Referee Responsibilities, Qualifications and Pay Scale

Referee Responsibilities...what does a referee do?

Primary Job Function – Refereeing youth soccer matches for the U7-U19 Recreational, Academy and Competitive programs.

  • Matches are generally played on Saturdays between 8 am - 5 pm at the Gulf Coast Complex between September-November and April-May.
  • Our flexible schedule allows our referees to adjust games to meet their schedule. Referees can work a few matches or a lot, depending on their availability and interest.
  • Matches for U9 & up include a center referee and 2 assistant referees (linesmen).
  • Under 8 4v4 matches typically only have a center referee. 

Training, Assignment Progression – Referee assignments are made based on your training, certifications, and experience. We offer two training options to get started: The South Texas Soccer Referee (STSR) entry-level USSF Grassroots Certification CourseGrade 8 Certification Course or our in-house Club Referee Program

. New referees and our Club Referees will typically be assigned to U7/8 and U9/10 (6-year old to 9-year old) games to get some experience before being assigned to older or higher level games. All matches other than our in-house games require Club Referee Program to earn their badge or in the interim, they can begin referring in-house games at GC by joining the GCYSC STSR Grade 8 Referee Course. Beginners may attend an STSR certified referees. 

Duties and responsibilities include:

· Annual referee certification/recertification

· Pre-game team check-in 10 minutes prior to the game

· Game officiating

· Fair and courteous treatment of all participants and spectators

Required Qualifications:

· Background check (for those 18 years and older)

· Good communication skills

· Physically fit to handle the games

How much do referees earn?

Age

Group

Game Time

Pay Scale for

Club Referees

Pay Scale for

USSF Referees

Half

Full

Center Ref

AR

Center Ref

AR

U7-U8

4x10 Minutes

40 Minutes

$16.00

U9-U10

25 Minutes

50 Minutes

$20.00

$14.00

U11-U12

30 Minutes

60 Minutes

$28.00

$17.00

U13-U14

35 Minutes

70 Minutes

$35.00

$21.00

U15-U16

40 Minutes

80 Minutes

$40.00

$24.00

U17-U19

45 Minutes

90 Minutes

$48.00

$30.00

*The referee pay scale is based on an approximate hourly pay rate that increases based on the difficulty of the game being refereed. Center referees are paid more than assistant referees based on the level of responsibility for their position.