I THINK the top rated officials go to the World Cup regardless of whether or not their host nation does, but I’m not 100% sure. There are probably fewer refs involved than countries, so I’m thinking that it’s more the top officials per association (i.e., UEFA gets “X” number of delegates, CONCACAF gets “Y” number, etc.) than it is a country-by-country thing.

Just out of curiosity, in order to be ‘ref-ing’ the World Cup, does the Ref’s own nation have to qualify to the World Cup?

The Grades go in reverse, so Level 8 is the beginner level, Level 1 is the top. Level 8 is kids; Level 7 is older kids. Join AYSO, get Level 8 certification. Do some matches and get to Level 7. Level 6 is state refs; move up to that level. Level 5 is USL, Level 4 is MLS.

In between those levels, though, there are match requirements (i.e., you need to officiate a certain number of matches in order to move up the ranks; it isn’t just about taking more coursework) that have to be met. It can take some time. Also, remember that high school/college have different rules than FIFA (particularly in regard to substitutions), and you’ll probably end up needing certification in multiple areas to meet the match requirements.

It mentions that you need to preregister, and I can’t find a contact number; that flyer has a couple of e-mail addresses, though, and I’d bet they’d be able to help you out. I’m also not sure if, in this case, “Intermediate” is the second tier and if you need “Beginner” to attend.

Personally, I took refereeing courses when I was in high school; it was a great job (good hours+good pay), but it negatively impacted my attitude with referees when I was actually playing. Referees sometimes rely on the fact that the players and coaches aren’t aware of the rules; the “Liverpool beach ball incident” (where multiple players and both coaches were seemingly unaware of the applicable law) is a great example. If you have gone through the basics, it’s harder to understand how, for example, an offside call can be blown when you’ve got a linesman to assist or how a card wasn’t given for a particular foul. In high school I engaged in a lot of arguments with refs (partially, this was because I took the class with a guy who ended up becoming a ref for games I was playing in, and I know I got a better score than he did on the final test).

I live in Los Angeles, and I’m trying to be a referee. Can you point me to WHERE to get started?

Thanks!