REFEREES

Being a referee is a great way to know the rules of the game, serve the club, and further develop your soccer expertise. Referees are paid by the game. This page gives basic information. At the bottom you will see links at this website and elsewhere which give more information.

Referees must be certified by the US Soccer Federation (USSF). Training courses are generally held during the months of August and January. The fee for the course ($25) and the annual registration fee ($35) are reimbursed to the participant by Bellaire Soccer Club after he/she has refereed a couple of games.

You will have to buy some equipment (jersey, black shorts, black socks). If you will center games you need to buy a set of flags, yellow/red cards, scorepad, watch. Your expenses for a referee jersey (up to $35) will be reimbursed after you have completed five games and submit your receipt to our treasurer.

Grade 8 referee initially attends a two-day training course. Future annual recertification courses are just one day. Referees who become certified at this level may referee the following:
	Assistant referee (lines) for any age, as long as he/she is able to keep up with the pace of the game;
	Center referee any game that he/she is at least 4 years older than the game level (Example- if the referee is 15 years old, he/she may center U11 and below).
	Grade 8 referees may also work games assigned by the HYSA assignor if they wish. These are all away games. The club has a quota of games for which it is obligated to provide center referees or assistant referees (lines) for U11 and older games.
Grade 9 referee attends a one-day training course. Referees who become certified at this level may referee the following:
	Assistant referee U10 and below;
	Assistant referee U11-U14 Division III games only.

Therefore, the Grade 9 referee does not have as many opportunities to be assigned, as most U11-U14 games are Division II games.

If one is able to complete the two-day course, that would be advantageous as that would afford the referee the most options to be assigned during the season. Also, once the referee has completed the two-day course, the renewal certification course (all referees must renew annually) is only a 5-hour course.

BSC Referee Assignor	Marsha Zimmermann 713-666-3497 bsc.ref.assignor@gmail.com
From the STSR website	http://www.stsr.org/pages/refsfaqs.htm
Elsewhere at our website	BSC Referees Web Page