Becoming a soccer referee, and moving up
Reviewed October 10, 2026
- U.S. Soccer licenses referees through 55 state associations.
- You register through your state's referee committee, not with U.S. Soccer directly.
- The steps are broadly the same everywhere. The dates, fees and upgrade numbers are your state's.
Getting your first license
- Find your State Referee Committee. A search for your state plus “soccer referee committee” finds it.
- Create a free profile in the U.S. Soccer Learning Center.
- Sign up for a Grassroots referee course there and do the online part first.
- Attend the in-person session, which your state committee runs.
- Finish whatever else your state lists for new referees, then get your badge.
- Ask how games are assigned near you. Most areas use an assigning platform and a local assignor.
Minimum age, fees and the extra requirements for adults are set out by your state committee. Check there before you pay for anything.
What you'll need for your first game
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Uniform | Jersey, black shorts, referee socks. Start with one jersey color and add a second later. |
| Whistle | Carry a spare. |
| Watch | One you can start and stop. Two is better. |
| Cards and a notebook | Yellow, red, and something to write scores and cautions on. |
| Flags | For games where you're an assistant referee. |
Keep the receipts. These are the first entries in your expense record.
The licenses
| License | Matches | How you get there |
|---|---|---|
| Grassroots | MatchesYouth games and adult amateur games. Where everyone starts. | How you get thereAn online and in-person course through your state. |
| Regional | MatchesCompetitive state and regional events, and leagues such as NPSL and USL League Two. | How you get thereAn upgrade through your state committee, with assessments and a fitness test. |
| National | MatchesNational and professional matches outside MLS. | How you get thereSelected and certified by U.S. Soccer. |
| PRO | MatchesAny domestic competition, including MLS. | How you get thereSelected by the Professional Referee Organization from the National level. |
| FIFA | MatchesInternational matches. | How you get thereNominated by U.S. Soccer and approved by FIFA. |
U.S. Soccer replaced the old numbered grades with these licenses in 2019. Grades 7 to 9 became Grassroots, 5 and 6 became Regional, 3 and 4 became National.
Upgrading to Regional
A Regional upgrade generally asks for four things:
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Experience | Time as a Grassroots referee, and games worked as referee and as assistant referee. |
| Fitness test | Usually passed before you can ask to be assessed. |
| Assessments | A referee coach watches you work a game and scores it. |
| Course | A Regional course in the Learning Center, once the rest is met. |
- How many games, at what level, over what period, and what score counts are set by your state. Get the current year's sheet from your committee.
- Registration runs on a yearly cycle. Ask your committee for this year's deadlines.
- Keeping a Regional badge means meeting requirements again each cycle.
Expect to be asked for the games you’ve worked: date, competition, your role and the crew. Referees without a log rebuild it from memory and old emails. Start one now.
Other kinds of soccer
- High school soccer is run through each state's high school association, with its own registration and rules.
- College soccer has its own referee organization and its own registration.
- Many referees hold more than one. Each has its own fees and its own season.