How to Become and Remain a Referee
Dear referee candidate:
Welcome to PYSC. We encourage all people, especially the ones who are players to try the refereeing career. It helps to see the game from a different perspective, it will enhance your knowledge of the game, your self confidence, it will look good in your resume when you apply in the future to pursue your education or employment and also it is a paid position which will give you some pocket money to spend for summer or if you are wise with your money you can put it towards your savings.
The clinics are always in spring of each year however I keep a waiting list throughout the year and if I can’t accommodate you in the spring or if you contact me too late I always put your name in the priority list for future clinics in or out of town for that year or for the year after.
So, if you live in Peterborough or nearby and you are planning to ref for our club (PYSC) then please contact me at headref_pysc@sympatico.ca and provide me with this info:
First name
Last name
Date of Birth
Email address
Home Phone #
Cell Phone #
Mailing address
Postal Code
Club
OSA #
Explanations:
First and last name: to ID the ref candidate
DOB: to establish if you’re old enough and which clinic to attend ( you have to be 12 years old or older by March 31 of the year of the clinic to attend Mini Refs clinic and 14 years old or older to attend Entry level Clinic ). The registration deadline with OSA for new and returning refs is March 31 of each year therefore March 31 is cut off date.
Email address: We keep contacts with you via email so therefore we will need one email address (ONLY ONE) on which to contact you.
Home Phone #: In case we need to talk to you
Cell Phone #: In case we need a ref in a hurry or if you fail to show up on your field then we need to contact you somehow. It is optional to provide the cell phone.
Mailing address: Our club mails the cheques so therefore we will need your address with postal code.
Club: If you play then you are affiliated with a club so please tell us which one. When you will fill out the form from the OSA they will ask you the club’s name. Originally you are supposed to put PYSC since this is the club that you are planning to ref for however if you wish to keep for your records the name of the club that you play for then you can do that too.
OSA#: When you will fill out the form with OSA you will be asked for your OSA #. If you are a player then OSA will let you carry the same OSA # as a ref so therefore you will need to contact your coach or the club that you play for to ask for your OSA # so you can provide that information to us and OSA. If you don’t play for anyone and you don’t have an OSA # then you need to contact our administrator Gail Clifford at pysc@cogeco.net and ask her to register your name with our club and she will provide you with your OSA # which you will pass it on to us and OSA when asked for it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the fees for the clinics?
Fees: The fees for the clinic are established by OSA since OSA is the one that you will sign the cheque to. Usually for Mini clinic is $25 but it might change without notice from OSA. For the Entry level is $50 but again that might change without notice from OSA
How long will the clinic be?
The Mini clinic is usually only one day (8:30-ish AM to 4:30-ish PM) depends on the instructor.
Entry level clinic: Usually the clinic is two days (is two consecutive Saturdays or one whole weekend). Timing is the same (8:30-ish AM to 4:30-ish PM) depends on the instructor.
Is there any test involved?
For Mini clinic usually there is no test involved and although there might be a quiz at the end of the clinic there is no mandatory test to pass (which means that by attending the clinic you are guarantied the Mini Ref status after the clinic)
For the Entry level however, at the end of the clinic, you will have to write a mandatory test which you will have to pass. If you fail you will still allow to ref but you will have to pass the test some other time.
When asked by instructor to fill out the form for Entry level we’re asked about Pre-test?
Pre-test is the package that the Entry level candidates will receive from the person of contact. They will need to read and study this package before coming to the class so therefore they will be better prepared for the test at the very end of the clinic.
When do I know my final test results after the Entry level clinic?
It is NOT on the same day as the test. The instructor will need some time to mark the test and in some cases they might even mail it to OSA for a peer review ( although not necessarily) and only then they will give the final scores to OSA and then OSA will contact you directly via email to let you know your final score. In the past the minimum to pass has been 80 % and you will only be told if you passed or failed (they will not give you the exact score).As soon as you find out if you passed or not please contact me personally to let me know so I can upgrade your status if you passed or I can pass along to you information about the retakes if you failed.
In the following years what should I do to retain my refereeing status?
To remain a ref for the following years:
Mini Refs:
For as long as you are still younger than 14 by March 31 you will still have to take the Mini clinic again. Only if you are 14 or older by March 31 then you will be eligible to sign up for the Entry level clinic and move up to the next level.
Entry Level Clinic:
If you fail to pass the exam on your first try you will still be allowed to ref and you will be given the chance to re-write the test sometimes during the year. You will not be charged any fee for the retake since it will be covered by your original fee. However if you fail the test and then fail to rewrite the test or although you retake it you still fail to pass the rewritten test then you will be given by OSA a temporarily status ( Recreational Ref) and the following year you will have to do it all over again, the same clinic, the same procedure.
Returning Refs:
If you pass successfully the Entry level test on the following year you are considered a returned ref and all you got to do is:
- renew your membership with the OSA by paying your membership fee and signing the waiver;
- attend one mandatory educational clinic. There are different clinics offered by the club. You must attend only one of them. These clinics are free of charge, no sign up just show up and there are not mandatory tests involved.
All the information provided above is courtesy of the club and myself.
If you need to know more then you should visit OSA’s website at www.ontariosoccer.net and click on the referee’s icon at the top.
Looking forward to hear from you,
Thanks for considering refereeing for our club,
Yours in soccer,
Fevri Pazari
Club Head Ref