The US Soccer Referee Department

The US Soccer Referee Department registers about 126,000 referees, assessors, assignors and instructors each year. The process begins at the state level, and concludes with referees receiving their credentials from U.S. Soccer.

The challenge for the department is to efficiently handle the volume of forms and requests that come into the department throughout the year. With more than a thousand forms coming into the office on certain days, the process can be a difficult one. In fact, the registration process for next year has already begun in earnest. Plans for the design of the 2004 registration form are already taking shape and communication with each state referee committee is ongoing, until all the pieces of the puzzle are put together. With the new registration form new grade levels or changes to grade levels are introduced, new supplementary materials are created and updates are made to the FIFA Laws of the Game.

The planning culminates with the registration packet each referee receives toregister through the State Referee Administrator. The form eventually is sent back to U.S. Soccer in Chicago for final registration.

The process has been further enhanced by the ability to digitally scan each form into the Referee Database. Each form is reviewed, approved, and, if need be corrected to assure that all USSF rules and regulations are met. Once the form is processed, the end product is a registration fulfillment packet received by each referee with the appropriate credentials and material.

In 2004, one of the publications that will benefit our new, young referees is the Simplified Laws of the Game book. This new publication is based on the official FIFA Laws of the Game book, but is written and designed for young people. The book explains each law in a lighthearted way, including cartoon drawings that help the young reader understand the basic meaning of each law without having to decipher complicated language. This book will not only benefit young readers, but coaches and parents alike.

The Referee Department also has other instructional and educational material, please contact the department for additional information or visit the website. The referee section of ussoccer.com is packed full of useful information, including referee news & announcements, "Ask a Referee", referee forms, a schedule of referee clinics, laws of the game and much more.

If you have any questions pertaining to the department or questions about refereeing, please feel free to contact any of the following individuals at U.S. Soccer.

Managing Director of Federation Services
Julie Ilacqua - jilacqua@ussoccer.org
Manager of Referee Development & Education
Alfred Kleinaitis - akleinaitis@ussoccer.org

For questions about Professional League Referee Assignments or Assessment Scheduling
Casey Frankewicz - cfrankewicz@ussoccer.org
Holly Hollingsworth - hollinhh@earthlink.net

For questions about Fast Tracking or Scouting Network for Referees or International Questions and Concerns:
Director of Advanced and International Referee Development
Esfandiar Baharmast - ebaharmast@ussoccer.org

For questions about Referee Registrations:
Referee Coordinator
Deborah Williams - dwilliams@ussoccer.org

If you need address or phone number information or want to know how to register as a referee:
Administrative Assistant for the National Program for Referee Development
Sandra Meadors - smeadors@ussoccer.org

For questions about Referee Material & Equipment Orders:
Call (312) 528-1215.

For program, clinic, workshop questions/general information:
Referee Programs Manager
Carol McGuire cmcguire@ussoccer.org

If you encounter difficulties using the referee materials posted on the U.S. Soccer web site, contact Chuck Locke:
Chuck Locke clocke@mesastate.edu

If you are not sure who to address, feel free to contact any of the above and your question will be forwarded to the right party.