REFEREE PROGRAM

New referees   /   Renew your registration   /   Referee with LGU

FIRST-TIME REFEREE COURSES AT LGU

Los Gatos United periodically hosts Grassroots First-Time Referee courses. Many of our competitive and recreational players take the course when we offer it, building confidence and a new understanding of the game from the referee’s perspective.

When an LGU-hosted course is scheduled, we will add it to the Club Calendar and post its registration link here. Course dates, locations and enrollment details will be included in the announcement.

Check the Club Calendar   /   U.S. Soccer referee certification and course information

Certification is administered through U.S. Soccer and the California North Referee Administration (CNRA). Use their official pages for current eligibility, course availability, fees and registration-year requirements.

01 / Check eligibility and create your profile

Start with CNRA’s first-time referee guidance, then create your own profile in the U.S. Soccer Learning Center. CNRA asks for the referee’s email as the primary address and a parent’s email as the secondary address when applicable.

02 / Choose a course and complete the assignments

Select a first-time referee course with a field session you can attend. Finish the assigned online work before that session. Check the official course for age requirements, screening, SafeSport and other training that applies to you.

03 / Attend the field session

Complete the required in-person session and confirm that your registration is approved before accepting matches.

Open the U.S. Soccer Learning Center. CNRA provides instructions for courses in English and Spanish.

U.S. Soccer referee registration is renewed annually. Sign in to your existing Learning Center profile, follow CNRA’s renewal instructions for your license level, and complete the requirements shown for your registration year.

CNRA’s referee renewal guidance includes background screening and SafeSport for officials aged 18 and over, along with the assigned health, safety, Laws of the Game and quiz work. Check the official instructions before registering rather than relying on an old course link or fee.

Newly certified or experienced? Contact the club to ask about the next steps for LGU match assignments. Tell us your certification status, officiating experience and general availability.

Ask about current assignments, match fees, equipment expectations and support before committing. Certification does not by itself guarantee an LGU assignment. Please do not email identity documents, background-check records or other sensitive information.

For help with certification or a Learning Center registration, use the support contact on CNRA’s official instructions. For LGU match opportunities, use the club contact above.

Explore CNRA’s Youth Referee Program for development opportunities for officials under 18.

Our referees are part of our soccer community. Many are young people, including players from our own competitive and recreational teams. Parents, players and coaches: encourage the game, accept decisions without confrontation, and give officials the respect you would want for your own child. A referee’s age, experience or a disputed call never justifies abuse.

Keep comments constructive. Do not insult, threaten, pursue or intimidate an official, including after the final whistle or online. Coaches set the example; parents and players help carry it through the sideline.

REFEREE ABUSE HAS CONSEQUENCES

U.S. Soccer’s Referee Abuse Prevention Policy 531-9 covers physical and non-physical misconduct in youth and amateur soccer. Sanctions can include game suspensions, lengthy time-based suspensions and lifetime bans. The policy and penalty matrix were updated May 15, 2026.

Examples from the national minimum-game matrix for covered adult offenders: insulting or taunting behavior that undermines a referee’s authority carries a one-game minimum, increased to two games when an adult targets a minor referee. Harassment or intimidation carries a four-game minimum, increased to eight games for an adult against a minor referee.

Adult-on-minor misconduct receives increased penalties: 2x for the lower non-physical tiers and 3x for the more serious non-physical tiers and all physical offenses. That multiplier does not apply to offenses committed by minors. The matrix also provides doubled punishment for a second offense and a lifetime ban for a third.

These are examples, not the complete disciplinary rules. Game and time penalties may both apply, and the responsible authority determines sanctions under the applicable policy and procedures. Spectator conduct is also subject to club and competition rules; the national policy allows equal or greater restrictions on spectators. Always consult the current official policy.

Read U.S. Soccer’s Referee Abuse Prevention Policy and penalty matrix

RAISE CONCERNS THE RIGHT WAY

Report a concern through your coach, team manager or the club rather than confronting the referee. Include the match, date, venue and a factual description. Referees should also follow their assignor’s and competition’s reporting procedures. Do not post a youth official’s identifying information online.

Contact LGU about a referee-related concern

Read LGU’s Code of Conduct   /   CNRA referee-abuse prevention guidance

Official registration guidance checked September 2026. Course details and requirements may change; CNRA and the U.S. Soccer Learning Center remain the sources for your registration.