Once you are a certified referee, it is time for you to start refereeing matches!
To do this you need to get assigned.
The key to getting assigned for matches is to build relationships with people that can help you get in touch with assignors. At first, this seems like a daunting task, but it is actually quite simple if you follow these steps.
Assignor – A person responsible for assigning referees for a certain club or park. These people book you for games and pay you.
TALK TO THE PERSON TEACHING YOUR CERTIFICATION CLASS
The first person you will meet who has any connection to the world of refereeing is the person teaching your in-person certification class. You want to stay engaged throughout this class, once it ends go over to the teacher and ask them to give you the contact information of any assignors he may know. He should then give you the phone number and or email of some assignors. This is the best way to start getting connected with assignors.
CONTACTING ASSIGNORS
Now that you have an assignor’s contact information you want to reach out to them. The key here is to make a good impression. I would recommend emailing them rather than calling as an email gives you an easier opportunity to lay out who you are, when you will be available to work, and so on. Think about this like you are applying for a job. The assignor is looking to “hire” you – if you can make a good impression on the assignor then 9/10 times he will start regularly scheduling you for games.
Assignors are always looking for more referees to fill games. Your odds of getting a positive & quick response are very high. Below this, I have a sample email of what you could write as your first email to an assignor.
SAMPLE ASSIGNOR EMAIL
Dear (assignor)
My name is (first and last name) and I have just been certified as a referee. I am (age) years old and I am looking to start refereeing games for you. I am available to work at these parks: (list parks you can work at) on (days you can work) from (start time) to (end time) every week. You can contact me by phone or email, my number is (phone number). I am ready to start as soon as possible and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thanks,
(name)
EXPANDING YOUR ASSIGNOR NETWORK
Once you start refereeing with that first assignor that you have contacted it is easier to start branching out and finding other assignors to work with. The best way to do this is to talk to other referees you are working with. Try to find some experienced referees and ask them who else they are working for. This will give you access to even more assignors.
Another great way to expand your network is to explore club websites. You can look up the biggest soccer clubs in your area and with some digging, you will be able to find out who assigns games for them by looking at their specific websites.
KEEPING ASSIGNORS HAPPY
You must have a good relationship with all the assignors you work for. Assignors are responsible for giving you opportunities as a referee so the better relationship you have with them the better opportunities they will give you. For example, an assignor I have a good relationship with who fully trusts me once gave me a field for a whole weekend. What this meant is I was able to stay at the same field all weekend and assign my referee crew with people I enjoyed working with.
To develop a good relationship with an assignor you want to make sure you are doing these things:
- Showing up early for your games
- Responding to their emails very quickly
- Being available to work for them often
- Being professional
If you do these simple things you will have no problem having a good, trustworthy, and mutually beneficial relationship with all assignors you work with.
