(updated 7/24/2024)
Region 9 created a new position of Standby Referees for the Fall 2017 season. The Standby Referee program will be in place again for the Fall 2024 Season. The following explains how the Standby Referee Program works to benefit referees unable to find games, and to benefit the kids by helping ensure that their games will be covered by full referee teams.
PURPOSE
The whole point of this program is to hold a certain number of referees in reserve waiting to serve on any game during a certain time interval in case some member of a referee team cannot fulfill his/her self-assignment, perhaps due to injury or due to a referee not arriving at the fields in time for the game to stay on schedule. And, stand-by referees earn a referee point.
SIGN UP
You can sign up to be a Standby Referee exactly as you sign up for a scheduled game. The only difference between the two is that on the schedule instead of the field being an actual field (which is labeled “CC_A” through “CC_Z” for the 20 Conejo Creek fields), the field for standby referees will be labeled “Stby”. Although the schedule sign-up has separate columns for Center Referees and Assistant Referees, all standby spots are equivalent. Of course, no Standby Referee will be assigned to a referee position for which they are not qualified, so newly certified referees can rest assured they will only be assigned 10U and 12U ARs, at least until they are ready to advance in the referee ranks.
Standby assignments are typically added to the referee schedule only when all 10U and 12U AR spots have been filled for that weekend; you cannot sign up for Standbys beyond the coming Saturday's games.
We particularly need standbys for the last period of the day.
SIGN UP RESTRICTION
You can only sign up for a Standby Referee position if:
- You have already signed up for an actual game position in the same week, OR
- There are no open referee slots for which you are qualified during the entire day.
DURATION
Standby Referees sign up at a particular time and are “on call” for all games starting then and for for the full 60 minutes. (Each Standby Referee sign up time follows the previous sign up time by 75 minutes.) If a standby referee is needed on a game, he/she works that game.
Important: Standby Referees must be present in the Referee Tent the entire time from their start time until released in case they are needed on a game. Standby Referees who are not standing by when called for a game will lose the ref point. Do not leave the tent until released by the Referee Staff. If not needed for an on-field referee assignment, Standbys may be assigned other duties as designated by the Referee Administrator or his staff.
ARRIVAL TIME
Just as for referees already assigned to games, all Standby Referees must arrive at the Referee Tent and sign in at least 15 minutes before their scheduled time. If any member of any game’s referee crew has not signed in at the tent by 10 minutes before game time, they can be replaced by a Standby Referee. Referees who have been replaced can still earn a referee point, but only by signing up for a Standby position at a later time in the same day.
EARLY ASSIGNMENT
If, before Game Day, a referee position within the time interval covered by your Standby position becomes available, and you are qualified for that position, you will be moved to fill the opening. You will also be sent an email informing you of the change.
I hope this answers any questions you may have had about the new Standby Referee option. If not, please feel free to email our Referee Administrator.