Football Officiating

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Football

Thought About Becoming a Football Official?

football officiating Find out about the local officials associations in your area. An officiating association is a group of officials who meet periodically to discuss rules, mechanics and philosophy. They are a great way for new officials to learn from veteran officials.

Attend a game in your area and ask the officials what association they belong to and whom to contact for information. The association will be a valuable pool of resources for training, obtaining games and getting to know the officiating community.

Attend association meetings. At those meetings, some held before the season starts, you can ask questions about rules, mechanics and positioning. Those sessions will be a foundation to get you started properly.

Physical Demands of Football Officiating

You will be constantly on your feet. A wide vision of the playing field is a must. Quick reactions and speed are advantages. As the players' ages increase and the competitive levels increase, the physical demands will also increase.

Training

Expect lectures, demonstration and exercises on the basic rules at local association meetings.

Equipment

Polished, black athletic shoes, preferably cleated.
Striped socks.
White knickers and a black belt.
Collared striped shirt, both short and long sleeves.
A fitted black hat with white piping.
Officiating tools: flags, down indicator, beanbag, information cards, pencil, whistle, lanyard, chain clip, sports watch with timer, signal card, ball pressure tester.
Estimated cost: $275. Veteran officials sometimes have "hand-me-downs" that help new officials get started.

Registration and Fees

Talk with officials at a game, contact the athletic department of a local high school or contact your local recreation department. They will be able to give you the name of the state governing body for high school athletics. You will be expected to complete a registration form for affiliation with a national, statewide or local association. Often there will be a fee that must be paid with this registration which goes toward additional officiating training and insurance. Often, with your state association fee, you will be provided rulebooks and other materials. The fees range from $10-$75.

Game Fees

Game fees vary widely based on the players’ age group, competitive level and the state you officiate in. You can expect the range of $10 for youth games to $45 for competitive high school varsity games.

Help and Assistance

Ask a respected veteran official to be your mentor. That mentor will help answer your questions and provide crucial support. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about situations and rules. The more you talk about officiating, the more you will learn about it.

Certification

Here’s the path for starting and continuing your officiating career:

Youth Level

Many officials start at the youth level. Contact your local recreation department leaders. Your local association should also help you make contacts to get games. Pop Warner league offers youth games in many cities.

For information, contact:

Pop Warner Football
586 Middletown Blvd., Suite C-100
Langhorne, PA 19047
215-752-2691

USA Football
45 N Pennsylvania St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-614-7750

High School

After working some games, you may feel you have the skills and confidence to work higher level competition. Contact your state association for registration information.

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is the nation’s governing body for high school athletics. Contact the NFHS for rulebooks, rule changes and information on your state association.

NFHS
PO Box 690
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-972-6900

In most cases, state associations can put you in contact with a local officials association. NASO has more than 4,000 local officials associations in its database. Local officials associations assign games, many times offer mentoring programs and assist in training.

High school athletic directors, association assigners and other officials will help you get games. Attend local officiating camps and clinics. They are focused on helping umpires learn and improve.