Why upgrade?
 

All referees affiliated with FIFA have a designated referee grade. A list of grades managed by SOTN is given here. Each grade has a recommended assignment level. Most referees begin as grade 8s or 9s, which are the two entry-level grades in Tennessee.

To seek the pinnacle of any profession is a journey in self motivation. Officiating at a competitive level can be a rewarding experience. As the game evolves, assignors are assigning higher-level matches based on the grade of the official. The goal in Tennessee is to increase the pool of grade-7 and higher officials, which should increase the interaction among referees across the State and bring about a higher level of officiating.

 

The upgrade process
 

(To upgrade form grade 9 to grade 8, you need only to take and pass the Bridge Class. You may ignore everything else that follows.)

For a smooth transition in the upgrade process, work closely with your District Referee Administrator (DRA), who will guide you with specifics in your individual effort. Additionally, specific information regarding game logs and qualified games may be obtained in the USSF Referee Administrative Handbook.

You must first be accepted into the upgrade program. To apply for this, please fill out the request-to-enter-the-upgrade-program form and your game log, and send them to the ASRA (EMAIL with attachments is the preferred method):

          bnr48@charter.net

          Brady N. Robinson
          Attn: Referee Program
          603 Westchester Place
          Clarksville TN, 37043
          (931) 801-8142 // 270-956-4587 fax

You will be notified whether your request is approved. If it is, you will have one year to complete the requirements shown in the following table.

 

Upgrade Requirements
(once you are in the upgrade program)
Grade 8 to 7
  1. Attend an Intermediate Clinic. SOTN's primary Intermediate Clinic is offered in the Nashvill area in August. Two make-up clinics (one in the west and one in the east) are offered in the Nov-to-Dec time frame.
  2. Pass the Grade 7/8 Refresher Exam with a score of 85% or better
  3. Pass the Physical Fitness Test
  4. Pass an upgrade assessment on a competitive U17 or above game. The game and assessor must be approved by your Assistant State Director of Assessment (ASDA).

As you complete each of the above requirements, notify the ASRA Brady N. Robinson.
Grade 7 to 6
  1. Attend an Advanced Clinic. SOTN offers one Advanced Clinic each year.
  2. Pass the State Refresher Exam with a score of 75% or better
  3. Pass the Physical Fitness Test
  4. Officiate at the TSSA Boys D-1 State Championship
  5. Pass two field assessments as referee:
    -- one must be D-2 adult or higher and
    -- the other must be U19 competitive league or higher Pass one field assessment as assistant referee
    -- U19 competitive league or higher
    The games and assessors must be approved by your Assistant State Director of Assessment (ASDA).

As you complete each of the above requirements, notify the ASRA Brady N. Robinson.
Grade 6 to 5
  1. Attend an Advanced Clinic. SOTN offers one Advanced Clinic each year.
  2. Pass the State Refresher Exam with a score of 85% or better
  3. Pass the Physical Fitness Test
  4. Officiate at the TSSA Boys D-1 State Championship
  5. Pass two field assessments as referee:
    -- both must be top D-1 adult or higher
    Pass one field assessment as assistant referee
    -- top D-1 adult or higher
    The games and assessors must be approved by your Assistant State Director of Assessment (ASDA).

As you complete each of the above requirements, notify the ASRA Brady N. Robinson.


 

TSSA does not establish criteria for the various levels of play within its amateur program. Instead, the classification of the various levels is left to local leagues. Clearly, what is the 'Top', 'Premier', or 'D-1' in Memphis does not exist in Clarksville. In Tennessee, whether a particular match is 'D-1' or 'D-2' as specified in the above table is determined by the State Referee Administrator (SRA). Note that this implies the following: If you need one or more assessments on a D-1 or D-2 amateur match and, in the opinion of the SRA, that level match is not available in your area, then you must travel to obtain your assessment(s).


Failure to meet the above requirements will be handled as follows.

A referee cannot upgrade without attending the appropriate clinic.

If a referee fails the refresher exam, he/she must wait 30 days before retaking it.

If a referee fails the physical fitness test, there is no waiting period before being re-assessed.

A referee cannot upgrade without officiating at the Boys D-1 State Championship.

If a referee fails an upgrade assessment, there is no waiting period before being re-assessed. For each failed assessment, however, the 'two for one' rule will apply. That is, two passing assessments are required to offset each failing assessment.

 

The cost of midyear upgrades
 

If you have completed all requirements for upgrade, you may upgrade either at the start of the next calendar year or ASAP. The ASAP upgrade is referred to as an administrative or midyear upgrade. The cost of a midyear upgrade is given by the following:

Cost of midyear upgrade = Difference in registration fees between your current grade and the one you are upgrading to + $10  

What follows are the costs of the different midyear upgrades:

-- Upgrade from grade 9 to grade 8: $23 = $13 + $10
-- Upgrade from grade 8 to grade 7: $10 = $ 0 + $10
-- Upgrade from grade 7 to grade 6: $37 = $27 + $10
-- Upgrade from grade 6 to grade 5: $10 = $ 0 + $10