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 football 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.
Payment (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 around $10 for youth games to $45-$65 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.
CAREER PATH:
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 and you can potentially work multiple games per day on the weekends, enhancing your earning potential.
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
Jr. High and High School
After working youth games, you may feel you have the skills and confidence to work higher levels of competition. You may also start at this level if you have a good grasp of the rules and/or past experience as a player. For Jr. High games, ask your association leader or contact your school district. For high school games, you’ll need to work with an assigner through your local association. Any work with sanctioned school games requires you to be registered through your state, to prove you’re competent. 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 if you don’t know how to reach them.
NFHS
PO Box 690
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-972-6900
You can also purchase enhanced rule books, illustrated rule books, mechanics guides, training videos and other training materials to help build your skills fast through the Referee Training Center, run by the creators of Referee Magazine.
In most cases, your state association is your best resource for finding a local officials association. 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 officials learn and improve.
Annual Re-certification
Additional requirements may be a written test with a minimum passing score, payment of fees for the coming season and association meeting attendance.
Still have questions? Contact us at HERE to receive additional information on becoming a Football official.