Last spring, our club sponsored a certification course for the Grade 9 referees. Does anyone know if/when USSF is going to establish a recertification course for Grade 9? Thanks
The only thing you have to do is send in the registration form with the dues when it comes in the mail. Grade 8 and 9 don't have recertification clinics, assessments, game counts, or fitness tests to worry about.
Recertification requirements vary among the states. Grade 8 certainly does have a requirement to attend a clinic to recertify in Michigan. I don't know what our current requirements for Grade 9 recertification might be - with the old Grade 10, you had to attend a Grade 8 recert clinic.
My understanding from reading the USSF Administrative handbook is that grade 8 referees must have 5 hours of clinics or other training during the year and must pass the grade 8 referesher test. The rules also say that failure to complete the requirements for any grade will result in a downgrade. Since there is no downgrade from grade 8, most people ignore these requirements but they are still on the books.
Here in Mass. we host 12 recert clinics around the state. At every one we have a section for the Gr. 9 referees. This is the only way that they may recertify. It has worked well the past few years. We did the same thing for the Gr. 11 referees and used the 2002 recert clinic to "upgrade" them to Gr. 9 when USSF did away with the Gr. 11 badge.
You must be from Cal North, where they don't bother with recertification clinics. It's kind of odd that it flies in the face of the Referee Admin Book where it clearly states that Grade 9s are required to have 4 hours in service training and a refresher test every year and Grade 8s to have 5 hours and a refresher exam.
In my area of Cal North, we have several clinics each year plus many clubs have ref meetings in which instruction and updates are given. The recert test is given at several locations and dates. Any ref who wants to meet the requirements has ample opportunity but many grade 8's just turn in the paperwork because they know that the requirements are not being enforced.
PA just sent out recertification notices. They added a $5 fee for doing it by mail. They waive the fee if you attend one of the recertification / training meetings.