Rules for Referee Points
Every match played requires 3 officials: a center Referee, and 2 Assistant Referees.
Sometimes, (all too often), three trained certified referee volunteers are not available, and the match is run with a Referee and two "club" lines-persons. These are volunteers from each team that may assist the Referee with calls that involve the ball going out-of-play, but are not qualified to assist with fouls, offside, or other infractions of the Laws of the Game. These moms and dads have probably never held the flag before, so please do not complain if they make mistakes. You may be asked to volunteer next week!
Coaches will tell you that it is difficult to run certain plays like a "backdoor trap", and breakaway plays that might have been ruled offside are let go, resulting in un-earned goals because there wasn't a qualified assistant referee in position to signal the offside.
The center referee simply cannot always be in position to make that call. This situation requires more effort from the center Referee, since they must now be in two places at once, have eyes in the back of their head, and be able to tell the future to anticipate the play more efficiently.
It is unfair to both teams. It hurts the game, and it is discouraging to everyone.
Our region has implemented a very successful program, within AYSO National guidelines, designed to encourage more referee volunteerism.
The math:
This is why EVERYONE is asked at registration to volunteer to do something, whether it be coach, team parent, and especially referee. The "regular season" is scheduled to be 8 games. That's 24 referee assignments. Since there are 2 teams at every match, each team will be responsible for providing referees for one half of the assignments, 12. This is an average of 1 and a half volunteers (in uniform) per week per team for 8 weeks out there refereeing somebody’s game.
For each game assignment that a team provides a referee volunteer on a Region 117 home field and/or where we are responsible for providing the Referee Officials (must be certified and in uniform), whether they run the center as Referee or a line as Assistant Referee, that team will receive one point.
Affiliated games (your own child’s game) earn a point if no one is signed up or does not show ONLY if you have a non-affiliated game/s to match that week. In order for that team to be eligible to play post season Bonus games and/or Play Off games at the end of the season, they will need to acquire the following number of points: All teams participating in the post season play must continue to earn one point per game in order to continue game by game.
During this post season idle referees from non- participating or eliminated teams can be recruited by participating and advancing teams. The intent is to provide 3 certified referees at all games. It is not intended to punish anyone, or to make anyone's life more difficult.
Please folks, just go with the spirit. Volunteer. Get the training, put on the uniform, and have fun. Just remember, if you don't volunteer, please don't complain if you show up to watch your child play, and there are not enough referees.
Referee Instructions: While volunteering to ref you will receive a Ref Team Point for each game worked, dressed in full uniform, in the capacity of a Neutral Referee or Neutral Assistant Referee (AR). On Home field Region 117 fields games or games that Region 117 is responsible for providing the officiating.
If you have more than one player in your family, maximum three players, we will use the first as a PRIMARY team number to generate the remaining two or three points maximum for each of your games refereed each week.