Referees who wish to officiate after a lapse in registration 

The following information has been extracted from the
USSF Referee Administrative Handbook and recent memoranda.

Referees who are registered with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) must renew their registration annually. National Referees must renew through the USSF National Office with the collaboration of the State Referee Administrator.

Referees must submit the following:

• Completed USSF Registration Form
• Check payable to "CNRA" in the appropriate amount
• Photocopies of physical fitness and written test results, if required
• Photocopies of certificates from clinics attended, if required
• Photocopies of Feedback to Official Assessment Report, if required
• List of games officiated during the previous registration year, if required

All materials must be mailed together to:

CNRA
PO Box 7416
Fremont, CA 94537-7416

Incomplete packages cannot be processed and will delay your registration. Failure to include all required items for your referee grade may result with your referee license getting downgraded.

Downgrading of a Referee
A referee may be downgraded if the referee fails to meet any of the standards for their grade. A referee can only be registered at the level where they can meet the standards of a particular grade. If a referee is downgraded, they do not have to spend a year in the lower grade. The referee may be upgraded when they once again meet the standard for that grade.

Change of Address Policy
It is the responsibility of the official to notify the national office of an address change immediately. Address changes must be in the National Office before August 10 to insure delivery of your registration renewal packet. If you have not received a registration renewal packet and moved since your last registration, you may request a new packet, in writing, from the National Office. There is a $5.00 service charge for replacement packets; enclose a check or money order payable to USSF with each request. If you do not receive your badge and card, and have moved since your registration was processed, your badge and card may have been mailed to your former address. Ask your State Referee Administrator to check the status of your registration with the National Office. A check for $5.00 payable to USSF must accompany each request for a second badge/card mailing if there has been a change of address.

Referees Not Registered In The Previous Year
Any referee who was not registered with the U.S. Soccer Federation the previous year may be certified at the grade they previously held after taking and passing the written qualifying examination, fitness test, and assessments. This applies to referees who were previously certified and registered with the Federation. A referee who has not been registered for two consecutive years may be registered at the level immediately below the grade previously held and then be tested for the grade level he once achieved at the next available testing session and can register for that grade after successfully completing all of the requirements.

Annual renewal requirements vary according to your referee grade:

ANNUAL RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS

Notes and Comments

Note A, Registration and Upgrading:
Registration, annual renewal and requests for upgrading must be made through the appropriate State/Overseas Referee Administrator. Referees who have registered as grade 8 or higher may not re-register as grade 9. There is no upgrade path from any of the grades 9, 10 or 11.

Note B, Retaking Exams (grades 11, 10, 9, 8, 7):
If a person does not pass the written examination, the entire examination must be retaken after a minimum waiting period of one month.

Note C, Retaking Exams (grades 6, 5):
If a person does not pass the written examination, the entire examination must be retaken after a minimum waiting period of three months.

Note D, Assessments:
Each failed assessment requires one additional passing assessment as an offset.

Note E, Assessments for National Referee:
Assessments must be by a currently registered USSF National Assessor or an assessor approved by the Director of Assessment and the national office. They must be on games approved by the Referee Committee and played within the dates specified (Jan 1-Dec 31). The minimum acceptable score is 80.

Note F, Professional Games:
The Referee Committee may approve other games to count toward the requirement for professional games.

Note G, Fast Track:
Candidates for upgrading to National Referee must be acceptable to the National Referee Committee. Requirements other than game level, professional game counts and assessments may be waived at the discretion of the National Referee Committee.