URGENT: All referees who plan to work a U.S. Open Cup or Development Academy game this year, must complete a NSCI Background Check and SafeSport. Please follow and complete both links to fulfill the necessary requirements. For more instructions, click here.

U.S. Soccer 2017-18 Development Academy
Interested in officiating the top youth clubs around the country and developing your officiating skills? The 2017-2018 Development Academy provides just that opportunity! This season marks the addition of the Girl’s Development Academy, adding 69 more clubs to the outstanding ranks of youth clubs across the nation. The season begins September 2nd. If you are interesting in working some of the most advanced and resourceful games associated with US Soccer, please email referee@ussoccer.org for more information.

2018 Certification Requirements
We are in 2018 registration! You can now find the 2018 Certification Requirements in the Resource Center. Contact your state association for additional information.

U.S. Soccer Federation Supplemental Referee Report
Visit the US Soccer Federation Referee Program YouTube Channel to view Parts 1-3 of our Laws of the Game: Supplemental Report Writing Video Series. These videos provide information about:
Part 1 - Reasons or incidents for submitting a supplemental report, core elements to include in supplemental reports
Part 2 - Examples of supplemental reports for sending-off offenses (red cards), receiving a second caution in the same match, serious foul play
Part 3 - Violent conduct, denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity
Follow instructions in Part 3 to submit a USSF Supplemental Referee Report for the last example, then you can submit your Supplemental Report here. Your report may be selected to be featured in Part 4 of our video series.

U.S. Soccer Recognize to Recover (R2R) presented by Thorne Video
U.S. Soccer released a new video on recognizing and managing concussions, highlighting the important role parents, players, coaches, referees and health professionals play in the return to play process. The video is part of U.S. Soccer's Recognize to Recover (R2R) player health and safety program, and is designed to raise awareness of this important issue. Please view or download the video here.

Nutrition Guide: Nutrition Introduction on U.S. Soccer Recognize to Recover (R2R) Presented by Thorne
The U.S. Soccer High Performance Department has released the first chapter of their Nutrition Guide. This chapter is an introduction into nutrition basics and the role it plays within the game of soccer. To view the guide, click here.

2017 State Assessor and Instructor Courses
Below are upcoming state assessor and state instructor courses. New and upgrading individuals interested in attending these courses must be recommended to Rick Eddy by their SRA, SDA, or SDI. Once approved, individuals need to be registered as a grade 7, or a grade 5 if recertifying, for 2017 to be able to register for a course on the Learning Identity of ussoccer.gameofficials.net.

State Assessor Course:
Course 1254-SAC
August 18-20, 2017
Portland, Oregon

State Instructor Course:
Course 1255-SIC
November 10-12, 2017
Gulfport, Mississippi

It is required to register and to take the National Laws of the Game Test before the start of the course. Registration for the course will close two weeks prior to the course date. State Referee Associations that would like to host a State Assessor or State Instructor Course, or for any questions regarding assessor and instructor courses, please contact Rick Eddy.

2018 Registration Packets
Beginning with 2018 registration, U.S. Soccer will no longer be mailing registration packets to individuals once they complete registrations. You will receive a digital registration packet by email. All badges and pocket guides will be distributed by State Referee Associations and all individuals will be able to download or print their own registration card for the current year.

U.S. Soccer Recognize to Recover (R2R) Video
U.S. Soccer released a new video on recognizing and managing concussions, highlighting the important role parents, players, coaches, referees and health professionals play in the return to play process. The video is part of U.S. Soccer's Recognize to Recover (R2R) player health and safety program, and is designed to raise awareness of this important issue. Please view or download the video here.

2017 Referee Program Workshop: Registration
As a reminder, the 2017 Referee Program Workshop will be held March 25-26, 2017 in Chicago, Ill. The agenda and exact start and end times are still being determined. Registration will open on December 3 and we will share more information as we get closer to the date on how to register. We look forward to seeing you all there.

2017 Referee Program Workshop: Topics for Discussion
As we prepare for the 2017 Referee Program Workshop, we are soliciting topics that you would like to be addressed in the breakout sessions. We are looking for role specific topics (i.e., topics for SDIs, topics for SDAs) as well as topics that all states might find useful. Please email Nicole WardNicole Ward with any suggestions.

2017 State Assessor and Instructor Courses
Interested in hosting a State Assessor or State Instructor course in your area for 2017/2018 certification? Hosts will be expected to obtain hotel meeting rooms and a room block, preferably at an airport hotel to help alleviate transportation costs to the attendees. Please contact Nicole Ward if interested or have further questions.

Referee Program Logo Lock-up Guidelines
Logo lock-ups, generic logos, and Usage Guidelines were sent via email to all State Referee Administrators on November 7. As a reminder, any and all usage of both the U.S. Soccer crest and U.S. Soccer Referee Program logo including older versions must comply with Usage Guidelines for each. Guidelines are available in the State Resources Folder.

Laws of the Game Video Series (Advice to New Referees Series)
Check out the video in the new Advice to New Referees video series on our YouTube channel, found here. This month's video is titled Getting Started and focuses on important information necessary for new referees. A new video will be released at the end of each month of 2016 as a resource for continuing education and will be featured in each Referee Program Update email to the referee community.

Reminder: New Policy on Referee Registration
The U.S. Soccer Board of Directors has approved an amendment to our policy about referee registration. All registrations must be submitted to the Federation per your state's process within 30 days of the individual completing all requirements for that registration. The Bylaws and Policies can be found here.

Reminder: Player Development Initiatives
Changes were made to the Player Development Initiatives document on September 1, available here. Please know that no substantive information was changed, and the only new detail added was for additional clarity based on questions we have received. For example, on slide 12, we changed "Field Sizes" to "Field Size Ranges", as well as noted that a goalkeeper is used for 7v7 and 9v9. We also clarified that heading is currently permitted at the U-12 level, but that members are able to limit or ban heading at the U-12 level should they see fit.

Reminder: Concussion Initiative Statement
We incorporated your feedback into the Concussion Initiative Statement and updated it accordingly. Please find the updated statement here, and feel free to share with your members.

NEW Grade 8 Referee Online Training Course
The updated Grade 8 Referee Online Training Course is now available in the Resource Center on ussoccer.com, which you can find by clicking here. Grade 9, 7, and 6 Referee Online Training Courses soon to follow. Continue to check the Resource Center on ussoccer.com for updated training.

Reminder: 2017 Certification Requirements
The 2017 Certification Requirements can be found in the Resource Center here. Please contact your state referee association with any questions.

Concussion Initiative Statement
We incorporated your feedback into the Concussion Initiative Statement and updated it accordingly. Please find the updated Statement here, and feel free to share with your members.

U.S. Soccer Federation Debuts New Referee Uniform from Official Sports
New U.S. Soccer Official Uniform Shirt features an updated design and new colors that is now available in both men's and women's cuts for the first time. More information can be found at OfficialSports.com. The current official jersey uniform style can still be worn during matches through 2018. Keep in mind that during this period, crews can mix styles but must wear the same color for a game.

"It’s all about giving back and paying it forward."

That’s a common remark you’ll hear from most professional soccer referees. Every referee remembers where they started out and the fellow referees who helped them to get where they wanted to go as an official. That mindset is one of the underlying principles of the PSRA and is one of the reasons why so many PSRA referees can be found passing along their knowledge to referees at tournaments and events throughout the year.

Read the entire article on the Professional Soccer Referee Association website by clicking the button below.

US Soccer incorporated community feedback into the Concussion Initiative Statement and updated it accordingly. Please find the updated Statement on the US Soccer site, and feel free to share with your members.

The printing of the "Advice to Referees" book was discontinued in September of 2015. With the new rewrite of the 2016-2017 Laws of The Game, the information in "Advice to Referees" is outdated, and should not be used in current referee education.

New fitness testing standards have been issued for Grades 6 and above. Please review each grade’s certification requirements for further information. For grades 5 and above, please note that the interval test for both tracks is now conducted in four runs per lap instead of two runs per lap. There is now a third test for Assistant Referees, the CODA test, and the sprints for assistant referees is now 30m, different from the 40m for referees. All certification requirements and fitness test information can be found on the US Soccer website.

The 2017 Certification Requirements can be found in the Resource Center. Please contact your state referee association with any questions.

New U.S. Soccer Official Uniform Shirt features an updated design and new colors that is now available in both men's and women's cuts for the first time. More information can be found at OfficialSports.com. The current official jersey uniform style can still be worn during matches through 2018. Keep in mind that during this period, crews can mix styles but must wear the same color for a game.

Congratulations to the 2015-16 Development Academy Referee and Assistant Referee of the Year!

Referee of the Year
Martin Anthony Almeida, Grade 6 State Referee, California South

Assistant Referee of the Year
Christian Lara, Grade 6 State Referee, California South

Check out the newest video in the new Laws of the Game video series on our YouTube channel, found here. This month’s video features Referee Signals. A new video will be released each month of 2016 as a resource for officials and continuing education.