1 - The System

Ref Centre is an online referee assignment service with one purpose: to make referee assignment as easy and hassle free as possible to all parties involved.

Ref Centre offers the tools for administrators to automate and verify the entire assignment process and for referees to manage their game preferences and schedules. The end result is that game officials are appointed to appropriate games consistently, fairly, and reliably.

The Ref Centre system uses this website (www.refcentre.com) as an access point. Game officials and administrators (the users) access the service through a user login, which brings them to their respective account pages. This is where they access their Ref Centre tools and features.

At the heart of the system is a database that drives both the administrator and referee tools. Data is shared between both user types via this database; so when information is updated by one user, the result is immediately reflected in the other user's view. For example, as soon as a referee accepts a game assignment offering, the administrator will immediately see this change.

The Ref Centre database can also be integrated with other E2E Soccer products for a total end-to-end soccer management solution, giving soccer organizations the ability to provide the highest level of service to its members.

2 - The Process

Referees are invited to register with the Ref Centre (website) where they are asked for their contact information and preferences regarding fields and the leagues they would like to officiate in. Referees only need to register with Ref Centre once.

Registered referees will be able to log into the site and indicate their availability using Ref Centre’s calendaring tool.

The administrator responsible for referee assignment can upload league schedules into the Ref Centre database. After approving the referees for the league and verifying which divisions each referee can officiate in, the administrator can begin appointing the appropriate game officials for each game in the schedule. This ensures that referees of a particular ability level can only officiate in games they are qualified for.

Assignment administrators have two methods available for assigning game officials: assignment on a game by game basis (manual method), or batch assignment of multiple games (automated method). Typically, the automated method is used to assign all games in a month and can be completed in just a few minutes – a process that used to take several days, and many phone calls and emails before Ref Centre.

Once an assignment is made, the referee is notified by email of an invitation to officiate. The referee is directed to their personal, Ref Centre web account to accept or decline the invitation. Once accepted, a permanent record of the game assignment is made in the Ref Centre database. To prevent referees from “shopping” for preferred games, referees who refuse an invitation become unavailable for another game assignment in that timeslot, unless they are released by the assignment administrator.

During any season there will always be cancellations from referees. When cancellations occur, the system can automatically find a replacement or the administrator can choose to manually reassign the game.

The Ref Centre process ensures that correct referees are assigned to games quickly and efficiently; to the benefit of leagues, referees and players alike.

3 - Proxy Users

In a perfect world, all referees would have internet access. Unfortunately, this is not the case; there will always be individuals who either cannot, or refuse to access the internet. However, this does not prevent you from using Ref Centre!

To overcome this problem, we have developed a series of online proxy tools, allowing the assignment administrator to act on behalf of the referee. For the few offline referees, the administrator can accept or decline games on the referee’s behalf through Ref Centre, then mail their game schedules to them.

4 – Integration

Ref Centre is just one of four products from E2E Soccer. The other three are League Centre, Tournament Centre and Club Centre.

Even though Ref Centre is an effective, stand-alone product, it can add extra value when integrated with one or more of our other products. By using a shared database, data can be exchanged in any direction, seamlessly and instantly, between all E2E Soccer products.

Using Ref Centre in conjunction with League Centre (our league management system), as an example, would allow an organization to streamline their organizational processes by having instant updates in one system when data is added or changed in the other. For example:

Changes to game schedules, made in League Centre, are immediately reflected in Ref Centre and any affected game officials are notified of the change

Referees accepting game invitations in Ref Centre, are instantly added to the League Centre website’s game preview, showing the accepted official for the game

League administrators can view online game reports that referees have submitted on Ref Centre. This provides leagues with the ability to carry out discipline hearings quickly and efficiently

Our integrated solution can offer a soccer organization an efficient and reliable system.

5 – Features

Referee Features

Scheduling

Monthly calendar allows referees to indicate their availability

Preview of each game assigned to a referee

Field directions and maps

Transfer last minute cancellations from other referees

Game Reporting

Submit game scores online

Submit red and yellow card reports online

Administrator Features

Assignment

Assign officials on a game by game basis (manual assignment)

Batch assignment of multiple games (automated assignment)

Matching referee profiles to game suitability (division, location, etc.)

Schedule

Import schedules from Microsoft Excel

Monthly or weekly views of schedules

Modify schedules as needed (e.g. change kick off time)

Add or delete games as needed

Communication

System generated emails notify officials of schedule changes

Email all, or just select groups of referees in your database (e.g. youth referees only)

Post and manage news articles to your referees’ account homepage

Payment

Calculate monthly payments for each referee

Create complete payrolls for all games in a month

Calculate total, seasonal referee payments

Integrate with a direct deposit banking system

Add additional payments on a game-by-game basis (e.g. travel reimbursement)

Proxy

Act as a proxy for referees without internet access

Submit game reports on their behalf

Accept or decline games on their behalf

Reports

Ref Centre can generate numerous reports to help with your refereeing program