Rhode Island Referee Handbook

1. RI Referee Handbook
Revised: March 31, 2014
Section 1: Referee Administration
1. The duty of the Rhode Island State Referee Committee (SRC) is to administer the
National Referee Development Program of the US Soccer Federation (USSF), and
to improve the overall quality of soccer officiating in the state of Rhode Island.
2. The SRC By-Laws is the primary governance document of the SRC. In the case of
any conflict between this handbook and the By-Laws, the By-Laws will take
precedence.
3. The SRC has jurisdiction over referees registered with USSF that designate
Rhode Island as their state referee association. Any administrative or
disciplinary issue involving an out-of-state referee will be referred to that
referee’s State Referee Administrator (SRA). The SRC has the authority, subject
to the terms of Section 7 in this handbook, to sanction referees by:
a) Issuing a written warning
b) Suspension pending completion of additional training at the referee’s
expense
c) Suspension pending payment of a fine
d) Suspension for a fixed term
e) Dismissal from the Federation
4. Communications from the SRC to referees will primarily be done via email using
the addresses on file with USSF. If a referee’s email address changes, it is the
referee’s responsibility to update their record in GameOfficials, and update any
online referee assigning systems that they use.
Section 2: Registration
1. In order to be registered as a referee in Rhode Island at any grade, prospective
referees must:

2. a) Maintain a legal residence in Rhode Island or intend to do their primary
officiating in Soccer RI or RISA affiliated leagues.
b) Successfully pass the appropriate written examination.
c) Pay a registration fee.
2. Any person wishing to become a referee for the first time must successfully
complete new referee training.
a) No prior experience is required for entry into Grade 9 new referee
training.
b) Candidates for Grade 8 referee training must have met one of the
following criteria:
i. Reached 16 years of age;
ii. Worked 5 games as referee at the U12 competitive level
c) Candidates for Grade 7 referee training must have met the following
criteria:
i. Pass the Grade 8 Referee Exam prior to attending a Grade 7
training session.
ii. Prior experience; one (1) of the following:
1. Reached 25 years of age;
2. Provide documentation demonstrating 4 years of experience
as:
1. A coach at the high school level or higher
2. A player at the NCAA level
3. Worked 10 games as referee in minimum 80-minute
competitive matches.
3. Referees taking the Grade 7, Grade 8 or Grade 9 referee training will have one
week to complete the grade-specific certification exam after the last class. After

3. the one week period has elapsed, US Soccer registrations will be approved and
submitted for all referees that have passed the exam.
a) If a referee completes the exam after the one week window has expired,
they must notify the SDI, who will approve and submit his or her
registration at the SYRA's convenience.
4. Candidates for Grade 9 Recreational Referee must complete the following course
of instruction in order to be certified:
a) Complete online Grade 9 Recreational Referee training from US Soccer
with a passing score.
b) Complete a 4-hour on-field training session.
5. Associations may request, at their own expense and paid for in advance, a private
Grade 9 Recreational Referee course. The association will be responsible for
providing an indoor facility for a 4-hour period configured for soccer and
payment of instructor fees. The course will be restricted to those individuals
designated by the hosting association.
6. Candidates for Grade 8 Referee must complete the following course of instruction
in order to be certified:
a) Complete online Grade 8 Referee training from US Soccer with a passing
score.
b) Complete a 10-hour classroom training sequence
7. Associations may request, at their own expense and paid for in advance, a private
Grade 8 Referee course. The association will be responsible for providing a
classroom-style facility for 4 2.5 hour sessions and payment of instructor fees.
The course will be restricted to those individuals designated by the hosting
association.
8. Candidates for Grade 7 Referee must complete the Grade 7 Referee Course in
order to be certified.
9. All exams have a passing score of 80%
10. Any referee who arrives more than 15 minutes late for any instructional event will
be denied entry. Any referee who departs prior to the scheduled end of any
instructional event will not be credited with attendance.

4. 11. In order to re-certify as a referee at any grade, the referee must complete in-
service training. In-service training includes formal training events administered
by the SRC or other events which are designated as an in-service training
opportunity by the SRC. All re-certification training events will be two hours in
length and require registration in GameOfficials.
a) A referee who registers for an SRC-sponsored in-service training event but
does not attend will be assessed a $5 fine.
b) Grade 8, 9, and Emeritus Referees must complete 4 hours of in-service
training.
c) Grade 7 Referees must complete 6 hours of in-service training.
d) State Referees must complete 8 hours of in-service training.
12. Eligibility for in-service training by Grade:
a) Pre-season youth league meetings for small-sided or recreational
divisions: Grade 9
b) Intermediate-level youth league meetings: Grades 9-8
c) Advanced-level youth league meetings: Grades 8-6
d) Monthly seminars: Grades: 8-6
e) Field training: Grades: 9-8
f) PRO Clinic: 8-6
g) Academy programs: Grade 8
h) Regional Appointments: Grade 8-6
i) State Cup Training: Grade 8-6
j) Online training: Grade-specific training as listed
13. Local referee coordinators may conduct in-service training “in-house”, provided
that the coordinator is a certified instructor and completion of the training is
documented in GameOfficials in a manner directed by the SRC. Qualifying local

5. coordinators who choose to pursue this option must notify the SRC so that a
coordinator-managed virtual clinic can be established. Local coordinators who
choose to exercise this option will be responsible for managing the virtual clinic
and collecting and forwarding any registration fees not paid online.
14. Any certified instructor who is assigned to and conducts in-service training in
fulfillment of formal referee training events scheduled by the SRC is granted
credit for the training as if they were an attendee, provided that the training
conducted by the instructor is applicable to the instructor’s referee grade.
15. In addition, referees grade 7 and above must meet the following requirements
during the prior calendar year:
a) Officiate at least 10 affiliated matches that are sanctioned either by Soccer
RI or RISA, or are played within the boundaries of Rhode Island, at least 5
of which are as a referee, at the following level:
i. Grade 7: Under-17 or higher, to include affiliated leagues with a
“high school” division
ii. Grade 6: Adult amateur or higher
16. A State Referee that fails the state referee exam but scores within 10 points of
passing on their best attempt, and otherwise meets the requirements for
registration as a State Referee Grade 6, may choose to register as a Referee Grade
7.
17. A referee may register as a State Referee Emeritus provided the following
requirements are met:
a) In three (3) prior registration years, the referee was registered as a State
Referee grade 6 or higher. The three registration years need not be
contiguous.
b) A minimum score of 70 on the State Referee Exam.
c) Payment of the annual registration fee.
18. The SRC may grant exceptions to the requirements in 2.7 on an individual basis
in the case of extenuating circumstances
19. A referee that fails the referee exam, but scores within 10 points of a passing
grade and otherwise meets the requirements for registration as a referee grade 8

6. may choose to register as a recreational referee grade 9 rather than retake the
test.
20.Any referee who fails to meet any requirement in this section may choose either
to:
a) Delay registration until such time as the requirements are met; or
b) Register at the highest grade for which all requirements are satisfied.
21. Any referee may choose to register at a grade lower than the one he/she qualifies
for.
22.The SRC may deny registration to any person who is not in good standing with
RISRC or with USSF.
23.The online pre-payment fee for new referees includes the cost of a referee
uniform, which includes 2 jerseys, shorts, and socks.
24.The purchase of a uniform from the SRC at the time of registration is optional.
25.All assessors, assignors, mentors, and instructors must attend two training events
per year.
26.Registration Fees are as follows (as of registration for the 2014 season):
a) For new referees:
i. Grade 9 - $120: $60 Registration / $60 Uniform
ii. Grade 8 - $135: $75 Registration / $60 Uniform
b) For re-certifying referees:
i. Grade 9: $55
ii. Grade 8: $55
iii. Grade 7: $140: $60 Registration / $80 Assessment
iv. Grade 6+: $170: $90 Registration / $80 Assessment

7. v. Emeritus: $85
c) For assessors:
i. Grade 9: $85.00
ii. Grade 7: $90.00
iii. Grade 6: $120.00
iv. Grade 5: $120.00
v. Grade 3: $145.00
d) For instructors:
i. Grade 11: $75.00
ii. Grade 9: $75.00
iii. Grade 7: $80.00
iv. Grade 5: $110.00
v. Grade 3: $135.00
e) For assignors: $15
27. A late fee of $10 per month will be assessed on all registration activity after
December 31, except for those individuals with a valid college identification card.
Those college-aged individuals would be given until February 1 before incurring
late fees.
Section 3: Referee Upgrades
1. Referees who qualify for upgrade on the basis of prior game experience must
provide documentation showing completion of the required minimum lifetime
game experience as documented in a game log which includes at a minimum,
date and location of the match, league, and age division.
2. Referees who wish to upgrade from Grade 9 to Grade 8 must:

8. a) Complete the Grade 8 Referee course
b) Pass the USSF Grade 8 Exam
3. Referees who wish to upgrade from Grade 8 to Grade 7 must:
a) Complete the Grade 7 Referee course
b) Pass the USSF Grade 7 Exam
4. Referees who wish to upgrade from Grade 7 to Grade 6 must:
a) Complete the State Referee Course
b) Pass the FIFA Sprint and Interval Test at the State Referee standard
c) Pass two assessments by a State Assessor
5.
6. Referees who pay for an upgrade which includes an assessment, but do not
complete the classroom portion of the upgrade process, will be credited the
assessment fee, and the assessment will not be conducted.
7. A referee who fails an upgrade assessment may request an additional upgrade
assessment which, if passed, will qualify for upgrade. If a referee fails two
attempts at an upgrade assessment, upgrade will be denied and may be re-
attempted in the following registration year.
8. Upgrades to Grade 5 National Candidate are handled by USSF directly, and will
be facilitated by the SRA.
Section 4: Assignments
1. Referees will receive match assignments by various methods of communication;
the referee must accept or decline the assignment in a timely manner as
determined by each assignor.
2. Failure to accept an assignment in a timely manner may result in removal from
the assignment.

9. 3. Failure to appear at an accepted assignment may result in disciplinary actions
described in Section 8.
4. Priority of assignment is given to referees in the following order:
a) National Referees
b) National Candidates
c) State Referees
d) Grade 7 Referees that have completed fitness and assessment
requirements
e) Emeritus Referees (if ability permits)
f) All other Grade 7 Referees
g) Grade 8 Referees
h) Grade 9 Recreational Referees
5. It is the responsibility of each referee to inform their assignor(s) of their
availability to officiate matches, which includes updating their availability on all
assigning websites. It is the intent of assignors to only assign referees to matches
at times in which they are available. Referees are given priority of assignment
based on grade; in general, higher-level assignments are given to referees of a
higher grade. Assignors may choose to reduce the number of assignments given
to referees who frequently decline assignments for reasons other than conflicts
with other assignments.
6. Each referee is expected to keep all assignments that are accepted. However,
there are certain occasions when a referee has previously accepted an assignment
and receives a higher priority assignment which takes precedence as described in
the Referee Administrative Handbook. The referee must contact the assignor of
the lower-priority match to be released from that assignment. In accordance this
this policy, when assigned at least 48 hours in advance, State Cup Competitions
have precedence over any other match within the state.
7. While each official is expected to keep the assignments he or she accepts, there
are certain occasions where a referee should be released from a lower level
assignment to officiate in a higher level competition.

10. To this end, the following games are listed by priority for assignment:
a) Games assigned by the Professional Referee Organization (PRO)
b) Games assigned by U.S. Soccer
c) Competitions (regional and national) assigned directly by U.S. Soccer’s
affiliated members. Includes but is not limited to:
i. USASA
ii. US Youth Soccer
iii. US Club Soccer
d) Competitions (state level) assigned directly by Rhode Island registered
assignors. Includes but is not limited to:
i. Adult amateur competitions
ii. USYSA NCS State Cup Semi-Finals and Finals
iii. Regional youth competitions
iv. USYSA NCS State Cup preliminary matches
v. Soccer RI-designated premier league competitions
vi. Soccer RI-designated competitive league competitions
vii. Recreational competitions
8. Please note that this policy does not apply:
a) Within 72 hours of the scheduled game time unless an emergency
situation exists.
b) When a substantial financial commitment has been made for the
assignment (e.g., non-refundable airline tickets)

11. 9. Responsibility of officials:
a) Keep the lines of communication open about upcoming international and
national and International appointments as far in advance as possible.
b) Communicate the receipt of a higher priority appointment to their
assignor as soon as possible.
c) Report an assignor that refuses to release the official from a higher priority
assignment to the SRA.
10. Responsibility of assignors:
a) Identify the highly experienced officials on your assignment roster who are
likely to be assigned to a higher priority assignment and always be
prepared to fill these slots on an emergency basis.
b) Cooperate with officials and other assignors on those rare occasions when
the game priority policy is invoked.
c) In the event that circumstances beyond the official’s control cause the
referee to miss an assignment, the official must contact the match assignor
as soon as possible.
Section 5: Game Day Procedures
1. All members of the referee team are expected to be at the field at the time
prescribed by the rules of competition, at the time set by the referee or, if no time
is prescribed, at least 30 minutes prior to kick off. The referee should contact the
assistants to establish a time and place to meet. All members of the referee team
should enter the field area together. You should meet in a prescribed area if
possible and then walk to the field together and introduce yourselves to the
coaches of both teams. Please wait for your partners before entering the field.
2. In the event that circumstances beyond the official’s control prevent timely
arrival at the field, the official should attempt to contact the other match officials
or the match assignor as soon as possible.
3. Match officials must be properly uniformed and dressed in matching uniform
colors and sleeve length. The match Referee determines which uniform the team
of officials shall wear. If there is a conflict in colors between the teams and the
game officials, it is the responsibility of the referee team to choose a non-
conflicting alternate color. In the event the referee team does not possess 3

12. matching and non-conflicting jerseys, a mix of sleeve lengths is permitted. The
use of matching pinnies is permitted for the assistant referees (ARs). As a last
resort, a referee may wear a pinnie so as not to conflict with the teams. Match
officials do not need to have matching styles of uniform, so long as the colors
match, unless otherwise specified by the rules of competition.
4. The referee team is required to inspect the field, including the goals, corner flags
and lines, to ensure that the field is playable and the equipment is safe. If the
Referee decides that the field or playing conditions are not suitable for playing
the match, or are not compliant with rules of play or are unsafe for competition,
the match shall not be played, and the referee shall note this in the Match
Report. Each official for that match shall receive the lesser of $25 or the game fee
for travel expenses.
5. The referee is responsible for conducting a pre-game conference between match
officials to convey instructions and expectations to the ARs and if applicable, the
fourth official.
6. If a full complement of officials is not present at the scheduled starting time of
the match, the match may be played with volunteers. These volunteers shall be
considered club assistants, responsible for signaling that the ball has gone out of
play and nothing else. The volunteers shall receive no compensation, unless
stated otherwise by the league’s rules. The fees for the absent officials shall
be evenly divided and returned to the teams. The referee shall note the
absence of officials and return of fees in the Match Report. Under no
circumstances may referees officiate a match using a two-man system
in which both officials use whistles.
7. If one or both teams cannot field enough players within the league’s grace period,
or 15 minutes if no grace period is provided, the match shall not be played, and
the referee shall note this in the match report. The officials for that match shall be
entitled to a full match fee. If not paid at the field, the referee will submit a
request to the SRC for payment.
8. If a game is cancelled on the field by the referee prior to it starting, the referee
fees are to be returned to the teams. If the game starts and the referee cancels the
game before the 60th minute of the match, the referee fees are to be returned to
the teams, unless otherwise provided for by the league rules.
9. If all referees are assigned to the wrong field or time for the match, they will be
paid the lesser of $25 or the game fee for travel expenses. The fee will be paid by
either the league or the SRC, dependent upon where the error occurred.
10. If a full complement of officials is not present at the scheduled starting time of
the match, the match may be played with volunteers. These volunteers shall be

13. considered Club Assistants, responsible for signaling that the ball has gone out of
play and nothing else. The volunteers shall receive no compensation, unless
stated otherwise by the league’s rules. The fees for the absent officials shall
be evenly divided and returned to the teams. The Referee shall note the
absence of officials and return of fees in the Match Report.
11. If a referee is assaulted during a match, the referee must follow the guidelines in
the USSF Referee Administrative Handbook so that administrative and
enforcement agencies can properly do their job. A copy of the USSF Referee
Report can be downloaded from the SRC web site. Referees are expected to make
copies of this report for their own use. In the event of a referee assault, a fully
executed original or duplicate original of this report must be submitted
immediately after the match to the appropriate league president, the SRA, and
the governing body of the match. In addition, a call should be placed
immediately after the match to the SRA advising him/her of the assault.
Section 6: Game Reports
1. Referees are required to fully complete all game reports, and to submit them to
the proper authority within 24 hours of the end of the match. It is the referee’s
responsibility to be aware of the reporting requirements for the matches being
officiated; referees must comply with any additional reporting requirements
mandated by the league.
2. Failure to properly submit a game report shall subject the referee to the
disciplinary actions described in Section 8.
3. For any leagues which do not currently specify a game report, a copy of the USSF
Referee Game Report can be downloaded from the SRC web site. This report
should be accompanied by the appropriate rosters and submitted to the
governing body of the league within 24 hours.
Section 7: Match Assessments
1. All field assessments will be unannounced. In the event that the match is deemed
insufficiently difficult by the assessor, an additional unannounced assessment
may be conducted with the cost paid for by the SRC.
2. If a referee fails a maintenance assessment, they will be automatically
downgraded by one grade.
3. A referee who fails a maintenance assessment may, at their own expense and paid
for in advance, request one additional unannounced maintenance assessment,

14. scheduled by the SDA. If the referee passes their second maintenance
assessment attempt, they will be restored to their previous grade. If no suitable
assessment opportunity occurs before the end of the calendar year, the
assessment fee will be returned.
4. If a referee fails two attempts at a maintenance assessment, the referee may
attempt to upgrade to their prior grade no earlier than the following registration
year.
5. A referee who fulfills the annual game count requirements in Section 2 will not be
penalized in the event that a maintenance assessment of sufficient difficulty is not
completed.
6. The assessor must provide a copy of the assessment to the match officials within
one week of the match.
7. An Assessor assigned to perform an assessment shall be paid $25 for travel
expenses if a match is not played due to insufficient players or unplayable pitch
conditions, or if the assessor (and referees) are sent to the wrong field or have the
wrong time for the match.
8. Referees wishing to travel to another state for an assessment MUST have
permission from the Rhode Island SDA who will then contact the SDA in the state
to which the referee is traveling. The SDA can be contacted by email at
sda@risrc.net. Out of state assessments that do not adhere to this policy will not
be counted towards upgrade or maintenance requirements.
Section 8: Disciplinary Actions and Appeal Process
1. Any complaint of wrongdoing on the part of a referee, administrator, assessor,
instructor, or assignor will be handled in accordance with USSF policy 531-10.
2. Any complaint of wrongdoing on the part of a player, coach, team official, or
spectator, shall be reported to the SRA, who will forward the complaint to the
president of the association that sanctions the league or tournament in which the
alleged misconduct occurred, or, if the incident occurred out of state, to that
state’s SRA.
Section 9: Travel Policy
1. For the purposes of consistency, and due to the small geographical size of Rhode
Island, officials will not be compensated for travel to league or tournament

15. matches under the jurisdiction of RISA or Soccer RI, even when those matches
are held outside of Rhode Island.
2. Referees are registered by US Soccer through the State Referee Association and
are considered independent contractors. Referees in good standing will not be
prohibited from working affiliated games out of state. As a matter of courtesy,
referees should inform the SRA/SYRA when traveling out of the state association
to work games. Referees who choose to work out of state remain eligible to work
games in Rhode Island. Referees that work more games in a state other than
Rhode Island may be denied registration in the following year at the SRA’s
discretion and directed to register in the other state, which would be in a position
to more appropriately meet that referee’s needs.
3. In order to be eligible for appointment to regional tournament delegations or for
reimbursed travel under this section, referees must have passed the FIFA Sprint
and Interval test at the State Referee standard within the prior 6 month.
4. While US Soccer policies do not require a referee coming into Rhode Island to
provide written permission from his or her SRA before being allowed to referee in
Rhode Island, it is the policy of the RISRC that names of visiting referees are
forwarded to the SRA. The SRA will then verify that the visiting referees are
currently registered with US Soccer and, if needed, contact the referee’s SRA to
ensure that the referee is in good standing. Further, the SRA can help to verify
that referees coming in from another country are properly certified and have the
necessary legal documents required for working in the United States. Anyone
inviting referees from out of the state should forward the names to the SRA via e-
mail to sra@risrc.net.
5. The SRC encourages officials to seek challenging out-of-state developmental
tournament and special match assignments. In order to provide these
opportunities to motivated officials, the SRC will reserve a limited amount of
funds to reimburse officials for travel expenses incurred, subject to the terms in
this section.
6. The official must notify the Treasurer as soon as the details of the event are
known. The Treasurer will prepare a cost estimate for the trip and forward it to
the SRA and the official. The following costs may be authorized:
a) Transportation to and from the venue, using the most cost-effective
carrier. If travel is by air, the cost of one piece of checked luggage may be
authorized.
1. If transportation is by the referee’s personally-owned vehicle,
mileage reimbursement of up to 50% of the current IRS mileage
rate may be authorized.

16. b) For each full day of the trip, a per diem payment is authorized to cover the
cost of meals, which is calculated as 75% of the General Services
Administration (GSA) Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) rate for the
location of the match(es). For the first and last day of the trip, 40% of the
GSA rate is authorized. If meals are provided, the per diem payment will
be reduced by 50% for dinner, 35% for lunch and 15% for breakfast for that
day.
c) Lodging costs, calculated at 100% of the GSA per diem lodging rate for the
location of the match(es).
d) If not provided by venue, local transportation using a rental car or public
transportation. If more than one official is travelling to the same event,
local transportation must be shared.
7. The SRA will approve or decline the request, and may choose to authorize a lesser
amount. The SRA will notify the official of the breakdown of expenses that will
be paid for by the SRC. If the request is declined or is approved for a lesser
amount than requested, the official may appeal the decision at the next meeting
of the SRC, which will be decided by a vote of the SRC. The SRA or SRC may
elect to deduct from expense reimbursement an amount up to the sum total of all
referee fees received.
8. Officials will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements.
9. Within 30 days of the completion of the trip, the official will provide receipts for
all transportation and lodging expenses incurred to the Treasurer, who will
reimburse the official for all approved expenses. Receipts do not need to be
provided for meal expenses.
10. While officiating out of state, referees are expected to adhere to the highest
standards of conduct to reflect positively on the Rhode Island referee community.
11. Officials will notify the SRA of out-of-state match assignments, even when travel
expenses are not paid by the SRC. Officials need not notify the SRA of
assignments to leagues which normally conduct matches in Rhode Island, even
when the match in question is outside of the state (for example: RISL Over 30,
MAPLE, or MASC).
Section 10: Annual Awards
1. RISA and SRI will present Referee of the Year awards on an annual basis in
various categories. The objective criteria used to determine the winners of these

17. awards shall be determined by the SRC and will be primarily on the basis of
assignment.
2. The following individuals are ineligible for a Referee of the Year award:
1. Members of the SRC
2. Prior award winners in the same category
3. Any referee subject to disciplinary action
4. Referees that have transferred out of state
3. In addition, “Outstanding Referee” awards will be given for exceptional
performance at certain competitions.