Want to become a referee? Need to complete the referee training course in order to complete your coaching license? This area of the site is designed to give you all of the information you need.

Here’s how it works. Referee clinics are offered by the SRC and the local districts. These clinics are held all throughout the year, normally based upon a club or organization requesting a clinic. You will have to go to the Districts page and locate the district closest to you and contact them directly (or go to their web sites) to find out what clinics are being offered.  The Akron Clinics will be posted on this website under the calendar/events area.

Referee Clinic Options

The United States Soccer Federation (US Soccer) offers several levels of referee certification. Referees start out at a certain level and through years of experience and a formal upgrade process navigate up through the levels. Until recently, there were effectively two entry points into the referee program: Recreational Referee (Grade 9) and Entry Level Referee (Grade 8). Beginning in January 2006, Ohio North will only support the Recreational Referee program as an entry point into the referee program. You can still register as a Grade 8 referee (we’ll explain how below) but you will have to start with the Recreational Referee program.

Please see below for additional information about these clinics.

Entry Level Referee Clinic

The Entry Level Referee clinic is recommended for anyone 14 years of age and older who wishes to officiate youth through adult soccer games. After successfully completing the clinic, students are registered as USSF Grade 8 Referees. As mentioned above, OHN will no longer offer this clinic except in special circumstances. If you are older and are interested in becoming an Entry Level Referee, you can take both the Recreational Referee and Referee Bridge clinics (back to back) to achieve the Grade 8 (Entry Level Referee) certification.

The clinic requires approximately 16 hours of classroom time and concludes with a 100 question exam. There may or may not be a cost for the clinic; in some cases, the local soccer clubs cover the cost of the clinic. Participants who complete the class and pass the exam can register with USSF to receive additional benefits (insurance, badge, registration card and so on) for an additional $35.

If you are a coach and need to take the Entry Level Referee course in order to complete your certification, special clinics will be offered for you, please contact the state’s State Director of Instruction for information on these clinics and when they will be offered.

Recreational Referee Clinic

The Recreational Referee (Grade 9) program was created as a easy entry point for younger referees. This course has no recommended minimum age requirement and certifies referees to work as Referee on recreational youth games (under-14 and younger only) and Assistant Referee all youth matches.

The clinic requires approximately 8 hours of classroom and field time and concludes with a 50 question exam. There may or may not be a cost for the clinic; in some cases, the local soccer clubs cover the cost of the clinic. Participants who complete the class and pass the exam can register with USSF to receive additional benefits (insurance, badge, registration card and so on) for an additional $20.

Referee Bridge Course

The Bridge course is for experienced Recreational Referees who wish to upgrade to the Entry Level Referee - Grade 8. Students must be an existing Recreational Referee and meet the requirements for the Entry Level Referee course.

Initially, referees would need to spend a year at Grade 9 before they could take the Bridge course and upgrade to Grade 8. Through special permission from US Soccer, OHN is permitted to offer both the Recreational Referee and Bridge course back to back for those students who wish to go directly to Grade 8. If you wish to participate in this program, you will need to complete the Recreational Referee class and notify the instructors that you will be immediately following-up with the bridge class - the instructor will hold any registrations for you and register you as a Grade 8 referee when you complete the bridge course and Grade 9 referee otherwise.

The clinic requires approximately 8 hours of classroom time and concludes with a exam. There may or may not be a cost for the clinic; in some cases, the local soccer clubs cover the cost of the clinic. Participants who complete the class and pass the exam can register with USSF to receive additional benefits (insurance, badge, registration card and so on) for an additional $25.