GSSA Referee Program
Referee Training
GSSA will hold two referee training classes in 2026. The first will be in March and the second in August. Attendance will be limited to 30 students in each. Each will consist of five hours of instruction over two nights, plus a test. More details will be posted by January.
GSSA also accepts training and certification from other SAY communities (e.g. WCSC, SAY East, All Saints, LSO, Loveland, Kings, etc.). Several communities offer training classes in the summer. Search for “SAY referee training Cincinnati” on the web or go to the SAY soccer websites for nearby communities for more information. If you have successfully completed a course in another community, please have the instructor or other official from the class email [email protected] to verify completion of the course and we can add you to the roster of referees for upcoming seasons.
GSSA does not require returning referees to take the course again each year--but they, and coaches, are welcome to audit the class, free of charge. Sycamore SAY soccer does provide continuing education, quizzes and other rules refresher opportunities prior to the start of the season.
New Referees: 2025 Referee Class Information <-- SEE FAQ HERE
Wings+: Email the referee coordinator if you are interested in an advanced class for experienced referees. If there is enough demand, we will run this class again.
Other Referee Classes: Ref classes from additional SAY North Organizations
You can also google "SAY Referee Training Cincinnati" to find other in-person trainings beyond those gathered here--SAY Online Training is not sufficient.
Instructions for registering on the GSSA website as well as for referees
Age Groups and Referees
Upon successful completion of a referee training course, all new referees begin by working Instructional (U6) and Passers (U8) games. Following two seasons of experience in Instructional/Passers, a ref can request to begin refereeing Wings (U10) games. With two additional seasons of the Wings level experience, a referee can move to upper level games. See the table below for a summary.
| Instructional (U6) | 12* | None Required |
| Passers (U8) | 12* | None Required |
| Wings (U10) | 13 | 2 Seasons |
| Strikers (U12) | 14 | 4 Seasons |
| Kickers (U14) | 16 | 5 Seasons |
| Minors (U16) | 18 | 6+ Seasons |
| Seniors (U18) | Adults | 6+ Seasons |
* New referees must turn 12 by April 1 to be eligible to begin refereeing in the spring; if you turn 12 by September 1, you can still take the class and begin to ref in the fall season.
Rules of Play
2024 SAY Playing Rules: current SAY rules which are used for all GSSA levels; note that as of late February 2025 the same rule book from 2024 was still posted on the SAY Soccer website.
Referee FAQ
2025 Referee Class Information (see pages 2-3)