Referees

on this page...

• NSYSA Referee Clinics for Summer

• Becoming a Referee on the North Shore

• What is Expected of a Referee

• Referee Performance Reporting

NSYSA Referee Cinics for Summer

NSYSA has posted the summer referee clinic schedule on the NSYSA website. Please go to http://www.nsysa.ca  then click under "Referees/Discipline" for details.

If you are 12-13 years old and interested in our referee program, you can take any one of our Small-Sided Referee Clinics starting in June. Once you are certified as Small-Sided Referee, you can start reffing small-sided games making $15 or higher per game and/or doing AR @ $15 or higher per game.

If you are 14 years or older and interested in our referee program, you can take any one of our Entry Level Clinics starting in June. Once you are certified as Youth or District Referee, you can start reffing U13 and higher games making $30 or more per game in September.

The benefit of the referee program is far more than just to enrich your knowledge of the game that you love to play, it also develops your self-confidence, decision making skill, communication skill, organization skill, self discipline and so on. The kind of soft skills that can benefit you for the rest of life in and outside soccer.

Last season, we have a total of 5 parents and children pairs attended our clinic. In addition, we also have a BU13 team enrolled more than half of their players in our referee clinic (the other half was not in the country at that time) with the intent that the training will allow the coaches/players to have better understanding of the game, enjoy their games more and able to play with more tactical strategies and thus advantages.

So if you are interested in enrolling your team to attend a referee clinic, please let me know and I will try to make special arrangement for you.

Thanks and best regards. 

Patrick Li
Referee-in-Chief
NSYSA patli9@gmail.com

Becoming a Referee on the North Shore

• To become a referee you need to take a course, pass a test and register with the BCSA (and pay your registration fee).
• The course is called the "Youth Referee" clinic (it used to be Class 4). It is a 20 hour course and allows you to referee all youth games. Check the BCSA website to find a schedule of clinics. Follow this link: www.bcsoccer.net/bcsa/REFEREES/tabid/72/Default.aspx
• The fees for Youth referees are $25/year and the fee for BCSRA is $10/year (you must pay both)
• On the North Shore we say that the teams must be two years younger than you. You must be 14 or older to take the course. 
• Your name will be given to the referee assigner on the north shore if you did your course on the north shore.  You can always call to check - her name is Bernice and her number is 604 980 8973
• As a youth referee you can also be called upon to be an assistant referee for all youth games (even older teams)  - so make sure you know your offside Law! An assistant gets paid half the referee fee.
• DO NOT become a referee to make money.  There are plenty of better ways to earn pocket money. 
• Once you pass your test you need to purchase your kit: an official referee shirt (Black) a second official shirt (yellow), black shorts with pockets, black socks with three white stripes, soccer boots, two Assistant's flags, two good outdoor whistles (Acme or Fox), a wristwatch with a timer (not a stopwatch to hang round your neck), a referee's notebook, yellow and red cards and two pencils with erasers. When your badge comes from BCSA sew velcro on to it and wear it at every game. This will cost about $200
• You will need to take a refresher course every summer (including the first summer), this course is free.
• Before you reach 16 you need to get an assessment from BC Soccer (see their website) and you will need to take the annual fitness test (see website for dates).  Then you will be promoted to "District Referee" on your 16th Birthday.
• You should join BCSRA as well as BCSA and attend the monthly training meetings at Bonsor Park to learn more about the art and skills of refereeing. http://www.bcsra.com/ and http://www.vasra.ca/  if you do not continually test your knowledge of the laws of the game and how to apply them you may as well give up refereeing, you are doing yourself a diservice and cheating the teams.
• BCSA also holds training sessions (fitness and classroom) every Tuesday and Thursday evening at Burnaby 8 Rinks which you will need to attend as you progress from District to Regional status. Contact Jose Branco at BCSA about those sessions. josebranco@bcsoccer.net
• You should always be aiming for the top - that being FIFA don't expect to remain at Youth/District for life - we need referees to continually upgrade - it is your hobby, do it well. Once you are a District Referee you need to get more assessments, take the annual refresher and take annual fitness tests and progress to Regional, then Provincial, National and FIFA.
• Payment for games on the North Shore is by cheque from the NSYSA.  They generally send a cheque out about every two months.  Payment starts at $20 for the youngest games and goes up to $40 for U18 games (rates subject to change every year).
• There is a Small Sided Games Referee couse which you can take at 12 years old and which is 7 hours. 

What is Expected of a Referee

Please consider the following carefully if you want to become a referee. 

• DO NOT become a referee if you are not prepared to take the role seriously
• You will need to buy flags, ref shirt, shorts, socks, whistle, watch, book, cards. 
• You will be expected to go to referee meetings and clinics regularly where you meet with your peers and learn more about refereeing. You won't learn all you need at one referee course.
• You need to have strong character and be prepared to be assertive.  You WILL get yelled at and you MUST make decisions quickly
• Being a ref is not a job, don't do it to get work experience or make money - if that is what you want - we don't want you, you will become a liability
• You must also be prepared to commit to being available every weekend in the fall/winter /spring.