The point of this certification is to encourage more ADULTS & PARENTS (at least 25 years old) to help grow the referee pool. The certification is ONLINE, with a reduced registration fee of $42. The good part for parents is they can do so completely online, at their leisure, with a confirmation process built-in to ensure they have met all the requirements. Once they do, a badge will be mailed to their home. It was originally intended that these Grade 9 Parents be an Asst Referee on their own kid's game, but that is not a requirement. Grade 9s are eligible to center Academy U7/8 games and serve as Asst Referees (ARs) on any U9-19 games - at a play level deemed appropriate by the Referee Assignor.
Ideally, it would be great if each team had two parents certify to help relieve the referee shortage we have seen coming and are trying to overcome. In addition, it is hoped that having trusted people as officials will assist with controlling sideline behavior for a team with which they have a relationship.