Becoming an NCAA Referee: Requirements and Application Process

Officiating in college sports offers a unique way to stay involved in the games you love. However, becoming an NCAA referee requires dedication, training, and adherence to specific requirements. This article outlines the pathways, requirements, and application processes for various sports, focusing on the NCAA's officiating programs.

The State of Officiating

The NCAA recognizes the importance of officiating to competition and the student-athlete experience. The state of officiating is at a critical level due to a declining pool affected by the advancing age of current officials and the lack of interest or incentive among younger populations to enter or remain in the field. Becoming an official is a great way to stay connected to sport and provides a tremendous service to young people eager for a chance to compete. Officials are the gate keepers of the game, protecting the integrity of the games young people love to play. There is a desperate need for more officials across all sports, especially at the lower levels.

General Steps to Officiating

While the path to becoming an NCAA referee isn't always straightforward, it often begins at the local level. Here's a general outline:

1. Start Local: Begin by officiating at your local recreational parks, refereeing little league baseball or Biddy Basketball.
2. Seek Mentorship: Go up and introduce yourself to a referee that you take pleasure in watching. Let them take you under their wing and teach you what it takes to become an official.
3. High School Associations: Those who stick with it eventually move up to the high school level. Register to become a certified referee under a local high school association and start refereeing games.
4. Gain Experience: High school officials are inclined to take every game they can get. After all, you can only become a better referee with the proper reps.
5. Attend Training: In Louisiana, aspiring high school sports referees register with a local officiating association, participate in local associate training and complete a rules clinic, going over any new rule changes or issues that the officials had the previous season.

Specific Sports and Requirements

Volleyball

The Professional Association of Volleyball Officials (PAVO) is a key organization for volleyball referees.

PAVO National Referee Certification:

• The National Referee certification is awarded only by the PAVO National Rating Team (NRT) at specific rating sites around the country each year.
• NRT evaluators must hold a PAVO National Referee certification or Retired-National certification and are selected by the NRT Director based on their on-court referee experience, teaching abilities, and observation skills.
• At a NRT site, candidates are evaluated by NRT evaluators and must score a minimum of 90 to pass. Candidates must also demonstrate scoring proficiency, as defined by the NRT Director.

Requirements:

1. Theoretical Exam: No later than September 1 and at least 2 weeks prior to the date of the rating session, take Form A of the theoretical exam, online, without using a rules book or other resources. A minimum score of 90 is required, and the exam session is limited to 90 minutes.
2. iREF Modules: Complete all 400-level iREF modules prior to attending your NRT site. Accessing iREF 400 requires previous completion of iREF 200 and 300.
3. On-Court Examination: Pass an on-court examination at an NRT site with a minimum score of 90.

Maintaining Certification:

• Although a National certification is valid for four (4) years, officials who hold this certification must meet annual requirements to maintain their certifications.
• If a National Referee fails to meet any of these requirements once during a term, no renewal points can be earned that season.
• By September 1, take Form A of the theoretical examination without using a rule book or other resources. A minimum score of 90 is required, and the examination session is limited to 90 minutes.
• By September 1, take the online Line Judge Exam.
• Demonstrate that the National Referee is still officiating at a highly skilled level.

Retired Status:

• A PAVO National Referee may choose to take retired status and maintain an affiliation with PAVO in order to remain active as a trainer for the Affiliated Board with whom they are associated/registered.

Swimming and Diving

The NCAA provides an officiating program designed to educate and register swimming and diving officials. This program, in conjunction with USA Swimming, provides resources for swimming and diving officials during the competitive season.

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Requirements:

• Any official who applies to officiate at the NCAA Championships (all 3 Divisions) will be required to register as an NCAA official and pass the current NCAA rules test with a score of 85% or better.
• There is no limitation to the number of attempts to pass this test.
• The test is based upon the NCAA playing rules that are effective as of August 15, 2025.
• Tests must be taken August 15, 2025, or after to be considered. Tests taken before August 15, 2025, will not be considered.
• Passing scores are valid through August 14, 2027.
• The NCAA will not issue any kind of certification card. Once you pass the rules test, your name is automatically added to the "registered" NCAA officials list used to select meet officials.

Registration Process:

1. Log in to your USA Swimming account and click on the USA Swimming University.
2. Select the NCAA SUPPLEMENTAL Swimming and Diving Rules test within the "Officials" filter and proceed with taking the test.

New Officials:

• New officials who wish to register as both a USA Swimming and an NCAA Official: you must take tests on both USA Swimming and NCAA Swimming and Diving Rules.
• First, take the USA Swimming Stroke & Turn Certification Course and exam required by USA Swimming and then take the full "NCAA Swimming and Diving Rules" test (not the supplemental one).
• Passing these two tests will allow for your NCAA registered official status.

Football

Becoming a college football official is a competitive process.

General Qualities:

• As a football official, you will be constantly on your feet.
• Good vision is also essential because you may be watching the action from a distance and often at night.
• Quick reactions and speed are necessary, so you can get out of players’ way and move with the action to maintain good positioning to make calls.
• Football games take place predominantly in the fall, so depending upon your location, you may need to be prepared for cold and wet conditions frequently.
• Football officials work with more partners than most other sports, so depending on what position you’re working during a game, you will have different responsibilities.
• Being able to change focus and remember different rules and mechanics for each different position you may work is important.
• Football requires officials to work at different positions around the playing field, each responsible for watching a different part of the action. To maximize your success, you’ll have to learn several of these positions well.

Steps to Becoming a Football Official:

1. Local Associations: Different organizations have different requirements, but most require at least attendance at a meeting to go over any current rule changes.
2. 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.
3. Higher Levels of Competition: 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 experience as a player.
4. Jr. High and High School: 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. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) is the nation’s governing body for high school athletics. Through them, you can get all the information you need from your state to register and start the process to work High School sports. In most cases, your state association can put you in contact with a local officials’ association.
5. College Football: College football officiating is highly competitive. Officials with one year of youth experience would most likely not be a candidate even though there isn’t a designated number of years of experience to reach the college ranks. Obtaining a conference schedule and advancement within a conference is based on the league or conference. When first trying to enter a college conference, talk with officials who are currently in the conference. They can give you valuable information such as the conference commissioner and officiating camps to attend. You may start your career in the NAIA, work a NCAA Division III conference, advance to a Division II schedule, then on to a smaller Division I conference and culminate with a major Division I schedule.
6. Officiating Camps: Attending officiating camps is an important tool to improve your officiating.
7. Professional Football: Professional football officials come exclusively through NCAA Division I conferences because they need experience with athletes of that caliber.

Additional Resources:

• You may also consider joining NASO, the only nation-wide officials support organization.

Baseball

The path to becoming an NCAA baseball umpire is unique.

Key Steps:

1. Desire to Improve: The key to becoming an NCAA referee is the desire to improve; you must want to perfect your craft.
2. Showcase Skills: At these camps, officials must showcase their skills to their potential future employers, the conference officiating coordinators.
3. Attend Camps: Zeigler found a month-long camp in Daytona Beach that could secure him a position as a minor league umpire. But Zeigler took the swing and never looked back.

The Mindset of an Official

Being a referee is one of, if not the toughest, trades in sports. If you ever talk to an NCAA referee, it’s pretty clear how they landed on their profession. Their resilience, perspective on life and view of the world are incredibly fascinating.

Passion for the Game:

• But these referees don’t view it as a job. They first got involved with the art of officiating for their love of the game.

Dealing with Pressure:

• “We’re the only people on the field expected to be perfect, and nobody’s perfect,” NCAA baseball umpire Alex Zeigler said. “So it’s knowing you’re not going to be perfect, and going out there and still trying."

Financial Aspects

Estimated Costs:

• Estimated cost: $275.

Game Fees:

• Game fees vary widely based on the players’ age group, competitive level and the state you officiate in.
• The fees range from $30-$50 for youth games and $40-$100 for competitive high school games.
• To maximize your income, you can work a combination of levels several days a week, including weekend tournaments where you can work games all day.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

Read also: The Return of College Football Gaming

tags: #ncaa #referee #requirements #and #application #process

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