The North York Soccer Referees' Association (NYSRA) was founded in 1971 as a branch of the Ontario Soccer Referees' Association (OSRA) in order to promote the interests of referees in the North York community. The original founding members were referees from the North York Minor Soccer League who decided it would be beneficial to the community and the game of soccer to form a North York branch with affiliations to the Ontario Soccer Association (OSA) and the Canadian Soccer Referees' Association (CSRA). An executive was formed which included Jack Strachan as President, Jack McLeary as Vice President, Jim Tandy as Secretary/Treasurer and Don Innes, Colin MacKay and Walter Schmitt as Directors. With only a membership of 12 referees, the NYSRA passed a constitution and clinics were organized in cooperation with the Toronto branch.

              Currently the NYSRA has a core of 50-60 senior members each year, plus up to that number more of youth C4 referees. Although the soccer scene in North York has changed, the NYSRA has been an active organization ever since it's founding. It currently has referees of all ages, the oldest born in 1930 and the youngest in 1992. Despite the fact that it has fewer members than its neighbouring OSRA branches, the NYSRA is an influential and dynamic organization. Steve DePiero, one of the few FIFA referees in Ontario has been a member for much of his career.

              A key objective of the OSRA and the NYSRA is to educate referees. Each year, before the start of the outdoor season a series of educational sessions is arranged. The weekly sessions help members refresh their knowledge and learn about any changes to the laws. The sessions also provide a forum for discussing the finer points of the laws of the game and the result is a group of referees who have a much better understanding of and appreciation for the knowledge and skills required to perform well on the field of play.