By Nick Gasparro
Chula Vista, CA – The 2022 National Referee Camp from the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center (CVEATC) was another success. In total, 158 Match Officials gathered at the CVEATC with the hope to become or be re-certified as National Referees during the month of December. The camp was split into two groups of 79 referees each. During their time at the CVEATC the officials stayed overnight in our dormitories, used our dining services (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), occupied our conference spaces, and trained on our soccer field and track. This is the third time CVEATC has hosted the National Referee Camp, and second in a row.
U.S. Soccer’s National Referee Camp is an annual event with the purpose of certifying or re-certifying National Referees, the highest level achievable through U.S. Soccer. The camp will be run by 8 U.S. Soccer staff members and 7 instructors. The 2022 National Referees Camp runs through 12/3 – 12/12, with camp one on 12/3 – 12/6, and camp two on 12/9 – 12/12. The Referees will undergo rigorous physical testing, with strict pass/fail requirements. The camp will also include extensive classroom work like quizzes, video analysis based on FIFA’s five points of emphasis, and more.
You may be wondering, what on field requirements must be met to receive certification?
Referees Test
- 6 X 40-meter sprints, Men – maximum of 6.00 seconds, Women – maximum of 6.40 seconds
- 75-meter run X 25-meter recovery, Men – 15 seconds 75-meters, 18 seconds 25-meter recovery, Women – 17 seconds 75-meters, 20 seconds 25-meter recovery
- Both men and women run 4000-meters (10 laps around the track)
Assistant Referees Test
- Change of Direction Agility (CODA), 10 x 8 x 8 x 10-meter sprint, Men – 10.0 seconds, Women – 11.0 seconds
- 10-meter sprint, 8-meter sidestep left, 8-meter sidestep right, 10-meter sprint.
- 5 X 30-meter sprints, Men – 4.70 seconds, Women – 5.10 seconds
- 75-meter run X 25-meter recovery, Men – 15 seconds 75-meters, 20 seconds 25-meters, Women – 17 seconds 75-meters, 22 seconds 25-meters
Both men and women run 4000 meters (10 laps around the CVEATC track).
If an Referee fails to meet any of the requirements listed above, he or she will be disqualified from consideration. The referees that complete the program will then be eligible to officiate at the highest professional levels of American soccer, including Major League Soccer (MLS) and the United Soccer League (USL).
The CVEATC would like to congratulate all the Referees that participated in the 2022 U.S. Soccer National Referee Camp and look forward to hosting it again in 2023.
To learn more about U.S. Soccer’s National Referee Camp, follow the link below: