Vail Valley Soccer Club

Greetings to all and welcome back to the returning referees!  We are most honored that you are considering joining us for an exciting weekend of soccer in a beautiful mountain setting when the tree leaf colors are changing.

It is the Cup’s 12^th Anniversary and we are growing! This year is the offering of U15/16G non-Premier divisions and we are very excited about it. Each year 100+ Challenge and Classic level teams converge in the Valley for a soccer showdown, which also attracts referees of all experience levels from Grade 9s to State Referees from various Colorado regions and neighboring States.

We recognize the referees’ contributions to players’ development and enjoyment of the beautiful game, which is directly linked to the Tournament’s success and reputation. As a token of our appreciation we are offering a very generous package to the Officials, including lodging arrangements for their families. (See “Lodging” below as some restrictions may apply).

The Tournament strives for excellence in refereeing and therefore, we go through great extents to offer our participating teams the best refereeing available. Every year we receive more applications to referee than needed, but even though we have a selection process, as a show of support for the USSF National Referee Development Program and its guidelines, we offer a Mentoring Program and depending on demand, we may also offer a USSF-based Referee Camp, both free of charge (read below).

We hope you decide to join us and look forward to seeing you at the pitch!

 

Sincerely,

 

Jodi Teague & Betsy Laughlin

VVC Tournament Co-Directors

 

Ivan Broce

VVC Referees Assignor

USSF Referee, Assignor, Instructor & Assessor

 

·         Free lodging (1 room per referee) for those that commit to refereeing at least 4 games per day;

·         Pay in cash at the fields for every game at the new CSYSA rate, despite shorter  match durations;

·         Complementary beverages, water, snack items, and lunch for referees working Noon games;

·         A Referee Gift to say “thank you for coming over to help out!”

GAME PAY RATE (New CSYSA Pay Rate)

 CR/AR/4^th or Stand By

·         U11/12 - ($22/$16/$11)

·         U13/14 – ($28/$22/$11)

·         U15/16 – ($39/$28/$11)

The Vail Valley Cup uses a combination of hotel and condominium units for referees lodging, but besides the Property Management Rules there is a Tournament “Lodging Policy” that all requestors must agree to, in order to be considered for complementary accommodations.

 

The complementary lodging will be allocated in the order at which the requests are received and by need (depending on how far the referee has to travel) but once the inventory is exhausted lodging may continue to be offered, possibly at a discounted rate. Once lodging has been secured for all the referees, additional room requests may be considered based on availability, but a per-night fee may apply. Some Properties charge a cleaning fee as well. A no-pet and no-smoking policy is en-force at all units/rooms. No exception!

 

Download and save in your computer a “Lodging Request form”, fill it out and send it as soon as possible to the Lodging Coordinator. We advice you do this right away to avoid miss your chances.

 

Download a Form: Scroll Down to form "Lodging Request Form"

 

The USSF registration must be current for the year. Referees new to the Vail Cup or that are not in the online system at: http://assignr.com/ need to fill out an “Application to Referee” form and send it to the Assignor (see below “Rules of Engagement”).

 

Once the Assignor receives an Application to Referee, he will send you an acknowledge receipt notice and create an online account for the Applicant; the online system will automatically generate the new login information and send it to you via email. As soon as you receive it, log-in and find your name under the “People” tab and review your profile. You will have the option of using a secondary “back-up” method for receiving your assignments/updates via text message; just select your wireless service provider from the list and reply as soon as you receive the "test text" message.

 

Returning referees w/ an existing account need to update their availability and profile as needed, and send via email to the Assignor (IvanBroce@Comcast.net) a statement of intent w/ info on “Conflict of Interest”, Transportation limitations (if any) or arrangements, any special circumstance that may affect the assignments (i.e. carpooling, etc.). Regular mailing is available for those w/o internet access

 

Download a Form: Scroll down to "Referee Application Form"

 

Mentoring Program – includes referees of all ages and Grades; experienced referees (Mentors) are assigned to work with referees interested on advancing (Mentees). A report is given to the Assignor to document the interaction and for follow ups by other Mentors. For those that are upgrading, field evaluations (RFT) may be performed –time permitting-- upon request. Depending on the Mentee’s performance, re-assignment to more challenging games may be possible. If interested, send a piece of email to the Assignor (IvanBroce@Comcast.net) and include information on your Referee plans & experience, general soccer experience (i.e. playing, coaching, etc.), a description of expectations or where you are at on your upgrading efforts.

 

Assignments - will be made and distributed via the internet online system at: www.Assignr.com . However, provisions can be made for those w/o internet access.

 

·         Preliminary assignments will come out 2 weeks before the Tournament or earlier; unless the Assignor gives you a different date, you will have until Sunday, September 25 at 9:00 pm to confirm your assignments. Every effort will be made to contact you if your assignments haven’t been confirmed by the deadline.  Otherwise, your games will be re-assigned to someone else.

·         If you confirm your assignments and changes/corrections are NOT needed, they become your “Final Assignments”;

·         After you have accepted/confirmed your assignments, we expect you to honor them! Changing your availability online after the fact, doesn’t release you from your duties. If something comes up un-expectantly, contact the Assignor as soon as possible. Ideally, before the game and with enough time to find a replacement.

 

·         It is expected that before the Tournament, everyone will have read/reviewed at a minimum:

1) the “Laws of the Game” (http://www.ussoccer.com/Referees/Laws-of-the-Game.aspx)

2) the “Tournament Rules”;

3) the “USSF 10 Directives” (http://coreferees.org/Instruction/Directives.html );

4) the “Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game” (http://www.ussoccer.com/Referees/Resource-Center/Referee-Resources/Zone-1.aspx );

5) the “Guide to Procedures”; (see link above)

 

·         We must dress, act, and look professional. Only standard USSF-approved uniform w/ predominantly black or dark shoes. The gold will be the primary color, but the crew changes as indicated by the Referee. Unless the entire crew has the same type of socks, the 3-stripe socks will be the norm for the Tournament. If wearing cold weather layers, the Referee Shirt must be the last layer;

·         Everybody must be at the Referee-Site Coordinator’s Tent at least 45 minutes, before their first game. One hour is advisable due to the shortage on parking;

·         Everybody writes during the game! The Game Card must be verified by the entire crew and the referees’ names clearly printed; incomplete Card, no pay!;

·         Please, don’t change any assignment w/o authorization from the Assignor. In case of extenuate circumstances, document the change and notify the Assignor soon after the game. Make sure to also add a note on the back of the Game Card on the reason for the change;

·         Don’t forget to smile and have fun!

 

·         Try to be as fit as possible before the Tournament to help your body cope w/ the new conditions. We will be at a higher altitude (7,900-8,500 ft) w/ thinner air. The weather could change rapidly and bring rain and turn to light wet snow, which taxes the body to keep it warm;

·         Start your hydration at least 3 days before the tournament and throughout. Introduce hydrolytes (sports drink) when you are 80-90 minutes into the games;

·         Load up on carbohydrates at least 2 hours before your first game, and eat a snack high in carbohydrates (granola bars, trail mix, peanuts, etc.) between games; especially after your last game (spaghetti?) to help your muscles recover faster. Don’t forget your banana (potassium) to avoid leg cramps;

·         Apply sun block before heading out to the fields, to allow better absorption before exposure. Re-apply as needed, especially since at higher altitude the sun rays will be more intense (sunburn combined w/ dehydrations may decrease performance by as much as 55%);

·         Assistant Referees may wear a black baseball cap during games, but not the Center Referee unless it is for medical reasons. Absolutely no sun glasses during games, unless they are prescription glasses.