New Referees

Anyone interested in becoming a referee must take a course taught by a U.S. Soccer-certified Instructor. New referees should register for a Grade 8 or 9 course.* Courses are offered throughout the year in locations around the Shenandoah Valley and across the state.
 
*Most new referees are Grade 8. Grade 9 referees are only authorized to be a Referee on recreational youth games U14 and younger and an Assistant Referee on any game U14 and younger.

Returning Referees

If you have already been certified as a referee from 2018 through 2020, you must complete your annual training. Courses are available online. Certification is good for one calendar year (January - December).

If you have already been certified as a referee from 2017 or earlier, you must complete online training and a field session. Courses are available online. 

You are becoming a referee for the first time.  Your requirements for your new referee certification are a combination of online lessons and an in-person field training session.  The registration and clinic fee is $80.

1. TO START.  Go to our Officials Management System (OMS):  https://mdcvasrp.omgtsys.com 
2. Select “New Member Registration.”  Enter your member information and create a password.  Your e-mail address must be your own.  Every referee must provide a unique e-mail address for identification in our online systems.

First Step Clinic

1. The first step of your referee instruction is completing the online lessons.  Follow the directions and select the "Referee - Grassroots Entry - First Step - Online Lessons" clinic.
2. On your Member Home Page, click the button to "Complete Requests and Pay Fees."

On your Member Home Page, to the right of your reserved clinic, click on “Online Lesson”.  There are seven online lessons:

1. 2021 Introduction to the Learning Center  (4 hours, 30 minutes)   
2. 2020 Referee Signals  (9 minutes)
3. 2020 Assistant Referee Signals  (11 minutes)
4. Ceremonial Restarts  (4 minutes)
5. 2021 Learning Center Intro to Safety  (15 minutes)
6. 2021 Grassroots Entry Referee Test  (30 minutes)
7. 2021 Learning Center SafeSport  (90 minutes)        

*Learning Center Course – Grassroots Referee

The Introduction to the Learning Center with the Grassroots Referee Course is both an introduction on how to sign in and log in to the US Soccer Learning Center, and 4.5-hour Grassroots Referee Course.

• Part 1 Introduction to the Learning Center explains how to Sign In and create a profile, username, and password at the Learning Center.  BE CAREFUL TO ENTER YOUR NAME THE SAME AS YOUR NAME IN OMS. If your name does not match, the Learning Center will not match your referee history to your account; instead the Learning Center will create a new account.
• Part 2 Introduction to the Learning Center explains how to Log In and start and complete the Grassroots Referee Course.  BE CAREFUL TO USE LOG IN.  If you use Sign In, you will create another account at the Learning Center.

There are five Parts to the Learning Center course.  You must complete each Part in sequence. As you progress through the Grassroots Referee Course, you must view everything on a page/slide.  You will have to click on each option to read or watch a video.  Sometimes you will have to scroll down or to the right to see everything on a page/slide.  If you do not see the CONTINUE button, you have not viewed everything on the page/slide.  If you need to stop the course to resume later, select CLOSE, so your progress will be saved and you can resume where you left the course. When you complete the course, go back to OMS to complete the other lessons.

Remaining Lessons (2-7).  Complete the remaining online lessons by selecting “Start” beside each lesson, in order. Everyone must complete Lessons 2 – 6.  Lesson 7, SafeSport Training, is required for referees 18 years or older.  Lesson 7 will show "complete" for referees who are not 18.  The first time SafeSport Training takes about 90 minutes to complete.  Subsequent annual SafeSport Training takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Field Training Session – Final Step

The final step of your referee instruction is completing the field training session. Once you complete the 7 online lessons, your grey Online Lessons button will turn green.  This may take up to 24 hours after you complete Lesson 7.  When it does, follow the Transfer/Cancel link and change the clinic type to Final Step Clinic.  Make a note of the date, time, and location of the Final Step Clinic you wish to attend and email your request to your Area Director of Instruction.  It will automatically place you in the Northern Va area, but select the Central Virginia area.

·        Central Virginia - Lecky Stone

Your ADI will provide you an Invitation Code for your field session.  On your Member Home Page, to the right of your reserved clinic, click on “Transfer” and select a “Referee - Grassroots Entry - Final Step – Field Training” clinic.  Use your Invitation Code to sign up for the field session you requested.

You will need to bring your own whistle and referee flag to the field session.  We cannot share referee equipment during the pandemic.  Dress for the weather and for mild activity on the field.  You will be outside on the field for 4 hours.  You should receive your referee badge at the end of the field training session.

Referees Certified in 2020

You have annual training to complete for the 2021 referee year.  Your fee for 2021 is only $10.  Your registration and certification have been extended through 2021.  However, you still have the required annual training to complete.

1.       TO START.  Go to the Officials Management System (OMS):  https://mdcvasrp.omgtsys.com 
2.       Select “Member Sign In.”  Enter your username and password.
3.       REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT GOING TO REGISTER AND SELECT RECERTIFICATION CLINIC.  You are going to complete Annual Training.
4.       On your Member Home Page, under “I want to:,” select “Register for Clinic.”  Under Soccer Official Type, select “Referee.” 

IMPORTANT.  Under “Registration Type” select “Supplemental Training.”  If you select Recertification, your fee will be $40 and you will have different lessons.

ONLINE LESSONS.   Complete the online lessons by selecting “Start” beside each lesson, in order. There are five lessons to your Annual Training:

1.       2021 Grassroots Refresher - USSF  (45 minutes) 
2.       2021 Law Changes - USSF  (45 minutes) 
3.       2021 Grassroots Referee Recert Quiz  (60 minutes)
4.       2021 Learning Center Intro to Safety  (15 minutes)
5.       2021 Learning Center SafeSport  (15 minutes)

Everyone must complete Lessons 1 – 4.  Lesson 5, SafeSport Training, is required for referees 18 years or older.  Lesson 5 will show "complete" for referees who are not 18.

When you complete the online lessons, Metro DC-Virginia State Referee Program can approve your 2021 referee certification. 

Referees Certified in 2019 or 2018, but did not register to recertify for 2020

All recertification requirements are online.  You are a lapsed referee, but can still complete the recertification process for 2021 online; no classroom or field session.  The registration and clinic fee is $80.

1. TO START.  Go to the Officials Management System (OMS):  https://mdcvasrp.omgtsys.com 
2.   Select “Member Sign In.”  Enter username: your USSF ID# beginning with the letter “R” with no dashes or spaces (for example, R2019123412341234).  Your password might be your last name.  If you do not know your password, it can reset.
3. On your Member Home Page, under “I want to:” select “Register for Clinic.”
4. Under Soccer Official Type, select “Referee.”
5. Under “Registration Type” select “Recertification.”
6. Follow the directions and select the Referee Grassroots Recertification clinic.
7. Pay your registration and clinic fee.

On your Member Home Page, to the right of your reserved clinic, click on “Online Lesson”. There are six online lessons.

1. 2021 Introduction to the Learning Center  (4 hours, 30 minutes) More Info on this below*
2. 2019-2020 LOTG Changes  (25 minutes)
3. 2021 Law Changes - USSF  (45 minutes)
4. 2021 Grassroots Referee Recert Quiz  (60 minutes)
5. 2021 Learning Center Intro to Safety  (15 minutes)
6. 2021 Learning Center SafeSport  (90 minutes)

*Learning Center Course – Grassroots Referee

If you already completed the Grassroots Referee Course at the US Soccer Learning Center, you will have credit for the course.  The course is a one-time requirement.  The Introduction to the Learning Center will show complete if the course is completed.  If the Introduction does not show complete, start the lesson.  You will go to the Learning Center by clicking the button to go to the Learning Center.  

The Introduction to the Learning Center lesson is both an introduction on how to sign in and log in to the US Soccer Learning Center, and 4.5-hour Grassroots Referee Course.

Part 1 Introduction to the Learning Center explains how to Sign In and create a profile, username, and password at the Learning Center.  BE CAREFUL TO ENTER YOUR NAME THE SAME AS YOUR NAME IN OMS.  If your name does not match, the Learning Center will not match your referee history to your account; instead the Learning Center will create a new account.

Part 2 Introduction to the Learning Center explains how to Log In and start and complete the Grassroots Referee Course.  BE CAREFUL TO USE LOG IN.  If you use Sign In, you will create another account at the Learning Center.

There are five Parts to the Learning Center course.  You must complete each Part in sequence. As you progress through the Grassroots Referee Course, you must view everything on a page/slide.  You will have to click on each option to read or watch a video.  Sometimes you will have to scroll down or to the right to see everything on a page/slide.  If you do not see the CONTINUE button, you have not viewed everything on the page/slide.  If you need to stop the course to resume later, select CLOSE, so your progress will be saved and you can resume where you left the course. When you complete the course, go back to OMS to complete the other lessons.

Remaining Lessons (2-6).  Complete the remaining online lessons by selecting “Start” beside each lesson, in order.  Everyone must complete Lessons 2 – 5.  Lesson 6, SafeSport Training, is required for referees 18 years or older.  Lesson 6 will show complete for referees who are not 18.  The first time SafeSport Training takes about 90 minutes to complete.  Subsequent annual SafeSport Training takes about 15 minutes to complete.

When you complete the online lessons, Metro DC-Virginia State Referee Program can approve your 2021 referee certification. 

Referees Certified in 2017 or earlier and not recertified in past three years

After your referee certification lapses for more than 3 years, you must recertify by completing a Grassroots Referee Entry Clinic.  Your requirements for your referee certification are a combination of online lessons and an in-person field training session.  The registration and clinic fee is $80.

1.      TO START.  Go to our Officials Management System (OMS):  https://mdcvasrp.omgtsys.com 

2.      Select “Member Sign In.”  Enter your member information and password.  Your username is your USSF ID# beginning with “R” and with no dashes.  If your password is not your last name, select “Forgot Password.”  Your e-mail address must be your own.  Every referee must have a different e-mail for identification.

3.      Follow the directions and select the Referee Grassroots Entry clinic.

On your Member Home Page, to the right of your reserved clinic, click on “Online Lesson”.  There are seven online lessons:

1.      2021 Introduction to the Learning Center  (4 hours, 30 minutes)   

2.      2020 Referee Signals  (9 minutes)

3.      2020 Assistant Referee Signals  (11 minutes)

4.      Ceremonial Restarts  (4 minutes)

5.      2021 Learning Center Intro to Safety  (15 minutes)

6.      2021 Grassroots Entry Referee Test  (30 minutes)

7.      2021 Learning Center SafeSport  (90 minutes)        

*Learning Center Course – Grassroots Referee

The Introduction to the Learning Center with the Grassroots Referee Course is both an introduction on how to sign in and log in to the US Soccer Learning Center, and 4.5-hour Grassroots Referee Course.

Part 1 Introduction to the Learning Center explains how to Sign In and create a profile, username, and password at the Learning Center.  BE CAREFUL TO ENTER YOUR NAME THE SAME AS YOUR NAME IN OMS. If your name does not match, the Learning Center will not match your referee history to your account; instead the Learning Center will create a new account.

Part 2 Introduction to the Learning Center explains how to Log In and start and complete the Grassroots Referee Course.  BE CAREFUL TO USE LOG IN.  If you use Sign In, you will create another account at the Learning Center.

There are five Parts to the Learning Center course.  You must complete each Part in sequence. As you progress through the Grassroots Referee Course, you must view everything on a page/slide.  You will have to click on each option to read or watch a video.  Sometimes you will have to scroll down or to the right to see everything on a page/slide.  If you do not see the CONTINUE button, you have not viewed everything on the page/slide.  If you need to stop the course to resume later, select CLOSE, so your progress will be saved and you can resume where you left the course. When you complete the course, go back to OMS to complete the other lessons.

Remaining Lessons (2-7).  Complete the remaining online lessons by selecting “Start” beside each lesson, in order. Everyone must complete Lessons 2 – 6.  Lesson 7, SafeSport Training, is required for referees 18 years or older.  Lesson 7 will show "complete" for referees who are not 18.  The first time SafeSport Training takes about 90 minutes to complete.  Subsequent annual SafeSport Training takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Field Training Session

You need to bring your own whistle and referee flag to the field session.  We cannot share referee equipment during the pandemic.  Dress for the weather and for mild activity on the field.  You will be outside on the field for 4 hours. You should receive your referee badge at the end of the field training session.

When you complete the online lessons and the field training session, Metro DC-Virginia State Referee Program can approve your 2021 referee certification.