Thank you for your interest in refereeing high school soccer and becoming a member of CSOA. Below are the necessary steps that you must follow to become a member. 

High School varsity soccer is roughly equivalent to U-17 and U-19 club soccer and Junior-Varsity is roughly equivalent to U-15 and U-16.  We strongly recommend that you have several seasons of experience refereeing soccer before you register and certify for high school soccer.

Register with VHSL - Registration for soccer is on-line and takes place starting in July.  The registration fee this year is $45.00 including insurance unless you registered for another VHSL sport, in which case you will pay $30.  Since there is no reciprocity, if you register in another state you will still have to pay for Virginia registration.  A NFHS Rules book will be provided when you have registered.

VHSL Registration:  https://whistleapp.vhsl.org/accounts/login/?next=/dashboard/

Complete the mandatory VHSL Rules Clinic and take the National Federation High School Exam – The exam is administered on-line; guidance will be provided. To prepare for the exam, review the NFHS Rules book. it is vital that you read the play rulings throughout the Rules book.  The vast majority of the questions on the test are taken directly from the play rulings or the text of the rule.  If you take the exam in another state or the District of Columbia in the fall, notify the Secretary/Treasurer so that your test score can be transferred to VHSL. 

In 2026, the mandatory rules clinic and annual CSOA business meeting will be in-person.  It will be held at South County Secondary School on January 31 at 8:00 AM.  

There is an orientation session for referees new to CSOA following the main part of the clinic.  We provide breakfast and offer important information related to refereeing high school matches, such as points of emphasis. Vendors of referee gear will also be in attendance. The clinic is mandatory for all CSOA referees so please plan ahead.

You need to keep your availability current so that your assignor can begin to assign games immediately following the clinic and throughout the season. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AS YOUR AVAILABILITY CHANGES YOU MUST UPDATE YOUR AVAILABILITY IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ASSIGNOR GETS YOU THE GAMES THAT YOU CAN DO.

CSOA refs also do scrimmages for the high schools as a way to knock the rust off from the winter. It is expected that each ref will volunteer to do two scrimmages. Check in with the assignor at the Clinic/Business Meeting to sign up for scrimmages.