Travel Games

Be properly dressed:

  • Official referee shirt – Yellow (primary) (long or short sleeved – if it is cold and you only have a short-sleeved uniform, wear a black long-sleeved shirt and layers underneath)
  • Referee badge for the current year
  • Black shorts
  • Black shoes – cleats or sneakers
  • Black soccer socks, preferably with white stripes
  • Shirt tucked in!

Mandatory Equipment:

  • Whistle
  • Coin for coin toss
  • Pad of paper and pencil
  • Red and Yellow cards (travel only)
  • Wristwatch
  • Linesman flags (travel only – center must bring flags, ARs should bring flags too)
  • Water bottle (stay hydrated!)

Optional Equipment and Clothing:

  • Sunscreen
  • Ball pump
  • Plastic Bag (to be used inside sports bag to keep clothing dry)
  • Black warm-up pants (not preferred, but acceptable in cold weather)
  • Black gloves/black hat

Arrive at least 20 minutes before game time to check the field:

  • Goals must be secured to ground. If held with bags, bags must be to rear of frame.
  • Check nets. Be aware if there is any hole and report after the game.
  • Check that the field is lined adequately.
  • Make sure the home coach has put out corner flags / markers. Discs can be used to mark corners.
  • Check field for obstacles. Remove any debris, such as rocks, sticks or trash.
  • Look for dangerous conditions, especially inspecting for soft areas due to wetness, holes, rocks, turf that is not level and can cause a tripping hazard, etc. Confer with the coaches if you are considering canceling the game for safety concerns – but the final decision is up to you.
  • Introduce yourself to the coaches.
  • Collect team rosters – each coach will give you a NVYSL APPROVED roster for their team
    • Handwritten rosters are OK if they don't have their approved roster
      • Must contain team name
      • Must contain coach names
      • Must contain player names
      • Must contain player jersey numbers
    • After the game take a picture of the handwritten roster and email to the Referee Director - nvyslrefereedirector@darkroom.ai
  • Check coach credentials they must be worn at all times!! No credentials – NO GAME!
  • Have players line up for inspection
  • Call attendance from rosters.  All players must be on roster. Hand-written names are not acceptable! - Exception for handwritten rosters above, though a single player name can not be written on an approved roster.
  • Check cleats: Sneakers OK.
  • Check shin pads: All players MUST wear. They must be completely covered by socks.
  • NO JEWELRY – NO CASTS. Players must remove all jewelry, including earrings.

All players must be in uniform:

  • Shirts must be matching or very similar. If teams have same colors the home team must wear pinnies.
  • If extreme cold, players may wear sweatpants or leggings. They should be worn under shorts and must not pose a safety hazard.
  • Shirts may be worn under the uniform shirt.
  • Goalkeepers MUST be dressed differently than players on BOTH teams.
  • Goalkeeper can wear soft-brim hat if sun is a factor.
  • Field players may wear brimless hats if weather is cold.

Call captains to sidelines for coin flip:

  • Visiting team gets to call the coin flip.
  • Winner of coin flip chooses side of field or possession of the ball - the other team starts with opposite of first team’s choice.
  • Discuss any pertinent information with captains and ask them if they have any questions.

MYSA & NVYSL Pre-Game Handshake

  • 5 minutes prior to kickoff, referees will escort the teams across the field approximately 25' from the spectator touchline
  • A representative from the home team will read the sportsmanship statement
  • The AWAY team will stay in place, and the HOME team will walk down the AWAY team line for the handshake
  • If players already know their positions they can take the field immediately following the handshake, otherwise 1-2 minutes on the sideline for the coaches to hand out positions and the game starts promptly on time.

After the game:

  • Monitor teams as they shake hands.
  • Contact Referee Director/Assignor to report any significant issues or serious injuries encountered before, during or after the game.
  • Complete your game report in Arbiter including the following information
    • Any cards issued, team, player number, player name and reason for issuance
    • Score
    • Any other information that is relevant