How to Register to Become a New Referee

The Grassroots First-Time Referee course is for candidates who haven't previously been registered as a referee, or for previously registered referees who have had a lapse in certification (2021 or prior lapse). Minimum age per US Soccer policy is 13 years old at the time of registering for the course.

The total cost of the course is $70; a background check, if 18 or older is an additional $30 (for a 2-yr period).  Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association is offering reimbursement of course fees (including registration fee and background check fee) for New or Lapsed Registration Referees who successfully complete the requirements to become a US Soccer Referee for 2024. 

GRASSROOTS FIRST-YEAR REFEREE COURSE REQUIREMENTS

  1. Complete all U.S. Soccer required assignments in the U.S. Soccer Learning Center
  2. Successfully complete in-person course (on-field session)
  3. Create account in WisRef Assigning platform

This is a 12-hour course:

  • 8 hours in the U.S. Soccer Learning Center (on your own)
  • 4 hours WisRef In-Person session (On-Field session) with instructors
  • Creation of a WisRef Assigning Platform account

After successful completion of the above, you will be registered as a new 2024 Grassroots Referee.

STEPS TO REGISTER AS A 2024 USSF REFEREE

Check the NEW Referee course details in the US Soccer Learning Center for the dates/locations where the In-Person on-field Sessions will be held. Many new In-Person on-field Sessions are being added.

WisRef utilizes 2 platforms. Registration and learning are within the US Soccer Learning Center. Game assignments, after completing all requirements, will be in the WisRef GameOfficials platform. Steps, to be completed fully and in order:

  1. Create a Referee profile in the US Soccer Learning Center: https://learning.ussoccer.com/. This profile or account is for the Referee, not the parent. Full name & mailing address is required; the name, address & primary email should be the same as will be input into GameOfficials. Please note that school email addresses are sometimes problematic, so should be avoided.
    Directions: https://ussoccerfederation.force.com/lcsupport/s/article/Sign-Up-for-an-Account

    If you are 18 or older, you will be prompted to pay for and complete a 2-year background check and complete the SafeSport module. If you turn 18 during a registration period, you will be required to complete the background check and SafeSport in order to continue refereeing during the seasons.
     
  2.  After you create your account, pay the $70 US Soccer 2023 registration fee and WisRef course fee. Register in the following course: 2024 New Grassroots Referee – Assignment Course 

    Instructions for how to find and sign up for a course on Learning Center -- note: to search for the course, leave the location field blank  and under "host" select Wisconsin State Referee Commission
     
  3.  Complete all US Soccer Learning Center required assignments in the following pathway: Courses/My Courses/Go to Classroom/Assignments. Remember to log out if you take a break from the training and continually save your progress. Chromebooks are not always compatible, may not load, save, or display properly, and, henceforth, Chromebooks are not recommended.
     
  4.  After completing steps 1 through 3, notify sue@wisref.org to choose a date/time to attend a WisRef In-person field session. You will be able to pick a session date and time from the list in her email reply. Session dates/times are listed in the course details when you register. 

    * The In-Person Field session time of 4 hours is 100% accurate. Referee candidates are required to be present for the entire session. These sessions meet US Soccer requirements and failure to be present for the entire session will result in full attendance not being granted and your certification will not be processed.

    *You cannot reserve a spot for the In-Person on-field Session until you complete steps 1 through 3 above. If an In-Person on-field session is near capacity, there are no guarantees that slots will be available by the time you finish steps 1 through 3. We strongly encourage Referee candidates to compete their assignments in the Learning Center well in advance of the In-Person on-field Session they wish to attend. We reserve the right to cancel any scheduled In-Person on-field Sessions for low attendance numbers. Referee Candidates will then be able to choose another date/time to attend.

    * The deadline for choosing the Virtual or Field session is 48 hours before the start of the session. WisRef requires course rosters to be set by this deadline. Please be diligent if you desire a session for a particular date and time.
     
  5.  Attend the selected In-Person Field session. The Field session will start in the classroom and may move outdoors (weather permitting) or be held at an indoor field or gym for training so please dress accordingly. The In-Person Sessions are interactive, and require active participation from all candidates. 
     
  6. Upon satisfactory completion of the above steps, you will be sent an email to set up your account in our WisRef Assigning platform, for games.
     
  7.  Once you pass all the requirements, you will be certified by the State Referee Administrator as a 2024 USSF Grassroots Referee. Your 2024 Referee badge will be mailed to you and you will be enabled in the WisRef GameOfficials for game assignments. Take this opportunity to make sure your mailing address is correct and consistent in both the US Soccer Learning Center and the WisRef Assigning platform. You will only receive one 2024 badge, which will be used for all of 2024, so please keep it in a safe place..

 

If you have registration or certification questions, please email Sue Walter at sue@wisref.org.