Referee Procedures for Regular Season Competition
Florida Club Leagues (“FCL”) is the state’s top youth soccer leagues, including the following levels of competition for both boys and girls, the ECNL RL, NPL, Local Premier Leagues and The FCL Academy. As the top competition platform in the state, FCL requires the top referees in the country.
Thank you for accepting the assignment to referee in the FCL.
Below is general information and rules applicable to FCL competition:
Game Ball
- U13-U18/U19 – Size 5 (provided by the home team)
- U9-U12 – Size 4 (provided by the home team)
- COVID Protocol: The home team should sanitize the match balls before and after each match.
Game Length
- U8, U9 & U10: 25 minute halves
- U11, U12: 30 minute halves
- U13: 35 minute halves
- U14, U15 & U16: 40 minute halves
- U17 & U18/U19: 45 minute halves
- Referees should provide appropriate stoppage time in every game.
Substitutions, Check In & Passcard Handling
- Each player, coach and staff on the bench should have an US Club passcard.
- The FCL allows up to three (3) U15 Trapped Players to participate in U14 FCL NPL Competition ONLY during their sanctioned high school season. Please reference Rule 7.8 for more information.
- ECNL RL and NPL – U13-U18/U19: FIFA, seven (7) per half. Players may not re-enter in the same half.
- Local Premier Leagues: Unlimited substitutions.
Below is a template of the ECNL passcard (the only passcard acceptable for ECNL competition):
Rosters, Reports and Passcards
- The home team should provide an FCL Match Report* to the referee. Only eighteen (18) players are eligible for the match. These 18 must be indicated on the Match Report. Age-appropriate players that are not pre-printed on the roster may not be hand-written on the roster without written notification by FCL.
- At the conclusion of the game, after the match report has been completed and signed by the referee, the referee should give the game report back to the home team. The home team is responsible for uploading the match report and reporting the score in GotSport and/or Athlete One/TGS.
Uniforms
Standard Policy
Home Team: light shirt, light socks, any short | Away Team: dark shirt, dark socks, any shorts
Two Game / Travel Weekend
Game #1 (Saturday) – Home Team: light shirt, light socks, any short | Away: dark shirt, dark socks, any shorts
Game #2(Sunday) – Home Team: dark shirt, dark socks, any short | Away: light shirt, light socks, any shorts
In event of a conflict the AWAY team will be required to change
Fees
Referees should arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to scheduled kick off time.
Game fees should be paid to referees no later than immediately after the game. The home team is responsible for payment:
- U17, U18/U19 Fees: $100 to referee and $75 to each assistant referee.
- U14, U15, & U16: $85 to referee and $60 to each assistant referee.
- U13: $80 to referee and $60 to each assistant referee.
- U11 & U12: $60 to center referee and $40 to each assistant referee.
- U8, U9 & U10: $50 to center referee.
More information is available on Referee Pay Structure page
Red Cards
The referee reports all red cards with corresponding documentation immediately following the game to redcard@floridaclubleagues.com. The referee assignor should also be included. The report should include age group, teams, player(s) sent off, the offense, and referee’s name, email and phone number. Referees should not keep player passes for players that are sent off, they should be returned to the coach or team manager. Please use this supplemental referee report and submit it with the above information to the FCL.
COVID Recommendations
- Each referee should bring their own equipment (flags, uniforms, etc.). Please do not share equipment.
- Hydration Breaks: Should your match have a hydration break due to temperature index, players may leave the field to collect their personal water bottle for hydration. Substitutes/Coaches should not share or handoff water bottles.
- Referees should bring their own hydration. There will be no water coolers with water or sport srinks on the sidelines.
- All referees should perform a self-temperature check prior to leaving for the match.
- If a referee has a temperature over 100 degrees, they should not referee the match
- If a referee feels sick or has any symptoms of COVID-19, they should not referee the match
- If a referee has had close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, the referee should not referee the match
- There should be no international walkouts. Players, staff, and referees should maintain social distancing on the bench or whenever not participating in the game.
- If a referee has contact with someone who has COVID-19, they should report that to their local referee assignor.