Expert: Vic Winnek - 12/2/2009

Question
How can I become a PAC 10 football official?

Answer
Jeff
Thank you for your question about the Pacific-10 Conference Football Officiating Program. Your first step is to contact the Coordinator of Officials - Dave Cutaia and fill out an application.  Please know that the Pac-10 football officials are among the best officials in college football, their experience, training ans skills are among the top 5% of all football officials worldwide.  They are the best of the best.  While this is a true statement it takes nothing away from other great conference officials in the Big 12, Big 10, WAC, Mountain West, Big East, etc.  The following information will help you understand how to become a Pac-10 official.  Please know the Pacific-10 Conference operates officiating programs in six sports and welcomes inquiries from individuals with officiating experience who might wish to officiate Conference events - including football.  A number of the regulations governing the programs are listed below. Officials are independent contractors, not employees of the Conference. Those on the list of approved officials in a sport are offered assignments to games or matches by its respective coordinator of officiating. Because of the elite level of Pac-10 competition, extensive officiating experience in the applicant's sport is required for appointment to an approved list. The Conference offers equal opportunity for individuals to be appointed to a list of approved officials.

The Pacific-10 Conference office operates a program to identify, train, and assign officials and maintain a list of approved officials for football, men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, baseball, and softball, and will assign officials for contests hosted by Pacific-10 member institutions in those sports from the lists, which shall be updated annually.  Hence your first step is to contact via mail Coordinator of Officials - Dave Cutaia at the Pac 10 office.

As for background information regarding the Pac-10 football officiating program. Major elements of the program are listed below. These are divided into major categories which include recruitment, hiring, training and performance evaluation.
Development of Future Officials:
The Coordinator begins to cultivate future officials through contact with youth and high
school football officiating programs.
Recruitment:
There are several methods used in the recruitment of Pac-10 football officials. Generally, a prospective official must have a minimum of five years officiating experience at the intercollegiate level, and/or in the Arena Football League to be considered.
1. Pac-10 Coordinator of Football Officials.
The Coordinator recruits officials working Arena Football League and college football games at all levels (NCAA, NAIA and Community College).
These potential officials are identified as follows:
- Through contact with other Coordinators of Football Officials
- In-person observation of prospects
- Review of game video

2. Pac-10 Officials/Observers
The Pac-10 Coordinator seeks input from the Pac-10 officiating staff, including both on-field officials and observers, to identify potential candidates. Current Conference officials work games with prospects and/or become acquainted with them when attending the meetings of officials conducted in each service area of
the Conference.

3. Others
Coaches and athletic administrators occasionally provide input on potential
applicants to the Coordinator.

Applicant List:
Individuals interested in officiating football in the Pac-10 are required to complete a
detailed application, which is reviewed by the Coordinator of Football Officiating. If,
after review, the Coordinator believes the individual to be a viable candidate, he/she is
placed on an applicant list.

Candidates who make the applicant list are assigned to a service area, which is a
geographical area within the Pac-10 footprint. The service areas include Spokane,
Seattle, State of Oregon, Bay Area, Southern California, Phoenix and Tucson.

1. The candidates on the applicant list are rated utilizing the following
methods:
- Candidates officiate at Pac-10 institutions’ pre-season scrimmages. The candidates are rated at these scrimmages by Pac-10 observers, on-field officials and the Coordinator.
- The National Football League Officiating Department provides the Pac-10 Coordinator with information on officials it is scouting.
- Video review of games the applicant has officiated.

Hiring:
An individual on the applicant list may be offered a contract to officiate football in the
Pac-10. The contract is valid for one year, with the official in the capacity of an
independent contractor. The newly hired official then is assigned a schedule of up to 11
games during the ensuing season.

Training:
All Pac-10 football officials are required to participate in training and education on a
year-round basis. The program consists of the following:
1. Pre-Season training includes:
- Attendance at the Pac-10 Football Officiating Clinic. This event encompasses four days of training videos, lectures, individual position sessions and review of officiating philosophies.
- Successfully passing a closed-book rules examination.
- Officiating pre-season football scrimmages.
- Attendance at service area meetings of Pac-10 officials. Specific training is provided at these meetings, including rules and mechanics discussion, quizzes, and video review.
2. In-season training includes:
- Attendance at regularly scheduled service area meetings, including rules and
mechanics discussion, quizzes, and video review. Additionally, game situation discussions can take place.
- Study of play situation bulletins, which are circulated to all officials.
- Review of the minutes of weekly conference call involving all Pac-10 referees, the Coordinator of Football Officiating and the Director of Instant Replay.
- Participation by all Pac-10 officiating crews in a weekly video review of their prior week’s game.
- Review of a weekly training video, produced by the Coordinator, distributed to all officials.
- Review of the NCAA football officiating training videos, distributed to all
officials.

Performance Evaluation:
Pac-10 football officials are evaluated during and following every Pac-10 game they work. The following is the evaluation process utilized by the Pac-10:
1. Video review:
- The Coordinator and his staff conduct a video review of every game officiated by Pac-10 football officials. Every call and non-call by each game official and the instant replay personnel is graded as a correct call or an incorrect call.
2. In-Person Review:
- The official’s mechanics, positioning, appearance and movement also is
graded during the game by Pac-10 Officiating Mentors who are present at
most of the games.
3. Review by Coaches:
- The Pac-10 football coaches provide a post-game written evaluation of each
official, which is provided to the Coordinator.
4. Pac-10 Grading System:
- A detailed grading system is utilized to determine an official’s performance
based on the evaluations provided above.
- An individual’s grade at the end of the season is used to determine whether
that official receives a post-season assignment and whether he/she will be
offered a contract for the following season.


Victor Winnek