This section contains topics that have been identified as areas requiring your particular attention when officiating a match, eg, use of elbows at higher level matches or use of advantage in the penalty area. Also this section contains tools that will help you in your matches. When reviewing all the material found on the left we suggest that you copy and paste them to your hard drive.

In this way you can read/review them whenever you have a game. The information will help you before, during and after the game. As always, if you have any questions please contact the the office via e-mail at njrefoffice@verizon.net or phone at 732-607-1374.

The usssoccer.com Referee Week in Review is designed to address the issues facing referees at all levels by using video highlights from professional games as well as the U.S. National Teams. Written by U.S. Soccer Director of Referee Development Paul Tamberino and U.S. Soccer Manager of Assessment and Training Brian Hall, the Referee Week in Review will highlight specific areas of focus and current U.S. Soccer initiatives designed to improve performance and aid in the development of officials across the country. 

 2010 Referee Week in Review

The Referee Division of USSF has put together a number of “Directives” that provide assistance in the management of games at the highest levels. However a number of these Directives provide a more unified and consistent approach in key areas of game management that you see week in and week out on the youth and adult games you officiate.

Here is the link that will bring you to the U.S. Soccer Referee Directives.

Tournaments often use Kicks from the Penalty Mark for breaking ties.  However, information about the mechanics and procedures involved in taking kicks from the penalty mark to break a tie is spread across several sources:

• the Laws of the Game,
• the new “Interpretation and Guidelines” section of the Laws of the Game published by FIFA (and available on the USSF website under “Laws of the Game”),
• Advice to Referees, and
• earlier memoranda distributed by U.S. Soccer Referee Department.

The following checklist of responsibilities, guidelines, and procedures is provided as a useful single source of guidance for referees who need to conduct this process. 

Checklist