Know your registration
Each competition you work has its own registration, recertification, and rules meeting requirements. Check directly with the organization that governs that competition each season.
Referee resources
Where to find what you need
The organizations below run the competitions, registrations, and rulebooks that Maine referees work with. They are independent of MRDA — we list them because they are genuinely useful.
Useful organizations
Go straight to the source
MRDA is not affiliated with these organizations and does not speak for them. For registration, certification, rules, and official guidance, always use their sites.
- MASOMaine Association of Soccer Officials — information for officials working high school soccer in Maine.
- Soccer Maine RefereeThe state referee program for USSF-registered officials in Maine: registration, recertification, and clinic information.
- NFHSNational Federation of State High School Associations — high school rules, publications, and officiating courses.
- NISOANational Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association — the resource for referees working or aspiring to college soccer.
Practical guidance
Season basics for developing referees
None of this replaces official guidance from your competition. It is the practical advice members give newer officials most often.
Read the current Laws and rules
The Laws of the Game, NFHS soccer rules, and NCAA rules differ in meaningful ways. Read the current edition for every competition you work — not last season's memory of it.
Prepare for fitness testing
Several levels require a fitness test. Build toward it over weeks rather than days, and ask members who have taken it what the format is like.
Keep a match log
Record the level, the crew, and one thing you would do differently. It turns a season of matches into a record of development you can actually review.
Member resources
MRDA members also share a password-protected area holding the member directory, our presentation and video library, tournament logistics, and meeting notes. Contact details and internal documents are never shown publicly.