Concerned on recert

[Wahoos1]

This is the write u for todays recert.

"There have been major changes in the recertification process this year. There is now only one exam of 75 questions, which all recertifying Grade 8's, 9's, and 12's must take. For Grade 8's the passing score is 57 correct answers (76%). For Grade 9's and 12's the Instructor has the discretion to pass and recertify, based on performance, scores of less than 76%.

This is a significantly more difficult test than the test we've been using for several years. Jack Deplitch, the Area Director of Instruction, reports that in a recent recertification clinic only one official completed the test in less than an hour. Most took between 60 and 75 minutes, and one referee took 90 minutes. MORE THAN HALF OF THE OFFICIALS FAILED THE TEST. It took approximately an hour for the review

So, what are the trick questions or what is the problem. I have done my usual review of laws, changes, followed this board and "ask the Ref" etc but the above does weird me out a bit.

[FIFARay007]

Seriously, I don't think you'll have to worry. I completed mine in about 10 mins and got a 94. Most of the little kids who I know who ref also passed, and I know they still don't understand the game fully.

There's of course the ones that are worded a little weird, but as long as you take the question literally, you should be fine.

[whyref]

This is the write u for todays recert.

"There have been major changes in the recertification process this year. There is now only one exam of 75 questions, which all recertifying Grade 8's, 9's, and 12's must take. For Grade 8's the passing score is 57 correct answers (76%). For Grade 9's and 12's the Instructor has the discretion to pass and recertify, based on performance, scores of less than 76%.

This is a significantly more difficult test than the test we've been using for several years. Jack Deplitch, the Area Director of Instruction, reports that in a recent recertification clinic only one official completed the test in less than an hour. Most took between 60 and 75 minutes, and one referee took 90 minutes. MORE THAN HALF OF THE OFFICIALS FAILED THE TEST. It took approximately an hour for the review

So, what are the trick questions or what is the problem. I have done my usual review of laws, changes, followed this board and "ask the Ref" etc but the above does weird me out a bit.


Seems harsh to me, but if you've scored well in the past then you should be okay now. Truth is there are a number of referees who honestly are not up on the current changes to laws and mechanics. The changes everyone is seeing this year were made in an attempt to correct this situation and to begin to remove the old buddy system.

One thing it seems that many do not understand is that your recertification is made up of components the national office deems important as well as components that are supposed to be of local concern and the grading of the tests are open to interpretation by each state. You will also find that the test you take will be different from state-to-state as each state attempts to address not only knowledge and mechanics issues, but administrative issues/needs as well. With that said though, this does not apply to grade 6 and higher levels as they are part of a test and process standardized from the national office.

Makes for some interesting discussion though, doesn't it?

[NHRef]

without seeing the test you are talking about, I do see all the entry level and grade 7/8 tests NH has. If you understand the following:

- restarts (DFK/IFK)
- 7 + 7 document to know what is yellow vs red vs nothing
- offside vs offside position

You will pass.

There are also key phrases to look for "in a dangerous manner", "careless", "reckless", "excessive force", "substitute" vs "player" you will be fine.

[CalCard]

Does anyone know if this is being rolled out universally throughout ALL states? In California-North (yes we are 2 states as far as soccer goes), we have well over 10,000 referees, and in our District, we have upwards of 3,000.

Like most, the bulk are Grade 8 refs that are doing their service to their local clubs to fulfill a team requirement to have parent/relative referees.

I'll check with my DDI (District Director of Instruction). I imagine this will create a significant burden on our clinics. Who knows, it may actually improve our refs as we may get more of our target audience to the clinics rather than just the few who are self-motivated to improve.

[Wahoos1]

No worries.

Completed test in 15 minutes with 5 wrong.

However, the person/s that feel this test was written in good english clearly have been away from "The Elements of Style" for far too long....

The poor younger refs sitting in a row next to me were clearly baffled as to what the questions actually ment, despite the fact that when explained they new the answers quickly.

Do we really need to continually do things to push kids away? Ugly as sin uniforms that cost an arm and leg. Poor mentoring programs. etc

[Gary V]

The USSF Referee Administrative Handbook, page 20, requires 5 hours of training and a 75% pass on a test to recertify each year. Certain states, like CA-N, seem to bypass this requirement.

Jim Allen recently answered a question about recert tests:
USSF answer (December 12, 2008):
1. Recertification testing
The Federation supplies tests of 100 questions for use in testing referees in grades 12 through 5 to the state directors of instruction. Recertification testing is run differently in each state. Some states randomly select 50 (or 75, as in your state) questions and use them for recerts. Other states take these tests and rewrite them to suit themselves, changing answers from the correct one to an answer that fits the particular need of the state or the individual instructor. Unfortunately, there is little the Federation can do about this.

The recert test I took this year was one of the worst in memory. Several of the questions were worded poorly. At least one was worded completely improperly - it asked for the location of a restart following an injury stoppage without noting where the ball was; fortunately it was a true/false question and the answer was false so it didn't matter that this "minor" fact was overlooked.

[Rufusabc]

For my recert, we sat at tables of four and were allowed to discuss the situations among our table mates to divine the correct answer. I found that to be extremely useful. Then we went over the entire test. There was only one question that was poorly worded. But the best part of my recert was the last hour of the session was spent on dealing with coaches, parents and players, and we were given advice from Greg Barkey, our own FIFA AR. He was fantastic. It was instruction that was well received and needed by the majority of the refereees in the room. Great job by our state committee.

I think the committee did some smart things this year, especially in using a ton of questions about the proper restart, and the issuance of cards for various infractions.

Also, Mr. Barkey was impressive. I know there are a lot of you on this board with more knowledge about the game than me, but Greg could tell me the page number and what side of the page in the book to find the passage in the LOTG from the top of his head. As in, "it's on page 27, right hand lower."


Rufe

[andymoss]

I concur with Rufus. Met Greg at GIT this year. Hugely impressed.

[scref]

After reading this it makes me miss the grade 7 - 8 exam. The State exam I have to take was brutal, really made me dig deep in to the memory bank to remember what I had read in the "Advice to Referees"

It was a good test and I was glad that it challenged me and my knowledge of the game.

[njref]

[QUOTE=Wahoos1;16590249]
***
This is a significantly more difficult test than the test we've been using for several years. Jack Deplitch, the Area Director of Instruction, reports that in a recent recertification clinic only one official completed the test in less than an hour. Most took between 60 and 75 minutes, and one referee took 90 minutes. MORE THAN HALF OF THE OFFICIALS FAILED THE TEST.

***
QUOTE]

The USSF test this year was not significantly different than last year, and certainly should not generate a +50% failure rate or take an hour to finish. Is your state using the USSF test or a homemade test? Since each state does it own recert process, it is difficult to comment on your state test without knowing where you are from.

[Wahoos1]

The quote was from a recert trainer on the website that we use in VA for signing up for testing. We had 75 questions, and while in the past I could count on having about 50% of the questions repeating from the previous year, these were all different.

Long and short, they made me think a touch more than usual, but not much. And for the most part the increased thinking was spent trying to sort out the poor grammer and writing. It was as if they took a foreign language exam, ran it thought a computer translator and did not look at the results.

The doofus people in charge of the writing are the same ones that seem to feel that long socks are required for refs and no one should wear hats. Really, long socks to hold up our....sense of looking silly? And the "no hats so you can look at the players in the eye..." Unless I pull the hat so far down I cannot see anything they can see my eyes. Just silly old boy rules.

[Funkfoot]

Just passed the VA test today - 89%, my lowest score ever IIRC. The problem is with the way the questions are written. I spend all day reading stuff written by lawyers trying to trick me, so could sort most of it out. My son barely made it through, though.

[jkc313]

Unfortunately, the Federation has taken the stance that once they supply a 100 question test, what the locals do with it is out of their hands. My latest recert had questions from the State Handbook For Referees that were just wrong. Answering via USSF or FIFA rules produced wrong answers. My son is taking the bridge course this weekend. So far his instructors who haven't looked at a copy of Advice for 3 years have told him a tap on the ball with the bottom of the foot constitutes kicked and moved and that the keeper and a field player didn't need permission to swap jersies while the ball was in play and many other incorrect things. I told him to answer the questions based on what was in Advice and make the best of it. There's no reason a certification test shouldn't be standard. We don't have Georgia or Michigan or New Jersey referees, we have USSF referees so we should all be taking the same test and the instructors should be held accountable for their lack of knowledge when it exists.

[code1390]

jkc, maybe you should try to contact the state referee office about the instructors incorrect teachings.

[jkc313]

jkc, maybe you should try to contact the state referee office about the instructors incorrect teachings.

I have in the past but current folks in charge don't want to hear. We have some excellent instructors. We also have a network of good old boy referees up to Grade 5 that have been doing the same things for 20 years and not only seemingly refuse to change but continue to pass along misinformation. If you read Jim Allen's Q&A site you'll notice he says he's not suprised these higher grades ignore Advice but they are supposed to go by it. USSF has no control unless the referee in question is a National.

[Lewie4]

The USSF test this year was not significantly different than last year, and certainly should not generate a +50% failure rate or take an hour to finish. Is your state using the USSF test or a homemade test? Since each state does it own recert process, it is difficult to comment on your state test without knowing where you are from.

It was definitely more difficult, and I felt it was geared more towards rare situations than typical scenarios. Regardless, it was not a test that should've taken more than 60 minutes and there's no reason that a referee should fail it. I didn't even study or read the ATR or Memo from this year (did not recert in 2008, so I didn't get the latest info) and still got an 88%. It took me about 25 minutes, going very slow and double checking problem questions.

[nsa]

... (did not recert in 2008, so I didn't get the latest info) ...

No excuse.

All memos and booklets are available through the US Soccer website and most state referee sites (for example, http://www.massref.net/formspubs.cfm).





Off to Chelmsford for today's recert. Pro'ly 4-6 inches of snow by the time we end. :(

[Funkfoot]

It was a minor thrill that the question about throwing a shoe at the ball actually made it into the test this year. I guess everyone is trying this after all...

[MOREFFIN]

Took the recert course yesterday. Major disappointment. Every year I think "OK, this is the year they are going to teach me something instead of putting me to sleep". The instructor opened up with a statement about the material coming from the Federation this year instead of a collection of his own material which he preferred to compile his own material as he felt better connected to the local needs.

So we spent 2.5 hours of the 5 hour course covering fourth official.


WAIT! Did you say FOURTH OFFICIAL? Seriously?

How many times will the average referee see a role as a 4th?

The test was the same poorly worded test we took last year except instead of answering 50 questions, we had to answer all 100 in 60 minutes. Passed with an 88% which perturbed me as I've done a great deal of studying over the last 6 months of ATR, LOTG, etc etc.

2.5 hours on 4th official?

From the federation?

Just steal my $75 and let me mail in my test next time.

PLEASE!!!