our referee program
supporting and developing tomorrow’s referees
At South Delta United, our Referee Program is all about empowering anyone over the age of 12 to take on an exciting and rewarding role in the game of soccer. As a referee, you get to stay involved in the sport you love while playing a critical part in ensuring fair and safe play on the field. But it’s more than just officiating - you’ll learn the ins and outs of the game, develop valuable leadership and communication skills, earn some extra money, and give back to the community.
We’re committed to developing young referees by providing regular coaching and mentorship at every stage, ensuring they thrive both on and off the field. If you’re ready to step into a leadership role, build your confidence, work in a positive team environment whilst contributing to the game, refereeing is a great way to get started!
Why Become A Referee at SDU?
Becoming a referee is an exciting way to stay in soccer while gaining valuable life skills. Joining the referee program offers numerous benefits, including:
Mentorship: Our Head Referee and experienced referees will guide you, offering their full support and mentorship as you gain experience on the field.
In-Depth Training: Learn the rules of the game and gain a deeper understanding of how soccer works on a referee pathway. Bonus: course registration fees are covered by SDU for new referees!
Leadership Development: Refereeing helps you develop important life skills such as critical thinking, composure, and conflict management. It also enhances your resume, as refereeing is often sought after in soccer programs and universities.
Earn While You Learn: Refereeing is a paid position, so you’ll earn some extra cash while doing something positive for your club.
Community Contribution: You’ll play a vital role in ensuring games are fair, safe and fun for everyone.
Who Can Become a Referee?
We welcome anyone who meets the following criteria:
Individuals over the age of 12, all genders
Good physical fitness
A calm demeanour and an eagerness to learn
A basic understanding of soccer
We particularly encourage youth aged 15-18, as well as girls and women, to get involved.
In addition to new referees, we would like to invite anyone who has been a referee in the past and would like to get involved in the referee program again, or who officiates in other clubs and leagues. If you know of anyone who would be a good fit, please let them know to contact us!
How Do I Sign Up?
To get started, you’ll need to complete the necessary certification courses to officiate games. But down’t worry - the Club has you covered with all the training and resources you need to succeed under the leadership of Dylan Acheson, our Head of Referring. From learning the game’s rules to managing game situations confidently, we have a pathway for you!
“Our club emphasizes a positive and supportive environment, including a zero-tolerance policy towards any poor behaviour directed at referees. Coaches and parents play a crucial role in encouraging respect and fair play, ensuring referees have the confidence to succeed.”
MORE INFORMATION
MORE INFORMATION
Upcoming Courses
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Small Sided Referee (12 & 13 year olds) Sat Dec 21 9am - 5pm
This clinic covers the basics of refereeing and is offered to individuals who are 12 and 13 years of age. Once an individual is successful in passing this clinic, they are classified as a Small Sided Referee and may officiate in any match with players between U-6 and U-12.
The next course is coming up on December 21. Find out more about how you can register today!
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Entry Level Referee (14 years old and up) Sat Dec 14 9am - 5pm
This clinic is the entry point into 11 a-side soccer. Once an individual is successful in passing this course they will be classified as a Youth Referee (if they are 14 or 15 years old) or a District Referee (if they are 16 years old or older)
The next course is coming up on December 14. Find out more about how you can register today!
BC Soccer Referee course DETAILS
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Login to RefCentre www.refcentre.com with the username (email) and password that were set up during registration of the Entry Level Referee Course. If student has forgotten password students can click on the for “forgot password” link before you login to RefCentre and the password will be emailed to you.
Complete the 17 self-guided law based modules with questions (approx. 7-10 hours). A link to the online modules can be found in students RefCentre account in Yellow Box in the upper left-hand corner of home screen.
a. Students must achieve 80% on each module before moving onto the next module and will be given a minimum of 7 days to complete the online training.
b. Students MUST complete the online training prior to attending the webinar (zoom session).
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Attend the webinar zoom session. Webinar meeting information will be emailed to students 3-4 days prior to the clinic. Please ensure your RefCentre account information (email) is current and up to date, to ensure you receive your meeting details via email.
Following attendance of the webinar session, students will be provided access to the online Entry Level exam via RefCentre; and will be given 7 days to complete the exam. Students will need to achieve 80% to pass the exam and will be given 1hr to write the exam.
Students who do not successfully pass the Entry Level exam in the first instance, will be given one opportunity to re-do the exam. Students will need to wait 48hrs to retake the exam.
Students that receive a passing mark of 80% for their course mark, will be eligible to attend the on-field practical session scheduled for their clinic with a BC Soccer Instructor.
a. Referee Badges will be provided at the on-field practical session
b. Certificates will be available in the student’s RefCentre accounts
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All participants must be registered via BC Soccer’s referee management system RefCentre and are not recognized if they have not done so. Individual participants may pay their clinic fees through RefCentre by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or Interact. Full payment must be made at the time of registration.
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Students may transfer to a similar clinic as long as the new clinic is an “open clinic”, and the original clinic has not yet started (webinar has not yet taken place). Students do not have the capability of transferring from one session to another session within multiple courses.
For the on-field practical component, students will have an option of transferring into another available on-field practical session via the students RefCentre account.
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In the event that a paid registrant cannot attend a course, registrants may transfer to a similar clinic before the course starts, or within 18 months after the original course date. If there are no appropriate courses available to transfer to, refunds of course fees will be issued upon request by emailing Lynda Mulder at lyndamulder@bcsoccer.net.
Annual referee registration fees and partially completed courses are non-refundable. The system user fee paid on all courses is non-refundable, with the exception of courses cancelled by BC Soccer.
The refund e-mail request must include the following details:
Full Name of Registrant
Full name of Original Payee (i.e; credit card holder name)
Who the refund should be made payable to
Current Mailing Address
Clinic number and, payment confirmation (receipt)
BC Soccer Referee Clinic
Participant Information Package
Reason for refund request
Completed EFT Form. Approved refunds will be issued via Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) within 45 days of the request date.
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Click on the Join Zoom Meeting link sent via email by BC Soccer; or
Visit Zoom’s website at https://zoom.us/join
If you are joining via the website:
a. Click on Join a Meeting tab in the top right corner of the homepage (shown in red below)
b. When prompted add your designated Meeting ID, and passcode (if applicable). The Meeting Id (can be a 9, 10 or 11 Digit number).
c. Click on Join tab and you’re in!
