Sunday, August 28th, 2022, Noblesville, IN. Indiana Soccer implemented another Small-Sided Referee Course on Saturday, August 28th at Noblesville United Soccer Club thanks to the club for hosting the course. At least 49 new referees completed the Small-Sided Referee Certification Course. In the same month of August, an additional 24 new referees completed the course thanks to Indy Premier for hosting the course.
Course attendees included club administrators, young and old participants some that have never played the game of soccer.
George Perry, ISL Commissioner noted that “The goal is to have a minimum of one & a half referees for every team in a club. The support of our clubs is extremely important and if the support we have received from the clubs so far continues, we will be able to meet these goals. While this is only part of the solution, it has been a tremendous start.”
The success of the Small-Sided Referee Course would not have been possible without the support from the staff at various clubs across the state. Indiana Soccer wants to thank and acknowledge the following clubs for helping make this initiative a huge success for our referee community across the state of Indiana: Batesville Soccer Club, Boilers FC, Indy Premier SC, Zionsville Youth Soccer, Delaware County FC, NWI Lions United, Union County Youth Soccer, Rangers, Washington Soccer Federation, Blue River Soccer Club, Henry County Youth Soccer, Putnam County YSA, Naptown United, Fort Wayne Sport Club, Noblesville United Soccer Club & Indiana Fire Juniors.
About The Indiana Soccer Small Sided Referee Course
Indiana Soccer Association and the Indiana State Referee Association, in the winter of 2022, implemented a Small-Sided Referee Certification to foster the development of new referees. Once they have completed the course, the referee may work on any small-sided game in an Indiana Soccer sanctioned event. The youngest age eligibility is 12 years old. It is strongly encouraged, after successfully completing the certification, the new referees work with a mentor at recreational games before moving to the travel game.
Courses are hosted by member clubs and the state association. The certification consists of online work that must be completed before attending the in-person session. The online work consists of four videos in total for approximately 45 minutes of viewing and a multiple-choice test that will give immediate feedback. The individual must attain a 100% correct mark before attending the in-person session.
The in-person portion of the certification has approximately 1.5 hours of classroom work which covers the modifications to the small-sided game and reviews questions from the test. Following the classroom portion, the candidates must participate in a practical session which covers the role of the Assistant Referee and Center Referee and the mechanics used for each position. The in-person portion of this certification will be led by a qualified referee instructor from Indiana Soccer and lasts approximately 1.5 hours.
To host a certification class, the club must provide a classroom, field, and players to be used for a game in the practical aspect of the class. The cost of this course is $30 per individual taking the Small-Sided Referee Course.
Follow this link to learn more about hosting a course or taking the course.