Officials Portal Primer

Created by Sandra Serafini, Modified on Tue, 23 Sep at 9:49 AM by Sandra Serafini

Welcome Ref Insight Officials,

This Ref Insight Officials Primer will help you get onboarded and set your availability as matches get started and assignments are released to you. See below for answers to your Frequently Asked Questions.

You can also review our comprehensive Officials Onboarding Guide for additional information.

Activate your account

All referees receive an invitation to activate their Ref Insight account by account administrators. This invitation is sent to the email address provided by your association or assignor. For U.S. Soccer officials, it is the email address used in the U.S. Soccer Learning Center.

The first step for you is activating your account.

If you cannot find the invitation email that was sent to your inbox, check your junk or spam folders. The invitation will come from the address update@mail.refinsight.com. Guidance on how to add an email address to a safe sender list for your email client can be found here.

If you still cannot find your invitation, here is how you can retrieve it:

Go the Ref Insight Officials Portal login page (https://app.refinsight.com/officials), and click on the Activate my Account button.
Enter your Last Name and Email Address and click the Search button. If you have been sent an invitation but not activated your account, you can get a new activation link sent to your email address. Ref Insight uses the same email address that you use in the US Soccer Learning Center to send the initial invitation.

See the Account Activation Tutorials in our helpdesk for step-by-step instructions.

Login to your Account

Go the Ref Insight Officials Portal login page (https://app.refinsight.com/officials), enter your email address used to activate your account and your password. Click Sign In.

See the Login to the Ref Insight Officials Portal tutorial in our helpdesk for step-by-step instructions.

Ref Insight App

You can receive push notifications, manage your availability, accept/decline your matches, and more through the Ref Insight App. Officials can download the App from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).

See the Download/Install the Ref Insight App article in our helpdesk for additional information

Availability and Blockouts

Ref Insight offers two availability management approaches: 1. Add Blockouts, or 2. Declare Availability.

Add Blockouts

This method is best for Officials who are usually available. It uses the assumption that the official is available for assignments unless blocked. Block out unavailable times like school hours (8am-3pm weekdays), family vacations, SAT test dates, or conflicting commitments. You can set up your blockouts in bulk for school or work schedules, for a range of dates, or specific dates, with options for all-day or partial-day blocks.

This method:

Maximizes assignment opportunities
Requires regular calendar maintenance to avoid declining matches
Is good for building experience quickly

Add Available Times

This method is best for Officials with limited availability. It uses the assumption that the official is unavailable for assignments unless declared available. Mark specific times when available, like Saturday mornings only or specific weekends.

This method:

Gives more flexibility around school commitments
Requires regular calendar maintenance to receive assignment opportunities
Is good for testing interest level

Please see the Availability and Blockouts tutorials and support articles in our helpdesk for guidance and step-by-step instructions.

The recommendation is to update your availability each week or whenever your availability changes.

Accept or Decline Matches and Other Actions

Referees receive emails and push notifications in the Ref Insight App when an assignment is received. To accept or decline your matches or take other actions such as getting directions to the site, contacting your assignor, or contacting your crew, see the Accepting/Declining Matches and Other Actions tutorial in our helpdesk.

Help the assignors help you by keeping your blockouts up to date and responding to assignments in a timely fashion.

Payment Account Setup

Payment methods for referee assignments vary by club, league, competition, and tournament. Some pay cash at the field, others pay by check, Venmo, or alternative electronic payment systems. Others use Ref Insight Pay to facilitate paying referees electronically.

Ref Insight Pay -- Our electronic payment system streamlined for officials. Simply go to the Ref Insight Pay tab in your app and enter your banking information and Tax ID. Click here for a tutorial on entering this information correctly.

Again, not all clubs, leagues, competitions, or tournaments pay referees electronically or use Ref Insight Pay to pay referees. Check with your assignor for information on how your matches are being paid (cash, check, Ref Insight Pay, other). This information can often be found within the match details of your assignment. Your payment history can be found in the Payments tab of the app.