What are the different Grades and Clinics like?
USSF has authorized several entry level referee grades depending upon the interests of the candidate. The grades and their clinic requirements are: Grade 8: Referee The Grade 8 Referee is a fully qualified soccer official who can act as a Referee or Assistant Referee on youth games of all sizes and ages, although they usually start out with the younger age groups and advance based on experience and skill. This advancement is normally accompanied by an advancement in Grade as well. The Grade 8 Referee clinic (often called the Entry Level Clinic) is a 16-hour course. Candidates are required to attend all sessions to be eligible to take the written examination; if a session is missed at one clinic, it may be taken at another. Normally, several different instructors will teach during the clinic. The course is comprehensive, and covers everything from the size of the ball to who calls the coin toss before overtime. Besides just covering the Laws of the Game, the course also covers the histo
