Need to recertify? All referees must be certified to referee through the Georgia State referee association which registers you as a USSF referee. Does your referee badge have the current year displayed on it? For example, to be able to referee in 2015 you will need a badge with 2015 printed on it. The best way of all to check your status as a referee is to log into the Georgia State referee association website, gareferees.com, and look up your current status. Your USSF registration history is shown on the main page. If gareferees.com is not showing you as certified for the current year you must take a class before you can referee. Assignors will not assign you games if you do not have a current cerification as there are liability issues. For R9 referees you have two choices - you may either take an R8/R9 recertification class, or you may take an upgrade class, known as the "upgrade to R8 from R9 class" or "bridge" class, which also serves as a recertification class. If you are already an R8 referee you'll need to take the recertification class. Both classes are held between soccer seasons, in both summer or winter. Griffin will usually hold a recertification class in the winter. Only occasionally is a bridge class held in Griffin, and the club has no control over where and when these classes are scheduled as they are organized by the State. Go to gareferees.com and click on "sign up for classes" from the left menu bar for a list of all available classes. Classes are usually posted a month or two in advance. Frequently Asked Questions - RE: Recertification Q. How do I recertify? A. Log in to gareferees.com with your gareferees user-id and password and pick the appropriate recertification class. Sign up for the class and pay the fee either online or by check when the class meets. Q. Are my gareferees.com user-id and password the same as those I use to log into gameofficials.net? A. No. You should have distinct user-ids for gameofficials.net and gareferees.com. If you are having trouble remembering your user-id or password for gareferees.com there is a help page available at gaferees.com. Click on "Login Issues" on the main page before you attempt to log in. Q. Why do I need to take a class in 2015 if I already own a 2015 badge? A. If you take a recert class in the summer you are certifying yourself to referee in the following year. So for example if you take a class in July 2015 you are recertifying yourself for Spring and Fall seasons in 2016. However, If you wait until January or February 2016 to take a class you are still recertifying yourself for 2016. Q. So why does the State bother putting on classes in the summer? A. FIFA updates it's laws of the game in June each year. Refs need to be aware of these changes so classes are scheduled in the summer. To be up to date with the changes it is better that you plan on recertifying every summer. Q. I took the introductory class in January 2015, why do I need to re-certify myself 6 months later? A. See above. You have the option to wait until the winter break and take a recert class then, but either way you must take a class before the start of Spring season 2016. Q. I forgot to take a class in summer or winter and the soccer season has started, can I still referee? A. If you miss taking a regularly scheduled recert class you should hope that the State referee association holds a "last chance" class at the State offices in Atlanta, usually scheduled during the first week of the season. Otherwise you are most likely out of luck. For those with a valid excuse the State does consider certifying refs on a case by case basis. Contact the State referee committee through gareferees.com Q. I am a grade 9 referee and am considering upgrading to become a grade 8 by taking the bridge class. Do I also need to recertify? A. If you take a bridge class to upgrade from grade 9 to grade 8, you will be recertified at the same time. So, for example, if you take the bridge class in August 2014 your certification will be good through the end of 2015. The bridge class will both upgrade you and recertify you. Q. Will the recert class cover the laws of the game again? Do I need to pass a test? A. Yes there is a test which you will need to pass, and no, the recert class itself does not cover the basics. The class consists of an online component which includes an open book quiz. This is taken before the class meets. The actual exam is taken when the class meets. It is a good idea to review the laws of the game before taking the recert class. The class covers changes to the existing laws, looks at one particular aspect of refereeing in detail and usually provides some time for questions and answers. Q. What's the longest I can wait before recertifying? A. 18 months. Perhaps you took the introductory course or a recertification class in summer 2014. You received a 2015 badge and refereed in Fall 2014 and Spring and Fall 2015. Before you can ref in Spring 2016 you will need to take a recert class, which at the latest would be in January or February 2016. Q. Can I take a recertification class in Griffin during the winter break? A. Yes, there will usually be a class scheduled in Griffin during either January and February. There will also be classes in Peachtree City, McDonough and Fayetteville on various weekends. gareferees.com will have lsits of available classes. Q. Will there be a bridge class in Griffin? A. Most likely not. The bridge classes are scheduled centrally by the State, and I have no control over where or when they are held. Check gareferees for a list of classes.