Referee Training for New Volunteers
(Updated 6/2/2026)
Thank you for volunteering as an AYSO Referee in Region 9 (Thousand Oaks)!
Summary of What You Need To Do:
1. Register as an AYSO Volunteer (all).
2. Get a background Check (part of the volunteer process above) if an Adult. NOTE: This expires every 18 months or so.
3. Get Fingerprinted if an Adult.
4. Take SafeSport if an Adult.
5. Take three AYSOU Safety Courses (all).
6. Take the Online Referee Course AND attend the Companion (on-field) Course (all).
Detailed information on how to complete those follows.
There is also a New Referee Meeting on August 26, 2026 at 7PM at the CC South Meeting Room, where topics not covered in the above are discussed, such as the Zero-Tolerance Policy and the new Referee Abuse Prevention Program, as well as Region 9-specific topics like the Referee Points Policy.
Effective January 1st 2022 all AYSO Volunteers are required to be fingerprinted (State Law) as part of the background check process. Click here for details.
If you have been fingerprinted for any other reason than AYSO (fire, law enforcement school, hospital, etc.), that is not sufficient! The Law requires each organization to have their volunteers/employees fingerprinted.
If you have already been fingerprinted FOR AYSO, then you do not have to do it again.
This will show on your Volunteer Page at AYSO9.org.
Safesport (for Adult Volunteers Only) - this requires a different linking and sign-in process.
Do not register for SafeSport via AYSOU; do not Google "SafeSport."
Follow the detailed instructions below.
1. Login to your Sports Connect account (via www.ayso9.org)
2. Click on the My Account button (just to the right of the Logout button)
3. Click on the Volunteer tab (on the left)
4. Click the box next to SafeSport (the 6th item in the list under the Certification blue bar)
5. Click the blue button Renew & Update (bottom right)
6. In the Certifications popup window, click on "Here" to sign up for and begin the SafeSport training
7. IMPORTANT! Your Account at SafeSport must use the same e-mail you are using for your AYSO Account. That is how SafeSport transfers your completion to SportsConnect. Otherwise, it is more work for everyone.
NOTE: SafeSport Expires every 18 months or so, so please check the expiration date on your Volunteer Page and set a reminder on whatever you use as a calendar (phone, cute puppies, national parks, etc.)!
Online training and sign-ups for in-person training for all AYSO Volunteers (Coaches, Referees, Team Managers, Administrators, etc.) is done at a website called AYSOU via Sports Connect.
In order to be able to access AYSOU you must first be registered as an AYSO Volunteer for the current season; if you are new to this process, details can be found at https://www.ayso9.org/Default.aspx?tabid=866537
Once you have registered as an AYSO Volunteer (and have passed the background check process):
1. Login to your Sports Connect account (via www.ayso9.org).
2. Click on the My Account button (just to the right of the Logout button).
3. Click on the "AYSOU" button (on the left list).
After a few moments, you will be logged in to the AYSOU website in a separate window. Make sure that it is your name in the upper left corner (just under the AYSO logo) and not someone else in your Sports Connect account.
At AYSOU, the menu bar along the left side will take you to:
Skills Passport - most or all of the AYSO training that you have completed in the past (both online and in-person) should be listed here (Safe Haven, Concussion Awareness, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, coaching certifications, referee certifications, etc.). Also listed is the Completion Date for each and a link to view a Certification of Completion. If one of your certifications is missing, contact your Coach Administrator or Referee Administrator. These should also be found on your Volunteer Page at www.ayso9.org.
Resource Library - Coaching Manuals, Referee Manuals, and other documents can be downloaded and printed from here.
Training Library - this is where you can sign up for available online and in-person AYSO training courses.
Be aware that many of the Coach and Referee courses will have pre-requisites (i.e. you cannot sign up for an Intermediate-level course unless you have completed and are certified in earlier or entry-level courses).
ALL AYSO Volunteers are required to complete these three online Courses:
1. Safe Haven;
2. Concussion Awareness; and
3. Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
These are available in the Training Library, under Safe Haven. At this time, you have to complete these only once, or until they are dramatically changed.
Training Event - this is a calendar-based listing of all in-person training (Coach, Referee, Management, etc.). By default this shows Region 9 courses only. To list more (in case you cannot make our training), delete the "Region 9" filter at the top, then choose at the top a radius limit, say, 50km.
For 10U/12U/14U NEW Team Referees:
This year, we have two training events. Referee Training for NEW 10U/12U/14U Team Referees is on August 15, 2026, one at 9AM one at 1PM, each about three hours.
Click one of these that is more convenient for you, then start the Regional Referee Online Course BEFORE the training!
For U7/U8 NEW Team Referees:
IMPORTANT: For U7/U8, the U8 Official Course is NOT SUFFICIENT!
We do things differently from AYSO guidelines, even our 7U and 8U Divisions are different from each other!
Take the Regional Referee Online Course, and every Thursday at 5PM and 6PM (meet under the shade structure), there will be On-Field training specifically for 7U/8U. It is about an hour long.
My Training - at least initially, this only shows the Safe Haven modules (if you have completed the Safe Haven course in the past). For a listing of all your certifications, use the Skills Passport section.
Help - the Help Centre provides links to several detailed Learner Support and Resources web pages or documents.