A young man and a young girl playing floor hockey indoors. The man is wearing a black and white striped shirt, and the girl has a red sports jersey. They are high-fiving or making contact with their hands while holding hockey sticks. The background has a blue wall and some sports equipment.

Paid Referee Jobs for Teens — Ages 12 and Up

Sunday Funday Sports hires teen referees, ages 12 and up, to officiate youth games on Sundays in Darien and Downers Grove, Illinois.

Refs earn $15–$21 an hour based on experience, work one Sunday shift per week, and get paid training — no experience needed.

It's a flexible first job that also earns community service hours, perfect for high-school students.

Group of young children gathered outdoors on a Sunday Funday Sports field, raising their hands, with a few older kids, possibly coaches or teachers, standing among them.

The Perks

$15-$21/hour

Four hour Sunday shift

9 week seasons - pick one or stack year-round

Community service hours available

What You’ll Do

Run the game clock

Enforce the “Fun & Fair” rules

Keep players safe

Record the score

Model great sportsmanship

Check in with Head Ref

We’ll Train You

Never refereed? No worries! A one-hour clinic + rule video gets you field ready. We also pair new refs with a veteran referee.

Who Can Apply

Age 12+

Comfortable running/jogging 4x50-min games

Pass a quick background check (18+ only)

Attend ONE preseason rules clinic

Seasons & Sports

Fall—NFL Flag Football

Winter—NHL Street Floor Hockey

Spring—WIFFLE® Ball

Summer—Young3 3-on-3 Basketball

New to Sunday Funday Sports?

See our leagues, read our story on the About page, or learn how to start a league in your area.

Sunday Funday Sports hires and trains teen referees ages 12 and up for paid Sunday shifts at Hinsdale South High School in Darien and Downers Grove South High School. Refs 16 and older can start right away — no work permit needed. Refs 14–15 need a free work permit from their school, and we provide the hire letter that starts the process. Under Illinois's youth-sports officiating law, 12- and 13-year-olds can ref too, with a parent or designated adult present at games. It's one day a week, real leadership training, and a real paycheck.

Teen Referee Jobs — Questions

  • Yes! Request to be scheduled together.

  • We schedule your ref shifts around your game time.

  • Twelve and up. Illinois law allows not-for-profit youth clubs like ours to employ youth sports officials as young as 12, with specific safeguards built in. Refs who are 16 or older can start right away. Refs who are 12–15 work under a school-issued employment certificate (work permit).

  • $15–$21 an hour based on experience, for one four-hour shift on Sundays. You pick a season or stack them year-round.

  • No — a one-hour clinic plus a rules video gets you field-ready, and we pair new refs with a veteran.

  • Yes. If you need service hours for school, we can document them — just let us know when you apply.

  • If you're 16 or older, no. If you're 12–15, yes — Illinois requires an employment certificate issued through your school or school district. It's free, and we make it easy: Sunday Funday Sports gives you the letter of intent to hire, and you bring it to your school's issuing officer with a parent and proof of age. Permits are good for one year.

  • Games are on Sundays only. Refs under 16 work shifts up to 4 hours, which keeps everyone comfortably inside Illinois's limits for young officials. Refs 16 and older can pick up longer Sunday shifts.

  • For our 12- and 13-year-old officials, yes — Illinois law requires a parent, guardian, or an adult the parent designates to be present at the games while the young official is working. For refs 14 and up, no.