Yet, that is the weight many players in the Kaw Valley Soccer Association take on when they change out of their soccer uniforms and into their referee garb. More than 20 KVSA players serve double duty for the club by officiating games between younger and older players alike when they are not playing in games themselves.

KVSA director Mauro Nobre said all the league’s referees, including the ones still in its playing ranks, are hired as independent contractors and must complete a referee certification class, which is taught by a U.S. Soccer Federation certified referee trainer.

“They go through a pretty thorough course and they’re tested throughout the course on all the laws of the game and decisions from FIFA (Federation of International Association Football) on how to interpret the laws,” Nobre said of the class that tests potential officials on each of soccer’s 17 laws.

“You have to go completely through an official book,” said Gabe Ballard-Hanson, 14, who plays for the Kaw Valley Force U16 team. “You learn everything about refereeing.”

Hunter Blair, 15, who also plays for the U16 team, has played soccer since he was 5 years old and is entering his third year as a KVSA referee. He said he enjoys refereeing because it allows him to spend more time around the game and earn some extra money.

“You get to be around the game more, so you can get better by watching it,” Ballard-Hanson said.

There are other perks, too. “You can watch little kids play, which is kind of funny,” Blair said.

Young KVSA referees can officiate in matches for 8-year-olds to 18-year-olds, so it is not all fun and games. Things can get tough, especially with games between older, faster players.

“U10’s not hard at all,” Blair said. “But once you get to U14 or U15 it’s pretty difficult just because of the speed of play and the calls are more critical.”

Being a player helps.

“You kind of know what a referee’s job is before you take the job,” Ballard-Hanson said. “So you kind of know what to do already.”

Things happen fast on a large playing field and referees must maintain complete focus and make quick, fair judgments throughout a match. The toughest scenarios often involve plays where a foul might be called.

There is more to the call than determining if the ball or the player was contacted on a tackle.

“If you get fouled but the ball is played up and another person on your team gets it it’s an advantage and you don’t have to call the foul,” Blair said.

“It’s hard sometimes to decide if they should keep the ball or get a fee kick,” Ballard-Hanson added.

The hardest part of being a young referee might be dealing with the complaints of coaches, players and fans. Blair said grumblings get louder and more frequent with older teams and admitted fans can be just as ornery as players or coaches.

“You have to pretty much ignore them,” he said of the wannabe officials in the stands. “You really have to stick with what you called, or you can get pretty chewed up.”

“At first it was kind of hard, but you get used to it,” said Ballard-Hanson, who believes most fans are just mad about their team losing when they verbally attack a referee. “You realize it’s not your fault.”