A Futures Referee is a young, up-and-coming official who gets to referee recreational soccer games within their own club. It’s a great opportunity to get comfortable with the rules, manage a game, and learn the ropes of being a referee before stepping into more competitive matches. The best part? They’re under the guidance of experienced mentors, making sure they grow and develop in a low-pressure, encouraging environment.

As a Futures Referee, you’ll graduate to become a US Soccer Referee when you turn 14 years old! Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to upgrade at 14 years old from a Futures Referee to a US Soccer Referee.

Futures Referees are limited to officiating recreational games within their own club. This means you’ll be in a safe and friendly environment, which is perfect for building your skills, learning the ropes, and growing your confidence on the field!

Futures Referee Program Clubs must have a mentoring system to support their Futures Referees. Therefore, Futures Referees may only referee at approved Futures Referee Program Clubs.

Getting started is easy and fun! Here’s how you can join the program:

If you’re part of a club and want to offer this exciting program to young referees, you can apply to become an approved Futures Referee Program Club! Your club will need to have an approved mentoring plan in place to ensure that all young referees get the best possible guidance as they start their journey. The list of approved Futures Referee Program Clubs is below.