Ref Uniforms

Do I have to throw out all of my referee jerseys and buy new ones?

No. The previous jersey design is perfectly acceptable. You should not feel obligated to discard these still-approved referee jerseys in order to purchase the new design. Purchases of the new uniform may be made when you need a new jersey or you want to add an additional color. This is also true for the socks.

What if I show up to a game and I have a referee jersey that is the previous design and the referee, or referees, I am working with has a referee jersey that is the new design?

You may all work the game in the jerseys you have. It is acceptable if one or two referees have the previous design and the others have the new design. It is more important that they be the same color. A referee assessor may not deduct points for a crew that has mismatched uniform designs, provided that the uniforms feature approved designs and are the same color.

Will there come a time when the new jersey design will be the only design that will be recognized by U.S. Soccer?

There is no date set, and no plans to set a date, by which the old jerseys will be “phased out.” To be clear, both the old and new designs comply with the “Standards of Dress and Appearance” listed in the referee administrative handbook – the only differences are aesthetic. For the old jerseys to be phased out, it would require a change to these Standards, and U.S. Soccer would not make such a change without providing a fair amount of lead time to the entire referee community. It should be noted, however, that OSI has ceased manufacturing the previous design.

Will the new design be the only design accepted at USYS or USASA regional and national competitions?

No. Again, the parameters for referee uniforms are set by U.S. Soccer and approved by its Board. Both the old and new design meet the standards set by U.S. Soccer, and its organizational members have a responsibility