NORTH ORANGE COUNTY REFEREE ASSOCIATION
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referee certification

Watch the CalSouth Referee Program below to learn how to get certified today.

STEP 1: Join NOCRA Referee Association

join nocra
To help you understand your membership as a referee, here is an Organizational Chart:
US SOCCER FEDERATION
CALSOUTH
REFEREE ASSOCIATIONS
Our Federal Soccer Association who establishes U.S. curriculum and guidelines
​Our State Soccer Association to administer and approve certifications
Individual local associations responsible to assign referees to games; educate, mentor and advance
NOCRA is an Official CalSouth Referee Association

STEP 2: CalSouth Referee Certification - Getting Started

  • Learn about the basics of becoming a referee - explore CalSouth's FAQs.
  • Complete an In Person Scrimmage - for the first hour attendees will do field exercises (Referee and AR Mechanics, Touchline and Goal line decisions, Offside,etc.). Then the attendees will Referee and/or AR the scrimmage with a mentor. This is perfect for those who play soccer or with some referee experience.
  • ​Complete In Person Field Training - this consists of three hours of field exercises, perfect for those just starting out.
CALSOUTH REFEREE FAQS
calsouth training sessions

STEP 3: SafeSport Certification (How to add to your Profile)

SafeSport Trained certificate requirement for all referees 18 years or older for the 2023 season.

The SafeSport Trained course covers the following topics in-depth:
  • Mandatory Reporting
  • Emotional and Physical Misconduct Education

A certificate is available once the course is concluded. This certificate is to be uploaded and verified in the individual Cal South registration system profile. This feature works the same way as the Concussion Education Certificates. 

Cal South has secured an access code to complete these requirements at no expense to our affiliates. You will receive an email from CalSouth with the access code.

SafeSport Certification
  1. Complete the SafeSport Training.
  2. Save the Certificate to your device.

Two Options to post the certificate:
A. Email your certificate to [email protected]
B. Upload the Certificate to your CalSouth Account.
  1. Log into your CalSouth Account.
  2. Upload the SafeSport Certificate to your CalSouth Account.
  3. CalSouth will update the Registered List with those who have completed the certification.

Note: You also are required to have Concussion Awareness Certification.
Picture
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STEP 4: Check the Cal South Registered Official's List

To referee you must be on the CalSouth Registered Official List to be assigned games.
calsouth registered official list

Referee Re-Certification

For those referees that are already certified, each year you must re-certify to continue to referee.
​
calsouth recertification requirements

additional inspiration & information

Check out this video of Alexi Lalas and Esse Baharmast on the importance of refereeing.
CalSouth Referee Program Overview
NOCRA - North Orange County Referee Association
  • Home
  • General League Information
    • Coast Soccer League >
      • CSL League Cup
      • CSL Referee App
      • CSL Official Match Report
    • ECNL/ECRL League Information
    • AYSO Cypress 154 League
    • City of Irvine Adult Leagues
    • SoCal Reds FC League
    • SoCal League
    • Player Development Initiatives >
      • 7 v 7 Modifications
      • 9 v 9 Modifications
    • Recreational & InterCity Leagues
  • New Member Application
    • Referee Certification
    • Re-Certification
    • Information for New Referees
    • Parents of Youth Referees
  • Contact NOCRA BOD
  • Tournaments
    • Silverlakes Summer Showcase >
      • 2025 Silverlakes Summer Showcase Availability
    • General Tournament Instructions
    • Kicks from the Penalty Mark
    • OC Great Park Field Map
    • Silverlakes Sports Complex Field Map
  • Scrimmages
  • Monthly Meeting Information
  • Uniform & Gear
  • Finance
    • Referee Fees & Payments
    • Forfeit Procedure
    • Membership Dues
    • Assignment Policy
    • Field Closures
  • Arbiter: Assigning
    • Arbiter: Getting Started
    • Arbiter: How to Set Up Your Profile
    • Arbiter: Accepting Assignments
    • Arbiter: Field Directions
    • Arbiter: Self Assign >
      • Arbiter: Self Assign (Advanced)
      • Arbiter Error Message
    • Arbiter: Print Your Schedule
    • Arbiter: Availability & Blocking
    • Arbiter: Travel Limits
    • Arbiter: Wait List
    • Arbiter: Communication with NOCRA
  • How to Handle Misconduct
    • Sideline Behavior
    • Command Presence
    • Match & Misconduct Reports
    • Send-off Report
  • Incident Report (Forfeits, Injury, ...)
  • Referee Advancement & Upgrades
    • New Referee - Mentor Request
    • Mentor Program
    • For Mentors
    • Rating & Observation Program
    • Upgrades & Maintenance
    • Referee Observation Form
  • Policies, Procedures & Forms