CSA Regulations & the effect on OSA

Referee Development

Registration

- Registration season is from April 1st to March 31st each year.
- There is a new Provincial Transfer form which will be posted on our website.
- If a referee does not register for 2 consecutive years they will have to submit an application to be re-instated before registering and this must be approved by the Provincial Body.

By 2009 the minimum age to register will be 14 years old as of April 1st, for 2008 it will be 13 years old.

Recruitment, Basic Referee Training and Initial Examination

- Minimum age to attend course same as the minimum age to register.
- The Requirements of the Entry Level Referee course shall be set annually by the CSA.
- The format and name of the course is changing from the Entry Level Class 4 course to the Entry Level Referee Course.
- The format will be changing and ready for implementation by clinic season 2008
- If a candidate does not reach the standard required by the CSA in the initial examination, the candidate has to wait a minimum 28 days before attempting a re-write of the exam.

Classifications

As of April 1, 2009 referees will be classified based on the following:

* International – Referees on the FIFA List 
* National List – Referees on the National List 
* Provincial Referee – Current C1 referee 
* Regional Referee – current C2 referee 
* District Referee – current C3 referee and C4 referees 16 and order as of April 1^st.
* Youth Referee – referees who are between age14 and age 16 on the date of registration.

- When a referee changes residence from one Provincial Association to another their classification will stay with them.
- Referee must apply for promotion in writing (starting in 2008)
- Must be done by March 1st preceding the season in which the promotion is sought.
- Referees considered for promotion in the preceding season, but no advanced will be automatically be included in the promotion scheme for the following season unless they indicate otherwise.
- Promotion to Regional and Provincial Referee shall be based on a Referee’s practical performance on the field, upon completion of the fitness test and the completion of the upgrading exam.

Referee must:
- Be assessed on a minimum of 3 games outdoor (11v11) over a period of 20 qualifying games (Referee’s must keep log of all games).
- Must have done a minimum of 5 games as a Assistant Referee during the promotion season.
- All assessments to be collected between April 1 and the last day of November.
- Referees will be notified by Dec 15th after the promotion season of results of upgrading.
- District Referee must serve a minimum of 1 year before eligible for promotion to Regional.
- A Youth Referee will automatically become a District referee upon reaching the age of 16.
- There will be no set mark that a referee must pass on their assessment nor will there be a certain level of game a referee must be assessed at to be upgraded, except a referee must demonstrate the ability to referee at the level they are looking to get promoted to. For example, a Provincial level referee is the highest level referee in Ontario, so those referees must demonstrate they can referee at the highest levels of the game in Ontario.
- Regional and Provincial referees must complete the standard fitness test annually as well as completing a minimum of 1 maintenance assessment annually

Competitions
- A Youth referee may only referee in competitions for players under the age of 16 – (in effect in 2008 season)

Appointments (Order of Precedence) to take effect starting in the 2008 season

01. International Appointments
02. International Representative matches appointed by the Association
03. The MLS
04. The USL
05. National Championships
06. PDL and W-League
07. Senior Provincial League Competitions or equivalent
08. Provincial Association Cup Competitions (Note: Semi-Finals and Finals ties in all Provincial Competitions will take precedence over PDL, W-League, and Senior Provincial League Competitions or equivalent)
09. University and College Soccer Leagues
10. All other Competitions of CSA
11. Regional Soccer
12. District Soccer where appropriate

Uniform Policy
- All Match Officials must wear plain black shirts and black shorts, and socks must be black.
- When there is a clash between the uniform shirt colours with the players and the referees the first alterative is to be yellow and then red.
- All referees are to wear the CSA badge (starting in 2009) and badge must be worn on the left breast pocket.
- No other competition or association badge may be worn.
- No advertising of any nature is permitted on Match Official’s clothing, except for marked logos (branding).

Assessor Levels

There will be four levels of Assessors:

1. District
2. Regional
3. Provincial
4. National

- Assessors may not assess a referee at a higher level then their assessor level.
-  Assessors must do an in-service training course every two years.
- Every assessor in 2008 will have to go through a refresher course to get trained on new assessment form.

Assessor Upgrading Policy
- District Assessors: Assessors who have completed the Basic Assessor Course and provided, for evaluation by the Provincial Association, a minimum of two assessments completed at the district level,

- Regional Assessors: Assessors, who have completed a minimum of 2 consecutive years as a District Assessor, attended In-service training, and whose assessments, having been evaluated by the Provincial Association.

- Provincial Assessors: Assessors, who have completed a minimum of 2 consecutive years as a Regional Assessor, attended In-service training, and whose assessments, having been evaluated by the Provincial Association,

- National Assessors: Assessors who satisfy the criteria established by The Association from time to time, following nomination by a Provincial Association to The Association, and those Assessors who satisfy the criteria, established by The Association from time to time, for outstanding ability as determined by The Association.

- For upgrade to Regional and Provincial, an assessor must attend the in-service training first and will be invited to attend based on the evaluation of their assessments from the previous year

Instructor Upgrading Policy
- District Instructors: Instructors who have attended the Basic Instructor Course and satisfied the Provincial Association that they have demonstrated the ability to instruct the Entry Level Course.

- Provincial Instructors: Instructors who have completed a minimum of 2 consecutive years as a District Instructor, attended In-service training, and whose Instructional ability, having been evaluated by the Provincial Association, to instruct at In-service training courses for referees up to and including Provincial Referee.

- National Instructors: Instructors who satisfy the criteria established by The Association from time to time, following nomination by an Provincial Association, and those Instructors who satisfy the criteria as determined by The Association, with outstanding ability to instruct at In-service training courses and events for referees up to and including National List Officials.

- For upgrade to Provincial, an instructor must attend the in-service training first and will be invited to attend based on the evaluation of their in classroom work from the previous year

Please click here for the power point presentation from the OSA