HOW TO GET ASSIGNED TO SYA SOCCER GAMES
US Soccer Federation (USSF) certified referees should email our Referee Assignor, Alan Liotta, [email protected]. Alan does all his assigning by email so a valid email address is required. You can use your personal email or a parent or guardian’s email. Once you contact Alan, he will:
- Collect some information about you (name, address, phone numbers, email, parent or guardian information if you’re under age 18)
- Email you a blank IRS Form W-9 that you must fill out so you can get paid
- Ask you to complete an Availability Form for the current season (dates and times you can work games)
SYA Soccer recreational and Suburban Friendship League (SFL) games are primarily played on Saturdays in the spring and fall. Each recreational league season concludes with a 2-day tournament held on a Saturday and Sunday. On rare occasions, a recreational league game cancelled due to weather or other reasons may be re-scheduled on a Sunday or weekday evening.
Travel league games (e.g., CCL, NCSL, ECNL) are typically scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays.
Referees are assigned to appropriate level games based on their experience and age. If you are a new or inexperienced referee, you will be assigned as an Assistant Referee, teamed with a more experienced “Center” Referee, on small-sided recreational league games. These games are played by younger age groups on smaller fields.
Based on your performance, maturity, and interest, you can move up to more challenging assignments. Our Referee Assignor will work with you to help you meet your refereeing goals, making sure you don’t feel any pressure to referee games beyond your ability, experience, or comfort level.
For most SYA soccer games, we want “Center” Referees to be at least two (2) years older than the game to which they’re assigned. For example, a 15-year old referee would normally officiate games with players age 13 and younger. There is no age restriction for Assistant Referees.
Referee assignments are generally issued 1-2 weeks before a game. Our Referee Assignor will solicit each official’s availability at the beginning and midpoint of the season, so it’s critical that referees plan ahead, keeping their calendars clear of potential conflicts on days they provide availability. We understand that unforeseen events can change your availability. Referees should proactively manage their schedules and let Alan know as far in advance as possible should they no longer be able to work on a given day.
Assigning Tips for Referees:
- Manage your calendar. Keep track of your commitments (family, school, work, the team you play on, etc.) so you do not double-book yourself and can better know your availability.
- Check email often and reply quickly. Most, if not all, communication is via email, so check it often. The sooner you reply to these emails, the more likely you’ll receive assignments. Plus, the easiest way to earn SYA referee bonuses is to accept games at the last minute when the Referee Assignor asks referees for help with additional games on the schedule. You’ll learn of these last-minute openings by email.
- Check your spam/junk folder. Due to the volume of email sent by assignors, some messages may be labeled as spam or junk.
- Include your first and last name in correspondence with assignors. This helps assignors more easily know with whom they’re communicating.
- Keep your assignments. It’s crucial that once you accept your assigned games, you work them. Turning back games after accepting them places a huge burden on assignors to find a replacement—and sometimes games could end up being played without referees. Make sure you can work your assigned games before you accept them.
- Be flexible. Game details may change (time, location, etc.) or your assignments may be adjusted to ensure other games have referees. Occasionally, you may be asked to move to an adjacent or nearby field, or work in a different time slot.
- Turning back games. We recognize that “life” happens (last minute conflicts, illnesses, injuries, car trouble, etc.). In the event you cannot keep your assignments, it’s critical you notify the assignor IMMEDIATELY so they may find a replacement.
- No-shows are unacceptable. Not showing up for an assigned game is unacceptable. Notify our Referee Assignor IMMEDIATELY in the event of a last-minute emergency. Failure to appear for an assigned match without informing your assignor may result in fines and/or sanctions. Repeated offenses could result in your removal from the SYA referee pool.
