Northern California Rugby Football Union Referee Society | Become a Referee
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Become a Referee

The Northern California Rugby Football Union continues to experience a shortage of referees. More referees are needed, particularly to cover the increasing number of collegiate and youth games.

Without more refs, many matches will continue to be covered without a certified person. If you want to ensure referees for your matches, get someone from your club qualified to referee. The NCRFU Referee Society sponsors USA Rugby referee certification courses to train more referees.

Level 1 is for starting and uncertified referees. A certified referee is required for all matches, youth, collegiate, women, and adult that count toward a national championship (i.e. league games).

Persons interested in refereeing should contact the NCRRS Recruitment Officer, Steven Fenaroli at the following email address:  stevenfenaroli@pelicanrefs.com.

(much of the following material was shamelessly “borrowed” from Rugby Refs of NY)

How do I become a certified Referee?
1. Register in advance for one of the referee certification classes on-line with USA Rugby and attend the all day class.  Here’s the link to find a class close to your area:  Find a course

  • You will pay the course registration fee to USA Rugby when you register for it. You must also already have your CIPP or you must apply for it from USA Rugby at the same time. You can apply for your CIPP in dual capacities (eg, coach and referee) for no extra charge.
  • All attendees must register for the class in advance and on-line via USA Rugby to ensure that course materials will be available at the course and to be eligible for reimbursement. Please confirm that you plan to attend directly with the designated course instructor.
  • Taking and passing the open book exam beforehand is strongly encouraged. Bring the print out of your passing certification to the course.
  • The NCRRS will pay for the courses (or reimburse for them) after a society member has refereed five matches by appointment (adult and/or college).
  • As part of the CIPP registration, you will be asked to print out and sign the liability waiver. Please send the signed original liability waiver to Jim Crenshaw at the address listed below.
  • If you were already CIPP’d as a coach or player, you will need to re-register (for free) your dual capacity with USA Rugby adding you as a referee in order to get your referee certification.

How do I start getting assigned matches in Northern California?
1. Join the Northern California Rugby Referee Society.

  • This will cost you a whopping $10.60. Why $10.60? PayPal charges us $0.60 for the transaction fee. The link to pay your yearly society dues can be found here:  Yearly Society dues

2.  Complete the following form: NCRRS Registration

  • The form will generate the information we need to:
    • Create a pelicanrefs.com user account
    • create an account for you in “who’s the ref”, our referee assignment software
    • Get your personal email information added to our referee email list
    • send you the W-9 form you need to fill out in order to get paid.

3.  Contact the Assignor (Pete Smith–me@petesweb.com) to let him know you are available

4.  If you want to get paid for refereeing matches the NCRRS assigns, the society must have a W-9 form on file and it must be completed yearly. Here’s a link to download the w-9: W-9 link

  • Once you complete the W-9 please send it to our the society treasure Dan Wilson via email attachment at the following email address: danwilson@pelicanrefs.com

After becoming certified, joining the Referee Society, and refereeing five or more assigned games, the Referee Society will reimburse the $50 course registration fee.

What is the Level 1 Officiating Course?
Prerequisites for taking the course – None
CIPP and Course Registration -If intending to referee, students must be CIPP registered. It is the individual’s responsibility to register with USA Rugby as forms will not be available at the course. Students wishing to register for this course online must be CIPP registered first. Both CIPP and course registration may be done at http://membership.usarugby.org
Course description – The purpose of this introductory course is to enable officials to acquire basic skills to officiate safe, enjoyable competition. Course certification is required for anyone who wishes to referee any match that could potentially lead to a national championship.

The course focuses on the following aspects of the game:

Game Knowledge, Principles of rugby, Principles of refereeing, Management Role of the referee, Positioning, Communication, Risk Management, Planning, Referee preparation, Referee support, Technical
Starting and restarting the game, Advantage, Open play, Contact, Scrum, Touch, Lineout, and Foul play

Students will receive a Law Book, whistle, red and yellow cards, and a Course Manual. The course takes about eight hours to complete and is conducted both in the classroom and outdoors in practical exercises. You will not require paper as the course manual has sufficient blank spaces for note-taking, but you will need a pen or pencil. Lunch will be provided by the Northern California Rugby Referee Society.

Requirements for Certification
Current USA Rugby membership, including registration as a referee
Attend and successfully participate in all course modules
Pass open book law exam administered online and at the course site.

What is the Level 2 Officiating Course?
Prerequisites for taking the course –
Current USA Rugby membership, including registration as a referee
Level 1 Officiating course certification
One full season of refereeing

Course description
The purpose of this course is to enable officials to develop further the skills acquired in the introductory course so as to officiate safe, enjoyable competition. Course accreditation is one requirement for promotion to the grade of B.

The course focuses on the following aspects of the game:

Principles of attack and defense, Key factor analysis of unit skills, The representative game in your country, Refereeing principles, Communication, Referee support, Fitness basics, Responsibility and commitment, Risk management, Consistent application, Touch Judging/Assistant Refereeing, Advantage, Foul play, Open Play, Scrum, Lineout, Tackle, and Ruck v Maul.

The on-site course delivery occurs over two full days, approximately 16 hours, and includes both classroom work and outdoor practical exercises. Lunch will be provided each day by the Northern California Rugby Referee Society. Additionally, students wishing to be accredited as Level 2 Match Officials must complete a number tasks outside the classroom as listed below in “Requirements for Certification/Accreditation.”

Requirements for Certifications/Accreditation
Certification
Attend and participate in all course modules
Accreditation
Attend and participate in all course modules
Achieve satisfactory practical assessment (excellent or competent)
Pass take home open book law exam (can be taken prior to the course)
Submit a 12 event officiating diary covering matches and training sessions
Complete IRB Rugby Ready certification (can be completed prior to the course)

What is the Level 3 Officiating Course?
Eligibility – By invitation only. Students must have passed the Level 2 referee course and hold a grade of T or higher. Passing this course is a requirement for all National grades

Course description – The Level 3 course is the advanced course. It is designed for National level referees looking to share information, and calibrate standards. The course is run as a group seminar, in which an IRB facilitator leads the referees in a discussion of all important aspects of their craft.

The course is run once a year by USA Rugby if there are enough students. It takes two full days to complete, and will usually require air travel.

The Northern California Rugby Referee Society will reimburse the clinic costs, airfare, and hotel of any Society member invited to take the Level 3 course, although meals are not covered.

What are the Touch Judge and Assistant Referee courses?
The Touch Judge course is intended for club touch judges and all referees. The course, which takes about four hours and is conducted both in classroom and in outdoor practical exercises, provides instruction on the primary tasks of the touch judge in adjudicating touch, touch-in-goal, kicks at goal, and the roles of the touch judge in seven-a-side rugby. Course certification is one requirement for promotion to the grade of C1.

The course focuses on the following aspects of the game:
When is the ball in touch, Touch judge signals, Places of the throw in, Touch judge positioning, and Seven-a-side variations.

Course certification requires the following:
Current USA Rugby membership, including registration as a referee
Attend and participate in all course modules
Pass a closed book exam administered at the course site

The Assistant Referee course is intended for certified referees and persons desiring to become certified referees. This course, which takes approximately two hours and is conducted in the classroom, provides instruction on the secondary and tertiary responsibilities and tasks of the touch judge, including the adjudication of foul play. Course certification is one requirement for promotion to the grade of C1.

The course focuses on the following aspects of the game:
Foul play adjudication, Signaling and reporting, Positioning for detection, Other roles of the assistant referee, Principal accountabilities, Time and replacement, Positioning at kicks, Positioning at lineouts, scrums, rucks, mauls, and stoppages, and Communication systems.

The Northern California Rugby Referee Society will reimburse its members their fee.

What are the Levels 1 and 2 Officiating Sevens courses?

The Levels 1 and 2 Officiating Sevens courses are designed to provide referees with the skills and knowledge needed to referee Sevens Rugby in the national environment (in major Unions) and to international levels in less developed Unions and/or age grade international competitions. They build strongly on the IRB Levels 1-3 Officiating courses and seek to assist match officials who aim to referee or assist in Sevens. These courses rely very much on the participants’ input and is delivered using the following structure.

The Level 1 Officiating Sevens course is a one day, attendance only program focusing on the following:

The principles of attack and defense in Sevens Rugby; The timing, space, and tolerance needed for refereeing Sevens; and, How assistant referees and in-goal judges assist the referee.

The Level 2 Officiating Sevens course is a two day accreditation program which incorporates and expands on the Level 1 Officiating Sevens course, while adding a module covering the preparation, both physical demands and planning, required to referee Sevens. Course participants in the Level 2 course must then show competence in all competency transcript descriptors for all modules of the course.

Entry requirements:
For Level 1 Officiating Sevens, an IRB Level 1 Officiating (generic Fifteens) Certificate of attendance.
For Level 2, an IRB Level 2 Officiating (generic Fifteens) Certificate of accreditation. It is beneficial, however, if participants have advanced understanding of Sevens Rugby from their experience as a player, coach, or match official.

What is CIPP?
CIPP is the annual certification thru USA Rugby. ALL Referees must pay annual dues to be in good standing with the society, and be eligible to referee. Enrollment and renewals can be achieved at:
membership.usarugby.org