Soccer Assessor Duties

Soccer assessors are well trained, experienced professionals with a specialist knowledge of the laws and rules of the game of soccer. They are quite often former players or referees. Soccer assessors are responsible for ensuring that the game of soccer is refereed fairly at all levels, from little league to the many professional leagues around the world. They are also responsible for monitoring referee performance and training referees.

  1. Training

    • Soccer assessors play a big role in the training of soccer referees. Whether they are professional referees working in Major League Soccer or part time amateurs helping out with a kid's league, the referee must abide by the same set of standards and rules. It is down to the assessors to ensure that all referees uphold the rules of the game fairly and consistently. Assessors run training camps and produce training literature for referees.

    Development

    • No matter how well trained the referees are, they are always working constantly to improve. Changes to rules and best practice happen frequently in soccer and new ideas are often piloted at amateur level, so referees at all levels of the game must constantly develop and improve their skill set and knowledge base. The role of the assessor is to ensure that all referees are up to date with the rules and are refereeing in the best possible way.

    Recruitment

    • Assessors are responsible for identifying and recruiting potential future professional referees. They do this by going to lots of soccer games in their local area and assessing the performance of the referee. Promising referees are invited to take part in advanced training at the U.S Soccer Development Academy to work with professional trainers.

    Post Match Assessment

    • In top flight European soccer, there is an assessor at every game. This is because the decisions made in a game can have massive financial implications for the clubs involved. The assessor monitors the performance of the referee and submits a written report after the game to the relevant national governing body. The assessment is based on a set of core competencies including the application of law, positioning, alertness, communication and match control.

    Consultation

    • When soccer's governing bodies come together to discuss rule changes, soccer assessors play a vital role in the consultation process. They are crucial in representing the interests and views of soccer referees.

    Certification

    • According to the U.S Soccer Federation, there are 140,000 registered referees in the United States, working at varying levels of the game from amateur to elite soccer. Those that wish to advance from amateur to elite soccer must be accredited by taking part in the National Referee Assessment Program. Soccer assessors are heavily involved in this program and are on hand to help grade referees and offer feedback for improvement.