GSSA Referee Program
Existing Referee Signup
Referee registration for the spring season for current SAY certified referees is open until April 10, 2026. Click on the Registration button in the upper right to get started (step by step directions). Games start March 28, 2026, and we will not take more referees after two weeks into the season. Registrations will be checked weekly.
GSSA is using Assignr for referee assigning this season. Go to https://gssasoccer.assignr.com to select games you want to referee. Accounts will be added to Assignr on weekly basis while registration is open.
New Referee Training
Deadline to sign up for new referee training WAS March 9, 2026 @ 18:00 EDT.
Our next class will be in August, so check back here for details this summerGSSA will hold two referee training courses in 2026. The first course will be in late March with mandatory classes on both the 23rd and 30th, and the second in August, with more details coming this summer. Class will be from 18:00 to 20:30 both nights. Attendance will be limited to 30 students in each (must test into the course). Each course will consist of five hours of instruction over two nights, plus the test.
Process: Study
2026 SAY Playing Rules (start NOW). Sign up for the class via MS Forms (Fall link to come), Take the test (open book, untimed, no excuses), pass, pay for training (details to come), take both classes (March 23 and 30), become a referee. We will only take 30 students, so only the best scores will be allowed into the class (Study
2026 SAY Playing Rules). Those that don't get accepted are welcome to try again in the fall, or train at another SAY community.
Rationale: We have trained over 100 referees in the last two years, yet we struggle to assign all our games each week. Feedback from coaches is that referees do not know the rules. By restricting access, we hope to raise the quality of future referees by ensuring their dedication and knowledge before training begins instead of afterwards. Not everyone will make it into the class, and that is by design. We want to set you up for success, and that was not the case in the past.
Options: GSSA also accepts training and certification from other SAY communities (e.g. WCSC, LSO, Loveland, Kings, SAY East, All Saints, Milford, Little Miami, 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 offer continuing education, quizzes and other rules refresher opportunities prior to the start of the season--email
[email protected] to request.
New Referees:
2026 Spring 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 (2026):
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 refereesAge 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.
* 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 in the spring and begin to referee in the fall season, but we recommend taking the fall course instead as the information will be more recent and allow for better success.
The
Build Out Area applies to U8 and U10 (for U6, use a reasonable distance, like midfield. but focus on fun, not strict rules).
2026 SAY Playing Rules: current SAY rules which are used for all GSSA levels; note that as of late February 2026 the same rule book from (c) 2024 was still posted on the SAY Soccer website.
Referee FAQ
2026 Spring Referee Class Information (see pages 2-3)