Interested in Refereeing? (old)
Email Ben (the Head Referee) at referees@northtorontosoccer.com. It’s that simple!
North Toronto aims to accept as many new referees as possible into our development program. This is an employment opportunity, and referees are paid for their work with the club. The number of new referees accepted on an annual basis varies based on program needs and the number of returning officials.
Although referee certification is an important requirement, we’re more interested in accepting individuals who are responsible, passionate about soccer, and good communicators. Since refereeing is a challenging line of work, having a strong willingness to learn and improve is an essential qualification.
North Toronto is strongly committed to creating a discrimination-free workplace and offering equal opportunities to all individuals. Given the critical lack of representation in our province, however, the referee program is particularly interested in recruiting female match officials at this time.
Referee Development at North Toronto – Development Paths
Above is an example of the referee development paths available to North Toronto’s staff referees. These are not necessarily linear paths, nor are they rigid – we do not expect all new staff referees to move on to become district competitive referees! Referees are encouraged to stay and work at whichever level they find most enjoyable and fulfilling.
New referees will typically begin at the 7v7 recreational (house league) level, regardless of their certification. This will allow referees to acquire and master the basic skills required to be successful at their job in a low-stakes environment. New referees with a strong willingness to learn are occasionally offered competitive exhibition games at the small-sided (U8-U10) level. Our Nitros Development Program is always excited to meet new referees! These games are always done under club mentorship, to ensure the new official gets the most out of their experience.
Upon gaining experience at the 7v7 level, officials are then offered the opportunity to referee 9v9 games. These games introduce several new laws (offsides, throw-ins) pertinent to the full game, while maintaining a smaller field size and lower stakes. New referees will often work on 9v9 games in their second season, or in the later parts of their first season if ready.
The final progression in recreational soccer is 11v11 games. Composed of a larger field, a full set of laws, and older players, 11v11 games (even house league!) are no easy feat to work. Readiness for 11v11 games is determined by having good communication, technical ability, foul recognition, and movement at the 9v9 level. Referees will often referee 11v11 games in their second season and beyond, if ready to do so. At North Toronto, officials new to 11v11 games will always be paired up with a senior referee. This pairing allows for mentorship, but also serves as a strong deterrent against referee abuse and harassment.
Parallel to the house league progression is refereeing at the competitive level – leagues such as YDSL, TDYSL, iModel, OPDL, and beyond. Although a certain level of recreational experience is required before progressing to the competitive level, referees interested in pursuing this path should speak to program management – we will design a personalized plan to prepare you for competitive soccer.
The structure of the referee program at North Toronto is dependent on the time of year, in order to maximize the development of our officials while ensuring our recreation and competitive program needs are met.
The busy seasons (in terms of volume of matches) are summer and especially spring. During spring, officials will be occasionally mentored and encouraged to consistently self-reflect on their work as a referee – and seek help when needed. During summer, the lower number of games allows for a great emphasis on 1-on-1 mentorship, where program leadership and senior referees will work with individual referees while targeting their strengths and weaknesses.
The volume of games is considerably reduced in fall and winter, with both seasons taking place indoors. Referee development in this half of the year shifts primarily towards using other methods of educating referees – mainly law and skill reviews taking place both virtually (over Zoom) and in-person on a field.
At the beginning of spring, competitive (TSA and iModel) and high-performance (OPDL and League 1) exhibition matches are organized by North Toronto. Club referees will be prioritized for assignments to these games wherever possible, assignments which can often serve as a segue to referee upgrading.