Expert: Vic Winnek - 2/4/2009

Question
I LOVE football and want to be a part of it for a long time. I want to know how to become an official in NCAA to one day be in the NFL. Could you explain that process? I am currently in Oregon, 50 miles south of Eugene, so if you know of any oganizations in this area that would be great.

Answer
Dan
Thank you for your question, below is some information to assist you.   I recommend this web site:

http://www.oreofficials.org/  or http://www.salemfbrefs.org/  

Becoming a high school official in Oregon contact the Commissioner in the area of your residence (below) or you can send an email to clark@oreofficials.org.   


CONTACT INFO TO GET STARTED:

Eddie B Lewis  Klamath Falls Football Assn
lousfront9@msn.com
(541) 882-9501

Mike Whitty Lane County Football Officials Assn
lcfoa@comcast.net
(541) 344-1224

John Graham Rogue Valley Football
umpirejohn@charter.net
(541) 776-3493

From the Salem, Oregon football officials association is the following information:

SALEM FOOTBALL OFFICIAL’S ASSOCIATION
All Oregon high school football officials and associations are certified and regulated by the state governing body known as the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA).  Our local association is the Salem Football Official’s Association (SFOA).  The SFOA is also a member of the Oregon Athletic Official’s Association (OAOA).

OSAA:  www.osaa.org      
OAOA:  www.oreofficials.org      
SFOA:  www.SalemFBrefs.org

The SFOA is the second largest football association in Oregon with approximately 100 members.  We serve 33 high school programs, 30 middle school programs, and numerous boys club and youth programs.  The area that we cover goes from Colton and Mill City on the east, to Scio and Monmouth-Independence on the south, to Willamina and Sheridan on the west, and to Yamhill-Carlton and Newberg on the north, and all the other schools in between.

An elected board of the membership governs the activities of the SFOA.  All games and assignments are made at the sole direction of the commissioner, Ken Woods.  You can contact Ken at commissioner@SalemFBrefs.org .

TRAINING

All new and transfer officials will enter into a training program.  The three (3) years of classroom training is for the study of rules and mechanics, observation of games, participate in on-field scrimmages, work actual games and participate in regular association meetings.  These training meetings start in early August and are held prior to the regular association scheduled meetings.  The classes are concise and of great value.  On occasion, veteran members attend the training sessions to brush up on various aspects of the rules and mechanics.

The SFOA training program will help prepare you to officiate football games.  We expect a new official to complete the criteria of the training program in three years.  An official is advanced based on their demonstrated ability, rule knowledge and dedication.  Over the years we have provided college officials to work in the PAC-10, Big Sky and NIFOA associations.  


TIME COMMITMENTS
In addition to the time actually spent working the games, there are other requirements:

Meetings:  The 10 regular association meetings start in August and end by November.  There are attendance requirements for these meetings.

Study:  You are on your own on this.  It is imperative that you learn the rules of football, and mechanics of football officiating.  You will need it for the certification exam that is administered by the OSAA.

Observations:  Take the time to go to games and observe the officials.  Watch their mechanics and how they handle tough situations.  Take the time to talk and listen to veteran officials.  Most  veteran officials love to share their stories and welcome your interest.


FINANCES

You will be required to purchase a packet supplied by the OSAA.  This packet contains rules and mechanics booklets, sample tests, various general information and insurance coverage (secondary).  The cost varies each year and is available from the SFOA treasurer at our first meeting in August.

You will need a uniform.  Most equipment firms offer starter sets at a reduced price.  This will run you $100 to $150.  Your instructor can assist in the choice of equipment and firms to order your uniform.  Many times veteran officials will donate, or sell at a reduced cost used equipment they are no longer using.  As you gain progress and your officiating fees increase, you can add to your officiating wardrobe.

The schools that we officiate games will provide funds to the SFOA for distribution to the membership.  We have four paydays during the season.  The game fees for varsity games are the highest.  The game fees decrease by league level and by age group.  Your total income from officiating is dependent upon your willingness and availability to work games.  An average schedule should get you about $600 or more.  All members of the SFOA are independent contractors and receive a Form 1099 at the end of each tax year.


PROFESSIONALISM

The word professionalism and officiating go hand in hand.  Officiating a football game is a privilege and not a right.  Fans, coaches and players expect officials to look and act professional at all times regardless of the situation.  You do not have the right to lose your poise, no matter what the provocation.  You do not have the last word, and you are expected to respond quickly and accurately to situations never before experienced.


The reasons people officiate are:

You gain self-satisfaction and pride that you are doing a job many cannot do.  It is a great way to exercise your mind.
You develop strong friendships with fellow officials, which are a group of dedicated and responsible people.  Officiating is an experience that provides life skills such as leadership, communication and fellowship, and could become a career opportunity.
You achieve and maintain a level of fitness to properly work the games.
You are active in a sport you enjoy, and have the “best seat in the house”.
Armed with the right attitude, it is just plain fun.  You will still get the thrill after twenty years of officiating.
The game fees you earn always come in handy as extra spending money.


Their mission is to provide well-trained, professional officials to all of our programs.  If you enjoy sports and football in particular, you should expect to have a great experience officiating football in the Willamette Valley.

contact Ken Woods, Commissioner at commissioner@SalemFBrefs.org .



You’ve thought about becoming a football official and need a place to get started  Here is a national resource - http://www.naso.org/BeOfficial/sportspages/football.html


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.


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.  

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


• 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: $225. Veteran officials sometimes have "hand—me—downs" that help new officials get started.


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 vary widely based on the players’ age group, competitive level and the state you officiate in. You can expect the range of $25 for youth games to $100 for competitive high school varsity games.  

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.  

dditional requirements may be a written test with a minimum passing score, payment of fees for the coming season and association meeting attendance.



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

*The youth level: Many officials start at that 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
www.popwarner.com
www.pwlsreg@aol.com

*Upgrading to 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
P.O. 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 our database. Local officials associations assign games, many times offers mentoring programs and assist in training. You may Contact Us for a local association near you.

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.

*Upgrading to college: College football is a highly competitive level of play. Officials with one year of youth league 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 particular college conference, talk with officials who are currently in the conference. They can give you valuable information such as the conference commissioner and umpiring camps to attend. College athletic directors or sports information directors can also be helpful. Click here for a NCAA college conference directory .

You may start your career in the NAIA, work an 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. Attending officiating camps is an important tool to improve your officiating. Not only can you learn from experienced officials, you can be seen by those who assign games at that particular level, most often conference commissioners or officiating supervisors.

The collegiate national governing bodies:

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
P.O. Box 6222
Indianapolis, IN 46206-6222
317-917-6222
http://www.ncaa.org/

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
23500 W. 105th Street
P.O. Box 1325
Olathe, KS 66051-1325
913/791-0044
http://www.naia.org

National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)
P.O. Box 7305
Colorado Springs, CO 80933- 7305
719/590-9788
http://www.njcaa.org

*Professional league: Though you don’t have to have top—level experience to become a professional official, some experience is required. For example, it would be impossible for a person with one year of high school experience to be a serious candidate for the NFL. An NFL candidate must have at least 10 years of experience with five of them at a collegiate varsity or minor professional level. For the NFL, candidates are interviewed by clinical psychologists to determine levels of intelligence and ability to handle extremely stressful situations. The NFL’s security department also conducts thorough checks into the candidate’s personal background. Finally the candidate is interviewed by a panel from the NFL officiating department and is given a rules examination.

The professional bodies for football are:

National Football League (NFL)
280 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10017
212/450-2000
http://www.nfl.com

Arena Football League and Arena 2 Football League
280 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10017
212/450-2000
http://www.arenafootball.com/index.html