Mandatory Training for Grade 8's

I received word that a certain district in Cal-North want to enforce the fact that all grade 8 referees (and up) need to have 5 hours in service training to keep up with the laws of the game. There is no definite statement on what happens if you choose not to go, but it is assumed you will not be assigned games or be put on a lower priority.

Personally I am fond of everyone sitting in at least one clinic to refresh on new law changes, procedures, directives and so forth. This was extremely lacking in my local club though not lacking in our district. I myself have attended at least one clinic a year which I usually can take something out to improve my game. Of course it is mandatory for me. There is of course a refresher exam. The requirements are copied here

While it is a USSF requirement, it is not an enforced in Cal North. Why? Because we are hurting for referees. We are always hurting and it shows every time you either see a game without 3 officials or you have officials in a game that is over their head.

I'm going to give you some rough statistics as I pulled them from 2006 stats. Roughly 95% of the referees in Cal North are grade 8. The rest are grade 7 and up and emeritus. There are a lot of grade 8's out there who put out the bare minimum (that's not saying much) effort. Start to enforce this requirement will run more referees out of the program. USSF is already doing a bang up job of that with last year's increase of fees. I even know of a former Grade 5 referee who says he cannot pay the fees (Hello USSF, we're in a bad economy here) so he won't even go Emeritus. Why? The fees are the same. Yes he saves 50 bucks in assessment fees, but there is the princable behind it. Grade 8's are paying 40 bucks. A couple of years ago it was 25. With a good handful of Grade 8's being youth, you think they can afford 40 bucks? I noticed a sharper decline in referees 2 years experience and up due to this.

In summary, I would make it a requirement, but if they do not show for the clinic, instead of dropping them out completely, just give them a lower priority in assignment. I know of a certain league that has an annual clinic and if you don't show, this is what happens.

This gets too hardassed in the requirements we will be going back in time to the days where it was either solo or two man because there are not enough referees.