USSF Certification & Upgrade Process

Entry Level Certification
New referees must attend a USSF approved, entry level clinic and pass a test before they are certified. The entry level clinic is 16 hours which is spread either over a weekend or several weeknights and possibly one weekend day. For a list of upcoming clinics throughout Southern California, click here. For detailed instructions, click here.

AYSO Crossover Certification
It’s a fairly simple process to crossover to being a USSF certified referee from being an AYSO referee. To learn more, contact the California South Administrative Coordinator, Danielle Bryant, or visit the Cal South Referee registration page. Information can also be found in the USSF Referee Administrative Handbook.

Annual Recertification or Upgrade to the next grade
Requirements for recertification or upgrading to higher referee grades are outlined in the Referee Administrative Handbook. Referees wishing to upgrade should coordinate with our assignor, Ian Anderson, in order to get level appropriate practice. An assessment game is required when upgrading from 8 to 7. Maintenance assessments are not required for grade 7. Assessments are required for upgrade to Grade 6. A yearly maintenance assessment is required for State Grades 5 and 6.

Click here for additional detailed information about recertification and upgrade procedures for Cal South from the Cal South web site.