Equipment and where to get it

Uniform choices are covered in Uniforms and where to buy any of this is in Where to buy. This is everything else — what actually goes in the bag.

The essentials. Without these, you can’t run the game.

Fox 40 whistle (a finger-grip model is the standard choice) — and pack a spare. Yellow and red cards. Wristwatch with a stopwatch function — pack a spare of this too. Set of AR flags (foam handle, rotating shaft, clip or Velcro) for when you’re the assistant referee. Referee wallet, usually just called a “book,” to hold your cards and notes. A coin, for the pre-game toss.

The small stuff nobody tells you to bring. None of this is required by anyone, and all of it is the reason experienced referees never get caught out.

Ball pump and air gauge — game balls show up flat more often than you’d expect. Referee notebook and a pencil, not a pen — pencil still writes on a wet page. Velcro for attaching your badge. Ziplock bags, to keep your book and any printed league rules dry. A large trash bag, to cover your gear bag on a rainy day. A towel. Water and a snack. Sunscreen and hand sanitizer. Toilet paper — fields are not always near a bathroom.

Buy a yellow jersey first. It’s your primary color, and it’s what every new-referee guide in this program tells you to get before anything else.

Add a second jersey after that — green is the standard second color. (One instructor’s advice suggests green or blue; either works, but get green if you have no other reason to choose.) You’ll want both colors in your bag before you take summer tournament assignments, which expect you to be able to switch jerseys between games.

Shorts, socks, and shoes are black regardless of which jersey you’re wearing. Black shoes matter especially once you start working competitive matches — some leagues notice.

The simplest way to get started is a referee starter kit rather than buying pieces separately. A kit bundles most of what you need — jersey, shorts, socks, and the small basics like cards — into one purchase, and it’s the most cost-efficient way in. The one common item a kit leaves out is a ball pump and gauge, so plan to add that separately.

For the complete packing list, including the small items an experienced referee carries that you haven’t thought of yet, see The full checklist. For specific vendors and a local option, see Where to buy.

A few vendors sell referee-specific gear — jerseys, cards, wallets, flags — as kits or individual pieces. For which jersey colours to buy first, see Uniforms; for the full list of what to bring to a game, see The full checklist.

Online:

• Official Sports — an official partner of U.S. Soccer.
• Referee Store
• Capelli Sport
• Amazon — good for individual accessories rather than full kits.

Local: Tursi’s Soccer, in the Portland metro area, also carries referee gear. Tursi Soccer Store has more information. Call ahead to check what they have in stock before making a trip — a small shop’s referee inventory can be thin, and a wasted drive the week before your first game is worth avoiding.

None of these list prices here on purpose: they change, and a number on this page would go stale. Check the vendor’s site for current pricing.