10U - 19U Divisions

Each 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and U19 game requires a trained and certified three person referee team on the field, consisting of a referee and two assistant referees.

For 10U and 12U divisions, each team must have at least two referee volunteers who will officiate as assistant referees for their child's matches or as the referee for other matches.

Bonus points: 10U or 12U team-affiliated referees who officiate will be awarded bonus points that count towards their team's tournament seeding.

AYSO Referee Badge Levels

All referees who officiate in 10U-19U divisions must be registered in the AYSO National Database, trained, and certified at the appropriate age level. The following table describes the minimum badge level for the referee and assistant referee by age division.

Division	Min. Badge Level For Referee	Min. Badge Level For Assistant Referee
10U	Regional	Assistant Referee or Regional Referee
12U	Regional	Assistant Referee or Regional Referee
14U	Intermediate	Regional (experienced)
16U	Advanced	Advanced
19U	Advanced	Advanced

Registration and Training

Regional Referee Training

All referees are trained to be Regional Referees for 10U and 12U matches.

To become a Regional Referee, each volunteer must submit his/her volunteer application through www.aysosm.org, take the Regional Referee Training online course at www.aysou.org, and complete the Regional Referee Field Training. Contact Bruce ([email protected]) or William ([email protected]) if you have questions.

Referees must also take the Safe Haven every two years, CDC Concussion Training (at least once), and Sudden Cardiac Arrest (at least once) through AYSOU.

After completing the Regional Referee Training online course, join us for the Regional Referee Field Training. All Field Training sessions will be at Bay Meadows Park, West Field on 301 E 28th Ave.

If you are unable to make one of our field trainings, there are field trainings in surrounding AYSO regions in August and September. For questions, contact William at [email protected].

Date	Time
Saturday, August 24, 2024	9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Wednesday, August 28, 2024	6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Saturday, August 31, 2024	9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Wednesday, September 11, 2024	5:45 PM - 7:45 PM

If the above courses do not fit your schedule, review the list of Regional Referee courses being held in neighboring AYSO regions.

Intermediate, Advanced and National Referee Training

Refer to Area 2N website for details on Intermediate and Advanced Referee Training in the area. Each summer, Section 2 offers referee classes at Golden Gate Camp, Menlo College.

Referees who successfully obtain their Intermediate, Advanced, or National Referee certifications receive red, green, and blue jerseys, respectively, and other referee gear, in recognition of their achievements!

10U+ Referee Resources

Refereeing 10U-14U Matches

10U, 12U, and 14U referees use the AYSO San Mateo Referee System (http://referee.aysosm.org/) to volunteer for one or more matches. Refer to the Referee System Tutorial for further information on how to use our referee system.

Refereeing 16U and 19U Matches

U16 and U19 matches are scheduled through PENSRA (www.pensra.org).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Signing up for matches

Can a referee be the referee for his/her child's match?
1. Although parents are commonly referees on their own kid’s games in 6U and 8U, the policy in 10U and above is that a parent should NOT be the referee of their own child’s game. (Under specific circumstances, such as (1) no referee signs up to be the referee, (2) the scheduled referee is a no‐show, or (3) the referee cannot complete the game, the trained and certified parent may be asked to be the referee by the referee coordinators).
Can a referee be an assistant referee for his/her child’s match?
1. It is fine for a parent to be an AR. The parent should mention the team affiliation to the Referee before the match.
Can referees or assistant referees coach his or her child or the team when officiating the match?
1. No.
What happens if another referee has signed up for my child’s match?
1. We have many matches available and are always needing referees to volunteer. Often, referees will sign up for a match before or after their child’s match so they can watch their child play.
2. We also encourage referees to sign up for more than one match over the 10 match season.
3. The referees who have signed up in the referee system are the referees of record for a given match. If another referee wishes to referee but did not sign up in time for the match, the referees of record are not required to relinquish their assignments.
How will my child's team get credit for my service?
1. The referee and assistant referee will sign the back of the match card and note their team affiliation. The Division Coordinators will record the referee service in the referee system. Please write legibly.

Player check-in

Are taped earrings or hard casts allowed?
1. No player may wear earrings (taped or not), jewelry, or hard casts during the match.
Are Med‐Alert bracelets allowed?
1. Yes, provided they are secured with tape or covered with cloth wristband. Refer to our Regional Guidelines and the AYSO Guidance for Referees, Coaches, Other Volunteers, and Parents.

During the match

Where should the coaches be during the match?
1. In their respective technical area, at least 1 yard away from the touchline, between 1 yard and 10 yards from the halfway line.
2. Coaches are not to follow the play from goal line to goal line.
Where should the spectators be during the match?
1. Spectators should remain on their side of the field and not to be behind the goal line or goals.
How should the referees guide the players?
1. Referees should direct the players, as appropriate, to ensure the game is fun, fair, and safe. Referees can explain the Laws of the Game to players.
2. Referees should not chase after the ball if it goes beyond the goal or touch lines.
3. Referees should not coach individual players or teams.
Is deliberate heading allowed for 10U or 12U?
1. Deliberate heading is not allowed at the 12U level or below. An indirect kick will be awarded to the opposing team if a player deliberately touches the ball with his/her head during a game. An indirect kick awarded to the attacking team inside the opposing team’s penalty area, must be taken on the penalty area line at the point nearest to where the player touched the ball with his/her head.
2. Heading in U14 is limited to 15‐20 headers per player.
Is slide tackling allowed for 10U?
1. Slide tackling is allowed at the 10U level. However, it is not taught by AYSO Coaches at the 10U level. If the referee believes the player performed the slide tackle “in a dangerous manner,” the referee shall stop play and award an indirect free kick to the opposing team, per Law 12.