By Nick Gasparro
Chula Vista, CA – The 2023 National Referee Camp at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center (CVEATC) marked another successful edition. A total of 182 Match Officials gathered at the CVEATC in December with the aim of either becoming or being re-certified as National Referees in the United States. The camp was organized into two groups, the first comprising 95 officials and the second with 87. Throughout their stay at the CVEATC, officials lodged in our dormitories, availed themselves of our dining services (including breakfast, lunch, and dinner), utilized our conference spaces, and conducted training sessions on our soccer fields and track. This event marked the fourth time CVEATC hosted the National Referee Camp and the third consecutive year.
U.S. Soccer’s National Referee Camp is an annual event designed to certify or re-certify National Referees, the highest level attainable through U.S. Soccer. The camp was overseen by 21 U.S. Soccer staff members and ran from November 30th to December 7th, with the first camp occurring from December 1st to 3rd, and the second from December 5th to 7th. Referees underwent rigorous physical testing, including strict pass/fail requirements. Classroom activities were also a significant component, involving quizzes, video analysis based on FIFA’s five points of emphasis, and more.
For those curious about on-field requirements necessary for certification, the Referees Test and Assistant Referees Test included specific criteria:
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).
Failure to meet any of the specified requirements would result in disqualification. Referees who successfully completed the program became eligible to officiate at the highest professional levels of American soccer, including Major League Soccer (MLS) and the United Soccer League (USL).
The CVEATC extends its congratulations to all the Referees who participated in the 2023 U.S. Soccer National Referee Camp and eagerly anticipates hosting the event again in 2024. Follow the link for more information on U.S. Soccer’s National Referee Camp.
