The experience of refereeing high school soccer varies based on your prior refereeing background. Most of our members were club soccer referees before joining us. Some have officiated other high school sports and added soccer to their repertoire. The smallest group consists of those who have never refereed any sport.
As most new members come from a club soccer refereeing background, this page is primarily for them.
What’s Different From Club Soccer?
- Adult Officiating Crews: Only adults (18 and up) are part of the officiating teams.
- Winter Season Games: The regular season runs from early November to late January.
- Refereeing System: FHSAA uses both the traditional diagonal system of control and the dual system of control (two-referee system).
- Different Rules: You need to know the rule differences.
- Game Schedule: Games are usually on weekday evenings, with some on Saturday evenings.
- Assignments: Typically include a junior varsity game at 5:30 PM and a varsity game at 7:00 PM, though times and levels can vary.
- Purpose: High school competitions emphasize sporting behavior, participation, and teamwork, rather than promoting the sport itself, unlike USSF competitions.
- Payment: Schools pay you directly by mail after assignments.
- Paperwork: Limited to incidents like red cards, yellow cards for coaches, and other significant events.
Ready to join?