1 April 2004

The AYSO Section One Referee Staff is committed to supporting Section One referees so that our players are provided with well-trained and experienced officials. In order to maintain the highest quality at all levels of refereeing, the following quality control and feedback procedures apply to all areas and regions within Section One. The program should be administered by the individual regions unless play in a particular division is inter-region, in which case the area may be the focal point.

Referee Quality Control and Feedback Policies and Procedures:

1. This program is in two parts: the first is a means by which regions may preempt or minimize dissent by coaches and parents/spectators during games. This is an especially important part of our efforts to retain new and inexperienced referees, as sideline abuse is a primary reason for referees leaving the program. The second is a method of receiving and processing feedback from coaches and/or parents on their perceptions of any particular referee’s performance via a Referee Feedback Form.

2. It is highly recommended that each Regional Referee Administrator (or a designated individual) develop a presentation to be given to the region’s coaches prior to the beginning of each fall or spring season. The purpose of this presentation is to preempt dissent by coaches and parents/spectators by explaining how referees are taught to apply the Laws of the Game, and to dispel some common ‘myths’ about Law 11 (Offside) and Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct). This presentation should also include the AYSO Team (Module 13), as well as instructions for completing and submitting the Referee Feedback Form. Coaches should be encouraged to disseminate this information to their players’ parents prior to each season. The Section One Referee Staff will make available to each region visuals which may be used for this presentation. The visuals may be modified as necessary to fit a particular region’s needs. Once each region’s coaches have attended the initial presentation, regions may opt to provide it to each season’s new coaches at their courses/clinics instead of at a ‘mass meeting’.

3. The Section One Referee Staff shall develop and distribute a Referee Feedback Form for use by the regions within the section. The Regional Referee Administrators shall provide sufficient forms to all coaches and/or Division Commissioners to ensure the widest possible distribution and dissemination. The form provided by Section One may be modified as necessary to fit a particular region’s needs.

4. Action taken upon receipt of the Referee Feedback Form may vary from no action at all to mentoring, assessment, or even assignment limitations on the subject referee. In some cases, the action may involve educating the feedback provider on the correct interpretation of the Laws of the Game and on how referees are trained to apply them. Note that the form requires entering the name of the individual who took the corrective action, the date it was taken, and what the corrective action was.

5. Each region shall develop and implement its own record-keeping procedures. It is recommended that some form of record-keeping be maintained for the purpose of identifying ‘chronic’ complainers or questionable referees. All Referee Feedback Forms and any corrective actions taken such as referee mentoring, assessments, or action by the referee assignor should be closely monitored and kept confidential. The Regional Referee Administrator may designate another individual to administer and monitor this program.

6. For regions where U16/U19 play is conducted by the area, the Area Referee Administrator (or his/her designated individual) may administer and monitor the program at the area level for these divisions. In these cases, particular attention should be paid to maintaining the confidentiality of program records.

7. Any questions about the program should be directed to the Section One Referee Administrator (Jim Miholick, firebird_jim@yahoo.com, 909-792-2313) or the Section One Director of Assessment (Ed McClure, mccsch@aol.com, 310-378-6125).

Referee Feedback Form: Word Document or PDF Document