Refereeing

Teams are encouraged to enroll a family member or player (age 13+) into the referee pool. These paid positions are not only fulfilling, they keep us all on the field in league play.

It just takes a few hours of training to become a certified referee. Interactive, online lessons are available and provide a good foundation on how to see the game through the eyes of the referee. After completing the online courses, the Washington State Referee Committee (WASRC) provides in-person grassroots referee clinics to complete the USSF referee certification. Clinics are $85 and run throughout the year.

After receiving cerification, referees gain experience on the field by selecting games at their level, on their schedule. The more games completed, the more freely refs can pick which games they'd like to oversee. Referees generally start overseeing games for younger players and work their way up to more advanced games.

LWYSA, Crossfire Premier, and Crossfire Select all pull referees from the East King County Soccery Referee Association (EKCSRA). After completing the grassroots clinic, new refs will register with the association and be able to see all the upcoming games in the area.

To learn more about jumping into the referee pool, visit wareferees.org.

Steps for Becoming a Referee:

Register with the Washington State Referee Committee. You'll schedule the in-person clinic when you register.
Complete the online training activities. Courses take about 16 hours to complete.
Attend the in-person grassroots referee clinic. The clinic is about 4 hours and you must complete the exam.
Register with a referee association. EKCSRA.org, NWsoccerofficials.org, SeattleRefs.org
Sign up for games!