Referee Training

Happy 2024! As we prepare for the spring season, referees can take online courses in preparation for refereeing games in spring 2024. See below.

Please read the instructions for How To Become a Referee before enrolling for a class. There are several steps to the process and it is important that they are completed in the correct order. All courses at WSSL are free of charge. 

ALL TRAINING MUST BE ENROLLED FOR AND COMPLETED USING YOUR OWN EMAIL AND LOGIN, NOT THOSE OF A SPOUSE OR FAMILY MEMBER.

DUE TO LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, WE CANNOT GIVE CREDIT FOR TRAINING COMPLETED USING SOMEONE ELSE'S LOGIN.

Referee Certification Classes

Before enrolling for any class, AYSO requires that all volunteers have:

1) Registered on the WSSL.org website under Player & Volunteer Registration. This includes players who want to also be a referee (player registration is not sufficient). Registration as a volunteer kicks off an annual background check for adult volunteers which is a legal requirement. Volunteers under 18 years of age do not need a background check; and, 

2) Completed the online Safe Haven course; and,

3) Completed the online CDC Concussion Awareness courses. See below.

4) Adult volunteers must also complete the SafeSport online course. Unlike Safe Haven, this is an annual requirement. Please visit SafeSport for more information and instructions on taking the class.

Next, pick the level of referee certificate that is relevant to your needs:
 

Entry Level: The 8U Official online course is the entry-level course for beginners. You will be eligible to referee games in 6U, 7U and 8U after completing this course and the other requirements.

Course Prerequisites: Please see the green box above.

Where and When: You can complete the online component of the course at any time, at your own pace. Here's how:

  1. Login to the WSSL inLeague website USING YOUR OWN EMAIL ADDRESS and click on the mortarboard icon at the top right of the screen to go to eTrainU. Click on the green button "Login to eTrainU (Powered by eTrainU)."
  2. Go to the Training Library and under "Refereeing" click on "View Courses."
  3. Find the "AYSO - 8U Official" course and click "Enroll." The course will be moved to your "My Training" folder and should open automatically.
  4. Once at the "AYSO - 8U Official" course, click "Start."
  5. Complete the training at your own pace. It takes about an hour. Once you have completed and passed the quiz (75%+) you may click "Exit." You will receive an email to confirm completion.
  6. Finally, you must attend a 45-minute "WSSL referee seminar" to learn the specifics of being a referee in WSSL. The seminar will be offered regularly either on Zoom or in person, usually at the start of each season. 

 

Second Level: The Regional Referee - Online + In-Person Companion Course is our second-level course. You will be eligible to referee games up to and including 12U after completing this course.

Course Prerequisites: Please see the green box above.

The course is split into two components which must be completed in order:

a) Regional Referee Online course (online at eTrainU). 

  1. Login to the WSSL InLeague website USING YOUR OWN EMAIL ADDRESS and click on the mortarboard icon at the top right of the screen to go to eTrainU. Click on the green button "Login to eTrainU (Powered by eTrainU)."
  2. Go to the Training Library and under "Refereeing" click on "View Courses."
  3. Find the "Regional Referee Online + In-Person Companion Course" course and click "Enroll." The two courses (Regional Referee and In Person Companion) will be moved to your "My Training" folder.
  4. Select the "Regional Referee" course and click "Start."
  5. Complete the training at your own pace. It takes about two hours. You can stop and come back later. Once you have completed and passed the exam you may click "Exit." You will receive an email to confirm completion.

b) Regional Referee - In-Person Companion (classroom or Zoom)

The companion course is a three hour class that assumes you have learned everything in the online class and will be focused on confirmation of learning, answering any questions, and highlighting WSSL-specifics. 

Where and When: The pre-season class was offered on March 9th. A further In-Person Companion Course will be offered when we have more than 10 candidates for the next class. Please email Stan Ince if you are interested. 

 

Third Level: The Intermediate Referee class is strongly recommended for referees in 13U to 19U and should be considered mandatory if you plan to be Center Referee in those divisions. The course includes in-depth modules on fouls and misconduct, advantage, offside and positioning. The class is aimed at experienced referees who have a strong understanding of the Laws of the Game.

Course Prerequisites: Significant practical experience at the Regional Referee level. A good knowledge of the Laws of the Game is assumed and not taught at this class but will be on the test. Pre-course preparation is recommended. Please see the green box below.

Where and When: WSSL will offer the class in person in the summer of 2024. Watch this space. Details will also be posted on eTrainU. The class is currently being offered in other regions including Manhattan Beach CA, Skokie IL and Lakeview MI.

 

Fourth Level: An Advanced Referee class is aimed at experienced referees who want to be ready to take on demanding games.

Course Prerequisites: Intermediate Referee Certification, a thorough knowledge of the Laws of the Game is assumed as well as significant accumulated practical refereeing experience. Please see the green box below.

Cost: No fee. Lunch included.

Where and WhenNot currently scheduled in WSSL. The class is currently being offered in Manhattan Beach, CA and Skokie. IL. Please check eTrainU for classes in other regions (clear the Regions filter).

 

Before enrolling for any class, AYSO requires that all volunteers have:

1) Registered on the WSSL.org website under Player & Volunteer Registration. This includes Players who want to also be a referee (player registration is not sufficient). Registration as a volunteer kicks off an annual background check for adult volunteers which is a legal requirement. Volunteers under 18 years of age do not need a background check; and, 

2) Completed the online Safe Haven course; and,

3) Completed the online CDC Concussion Awareness courses. See below.

4) Adult volunteers must complete the SafeSport online course.  Unlike Safe Haven, this is an annual requirement.  Please visit SafeSport for more information and instructions on taking the class.

Please see the instructions below and email our Director of Referee Instruction, Michael Titowsky, or our Regional Referee Administrator, Stan Ince, with any questions or requests for training.

If you would like to prepare ahead of the class, check out the Referee Survival Kit for lots of useful information. More information about referee training can be found here.

Teen Referees

Young people aged 10 years and over, including Core and Travel soccer players and their siblings, and are very welcome to attend referee classes. Please bear in mind that classes are quite intense and take approx. 3½ hours. WSSL awards community service credit for time in class and refereeing on the field, subject to approval by the school. The Teen Referee program welcomes new members and will make sure that you have fun as well as serving the league!

Volunteer registration for young people is a little different from that for parent volunteers. Go here for Teen Referee instructions.

How to Register for a Referee Class

These are the steps that need to be completed to register for a course. Some of them only need to be done once, if they're done properly. Please try to do these in order. It will cut down on problems and having to repeat any of these steps.

  1. Volunteer as a referee by logging into your WSSL InLeague account and checking the box for Referee on your parent profile (if you have not done this already at registration)
  2. On the WSSL InLeague website click on the mortarboard icon at the top right of the screen to go to eTrainU. Click on the green Login to eTrainU button.
  3. Go to the Training Library and under "Safe Haven" click on "View Courses".
  4. Complete the "AYSO's Safe Haven - Online" course.
  5. Complete the "CDC Concussion Awareness - Online" course.
  6. Click on "Training Events" 
  7. Select the class you want. Hint: In the "Regions" Filter, type "Region 611" (that's us!). You will see a list of all available in-person courses. Choose 'U8 Official' or 'Regional Referee Course", etc., as needed. Please note the course prerequisites explained on the "How to Become a Referee" page.
  8. Click on "Enroll". Review the details for the class (time and place and requirements). Put the class on your personal calendar!

Safe Haven, Concussion Awareness and Regional Referee Companion Courses Online

The above courses are offered online and can be taken at any time at your convenience.

  1. Go to eTrainU (see above).
  2. Click on "Training Library."
  3. Find the course you need: Safe Haven, CDC Concussion or Regional Referee Companion Courses Online.
  4. Click the blue "ENROLL" button.
  5. When you are ready, on the next page click START to complete the course.

For Safe Haven and Regional Referee Courses, all modules for each course must be taken for the course to be considered complete.