2022 Grassroots Referee Recertification courses are now available in the US Soccer Learning center. Here is the link https://learning.ussoccer.com/referee/courses/available/7/course-info . If more than one course is open, please select the first one – they are all the same.

You may register for this course if you were registered in 2019, 2020 or 2021. Once you register, you will have 30 days to complete the assignments in the Learning Center.

All of the course content is in the Learning Center for this registration period. There is no content in GameOfficials, and there is no in-person or virtual component required for 2022. 

All Referees ≥18, or when you turn 18 are required to maintain a current status in the Learning Center for your background check & SafeSport. All Referees will need to keep a current status in their Safe & Healthy Playing Environments (Courses/Available Courses/ Supplemental Courses/Intro to Safety). 

Instead of an in-person or virtual component for 2022, we would like to remind you of the WisRef Points of Emphasis for each of the last two years: 

2020 - What You Allow, You Encourage, along with Pay It Forward. In effect, deal with the problem - or it gets worse, and take appropriate action, so that problem does not make a less experienced referee quit.

2021 - Incident Reports - Completing Them Properly. WSL, WYSA and WisRef have noticed a higher quality of information in Incident Reports, which allows the WSL and WYSA to more quickly, and more importantly, appropriately sanctions for offenses. Two examples of good Incident Reports.

• In the 58th minute #7, John Smith from Eagles challenged a Hawks attacker who was running towards the penalty area. While challenging for the ball, Smith carelessly charged through the side of the attacker just outside of the penalty area and near the goal line, stopping a promising attack. Play was stopped and Smith was shown a yellow card for unsporting behavior. Play was restarted with a direct free kick for Hawks. 

• In the 60th minute John Smith, the head coach for the Eagles team loudly, publicly and provocatively disputed a call by the referee by shouting “You guys are !!!!ING IDIOTS!” The coach was issued a send off for Offensive, Insulting or Abusive language. He quietly collected his belongings and left the field, both sight and sound away, without any further incidents. (Your Incident Report will contain the EXACT words.)

In addition, the 2022 Points of Emphasis as presented at the Advanced Recertification courses deals with the behavior of coaches, and referee interaction with coaches. Every time a coach stands and voices an opinion may not rise to a warning, caution or send off. It depends on how they do it, how often they do it, and the exact wording they use. 

Within two to three weeks after you have completed the requirements in the Learning Center (including making sure your background check, SafeSport and Safe & Healthy Playing Environments are all up to date), your 2022 badge will be mailed and you will be enabled in GameOfficials for 2022 assignments. The sooner you complete the Learning Center assignments, the sooner you will receive your badge.

Thanks and we hope to see you on the fields.

If you have already signed up for a 2022 Grassroots recert course, please disregard this email.

Thomas Mesalk tom@wisref.org

Registrar, State Referee Committee

Wisconsin Soccer Referee Development Program

http://www.WisRef.org and https://wisref.gameofficials.net

2021 Registration & Courses are now closed. 2022 Course information will be posted on http://www.WisRef.org in early December.

Attitude - Aptitude – Performance

I, like the rest of the members of the State Referee Committee are volunteers - so our responses may be a little delayed.