The Southbury Soccer Club's "Club Officials" program is a local referee training program that provides an opportunity for youth ages 11 and 12 to become involved in the club's referee program before they are eligible to become fully certified CJSA referees.  The intent of this program is to provide local certification for club officials who can then work as center referees within the club's Big Kickers (U7-U8) in-house program. This program allows club officials to gain valuable experience with the club, making the eventual transition to becoming a fully certified CJSA referee a much easier process.

Club Official Program Development

Within this program, the term “club officials” is used specifically to denote an official trained by the Southbury Soccer club according to the specific rules that apply to our in-town Big Kickers program; the use of that term is also intended to differentiate these officials from true referees who have completed a CJSA approved training program and become certified as a Grade 8 (or higher) level referee.  Any player who has been certified as a Club Official will be authorized to participate as a center referee for any U7 / U8 Big Kicker game scheduled by the club.  Further, experienced club officials may be invited to also participate as an assistant referee within a U9 or U10 division 2 travel game, where such a need may exist. 

Details regarding the guidelines for participating in the Club Official program follow.

Participation:  Any registered Southbury Soccer Club player ages 11 or 12 as of the date of June 30th in the year of the clinic being offered is eligible to participate in the program.  Players who have reached the age of 13 and are eligible to attend the CJSA Grade 8 certification clinic are no longer eligible to participate in the Club Official program; this is intended to graduate club officials into the state referee program as they become old enough to do so, and to disallow them from taking opportunities away from younger officials who can only participate as a club official.  For details on the CJSA certification program for those 13 and older, click here.

Expectations:  Club officials are expected to understand and enforce the general rules of soccer as applicable to the Big Kickers program, as well as the club-specific in-house rules implemented within that program.  Further, the job of club official is one of mentor as much as it is of enforcer, as club officials are expected not only enforce the rules, but to help the players understand the rules being enforced (i.e., to explain what was done incorrectly and how it should have been done correctly). This is not intended as a replacement of the coach’s responsibility to teach their players the rules and techniques of soccer, but instead to support that training by reminding players on the field why a particular call was made the way it was.

Certification Requirements:  Any player wishing to become a club official must attend the Club Official Training clinic (outlined below) to become certified as a club official.  Each year thereafter, as long as the official remains eligible for the program, the official must become recertified by attending the current year's Club Official Training clinic.

Yearly Recertification Requirements:  Every year, all club officials must become recertified by attending the current year's Club Official Training clinic.

Training Program:  The Southbury Soccer Club will schedule and host a yearly Club Official Certification clinic to provide the necessary training to new players joining the Club Official program, as well as to existing club officials needing recertification. Dates, times, and locations for the clinic will be posted on the Southbury Soccer Club Referee Home page.  The yearly clinic will consist of 4 evening meetings, each about 2 hours in length, and will typically be held around the January timeframe.  The 4th evening will include a certification exam, with a score of 75 or higher required to become certified/recertified.  The clinic will be provided at a nominal fee of $10 to those attending.  The training provided covers many of the same topics covered by the CJSA training clinics, though tailored to suit the unique house-rules implemented within the Big Kicker program.  For detailed information on the local rules for the Big Kickers program, click here.

Club Official Uniforms:  Each Club Official will be required to purchase, at their own expense, a standard uniform consisting of a standard referee jersey (yellow with black stripes), standard black referee socks, standard black referee shorts, cleats, a whistle, and a watch.

Game Assignments:  During the regular fall and spring seasons, Big Kicker games will be assigned to certified Club Officials using the USOfficials.com web site. While the club will attempt to spread game assignments evenly across certified officials, the club does not guarantee that officials will all work the same number of games. The actual number of games worked is affected by a variety of conditions outside the club's control including the availability of an official, game cancellations, and weather conditions. Club Officials are responsible for using USOfficials.com to view upcoming assignments and to either accept or reject those assignments.  For more information on managing game assignments and using USOfficials.com, click here.

Game Fees:   For fees paid to a club official, click here.

Tax Implications:   The Southbury Soccer Club treats every referee and club official as a private contractor holding all responsibility for taxes, social security, medicare, and any/all other govenmental requirements as the sole responsibility of the referee.  If you have not already submitted a Federal IRS W9 form to the club, please use this link to download a copy of a W9 form, and mail the completed and signed form to the referee coordinator.

Accountability:  A Club Official is responsible for providing an e-mail address that will be used as the primary contact point, and for frequently checking for both new e-mail as well as new game assignments within USOfficials.com.  He/She is responsible for fulfilling all accepted assignments, or for directly contacting the referee coordinator (by phone) in the event that he/she is unable to fulfill an accepted game due to illness or other unavoidable situation.  The official is also accountable for reporting any unusual events that may occur during a game (i.e., serious injury, abusive language/actions, etc.) to the referee coordinator upon completion of that game.  There are no requirements to report on other information such as the score or outcome of a game.  The Club Official, and not their parent, holds full responsibility for their participation in the program and for ensuring that they properly manage their communications and game assignments as required by the club.

Limitations:  The program is limited to a total of 25 officials.  Acceptance into the program is based on a first-come-first-serve basis of all those who have submitted proper registration forms by the required deadline; officials continuing in the program from a prior year are given priority over new requests to enter the program.

Registration: The next clinic will be scheduled for Pomperaug High School across four nights as follows, and students are required to attend ALL FOUR nights.

Monday February 22  6:00PM - 8:30PM, Pomperaug High School, Classroom #403
Monday March 1       6:00PM - 8:30PM, Pomperaug High School, Classroom #403
Monday March 8       6:00PM - 8:30PM, Pomperaug High School, Classroom #403
Monday March 15     6:00PM - 8:30PM, Pomperaug High School, Classroom #403

Any registered Southbury Soccer Club player ages 11 or 12 as of the date of June 30th 2010 is eligible to register for this program. Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-serve, basis with preference going to those Club Officials who are recertifying from last year.

To register, please do the following immediately:

1. Click here to download a copy of the registration form. Complete the form and ensure that it is signed by the official and the parent.
2. Click here to download a copy of the United States IRS W9 Tax Form which must be completed and signed by the official.
3. Write a check in the amount of $10 made out to "Southbury Soccer Club".
4. Get a copy made of the registrant's Birth Certificate (this will not be returned).
5. Send both forms, the copy of the birth certificate, and the check to: Eric Hesse, 1535 Georges Hill Road, Southbury CT 06488

Once your form has been received, you will receive an e-mail confirmation that you are indeed registered for the class.  Forms must be received no later than February 18th.