Bring the receipt to the Assessment. (If you do not checkout - the assessment will
  not be ordered !)
• State and District Director of Assessments will assign the Assessor- you will receive an email notification with contacts.
• The complete offciating crew on the match will be assessed
• You will be verbally debriefed by the Assessor after the match

• Grade 6 to 5 Upgrade or Grade 5 Maintenance Assessments
  • Arrange the match with the Assignor, at least two (2) weeks in advance- verify that your assigned crewmembers are CERTIFIED !
  • Sign in to your account www.stsr.org, select Request/Register for Assessments (under Fee Items box) , select Upgrade or Maintenance.
    Set the date of the Assessment. Perform the check out procedure to pay by credit card or check/money order. If you pay by
    check/money order, follow the directions on the receipt. Bring the receipt to the Assessment. (If you do not checkout - the assessment will
    not be ordered !)
  • State Director of Assessments will assign the Assessor- you will receive an email notification with contacts.
  • The complete offciating crew on the match will be assessed
  • You will be verbally debriefed by the Assessor after the match

 

• National Candidate Referee Assessments
• Grade 4 and 3 National Assessments
• For the  2011 – 2012 season all games are scheduled by the LAC and details can be viewed at Game Information System.
  Every attempt will be made to minimize costs taking into consideration your game site and current assessments done by the
  NA’s & RI’s with in South Texas.  The U18 US Soccer Academy games can be used for the assessments. The caveat to this
  is the game(s) may or may not be suitable for your purposes as determined by the NA and/or RI. Past records indicate at least
  one quarter of these games have a non-ratable status. You therefore have to take an active role with the LAC/assignor in ensuring
  you have the highest level of competition available

• Click here for National and National Candidate Procedures Letter from SDA
• All assessments with in South Texas must be scheduled through the STSR system. (Date,Field and time).
  • Sign in to your account www.stsr.org, select Request/Register for Assessments (under Fee Item box), select Upgrade or Maintenance.
    Set the date of the Assessment. Perform the check out procedure to pay by credit card or check/money order. If you pay by
    check/money order, follow the directions on the receipt. Bring the receipt to the Assessment.
• If the center referee has requested an assessment then the AR’s are not required to make an assessment request.
• If one (1) AR needs an assessment and the center referee has not requested one, then the AR has to request the assessment so a NA or RI can be scheduled.
• If both AR’s need an assessment then only one must request the assessment.
• On your scheduled game you would be required to notify the SDA by  e-mail at least ten (10) days prior to the game if an RI is requested.
• STSR will reimburse you half of the assessor’s normal expenses for one game only and your one time request has to be made within fourteen (14) days of the game.
  Normal expenses are defined as the customary charges for travel, meals and lodging and is exclusive of the assessment fee.
• The SDA or designee, will co-ordinate the assessment request for any game that is not within STSR’s geographical area.
• The complete offciating crew on the match will be assessed
• You will be verbally debriefed by the Assessor after the match

 

Assessment Fees:

The following fees are to be paid to STSR for your assessment:

Assessment Costs Developmental: All Grades $20.00 Formal: Grade Upgrade Maintenance 7 50.00 50.00 6 50.00 50.00 5 50.00 50.00 NatCand 100.00 100.00 4 100.00 100.00 3 100.00 100.00 Please note, that an Assessor mileage fee for travel to and from the match may be charged to you for the assessment.

 

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