Stipulating at the top of this thread that everything is all speculative at the moment, but the reality is the pandemic has an effect on this topic, so figured it was worth starting the discussion. Who knows? Maybe a discussion here can shape things. Given the complete lack of competitive/sanctioned soccer in the US right now, the ability to get assessments is nil. That possibility will probably stay close to nil for most referees for a significant chunk of 2020. Even when assessments become possible in theory, in practice they will be difficult both because there will be a backlog for requests and theory isn't going to translate to reality. In other words--particularly in and around urban settings where a lot of the top soccer normally gets played, you may not have some competitions reconstitute until September at the earliest. Add in the fact that NPSL is already cancelled, the elite USASA events over the summer probably can't happen, and the DA events are now gone... and, well, it doesn't take a genius to recognize the problem. Moreover, aside from the places that do their fitness tests really early, the window of opportunity to conduct those for regional referees (and fairly expect them to be in shape) is going to be small. And then you have the issue of hosting in-person recertification clinics that, at the moment, obviously violate social distancing orders and related government edicts. So... what is USSF going to do? Telling all its Grade 5s, 6s and 7s that they didn't meet their requirements seems like a nonstarter, right? Will they just waive everything for 2021--possibly barring an online certification course and written exam? I genuinely don't see an alternative, but I've been surprised by USSF before. I think it makes sense to reach this decision before life slowly begins to return to normal, because otherwise it's going to be a scramble and will have very divergent opinions based on how the country "re-opens" geographically. Better to just get ahead of it now. For what it's worth, I have heard a rumor that all NRs will simply be invited back to camp for 2021 and have fitness done there. If true, that makes sense. I've also heard that no one will be able to upgrade for NR. If true, while disappointing for some with grand plans this year, it's also understandable given the reality of the situation. But what to do about maintenance for everything below NR? That's a very interesting question.
With everything that is going and with the financial mess that the Federation is in right now (they've had recently had significant lay-offs), I wouldn't be surprised if there is no referee department within in the next couple of months. For NRs, I think they will just re-invite back all the 2020 NRs and just make them pass the fitness test. I can't imagine there will be any upgrades. For regional referees and below, I think they will just allow individual states to decide. I think common sense will prevail and they will just allow everyone to keep their previous badge level from 2020. I can't imagine there will be upgrades unless you were able to meet the assessment requirements by the time everything shutdown. The bigger issue is how many referees will we lose due to this (not from a loss of life perspective)? Just use this as the reason to not come back? All referees will go months without refereeing a single game and how many will come to the conclusion that they don't miss it as much as they thought they would. I'm coming up on almost two months without blowing a whistle and I can honestly say I'm not missing as much as I thought. I miss being able to sit in a restaurant, go to the mall, go to the gym, go to my office, etc. But I'm not missing refereeing my local men's league that much. How many will come to the conclusion that they don't need it that much in their life and use this pandemic as a reason to walk away? You won't see any PRO referees or anyone that is trying to climb the ladder to USL/PRO walk away, but the level below that could see a size-able amount not come back as a result of this. I think it's becoming pretty obvious that we won't see professional sports this summer. MLS will come back and survive, but how many USL clubs will come back?
Despite what the USSF Referee Department would like you to think, the State Referee Committees already make the decision about what referees have to do in order to recertify as a Grassroots or Regional Referee. Nobody from USSF audits whether the SRA should have re-registered someone or not. So, yes, it is up to the states and always has been. I viewed the USSF "policy" as a baseline, from which we could deviate 'for the good of the game.'
As a point of reference and if one is interested, US Soccer's "2021 Referee Requirements" are available under Resources in the Learning Center.
Couple of things to add.....because of our recertifications being on line this year, and the added background check gumming up the works (check complete before recert) my state’s recertifications were running around 50% right around the time of the shutdowns. That is unworkable. However, anecdotally, I remember a couple of the old timers telling me that in tines of economic downturn and unemployment, the ranks of sports officials are swelled by those needing the extra money. Don’t know if this will happen this time, but I wouldn't doubt it. And even if just a small percentage end up sticking, that’s a plus. Now, to @RedStar91’s point about missing it. I’m out injured, rather long term, and I miss doing ANYTHING! I just resumed training after a setback. Pointing towards an August return now.
I have found that I have not been missing refereeing as much as I thought either. My life never revolved around soccer, but I do miss running around outside all day Saturday.
I do miss soccer and officiating! In fact, I have started to criticize the ARs when I play FIFA 20 for their improper mechanics!
Except the change with the Learning Center is USSF now has administrative authority over what SRCs are doing so hypothetically they could go in and delete registrations for referees that SRAs have approved but did not meet the requirements exactly. Regional Referees have to upload their assessments in the LC. Not that Rick couldn't see them in the GO assessment system anyway. I would almost guarantee you are wrong and Rick will be auditing Regional Referees in the LC, or having someone on the staff do it.
Didn't USSF just do a huge staff layoff? "Hypothetically," perhaps. With 140,000 referees, though,..... How many thousand Regional Referees are there?
Two? Maybe three? For awhile there were fewer Grade 5s than NRs, right? Because it was only pre-selected national candidates. So the Grade 5 number should be quite low. I can’t remember what the average % of Grade 6s is but I thought it was less than 2%. So overall the total figure should be well under 3000 referees. And that’s if there hasn’t been a big culling already. And my sense is USSF still really only cares about the Grade 5s anyway. I could see an attempt to audit those registrations easily. Back to my initial point, though. All of this seems short-sighted. If someone earned airline status for 2020, has no way of using it AND has almost no way of meeting the requirements to get the same status for 2021... guess what happens? The airlines give a blanket extension of the previously earned status through 2021. It’s not quite apples to apples, but it’s closer than it seems at first blush. I can’t imagine why USSF wouldn’t do this.
I totally agree that the only sensible thing is to give everybody a pass on their grade maintenance requirements for 2021. 2020, the year that never happened. "Sensible" is only sometimes in the wheelhouse of the USSF Referee Department, however. Does anyone know who was laid off and who is still on their payroll? I do have to point out that we no longer have grades 5 and 6. We are all mooshed together now as Regional Referees.
Because it's USSF. They are the same people that think the former grade 7 and the former grade 9 are the same!
The only "legitimate" reason I could see for denying a blanket extension of grade maintenance is a question of fitness. But even that doesn't really pass the smell test. Someone who passed a fitness test in February 2019 would then be registered and working with the badge attained based on that test through December 2020. So it's not like fitness testing is truly an accurate representation of how fit a referee is in a given registration year. I guess this shows one of my blindspots. I thought 5 and 6 were still distinguished even though the name changed. So where are we at now on the Grade tier? Do numbers not exist above Grade 7?
According to us soccer, grades don't exist. But some states are macgyvering them. Instead of just grassroots and regional, some states are doing grassroots and grassroots advanced, or grassroots+. So technically there's no numbers but some states are making is so the grades are still the same.
If I understand things correctly, for regional referee registration for 2020, the fitness test can be postponed. All else remains unchanged, including the assessment requirement. It's probably too soon to have word about possible adjustments for 2021.
No joy. I discovered today on the USSF website that the 2021 requirements have already been posted and there is absolutely no slack being cut. In fact, Regional Referees will now need two "evaluations" to re-register, at least one on a U-18/19 game with 45 minute halves and one on an adult amateur game. [shaking my head.] Note that the registration year 2021 actually runs from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. I.e. anyone who has not re-registered for 2020 before June 30, will have to meet the 2021 requirements.
That presentation was made before a national emergency was ever declared and leagues were shut down, even though the upload date is after. Highly doubt those dates stick considering DA is now gone and there may be no games this year.
Ah, the requirements were posted on April 10, so USSF had plenty of knowledge about shut down leagues and tournaments before they were posted.
These were the 'requirements' as written last year. A bunch of my friends and I still put in two adult assessments.
A few days ago several national referees and assistants (not sure how many) received PRO2 badges. I wonder what effect this has on the meaning of a USSF national badge and if the young MLS 4ths will wear a PRO or PRO2 badge.