The following
has been prepared by Cindy Murphy, East Side Referee assigner, to help young referees and their moms understand their options during recertification and
upgrade time:
In order to work as a referee in 2009, you MUST attend a
recertification or bridge class.
Your options for recertification/bridge classes are:
1) If
you are a grade 9 (blue badge) referee who took the
new referee class AFTER July 1st, 2008, and will be less than 14
years of age on 1-1-09, AND have a 2009 referee
badge—Congratulations! You are all set for 2009, and don’t have to attend
any additional classes at this time.
2) If you
are a grade 9 (blue badge) referee who took the new referee class AFTER July 1st,
2008, and you will be at least 14 years of age on 1-1-09, and you have a
2009 referee badge, you have TWO choices: a) Do nothing, and keep your grade 9
designation for 2009; OR b) Take a grade 9 to grade 8 bridge class. (You
will have to pay to take this class, even though technically you are already
certified for 2009.) The bridge class is 8 hours long.
3) If you
are a grade 9 (blue badge) referee and took your class
BEFORE July 1st 2008, and will be less than 14 years of age
on 1-1-09, you need to take a grade 9 recertification class. (Three hour
class, one day)
4) If you
are a grade 9 (blue badge) referee, and will be at
least 14 years of age on 1-1-09, you have TWO choices: a) Take a grade 9
recertification class; OR b) Take a grade 9 to grade 8 bridge class.
5) If you
are a grade 8 referee, and are not planning to upgrade, you need to take a
grade 8 recertification class. (6 hour class, usually one day.)
6) If you
are a grade 8 referee who is even thinking about
upgrading, or have started the upgrade to grade 7 process, you should take the
fitness test, and attend the state referee class on Sunday, December 7th,
in East
Lansing.
7) If you
are already a grade 7 referee, you should already know the drill. You
need to take a fitness test, and attend any of the grade 7/8 recertification
classes OR the state class.
8) Those of
you who are a grade 6 or up referee—you know what to do.
Referee grades (Referee grade is NOT the same as
school grade):
Grade 9 (blue badge): Can work U12/U14 house lines, and
U8-U10 centers if at least 14 years of age. Game assignments are based on
experience as well as referee grade.
Grade 8: Can work any level youth game, as well as some
lower level adult games. Again, game assignments are based on experience
as well as referee grade.
Grade 7 and up: Game assignments based on experience and
availability. Work youth and adult games. Other
assignments possible.
You can take the classes anywhere in Michigan; you do NOT
have to pre-register for recertification or fitness classes. You DO have
to pre-register for the bridge class. Take one of the earlier classes if
you can; you don’t want to put recertification off, and then find out that no
more classes are being offered.