Referees

FYSA Referee Assignor: Brenda Davis

All Franklin referees are USSF certified. Anyone aged 12 years or older who would like to become a referee needs to attend a USSF referee course to become a certified referee. Courses are listed on the Massachusetts State Referee Committee website.

Referee courses are most often held in between soccer seasons during the summer and winter months. Franklin Youth Soccer will reimburse the cost of the course to any Franklin referee who passes the course and receives their USSF badge. The referee is responsible for the USSF registration fee and MSRC administrative fee.

Franklin referees appreciate your support!

Notes for Referees

Rules of Competition

Referees are responsible for knowing the specific rules for the competition in which their game assignment is made, beyond the basic rules presented by FIFA through the United States Soccer Federation. In particular:

Safety

The first priority of Franklin referees is the safety of the players. We get many questions about what is safe for players to wear … especially about earrings! Here are the rules from the Massachusetts State Referee Committee:

Players wearing equipment, which is dangerous to other players, or to themselves, shall not be eligible to participate in any game. Equipment which shall be considered dangerous includes, but is not limited to the following:

  • Any rigid or semi-rigid cast or splint, apparently designed to immobilize or protect a joint or limb segment, regardless of padding, of said cast or splint.
  • Hair control devices, of any material, other than soft pliable plastic or rubber. Hair barrettes, that are constructed with any metal or hard plastic parts, shall be considered dangerous, regardless of any coverings.
  • Earrings of any kind, including post earrings, regardless of coverings (no matter what anybody tells you, you can’t just cover earrings with bandaids, so if your child wants to pierce his/her ears, please wait until after the season! –FYSA)
  • Jewelry of any sort. (Religious medals or medical tags may be taped to body [or inside of uniform ])
  • Joint braces or supports, apparently designed to permit flexion motion of a joint in one or more planes, and to support that joint or restrict motion of that joint in other planes, are generally acceptable. Joint braces or supports, which have exposed hinges, buckles, buttons, zippers, etc., may be dangerous. These devices, if taped or padded, may be acceptable, if they are no longer inherently dangerous to another player, in the judgment of the referee.
  • Hats or other headgear … the brim (hard bill) of a common baseball cap is not considered to meet the requirement of soft and pliable material. (It is dangerous if not soft). Other soft protective headgear, shall also be acceptable for the goalkeeper, if not inherently dangerous to another player, in the judgment of the Referee.

Remember, the referee at the field has the final say on what may be dangerous equipment! Thank you for helping to keep our kids safe!