Mentoring Program

June 2004

The SJSL Referee Committee has proposed and the South Jersey Soccer League (SJSL) and the South Jersey Girls Soccer League (SJGSL), collectively known as the “Leagues”, have adopted the following:

MENTORING PROGRAM FOR LEAGUE ASSIGNED REFEREES

The goal of the mentoring program is to create an environment whereby the recruitment, training and retention of all USSF officials is conducive to the needs of the entire South Jersey soccer community with particular emphasis on providing the “game management” skills that will assure that an official is as well-prepared as possible for the rigors of the sport.

-         To coordinate these goals, the Referee Committee has established a Mentoring sub-Committee for the purpose of soliciting, training and maintaining of a cadre of mentors in sufficient quantity and quality to effectuate the intent of the Mentoring Program for each respective League. 

o       The selection of individuals to serve, as mentors should possess the following

                characteristics:

-         Lengthy referee soccer experience

-         A personality that will relate well with young officials

-         Previous coaching experience will be invaluable

-         Availability and commitment to the Program

In order to provide new officials with the introductory tools and capabilities to officiate SJSL/SJGSL matches, it is proposed that:

-         All seasoned officials who are new to the SJSL/SJGSL area and all newly certified officials with no center official match experience that wish to be assigned to SJSL/SJGSL matches will be requested to attend an introductory seminar before the start of both the fall and spring playing seasons that will address the Leagues’ combined Fact Sheet, Game Card administrative requirements, team check-in procedures, conducting safety inspections of the field and discussing procedures for addressing un-civil sideline behavior.

o        Participation in this seminar will be prior to any on-the-field mentoring.

-         All newly certified officials with no or very limited center official match experience will be requested to participate in the following:

o       Immediately prior to the fall and spring playing season, the Committee will structure a series of scrimmages, sufficient in number and geographic locations, to serve as no-fault training opportunities for inexperienced officials.

§        A three-man officiating system will be used with each official rotating into the middle during the course of the scrimmages.

§        A sufficient number of mentors will be on-hand to work with each official.

o       A second phase of the mentoring program for officials with limited center experience and/or at the recommendation of the Assignor will be concentrated during the first two weeks of both the fall and spring playing seasons:

§        Utilizing the 8 v 8 field venues, one Mentor and one inexperienced official for each scheduled game at that venue will be assigned.

§        Each inexperienced official will officiate one match (and be paid at the normal game fee rate) with the other official(s) on the sidelines, either as observers or acting as neutral Assistant Referees.

·        Whether acting as observers or as Assistant Referees, they will be paid at a rate of one-half the established Game fee for each game that a Mentor is in attendance.

·        Each League is responsible for remitting Assistant Referee fees to those who were mentored at their League matches.

o       History indicates that most mentoring occurs on Sunday’s during the fall playing season and Saturday’s during the spring playing season and costs to each League should be equal.  

§        The Mentor will provide commentary on evolving game situations as well as providing constructive comments and suggestions to each match official at the close of the day.  These comments will be both verbal and contained on a pre-formatted Developmental Assessment checklist.

-         Inasmuch as the Mentoring Program is deemed critical to the long-term well being of both Leagues, a sufficient number of Mentors must be made available during the fall and spring playing seasons to accommodate the number of inexperience officials requiring mentoring.  The Program will assure that the use of a limited number of experienced officials assigned during these weekends will not jeopardize an Assignor’s ability to place quality referees at all non-mentoring game sites.

The Leagues, Mentoring sub-Committee and Assignors will exhibit a great deal of flexibility during the initial years of the program due to the undetermined numbers of such inexperienced officials requiring mentoring.

o       Mentoring Opportunities during the League Sanctioned Matches

-         The Mentoring Sub-Committee Chairman, or his/her designee, will work closely with the appropriate Assignors and a representative from each respective League to identify any official who has been receiving consistently low ratings and/or poor evaluations as complied by each respective League for the purpose of requiring further mentoring.

-         With the understanding that each respective League may embrace a different philosophy as to the frequency of mentoring opportunities, each League shall establish:

o       A policy that defines the criteria whereby an USSF official is deemed to be in need of an evaluation opportunity;

§        Each League, that has requested an official(s) to be evaluated during the regular playing season, shall be responsible for the payment of mentoring fees, which shall be the published Game Fee for the match(s) used as the mentoring venue.

§        Sufficient lead time must be given to the Assignor to place such an individual to a proper venue and to assist in coordinating the availability of potential Mentoring officials not currently assigned or working League matches.

-         The Mentoring Program, concurrently approved by both Leagues, will commence no later immediately prior to the Fall 2004 Playing Season.

o       During the interim, it is recommended that the present mentoring program/policies, et al be continued as is.

Respectfully Submitted,

SJSL/SJGSL Referee Committee