WSC MOD REFEREE PROGRAM
All of the U6-U9 home games are controlled by Woodland Soccer Club. This is called the Mod (short for Modified) Program. U6-U7 teams play only other Woodland Soccer teams; U8-U9 play other teams in Ballard, Queen Anne, & Shoreline. This Mod Program is fully controlled by the clubs and not run by SYSA. Thus, we provide referees for all home games.
At U6-U8, all of the games are refereed by parent volunteers. U9 games are refereed by volunteers and by young "U9 Mod Referees". More information on the U9 Mod Referee program as at the bottom of this page.
Fundamentals for U6-U9 Mod Refereeing
Refereeing Mod games is not difficult. It is suggested that the coach does not referee their own games. It is important to grab a volunteer to referee the game. This allows the coach to focus on coaching. A volunteer can be a parent or an older teenage kid. No certification is required.
The following are our recommendations on how to referee a U6-U9 Mod game.
1. Organize. Ref needs to organize the start of a game. Talk to both coaches to agree upon the length of the game and who will keep track of the time. Choose sides for the U6-U7 games. Use a coin flip (with team captains) to choose sides for U8-U9 games.
2. Blow that whistle! Use your whistle to start and stop the game. All kids listen to the whistle. It shows that you are in charge.
3. Control. Most refereeing at this level is directed to restarting the game after the ball goes out of bounds. Generally, the ref does not call fouls. Ref spends most of the time near the middle of the field and blows the whistle when the ball goes out. Most activity is when ball comes back into play: Throw Ins, Goal Kicks, and Corner Kicks. Ref should clearly state the play and guesture the direction with an arm. "Throw In, Orange, this way!"
4. Throw Ins. Please tell kids which way the throw is going. Please stop play with a whistle blow if the throw is incorrect. Kids learn quickly if they are asked to redo a bad throw. Explain the issue and redo.
5. Goal Kicks. Tell the kids "Goal Kick. Ball right there." and point to where it should go. Most goals are scored on "failed" goal kicks that go directly to the opposition. If this starts to happen too much, feel free to help the kicking team a bit. Back the opponents back a bit. Tell the kicker "Ok, Big Kick now."
6. Corner Kick. Most kids need this clarified for them. "Orange kicking towards this goal."
7. Compliment a good play or two. Talking to the players show that you are engaged and know more about the game than they do.
8. Fouls. Only call the obvious fouls. Kids start to use their arms to gain possesion around U8. First timers could be warned by the ref. Usually, this is all you need to do. Though, don't let the game get unsafe.
U9 Mod Referees
We recently are starting a program to teach kids how to referee U9 games. Kids need to be at least 11 years old to be involved.
The U9 Mod Referee needs to know the Laws of the Game. The U9 Mod Referee doesn't need to know all of intricate laws. But, please learn Laws 5, 8-12 (12 part 1), & 13-17. Videos describing all of the laws are located on the US Soccer Laws website.
A version of the Laws of the Game designed for younger audiences can be found here .
If you are interested in participating in the U9 Mod Program Referee, send an email to Ray Farbarik, blue240@gmail.com. This is a wonderful thing to do. Young refs get paid for the games that they cover.