Memorial Day Tournament

US Officials are one of America’s largest referee platforms. Based in Massachusetts, they run a number of tournaments and events in different US states.

Many of their events take part in or around the city of Boston, Massachusetts at Memorial Day, the US festivity at the end of May.

2023 will be the 3rd time Referee Abroad partners with US Officials for tournaments in the Boston area.

All referees who referee adult football and who are 18 years of age or over are welcome to apply for the US Officials Memorial Day Tournament.

All selected referees stay at the same accommodation in the vicinity of the fields. Free water and Gatorade are offered on the fields and during games.

Referees will instead be responsible for getting to/from the pitches. If a group is organized, renting a car might be the most viable of ways to get there given the lack of public transport in the area.

Referees will also receive a travel stipen. The approximate amount of such stipend will be known only at the end of the tournament, but it will be a couple of hundred dollars which will help them cover the cost of their flights.

Please note – in order to receive money from the tournament, you’ll need to apply for the appropriate VISA (B1/B2). People who travel on the “Esta program” (visa waiver) will not be paid. We will not be able to sponsor VISAs for referees whose nationalities require an official invitation to attend.

Please notice that each selected referee will need to submit the following documents in order to be officially accepted for the event:

– Copy of passport and VISA (if applicable);
– Copy of referee card/licence;
– Letter from home federation granting permission to referee and summary of referee experience;
– Official USSF application to referee in the USA (this will be sent to you to submit);
– Proof of background check;
– Safesport training certificate (an access code to take the test will be sent to you).

Until all paperwork is approved your participation will not be officially confirmed.

All accepted referees will be accommodated free of charge in close proximity to the fields in Rhode Island and/or Massachusetts.

Referees will be able to check-in on the Friday, and check-out on the Monday after the end of the event.

Referees can expect free accommodation based on double or triple occupancy in the same room. They will be accommodated in a hotel together with the other fellow referees.

New England is a six-state region in the northeast corner of the United States of America. It is one of the oldest settled parts of the US.

Centered around the city of Boston (one of America’s finest, a must visit!), New England roughly covers thje area of the original colonies and is, as such, America’s oldest region. There are many historical sights in New England, including many colleges, universities, monuments and architecture. Yale University in New Haven and Harvard University and MIT in Cambridge, MA are destinations, offering a variety of interesting museums, as well as nonstop cultural activities.

In its small area New England packs a lot of natural beauty. Highlights would include: pastoral villages with white-steepled churches throughout rural New England; sandy beaches and moorlands along the southern coastal area of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and adjacent islands; the more rugged rocky coast and cliffs of Maine; the nearly alpine scenery of Vermont, northern New Hampshire, and western Maine; and dense forests everywhere.

While New England is served by many international airports. most international travellers arrive via its main gateway, which is Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). Most European airlines have direct flights into Boston and fly there daily. Examples are British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and many others. Many low-cost airlines and Canadian airlines also fly to the city which is the US’s closest main city to continental Europe.

If one wants to combine a visit to this tournament with a trip to some of America’s other major cities on the East Coast, flying into New York or Washington could also be considered. From New York or Washington, Boston can easily be reached by either driving, bus (Megabus or other companies) or train (Amtrak). The Acela Express runs high-speed service between Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, departing roughly hourly.