BAY AREA SOCCER REFEREE ASSOCIATION HANDBOOK

2 USSF ENDORSEMENTS

2.1 CODE OF ETHICS FOR REFEREES

from United States Soccer Federation

  1. I will always maintain the utmost respect for the game of soccer.
  2. I will conduct myself honorably at all times and maintain the dignity of my position.
  3. I will always honor an assignment or any other contractual obligation.
  4. I will attend training meetings and clinics so as to know the Laws of the Game, their proper interpretation and their application.
  5. I will always strive to achieve maximum team work with my fellow officials.
  6. I will be loyal to my fellow officials and never knowingly promote criticism of them.
  7. I will be in good physical condition.
  8. I will control the players effectively by being courteous and considerate without sacrificing firmness.
  9. I will do my utmost to assist my fellow officials to better themselves and their work.
  10. I will not make statements about any game except to clarify an interpretation of the Laws of the Game.
  11. I will not discriminate against, or take undue advantage of any individual or group on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
  12. I consider it a privilege to be part of the United States Soccer Federation and my actions will reflect credit upon that organization and its affiliates.

2.2 THE REFEREE COMMITMENT

from United States Soccer Federation, revised 11/92

The U. S. Soccer Federation National Referee Program, through the involvement of each referee, is recognized by players, coaches, and administrators as a program which consistently provides excellence in officiating and displays the highest level of professionalism through service and dedication.

To accomplish this, I, as a referee, am committed to:

  1. Officiating matches in a fair and safe manner that ensures players and spectator enjoyment.
  2. Maintaining my physical fitness for peak performance.
  3. Accepting and faithfully keeping all appointments assigned to me.
  4. Supporting my fellow officials with loyalty, pride, and dignity.
  5. Conducting myself in a way to be ethically and morally beyond reproach.
  6. Granting players and coaches dignity and self-respect.
  7. Contributing to the overall development of the National Referee Program.
  8. Remaining committed to a continuous learning and improvement process that enables me to perform to my full potential.

2.3 POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE REFEREE

The referee must do certain things (DUTIES) and has the discretion to do other things (POWERS) under Law 5 and the related decisions of the International Board. Review of Law 5 shows the following DUTIES and POWERS.

DUTIES

  1. To enforce the Laws of the Game.
  2. To control the match in cooperation with the other officials.
  3. To decide on the fitness of the ball.
  4. To ensure the safety of players' equipment.
  5. To keep a record of the game and keep time.
  6. To remove from the field any player bleeding from a wound.
  7. To punish the more serious of two infringements by the same player.
  8. To use and act upon information from the assistant referees regarding incidents he has not seen.
  9. To allow no person to enter the field of play without his permission.
  10. To signal for a restart of the match following a stoppage.
  11. To report on the particulars of the match to the proper authorities.
  12. To wear a distinct color uniform.
  13. Not to interfere with the match, so that only significant breaches of the Laws are penalized.

POWERS

  1. To stop, suspend, or terminate the match for infringements of the Laws.
  2. To stop, suspend, or terminate the match because of outside interference.
  3. To stop the match for serious injury, and allow play to continue until the ball is out of play if the injury is slight.
  4. To allow play to continue when the team against which an offense has been committed will benefit from such an advantage and penalizes the original offense if the anticipated advantage does not ensue at that time.
  5. To caution or send off a player for misconduct. He is not obliged to take this action immediately but must do so when the ball next goes out of play
  6. To take action against team officials behaving irresponsibly and may expel them from the field and its immediate surroundings.
  7. To reverse a decision, on realizing that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee, provided that he has not restarted play.

Above all, the Referee has the DUTY to use good sense in controlling a match, so that players and spectators enjoy a fairly played game.

2.4 STANDARDS OF DRESS AND APPEARANCE

Approved by the USSF National Board of Directors 05/15/99

In accordance with USSF Rule 531, the Referee Committee, at the April 10, 1999 meeting, recommended that the National Board of Directors approve the following uniform standards for United States Soccer Federation referees, effective immediately:

Official United States Soccer Federation Referee Uniform:
Gold jersey with black pin stripes, black collar, black cuffs (long sleeve), or no cuff (short sleeve)
Black shorts
Black socks with three stripe white top
Black shoes

Official Alternate United States Soccer Federation Referee Uniform:
Black jersey with white pin stripes, black collar, black cuffs (long sleeve) or no cuffs (short sleeve)
Black shorts
Black socks with three stripe white top
Black shoes

Official Alternate United States Soccer Federation Referee Uniform:
Red jersey with black pin stripes, black collar, black cuffs (long sleeve), or no cuffs (short sleeve)
Black shorts
Black socks with three stripe white top
Black shoes

The referee committee noted that the current uniform, black shirt with white collar and cuffs, and the current alternate uniform, fuchsia shirt with white collar and cuffs, can be worn through January 1, 2002, allowing the referees two and one half years to accommodate to the change.

from TSSAS

Your appearance as a referee sends an important message to teams, coaches, fans and your fellow referees. That first impression is vital. Make sure that your uniform is clean, neat and the proper color. The gold shirt with black pin stripes is now the official uniform for referees.

Four other shirts (black with white pin stripes, red with black pin stripes, solid black, and fuchsia (magenta red)) are approved as an alternate/summer jersey. The black shorts and three-stripe socks must be worn with these shirts. Other shirts (orange, solid red, yellow, silver, tan, white, etc.) are not authorized in any USSF sanctioned matches.

The State Referee Committee would further like to clarify that gold with black pin stripes or solid black are both acceptable as the primary color at this time. The alternate shirt should be worn only if there is a conflict between both the gold and black shirts and the team uniforms. All officials in the crew should wear the same colored shirt. In cases where this is not possible, the assistant referees (and fourth official) should always wear the same color.

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Last page update September 1, 1999