The origins of the current Suburban Philadelphia Soccer Officials Chapter has its roots firmly entrenched with the growth of soccer in the Greater Philadelphia area in the early 1960's. The focal point of soccer in the 1950's and early 1960's were the high schools in Philadelphia, the ethnic neighborhood soccer clubs and the newly emerging North East section of the City. The population demographics of the early 1960's clearly indicated the growth in the population of Bucks and Montgomery counties. Some of the referees associated with the Eastern Pennsylvania and District Referee Chapter were schoolteachers in newly established high schools in these counties.

In 1963, because of the their far sightedness, several referees formed a new Referee Chapter and gave it the Suburban One Chapter name. This group, spearheaded by Jim Bockius, Dave Spencer, Lee Yoder, Lonzie Rinker, John Jankowski, Ben Green and Shelly Chamberlain, were the founders of this new Referee Chapter. The first President elected was Jim Bockius and Dave Spencer served as the Secretary/Treasurer and Games Assignor. Other early members of the chapter who are still active referees are Ray Buck and Wayne Cunningham.

The soccer growth in the late 1960's and the early 1970's at the high school level necessitated the recruitment of more officials. The caliber of the chapter officials was excellent and many of the referees were selected for District and State Playoffs games. The growth of the Chapter more than tripled during the next soccer growth period of the 1980's and 1990's. The 2001 chapter membership reached 126 referees.

In 1970, the Northeastern Chapter, an intercollegiate chapter was formed from this nucleus to allow the chapter referees to referee at the next level of experience. The colleges serviced were many of the then State Teachers Colleges (now known as separate universities - West Chester, Shippensburg, Del Valley, Kutztown etc.), private colleges (Lehigh, Valley Forge Military, Phila Bible College, Messiah, etc), and Penn State University and sub campuses of Penn State.

The early chapter meetings were held in various high school classrooms of the chapter members starting in the Jenkintown High School, moving to Upper Dublin High School before finding a home at Keith Valley Junior High under the Presidency of Woody Woodruff in the mid 1980's and early 1990's. The current chapter meetings are held in the Hatboro-Horsham High School.

Some of the members who served as President of the Chapter during the formulative years were Jim Bockius, Ray Buck, Wayne Cunningham, Bill Herman and Tom Saint. Those individuals serving in the indispensable position of Assignor in these early years were Dave Spencer and Lonzie Rinker. During Dave Spencer's second term as Assignor in the 1980's, he was instrumental in merging both the High School Chapter and the Northeastern Collegiate Chapter into the current Suburban Philadelphia Soccer Officials Association. The current Chapter Assignors are Frank Pisch and Susan Wilson.

The Chapter grew in stature during the 1990's as it met the challenges of another significant growth of soccer from the Middle School through Senior High, the increase of Private Schools in the sport, the advent of Girls' Junior Varsity and Varsity Soccer teams and a Referee Assessment Program to maintain the quality of its referees. These challenges were met successfully through the Presidencies of Tom Saint (a second term), Jim Gavaghan, John Sergas and Bill Grubb. The Philadelphia Suburban Soccer Officials Association is recognized in the Soccer community for its highly trained referees and is providing on a consistent basis referees for District, State Playoff and State Final Championship games.