Become A Soccer Referee
Each winter the Markham Soccer Club (MSC) provides a training program that includes a preparation course and the Ontario Soccer Association referee certification course.  All referees who officiate in MSC games must have successfully completed both components. 50 new referees completed the Mini Soccer Referee (12 and 13 years old) and Entry Level Referee 14 years old and over) courses in March and April this year.  

If you want to be a referee this year but missed out on this year's MSC courses, you might still be able to complete a course put on elsewhere by the OSA.  For a full schedule of referee courses in York Region, go to the York Region Soccer Referees Association website.

There are two referee categories (with separate training programs):

Scheduled Entry Level Referee Courses

Scheduled Mini Soccer Referee Courses

Laws 4 & 11

Law 4 - Players' Equipment

1. OSA's guidelines (Nov. 2004): http://www.soccer.on.ca/OSN.nsf/773fb79c924593a58525681c007d7e12/fd317fd54121b96185256b89005ccc05?OpenDocument

2. CSA Policy on Law 4 (2005): http://www.yrsra.ca/articles/Law%204%20CSA%202005.PDF

3. OSA: Law 4: Application of CSA Guidelines in Ontario (March 2006): http://www.yrsra.ca/articles/Law_4_memo.doc

4. OSA clarification memo: http://www.yrsra.ca/articles/Law%204.doc

5. OSA Update on head wear & knee braces (June 2006): http://www.yrsra.ca/articles/LAW_4_UPDATE.pdf

Law 11 - Offside

1. An article describing the new interpretations of Law 11, as published in the July 2005 FIFA Laws of the Game: http://www.fifa.com/en/news/feature/0,1451,107252,00.html. The key change is the definition of "interfering with play", which is one of the three components that define whether a player is actively involved in the play: "Interfering with play means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate." "In essence, what it means is that if an attacking player is in an offside position, but not interfering with an opponent, the referee must wait until he touches the ball before penalising him for being offside." This article has several animations that illustrate the offside rule.

2. A clarification letter issued in August 2005 modifies the definition of "interfering with play" that was published in the July 2005 FIFA Laws of the Game: http://www.yrsra.ca/articles/IFAB%20advice%20on%20the%20application%20of%20Law%2011.doc. The key point in this letter is: "A player in an offside position may be penalised before playing or touching the ball if, in the opinion of the referee, no other team-mate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball."

This explains why we see offsides being called in World Cup play even though the offside player hasn't touched the ball. The referee is using the new interpretation of the offside rule, but he has determined that no other team-mate in an onside position had the opportunity to play the ball. The only time a referee has to wait until the offside player touches the ball is if an onside team-mate has an opportunity to touch the ball -- then the referee has to wait to see who touches it first.

Referee Resources

Conflict of Interest

All referees must be familiar with the Club's Conflict of Interest Policy for Referees. Please refer to section 6.1 of the Club's Policies & Procedures document.