Here you can find answers to questions that are asked all the time.

• What situations require me to cancel a game because of weather or other factors?

• What are the guidelines for leniency on throw-ins for the younger age groups?

• Why will the scheduling system not allow me to pick up certain games?
• The system assigned me to a game for which I am not qualified. How did that happen and what should I do?
• When I go to complete the online game report, there aren’t any player names on the game report. What should I do?
• Do assistant referees have to submit online game reports?

• When and how do I get paid?
• How much will I get paid for a game?
• Will I get paid for games that are cancelled or abandoned, and if so, how much?

• Where will we get the paper copy of the game sheet?
• What are the reporting requirements for yellow and red cards and any other incidents that occurred during a game?

• Is there anything special I need to know about refereeing rep (competitive) games?

• What are the Referee Certification and Qualification Levels?
• How can I get my Group or Certification Level upgraded?

• Is there a map that will help me locate my field?

Starting and Calling a Game - Weather and Other Issues

As discussed in section 1.2.11 of the House League Playing Rules, unless the Club has formally cancelled a game due to bad weather, field closure or other reasons, coaches and their teams must show up at the field. As long as a game is still scheduled, the referee shall have the sole authority to cancel the game, immediately prior to game kick-off, due to unsuitable field or weather conditions. Outdoor games will normally proceed even if it is raining, but there are some situations where the game needs to be cancelled or abandoned, and it is the referee’s responsibility to do that.

Mini Soccer Special Considerations

For the U8 divisions, if a player does a foul throw-in, you should allow a second chance by the same player. If he/she does a foul throw on the second chance, then the ball goes to the other team. For the U9 divisions, a foul throw-in results in the ball going to the other team, but the referee should exercise a little bit of leniency on border-line calls. Use judgement to educate the players but also maintain flow in the game. Explain what they did wrong.>

Scheduling System

You must be qualified to pick up a game. Each house league and rep division has minimum requirements for Group, Certification Level, and age. (See the Referee Qualification Categories for Scheduling table on the Referee page of the Club’s website.)

Normally the scheduling system takes into account the referees’ qualifications when auto-assigning the games. If we don't have enough referees at the right level, we can assign under or over-qualified referees to cover some of the game. Occasionally we may also have technical problems with the system which may result in some inappropriate assignments. 

This is normal at the start of a season because we don’t have all the player names and numbers yet. The players’ names will be added to the online game reports after the first couple of weeks of the season. In the meantime, just record the applicable information (absences, red and yellow cards, and goals) next to the player numbers.

Yes, you do, but you don’t have to report the details of the game (score, goal scorers, absent players, etc.). The referee is responsible for that. Just record a 0-0 score and submit the report to close out the game. If you don’t close out the game, you will not be paid, and the system may prevent you from picking up other games.

Payment

The Club will mail cheques approximately once a month for all house league games that you have done, provided the game reports have been completed. To ensure that there is no delay in you receiving the cheques, you should make sure that your mailing address is up to date and complete (including postal code) on your online profile. If you referee any rep games, you will be paid in cash at the field by the team managers.

When you confirm or claim a house league game from the calendar, the Fee is indicated in the pop-up window. If you confirm or claim a competitive (rep) game, the Fee will show $0 because the Club does not pay you – you will be paid in cash at the field.

If the Town or Club cancels a game in advance, referees will not be paid because they do not have to go to the field. (All cancellations will be announced on the Club’s website, and the Club will also send e-mails to all referees who are scheduled to referee that day.) If a game has not been cancelled in advance, then referees will be paid 50% of the normal fee if they go to the field and cancel the game before it starts. If a referee abandons a game before it is completed, the referee will paid the full fee for the game.

Paperwork

 The coach of the home team is supposed to provide it. If he/she doesn't have one, try the coach of the visiting team. It's always a good idea to bring a blank game sheet to the game, just in case. You can download a blank game sheet from the HL Coach Resources page (via the Coaches page) on the Club's website. 

•     If a referee shows a player a yellow card during or after a game, a “Caution Summary Report” must be completed and submitted to the appropriate league with the game sheets (i.e., the Club office for house league games and the YSA for rep games).

Competitive (Rep) Games - Special Considerations

The Club is responsible for assigning referees for games in the YRSL youth league. You must become familiar with the rules for this league, which can be found on the YRSL Youth website. You should also be aware that, effective this year, referees are required to send the game sheets to the YRSA. (This used to be done by the home team manager.) This can be done by regular mail, fax (905-660-9832), or as a scanned attachment in an e-mail to YRSL. You must show your OSA registration number on the game sheet. Additional information can be found in the Policy Manual for Refereeing in the YRSA, available on the YRSA Referee web page.

Referee Qualification Levels

Formal certification levels are earned by taking Ontario Soccer Association approved courses and passing the test at the end of the course. All MSC referees must have completed at least the OSA Mini-Soccer or Entry Level course.

Your Group / Level is assigned by the Club based on your experience and skill level. If you feel that you are ready to upgrade your Group rating, contact the Head Referee, Phillip Lee, for an evaluation. Even though the letter you receive from the OSA after you register might indicate that you are eligible to referee games at a higher level, the Club’s approach is to gradually increase the level of your assignments when we are comfortable that you are ready for the next level. Having said that, we might occasionally ask you to officiate at a game for which you are not normally qualified if we are having difficulty finding someone to take a game. If you are comfortable taking on these games, they will be good opportunities for you to show that you are ready to move up to the next level, as long as they are still within the OSA's guidelines.

Miscellaneous Questions

 There is a field map on the Club’s website. The fields are listed in alphabetical order. Just click on the field name and a balloon will pop up next to the marker identifying the field location. Use the zoom tool to zoom in. There are two scroll bars – one on the right side of your screen, and another one in the middle of your screen that scrolls down the list of fields.