Pay, schedule, gear, where to park, what to wear, who to call when something goes sideways. The questions every new referee asks, answered in one place. If your question isn't here, email Commissioner Keith.
Email Commissioner Keith Marsicola at socfnl@hotmail.com. He'll reply within a day or two with the training link, the rulebook, and an offer to pair you with a senior ref for a Friday shadow night. From shadow night to first paid game is usually 1–2 weeks.
No. Most of the South OC FNL crew started with no officiating background. The 6-module training track is built for first-time refs. If you've played football, watched a lot of football, or just want to be on the field on Friday nights, you're a fit.
That said — if you've reffed before, even at the rec level, you'll move through the training faster and likely start at a higher division.
The crew is mostly adults, but we welcome high-school-age refs (15+) on the K and 1/2 division games. If you're under 18, a parent will need to sign your onboarding paperwork and the league pays via a parent-supplied form. Reach out to Keith — same email — and he'll walk through the specifics.
The 6-module training track takes about 4–5 hours total and is self-paced. Most refs work through it in 2–3 evenings. After that, you'll do two Friday shadow nights with a senior ref before getting on the schedule for paid games.
Every game is on Friday night at the Lake Forest Sports Park. The Spring season runs late February through late May. The Fall season runs September through November. Games typically start at 5:00 PM on the grass fields and 4:45 PM on the turf, and the last games kick around 8:05–8:20 PM.
Most refs work 3–6 games on a Friday, depending on availability. You tell Keith which Fridays you can work and how many games you want — he builds the schedule around availability.
Pay is per game and depends on your certification level. Rookies start at the entry pay band; Certified, Senior, and Crew Chief refs each step up. Pay is direct deposit, processed monthly. The exact rates are sent to you when you onboard.
The league's official line, which is true: "Great Pay, Lots of Fun." Most refs working a full Friday slate of 4–6 games walk out with a meaningful check.
No. Submit your availability week by week. There are refs who work every Friday and refs who work two Fridays a season — both are appreciated. The schedule gets built every Sunday for the upcoming Friday.
If you've committed to a game and need to drop, give Keith as much notice as possible — same-day cancellations make it hard to find a replacement.
The City of Lake Forest makes the final call on field closures. Check the Mudline after 2 PM on game day — link is in every weekly dispatch. If games are called, refs are not paid for the game, but the league sometimes runs a Sunday make-up Friday — keep an eye on email.
Standard black-and-white officials' jersey (short or long sleeve). Black athletic shorts or pants. Black socks. Black athletic shoes. The league sells branded FNL ref jerseys at cost on Friday nights at the Tent. First-season refs are reimbursed up to $50 for kit costs — submit receipts.
Required: a pealess whistle on a lanyard (Fox 40 or equivalent) and a yellow penalty flag. Recommended: a stopwatch, a bean bag for spotting, and a bottle of water. The league supplies the field, the cones, the down marker, and the down-and-distance equipment.
Two-whistle system. One referee on the line of scrimmage, one as back judge / downfield. The crew rotates positions between games. K and 1/2 division games sometimes work with one ref plus a coach-in-the-pocket helper — Keith assigns based on the night.
Three-step script. (1) Repeat the call once, calmly. (2) "Coach, the call stands. We need to play." (3) Walk to the next spot and start the play clock. If they follow you, call (don't text) Commissioner Keith or Head Ref Jerry. One of us will come to the field. You will not be left alone with a conduct issue.
For a deeper read on this, see Dispatch 02 from April 20, 2026 in the dispatches archive.
Two zones on the field: one at midfield, one at the 5-yard line of each end zone. Inside these zones, the offense cannot run the ball — it must be a pass play. If the ball-carrier crosses the no-run line with the ball (including QB scrambles past the LOS), it's a dead-ball penalty: loss of down at the original spot.
This is the most-missed call by rookie refs. Mark the lines pre-game with the cones and stay locked on them.
If one team has 8+ players and the other has 7, the team with 7 picks a player on the larger team who must sit one quarter. The larger team's coach picks which quarter. You ask the question pre-game — "How many players do you have tonight, coach?" Don't rely on the coaches to bring it up.
If the rule isn't invoked pre-game and is recognized later, the larger team's coach can still pick the player who must sit. Five-minimum to play the game at all.
Lake Forest Sports Park. Multiple grass and turf fields, all walkable from the central parking. Field assignments are posted weekly — check the schedule the day-of and check in at the FNL Tent at the Snack Bar before your first game.
The FNL Tent, located at the Snack Bar. Sign in, grab your assignment sheet, and head to your field. Keith and Jerry are at the tent most of Friday night — that's where you go for medallions, paperwork, and any escalations.
For a rule question or an issue with a coach, parent, or player: call (don't text) Commissioner Keith. If Keith isn't reachable, call Head Referee Jerry. One of them will come to your field if a phone call doesn't resolve it. Both numbers are in the weekly dispatch and the welcome email.
The Spring playoffs are on May 8 (single elimination, six rounds, 8-minute quarters) and Championship Friday is May 15 (Quarters through Finals, 10-minute quarters). Senior and Crew Chief refs get the championship games. If you're a Rookie or Certified ref, you'll work May 8 and a junior playoff game on May 15.
Read Dispatch 04 for the full playoff Friday breakdown.
The official South OC FNL rulebook is on the league site at southocfnl.com under "Rules." It's also pinned in the welcome email Keith sends new refs. The Playoff Addendum is published mid-April every year and emailed to the full crew.
No. FNLref.com is an unofficial resource for the South OC FNL referee crew. It's modeled on FNLcoach.com, which is the unofficial coach's resource for the same league. Both sites pull from the official league at southocfnl.com — and we link to the official rules and the official site for anything authoritative.