PAYMENT INFORMATION
CRO MATCH & EVENT PAYROLL SET UP GUIDE
YOU MUST FILL OUT EITHER THE CRO REGISTRATION FORM OR THE MATCH PAYMENT FORM (Found below) TO RECEIVE PAYMENTS FROM CRO.
It is required by Federal and State Law that individuals have a W-9 on file with any company or organization they receive payments from. Both of the forms listed above are places that a referee can submit the W-9 to place that on file with CRO.
A list of leagues and how you will receive payment for each league is provided at the bottom of this page
Step By Step Process
1. Fill out the CRO Match Payment Form or the CRO Referee Registration Form (including payment information)
- This will confirm your payment method and place a W-9 on file with CRO.
2. Ensure your Arbiter Account has the correct Phone, Email & Home Address + Social Security # and Profile Photo - Additional Arbiter Profile Information can be found HERE
3. Ensure all match reports are completed so that matches worked can be processed for payment
4. Receive Check in the Mail or Direct Deposit AFTER you have worked your match AND filed the Arbiter Match Report once payments are processed
- Payments are processed on an approximate 15 Day Cycle
- SEE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATIONS ON PAYMENT TIMING
CRO MATCH PAYMENT FORM
With this form you will select how you want to be paid for matches you work with CRO.
CRO Payroll = Check in the Mail or Direct Deposit within 31 Days from the Date of the Match Worked
Blank W-9 : If you simply need a blank W-9 here is a PDF Copy of one:
MISSING PAYMENT INFORMATION
If you have not received a payment from a match with CRO that was refereed more than 31 days from the Date of the Match worked, click the Button above labeled “Missing Payment Inquiry Email“
This will create an email template for you to provide us with your relevant information. Sending all the information requested in that template will provide the Executive Staff with the information necessary to begin resolving any issue that may have occurred in the payment process.
If your match was NOT assigned directly by Kevin Broadley, Jeremy Mikell, Colin Ashley, Lou Friedman, Robert Leonard, Becca Deal or Cliff Clement then reach out to the assignor who assigned you the match directly and DO NOT fill out the missing payment information form. CRO is not responsible for payments from any other assignor.
CRO Matches, Leagues and Events and how you get paid for each one
CRO Payroll = Payments come directly from the Carolina Referee Organization (CRO) as a Check in the Mail or Direct Deposit
Within the Match Payment Form you will confirm your payment details. This method of payment is NOT the same as Arbiter Pay Payments.
The Group you are assigned from is indicated in Arbiter under the “Group” column - the Organization or Level worked will show in the “Sport & Level” column.
CRO ARBITER GROUP ASSIGNED MATCHES
Charlotte Juniors Soccer League - CRO Payroll
Harrisburg Parks & Recreation (Youth & Adult) - CRO Payroll
Kannapolis Parks & Recreation - CRO Payroll
City of Concord Parks & Recreation - CRO Payroll
Mecklenburg Parks & Recreation - CRO Payroll
Kernersville Parks & Rec - CRO Payroll
Grace Academy High School - CRO Payroll
College Reserve Matches - CRO Payroll
College Spring Matches - CRO Payroll
College Club Matches
Davidson College - CRO Payroll
Wingate University - CRO Payroll
UNC Charlotte - CRO Payroll
Wake Forest University - Check From University
Charlotte FC- MLS / MLS Next PRO / Academy - CRO Payroll
EVENT LIST
NCASA Carolina’s Cup / Adult State Cup - Arbiter Pay
NCYSA ODP - Arbiter Pay
USSF-NC ARBITER GROUP ASSIGNED MATCHES
UPSL - CRO Payroll (Check in the Mail)
NCYSA Classic Matches - Cash at Field
Charlotte Independence, Charlotte Soccer Academy - ect.
U11 / U12 Carolina Development League (CDL) - Arbiter Pay
Porter Ridge - Youth Academy - Arbiter Pay
MASLCOED Adult League - Arbiter Pay directly from MASL
You must have Assignor # (162)(158)(191) in your account to receive payment
MLS Next - Assignr.com - Must read Documents below
USL Academy - Demosphere Payments via US Soccer
As always, it is in our best interest to ensure we get payments to you as quickly and efficiently as possible and in order for us to do that please ensure you have everything set up and ready for each payroll cycle. CRO does not hold money longer than the period in which we are paying. Money is moved on to its final destination (YOU) as quickly as possible and as frequently as possible. Our Golden Rule is always, if you have not received payment for a match 31 Days or greater from a match, you should follow the guidelines set out by the Assignor or League you worked.
CRO works diligently to resolve issues with all referees and have gone to great lengths to ensure your payments are processed in a timely manner with the resources at our disposal. We greatly appreciate your work out on the field and do all that we can to support that work by providing the necessary informaiotn and resources to ensure the best possible experience.
Thank you again for your work and hopefully this provides clarifications surrounding the payment process to those who have not worked with us before or have questions.
General Information
Due to the way payments are sent and received and the various methods used by Parks and Recreation departments, Clubs, Organizations, Teams & Individuals you must always keep in mind that it takes time to move money through the appropriate channels in order for it to arrive to you. This is a manual process done by a very small team comparative to the amount of payments and matches being processed. There are always fluctuations within payment timings due to the nature of Refereeing, daily scheduling demands and organizational deposit timings. HOWEVER, CRO processes and sends payments to referees whenever deposits clear, matches have been verified and uploaded to Pay Sheets through the Arbiter System as frequently as possible. This can mean you are paid quicker for one match and it may take a bit longer for another depending on the reasons listed previously.
We have provided very detailed informaiton on that process and the leagues CRO is associated with below. We appreciate your understanding of this process.
Additional Information and Clarifications:
DO NOT TEXT STAFF ABOUT PAYMENTS - YOU MUST EMAIL - FINANCE@CROREFEREES.COM
When sending an Email to any Assignor about payments - You MUST include your First and Last Name, Phone #, ALL match details you are inquiring about. Describe your question / concern with exact detail so that we can address the issue with all of the information necessary to trace the match worked and the concern you may have
Text message is NOT the right format provide any Assignor or Organization to ensure they have all the necessary information to begin looking through payment records and all information about payment provided to assignors should be sent through an email. The assignor may follow up with you through a Call or Text message while they are working on addressing the issue to confirm information as needed.
Payment Timing
Payments Processing = Match Fee Payments have been uploaded to the payment system, Pay Sheets have been created and matches have been confirmed and final reviews are being done prior to releasing the payments.
Matches in Arbiter may show as “Paid” prior to receiving payment. This is a step in the Pay Sheet creation process and is normal and means your payment is on the way to you
There can be exceptions to this depending on the methods used for creating the pay sheet at that time. Regardless matches that are placed on to pay sheets will be marked as paid within the payment process.
Payments processing does NOT mean you have received money yet. Payments Processing Emails are informing referees that payments are in the final stages of processing and will be released in the coming days.
Once payments have been fully processed it takes 1 - 10 days for payments to actually reach you based on the payment method for that league. Each league is independent and use different payment methods. **Usually it does not take a full 10 days but allow for that amount of time
Checks that are sent in the mail are in Nondescript envelopes, please carefully check the mail throughout the season. We have had instances of payments being dismissed as junk mail and thrown away or missed because they arrive in nondescript envelopes.
Details on how each league is paid can be found on the CROReferees.com/Payments Page.
Reasons why your payment might be held :
You have not filed your Arbiter Match Reports for the games worked. (This is the most common issue)
Arbiter Match Reports are Required for ALL Games worked.
Your Arbiter Profile is missing information or has incorrect information on it
To find the Required Arbiter Account Profile Information Click Here
You have not filled out one of the following forms providing a W-9 to CRO so that we can release payments to you
So long as you have filled out one of the following forms, you have a W-9 on filed with CRO
Missing Payments Process
If you did not receive payment 31 days or more from the Date of the Match you worked you should do the following :
- Confirm it has been more than 31 Days from the Date of the Match worked
- Confirm you have set up your Arbiter Profile correctly and all information, including your arbiter photo and saved
- Confirm You have submitted the Arbiter Match Reports for the games you worked.
Match Reports are Required and a part of the referees responsibilities when working any match regardless of league or status of the game (This includes Forfeits, Exhibition & Scrimmage Matches). Once those are submitted the games will be included automatically in the next pay cycle and you do not need to do anything farther.
- Confirm you have set up your Arbiter Profile correctly and all information, including your arbiter photo and saved
- Confirm you have filled out either the CRO Registration Form or CRO Match Payment Form depending on the league worked.
- Confirm that you have not moved addresses since the last time you received payment from CRO
If you have moved or you have a different mailing address to the one listed in Arbiter you MUST fill out the CRO Match Payment Form to notify us that your payment information needs to be updated.
If you have gone through the above steps and all of those items have been checked Click on the CRO Missing Payment Inquiry Email
If you have a specific question, issue or concern we DO want and need to hear from you! It is important that you let us know post 31 Days from a Match Date if you have not received payment as that would indicate there may have been an issue and we want to resolve that as quickly as possible!
As always, it is in our best interest to ensure we get payments to you as quickly and efficiently as possible and in order for us to do that please ensure you have everything set up and ready for each payroll cycle.
Thank you again for your work and hopefully this provides clarifications surrounding the payment process to those who have not worked with us before or have questions.
REFEREE PAYMENTS / CRO RESOURCE
FROM ASSIGNMENT TO PAYDAY, EVERY STEP EXPLAINED.
See how your league pays, complete the right setup, and know what to do if a payment hasn’t arrived.
01 / CHOOSE THE RIGHT SYSTEM
The league determines how you’re paid.
Check the league or event on your assignment. CRO Payroll, ArbiterPay, Assignr and RefInsight are different systems.
CRO-ASSIGNED MATCHES
CRO Payroll
For matches paid directly by CRO, submit the CRO registration or Match Payment Form with your payment details and W-9. Complete your Arbiter match report after the game.
UPSL MID-ATLANTIC
CRO Assignr.com
For UPSL Mid-Atlantic matches, CRO transfers crew details from the USSF-NC Arbiter group to Assignr.com for payment. Keep your Assignr.com profile and payment details current.
USL2 · USLW · NPSL
RefInsight Pay
Use RefInsight for assignments and payment onboarding. USL officials complete the bank and W-9 requests. NPSL officials also complete the league-specific W-9 sent through Routable.
OTHER COMPETITIONS
ArbiterPay, field cash or league-direct pay
Matches assigned via the USSF-NC Arbiter group are typically paid through ArbiterPay or cash at the field. Some events and leagues pay through other providers. Check your assignment and league information for the payment method before submitting CRO Payroll details.
02 / BEFORE PAYDAY
Three checks that prevent delays.
These steps come from CRO’s referee payment emails and the current payment guide.
Confirm your details
Confirm the league you are working and cross-check the payment system it uses. For leagues using CRO Payroll, submit the CRO Registration or CRO Match Payment Form. Keep your mailing and bank details current.
CRO Match Payment FormFile the match report
CRO Payroll matches require an Arbiter match report for every game worked, including forfeits, exhibitions and scrimmages. A late report can move a game to the next pay cycle.
Match report helpReview the pay sheet
For CRO Arbiter payroll, open Payments → Pay Sheets on the Arbiter website. Pay sheets may appear at different times for different leagues. “Processing” or “Paid” in Arbiter does not prove the money reached you, but it does mean the money is on the way.
Open Arbiter websitePAYMENT TIMING
From pay sheet
to payday.
CRO Payroll: Pay sheets are prepared and reviewed before payments are released. Once fully processed, arrival can take 1–10 days depending on your chosen payment method; mailed checks come in plain envelopes.
When to ask: If a CRO-paid match is still unpaid more than 31 days after the match, complete the checks above and email Finance with the match details. Other leagues and platforms follow their own timing.
03 / WHEN A PAYMENT IS MISSING
Give us the match details.
We’ll trace the payment.
If it has been more than 31 days since the match date and you have not received payment for a CRO-paid game, check your pay sheet, match report and payment setup first. Then send one detailed email so Finance can locate the match.
Contact CRO Finance
Include your name, phone number, game number, league or event, match date, location, position and what you expected. The email link opens a ready-to-fill outline.
Start a payment inquiry Finance@CROReferees.com · Please use email for payment questions.Assigned by another organization?
Contact the assignor or payment provider named on that assignment. CRO can trace payments it processes, but other assignors and leagues use separate payment systems. CRO is not responsible for payments made by other assignors.
Check league information