It’s an inevitable fact that in soccer referees take a lot of heat from both players and spectators alike. Surf Cup is a pressure cooker tournament, and the intensity of play and the pressure to be number one on the field is shared with the coaches and players by the referees.

Samantha Moos - Surf Cup Referee in Action

The referees of Surf Cup are some of the most professional and highest quality referees you will get in any soccer tournament. This is because Surf Cup refs are handpicked for quality and excellence through a trust based referral and interview process. The referees who come to the Surf Cup are not volunteers. It’s a little known fact, but they do pay their own way to get to the tournament. This can be a significant cost, especially to those refs who are traveling from faraway places in the U.S. and even overseas. This means that the Surf Cup gets people who are dedicated to and love the sport of soccer.

Referees include long time soccer referee veterans and relatively new but skilled younger referees. Some refs have officiated games in the MLS and major tournaments from the regional to national level. Many refs believe that the Surf Cup is one of the top two or three tournaments in the country. It offers a valuable proving ground for up and coming officials as well as a nice competitive edge to experienced ones.

“When you are a Surf Cup referee you have to be fit, you got to love the game, you got to have a passion for it, you got to do good work.” -Ali Hacock, former National Referee, current US Soccer National Assessor and Surf Cup Referee Assessor.

There are a couple of key characteristics that refs need to exhibit if they are going to be successful at the tournament. They need to love the game of soccer, show personality, be fit and healthy and show passion by letting everyone know that they are enjoying themselves on the field. If refs exhibit professionalism and behave well on and off the field they will prove to players, parents and coaches alike that they are good referees. Thankfully, these are very common characteristics at the Surf Cup.

Contine to Part 2 of this story.