Explanation of Recertification

All USSF referees must recertify each year.  Recertification usually consists of paying your annual registration fee and completing a set of Online Lessons that are designed to keep referees up to date with changes in the Laws of the Game and review other important topics.

Referees must register each year with U.S. Soccer through their State Referee Administrator. Review the Washington State Recertification Requirements and use the Washington State Referee Committee’s website to recertify.

U.S. Soccer referee registration for each calendar year ends on June 30th. If you want to referee in the fall, you should recertify before June of that year. New recertification content is sometimes not available until Sept or October and you can't recertify until the new recertification content is ready.  You may not take the field until you have registered for the current calendar year.

If you fail to register for a particular calendar year, you will still be permitted to register for the following year by taking a recertification course and passing the test.

Recertification Requirements

Recertification Requirements (Summary)

For detailed requirements: Certification, Re-Certification and Upgrading Requirements by Referee Grade.

I was Last Certified in 2022, 2023, or 2024

If you were last certified in 2024 recertification clinics are available beginning July 01, 2024, through mid-June, 2025. You may not officiate games in 2025 unless you are certified for 2025.

If you were last certified in 2022 or 2023, you must recertify between July 01, 2024 and mid-June, 2025 to officiate in 2024 or 2025. However, recertification material for Recertification Clinics may not be available until late October 2024.

You have completed recertification when all your requirements for your Referee Grade have been met.

• • Pay 2025 Registration Fee(s)

  • Sign up for an "Online Only" recertification clinic.

  • Complete the Online Recertification training materials and embedded Recertification Test with a score of 80% or better

I was Last Certified Before 2022

If you were last certified before 2022, you must start the certification process over by signing up for a Lapsed Referee, Referee Advanced Clinic. This consists of an Online clinic and a Zoom meeting. You may begin officiating immediately after completing the New Referee Clinic.

You have completed recertification when all your requirements for your Referee Grade have been met.

• • Pay 2025 Registration Fee(s)

  • Sign up for a "Lapsed Referee, Advanced+" recertification clinic

  • Complete the Online Recertification training materials and embedded Recertification Test with a score of 80% or better

  • Attended an Online meeting

How to Recertify (Referees and Referees Advanced)

To register for a Referee Recertification clinic, follow the instructions in "Registering for a Clinic" making sure to select "Referee" as the Official Type and "Recertification" as the Clinic Type.

Help on how to complete Online Lessons.

Badges

Badges will be mailed to you 4-6 weeks after you complete your recertification.

Beginning in July 2025, referees under the age of 18 will get Green badges.  Referees 18 or older will get black badges.  This is a USSF mandate to call attention to the age of the referees and hopefully reduce referee abuse of youth referees.

It is alright to use last year's badge until you receive this year's badge. It is only required that the WASRC website shows you are certified for this year. Everyone will agree it is nice to have the badge, though.