A crew from the 1997 USA Cup Tournament in the "alternate" fuscia jerseys.

A soccer referee's uniform consists of the following items:

Jersey

There are two colors approved for use by USSF referees, basic black, and the "cup" style fuscia.  Both are pictured on this page.  Note that many of the equipment suppliers also sell the "cup" style jersey in other colors (gold, white, teal).  You'll see FIFA referees doing World Cup and other league matches in these colors, but they're not approved for use by the USSF.  (Down here in New Orleans, some referees wear the other colors for high school matches, since they're working for the NF during those matches rather than USSF).  If you're serious about being a referee, you'll want to buy both black and fuscia.  Bring both out with you to the pitch, and you'll be able to coordinate with the others in the crew.

Tony Whatt (SOCREF-L's man from Down Under), in Basic Black,   posing with the U16 champs from USA Cup 1997.

Shorts

Plain black shorts.  No striping, piping, or other ornamentation.  

Socks

Black, with three white stripes on the top.  Company logos allowed, (such as the classic Adidas logo), but plain socks preferred.

Boots

All black.  Company logos in other colors allowed.  Depending on the local weather and field conditions, you may need more than one pair of boots.   Here in southern Louisiana, the pitch conditions can range from rock-hard and burned, dry grass in the summer to swampy in the late Winter and early Spring.  I have a pair of cleats for the damp/muddy days and a pair of Umbro Elite Turf boots for the dry days.

Of course, which boots are right for you is a very personal decision.   There have been discussions on SOCREF-L about whether running shoes are appropriate referee attire, what makes comfortable boots for tired old feet, etc.  If you're coming to refereeing as a player or coach, you may already have a pair of cleats that will be just right for your referee duties.  That was me--my black Adidas cleats were just fine, but I usually wore a beat-up pair of white, cross-training Reeboks on dry days.   So, I ordered my Umbro boots from TSI, and I'm very happy with them.

Badge

Referee shirts usually have a Velcro patch on the right breast where you can affix the badge from the association for whom you're working.  For most of us, this means our USSF or AYSO badge.  If you're working high school matches as well, you'll also have a badge for your state's athletic association. 

Your referee badge conveys several things to everyone when you walk out on the pitch.  First, it tells everyone who is backing you up--USSF, AYSO, state high school association, etc.  This is important from a legal standpoint.  A badge of the appropriate grade and for the current year is like an ID card.  Without it, a coach would very much be within his/her rights to wonder where you came from.   Second, many badges also indicate your skill level.  There have been some amusing stories told on SOCREF-L about the reactions of others when experienced referees show up at youth matches with their national badges.  Third, your badge should be a source of pride.  You completed that Grade 8 clinic and passed the test.  Not anyone can do that!

Side note on badges:  If you want to see what badges from other parts of the country/world look like, check out Gene Hirschman's Badges of the World page.

Your uniform is important, but you'll need a few other items of Equipment before you head out for the pitch.

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Photos on this page courtesy of Tony Whatt.

Referee Uniforms on the Web

Law Five
Regarded by many as the best quality uniforms for soccer referees.

Official Sports
Another producer of quality referee uniforms.  Many on SOCREF-L are of the opinion that Law Five jerseys last longer (don't fade, etc.) than OSI, but if you look at both jerseys side-by-side, they're both excellent quality

TSI
I bought my Umbro boots and a World Cup polo shirt from TSI's website.  Had no problems at all doing business with them.   Worth checking out.  They sell Law Five jerseys as well.

Eurosport
Another major supplier.  Sells Law Five, lots of lines of boots.  I've ordered from their catalog (not on-line) with success.

Soccer4All
Store in Houston that sells the Umbro Libra kit you see MLS and A-League referees wear.  It's expensive and not authorized by USSF, but it's still a cool-looking kit.

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