Referee Clinics

This section contains information on Clinics and the personal development of a referee.

The Ontario Soccer Association offers two types of referee courses for those looking to become registered referees in Ontario:  Mini Soccer Referee Courses and Entry Level Referee Courses.

To search and register for both mini and entry level referee clinics, please go to the following link:

www.refcentre.com/ontario

Please note that the OSA approves new clinics on daily basis, so please check back with the listings.


ANNOUNCEMENT - 2012 Referee Clinic Management

 
The Ontario Soccer Association is pleased to announce that all Entry Level and Mini Referee Clinics will now be managed online. The OSA has selected E2E Soccer RefCentre to deliver this solution which will launch during the week of February 6th , 2012. The service will be delivered on E2E Soccer's RefCentre platform that many clubs and districts are already using for referee assignments, assessments and fitness tests.

This innovative online solution will manage all parts of the referee course management process including:

• The host application form
• District and OSA approval
• Student registration
• Student pre-course work
• The entry level clinic final exam
• Assignment of all instructors and co-instructors
• Instructor expenses

Clubs who already use E2E Soccer's RefCentre product will automatically see the course management module when it is released. However if your club does not yet have a RefCentre account please visit the URL below and request an account so one can be prepared for you at no charge.

www.refcentre.com/ontarioaccountrequests

Instructors who already have a RefCentre account will also automatically see the course management module when it is released. However, instructors who currently don't have a RefCentre account are asked to contact Kathleen McCarthy at  kmccarthy@soccer.on.ca for assistance.

Mini Soccer Referee Course

This clinic is for those aspiring referees who are 12 and 13 years of age by March 31st, 2012.  If you are 14 years of age by March 31st, 2012, you must take the Entry Level referee clinic, as you will be too old to take the mini soccer referee clinic.  If you took the mini clinic in 2011 as a 12 year old, you will have to take the mini clinic again in 2012.  By retaking the clinic, a referee is automatically registered for the 2012 season with the OSA and gets an opportunity to refresh their refereeing skills. Individuals can search and apply to register in a clinic starting January 30th, 2012.

Applications for Clubs to host Mini Referee Clinics will be available January 30th, 2012 through E2E RefCentre (see above).

Information Brochure for Mini Referee Clinics - Click Here!

Entry Level Referee Clinic

This clinic is for those who would like to become a certified referee and are 14 years of age (by March 31st, 2012) and older. By taking the clinic, a referee is automatically registered for the 2012 season with the OSA and does not have to register again until the following year. Individuals can search and apply to register in a clinic starting January 30th, 2012.

Information Brochure for Entry Level Referee Clinics - Click Here! 

 
NEW FLAGGING PROCEDURES FOR 2011

From FIFA to CSA to OSA -

Flag technique
 
It is recommended that an assistant referee holds the flag in his hand nearest to the field of play by switching hands whenever he changes his direction of movement so that the flag is visible to the referee at any time. When facing the field of play the flag should be in the hand closest to where the referee is positioned (this is normally the left hand).  When reaching a position level with the Penalty Area, and from there to the goal line, the assistant referee, when side stepping, will switch and carry the flag in his right hand. The flag should be raised using the hand that will also be used for the next signal in the sequence.  If circumstances change and the other hand must be used for the next signal the assistant referee must lower the flag and move the flag to the opposite hand below the waist.

DEVELOPMENT

Development Tools for Personal Referee Development

• You want to referee and want to become a better referee.
• You are willing to spend time and effort to get better.

Scoping Your Goals

• Be as specific as possible.
  • Be realistic.
    • considering your background, available time and finances, age, and the effort you are willing to expend.

• Set your goals to a master time line.
• Determine the prerequisites needed to attain your goals.
  • Set the prerequisites on the master time line.
  •  Every time changes are made to the master time line, review all tasks/activities to make  sure everything can be accomplished according to the new master time line.

• Learn the rules
• Study the written rules often
• Read the Laws of the Game (cover to cover) the day before every tournament you referee at or referee clinic you attend, in addition to intense study of small sections on a regular and frequent basis.
• Attend as many referee clinics as possible to learn the standard interpretations of the Rules;
• Discuss the rules and their interpretation in great detail with different people whose opinions you trust;
• Quantify and document all valuable information you gather at clinics/discussions and file in an orderly manner for future review (and review regularly);
• Attend Referee Development Clinics, Seminars, etc.;
• If you must be selective about the clinics and seminars you attend, match the level of the seminar to your level of development to obtain maximum benefit.

• You must referee often to perfect and maintain your refereeing skills
• Concentrate on events that require refereeing near the skill level you have attained
• Get feedback!!! Refereeing without feedback provides limited benefit to your referee development. Feedback can be comments from officials you trust or having someone tape your performance for later review.

• Have someone video your game.
• Review the video as soon as practical after the event
• Critique yourself - look at your movement, posture, positioning, etc. as well as review of the fouls assessed
• Review the tapes with a referee you have confidence in. Let him/her provide a critique and discuss the action as the tape is watched again.
• To gage your progress, occasionally review older tapes of your past refereeing and make comparisons with your current refereeing

• Work with someone of greater expertise who will provide you guidance, critique and encouragement as well as serving as a role model for the you.
• To be effective, mentoring requires the dedication of both individuals, teacher and student alike.

• Develop with the referee a plan and schedule for the skill improvement
• Review in detail the progress being made by the student and compare it to the plan

• Utilize as many of the above mentioned tools for improvement as possible
• Coordinate his/her schedule/activities with the mentor's schedule so that both will be able to attend as many activities together as possible
• Accept all critiques in a positive manner and document them for later review

Study Groups

• Defined as groups of referees (of approximately the same certification and experience level) who travel similar tournament/clinic circuits and who band together providing many of the same benefits as the mentor program without having the teacher/student relationship.
• Open discussion in great detail is encourage.
• Intense critiques are possible with resulting discussion leading to enhanced understanding of rules interpretations and common thought process.
• The group should continually seek guidance from other higher level officials to gage their activities and assure they do not go off on a tangent.

Miscellaneous additional tools

• There may very well be many other valuable tools not mentioned above that can help you develop your refereeing skills. Make use of the ones most effective for you.
• Minimize negative impact on competitors, coaches, spectators and the sport as you develop your refereeing skills. You can do this by study and scoping your participation to gain the maximum experience at lower level activities before jumping ahead to very important competitions.

Continuous Improvement

• Continually strive to improve your refereeing performance. Do not become complacent when you reach any of your goals, but instead set new goals and if age or some other obstacle blocks higher certification levels; there are still personal performance goals you can set for yourself outside of certification and the like.
• The better referee you become, the harder it will be to see improvement in your performance - Guard against Backsliding. 

How to use RefCentre/E2E

Click here to read the PDF on how to use RefCentre/E2E