National Officials Committee Dashboard

This is a dashboard for redirection to various forms and website links used by USA Track and Field Officials.

Quick links:
Application for Selection   |  Lists of Selected Officials  |  Recertification Information  |  Rules Reviews  |  Junior Officials Program  |  Officials Recruiting Materials

USATF OFFICIALS DOWNLOADABLE RECRUITING ASSETS

Effective recruiting is not just about filling slots; it’s about building a strong, committed, and capable officiating workforce that can drive our mission forward. By investing in strategic and thoughtful recruiting practices, we can ensure our long-term success and growth.

The Recruiting Toolkit is designed to help you promote how to become a Certified USATF Official in your Association.

With downloadable materials promoting how to become an Official, USATF Associations and Certification Chairs can customize their approach to communication – whether that is to athletes, parents, or officials of another sport.

Please follow these links to the various assets:

FLYER

A Print ready 8.5” x 11”p handout that can be customized to work for your association.

SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS

These images can be posted as a carousel or gallery on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Social Image #1
Social Image #2
Social Image #3
Social Image #4

Suggested copy for your social post:

Interested in joining over 4,200 USATF certified officials? Learn more at usatf.org/programs/officials.
OR
Join the team behind the team that plays a vital role in making thousands of events run smoothly and safely. To learn more, visit usatf.org/programs/officials.

POSTCARD

This is a print ready 4" x 6" handout that can be mae into a postcard for mailing or distribution at events.

Postcard

PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUCEMENT READS

Events are a great opportunity to thank the officials working and to recruit. The PA script can be customized to fit your event or read as is.

Public Address script - Note: this is a docment download

INFO CARD

Print ready 2" x 3" card for Officials to print out, laminate and keep handy at events for interested parties to easily scan the QR code for more information. Copies can also be printed to handout at events.

Information card

ATHLETE RECRUITING PRESENTATION

Athletes who are looking to take on a larger role in the sport make great officials. The Athlete Presentation can be customized to your audience and with your Certification Chair’s information.

Athlete Presentation

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Lists of selected officials: 2024 meets

World Masters Athletics Indoor Championship

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2025-2028 Olympiad Certification Information

Overview

These are the requirements for recertification:

• USATF membership for 2025 or longer
• Current background screening
• Current SafeSport training
• Current photo (information is on the application)
• A completed recertification application
• *** Candidates for a NEW CERTIFICATION (never certified before) should use this application form.
• A passing score on the Rules Review
• Certification fee (contact your association Certification Chair)

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After Meet Evaluations

See full details of the Evaluation process on the NOC webpage at:
https://www.usatf.org/programs/officials/usatf-officials-evaluations

All evaluations are completed and submitted online. For questions, contact the Evaluations Subcommittee Chair, Carolyn Hill, at official.evaluations@usatf.org):

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Links to the Evaluation Forms

Crew members to evaluate Team Leaders
Referees to evaluate Team Leaders
Team Leaders to evaluate Crew members
 

Notifications & Deadlines

Evaluators are e-mailed a notice of their responsibilities, instructions for completion and submission, an explanation of the evaluation instrument, and a deadline for submission. The deadline for submitting evaluations is 7 days after the conclusion of a meet. If the deadline is not met, actions are taken as described in the Evaluations section of the NOC webpages.

When an evaluation is submitted, both the official who has been evaluated and the evaluator are notified of completion.

Consequences

The consequence for officials who fail to complete evaluations by a final deadline is that they are not eligible to be selected for the major championships during the following calendar year. Full details on this are provided in the notice to evaluators from the NOC Chair.

Disputes

See details regarding the handling of disputes in the Evaluations section of the NOC webpages.

Each evaluation instrument is comprised of two distinct parts, as follows:

Selection Recommendation

This section is the evaluator’s recommendation (a numerical rating plus comments) to the USATF Selection Committee regarding the rated official’s suitability for selection for future major USATF championship meets. The information in this section is seen by the Selection Committee members and the individual official who was evaluated.

Performance Appraisal

This section provides feedback to the official being evaluated (a descriptive rating on multiple criteria, plus comments) regarding their performance at that meet. Raters provide comments on strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. The information in this section is seen only by the individual official who was evaluated; it is not provided to the Selection Committee.

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Rules Reviews for the 2025 - 2028 Olympiad

To learn more about the rules review process, please watch this video before you begin your review(s).
The rule review window is now open.

If you seek an NCAA Endorsement, you must complete a separate NCAA examination.
The results of this examination will be sent to the NCAA, with a copy of the results also being sent to your Certification Chairman.
This examination is ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE. There is no print copy, and only online submissions are accepted.

Rules Reviews are administered to ensure officials are familiar with the USATF rule book, and can demonstrate knowledge about selected rules.
Read the questions carefully; there are no “trick” questions, but just one word or number may make a significant difference.
Taking the review in a group setting with other officials is acceptable.

All certified officials must complete the Basic Review
All National and Master level officials must complete the required number of questions for their certification level in the Advanced Review
Other specific disciplines with reviews are listed below
Each review specifies a required success rate (% correct or points) that must be achieved; if it is not, the review may be retaken

For your use and reference, a link to the 2024 USATF Competition Rules book is available here.

Officials may complete their review(s) by one of the two following methods:

1. Selected reviews may be taken and submitted online (you must register for the online reviews so results can be reported to you - in the form of an emailed PDF document - and to your Certification Chair).
2. All reviews, except Para, may be completed on paper and submitted to the Certification Chair for scoring.

The following rules reviews are now available for all officials in track and field, LDR and Combined Events.

Basic Rules Review - All Officials, All Disciplines
Online     Paper

National/Master Rules Review - All National and Master Level Officials
Online     Paper

Specialty Reviews
Implement Inspector Review - All Inspectors
Online     Paper

Combined Events
Online       Paper
WA Scoring Tables for Combined Events (PDF format)

Racewalk Reviews - All RW Officials
Apprentice/Association Level Review:
Online     Paper
National/Master Level Review:
Online     Paper
Referee Review:
Online     Paper

Additional racewalk documents for completing rules reviews:
World Athletics Marathon Mixed Relay Regulations (PDF format)
USATF Racewalk Officials Training
Race Walk Summary Sheet

Track & Field Referee Review - All T&F Referees
Online     Paper

LDR Referee Review - All LDR referees
Online     Paper

Paralympic Track & Field - All Para Officials
This link redirects to the ATFUSA.org website
Online

NCAA Officials Endorsement Examination
Please follow this link.

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Junior Officials Program

Mentors and perspective mentors: Please wach this introductory video and mentor training session from Junior Officials Program Co-chair Mike Trego.
Please follow this link for the video.
The Powerpoint for the session can be found here.

Study Guides

Move your mouse over the button below to open the dropdown menu.

Please note that more study guides are in development. Please check back periodically.

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• Plan A Study Guides
    1 | Umpire   2 | Starter   3 | Clerk   4 | Finish Line/Lap Scorer   5 | Field Event General Rules   6 | Vertical Jumps: Common Rules   7 | High Jump   8 | Pole Vault   9 | High Jump: General Rules 10 | Long Jump 11 | Triple Jump 12 | Combined Events: Genreal Rules 13 | Marshal 14 | Long Distance Running (LDR) 15 | Race Walking 16 | Meet Management 17 | Wind Gauge
• Plan B Study Guides
    1 | Umpire   2 | Starter   3 | Clerk   4 | Finish Line/Lap Scorer   5 | Field Event General Rules   6 | Vertical Jumps: Common Rules   7 | High Jump   8 | Pole Vault   9 | High Jump: General Rules 10 | Long Jump 11 | Triple Jump 12 | Combined Events: Genreal Rules 13 | Marshal 14 | Long Distance Running (LDR) 15 | Race Walking 16 | Meet Management 17 | Wind Gauge
• Plan V Study Guides
    1 | Umpire   2 | Starter   3 | Clerk   4 | Finish Line/Lap Scorer   5 | Field Event General Rules   6 | Vertical Jumps: Common Rules   7 | High Jump   8 | Pole Vault   9 | High Jump: General Rules 10 | Long Jump 11 | Triple Jump 12 | Combined Events: Genreal Rules 13 | Marshal 14 | Long Distance Running (LDR) 15 | Race Walking 16 | Meet Management 17 | Wind Gauge
• Program Handbooks
    |  Participant/Parent Handbook   |  Mentor Handbook   |  Cert. Chair/Local JOP Chair   |  Regional Supervisor Handbook
• Mentor Training Handouts
    |  Mentor Self-Assessment   |  Memorandum of Understanding   |  Mentoring Strategies
• Mentor Forms
    |  Mentor Memorandum of Understanding   |  Mentor Self-assessment   |  Mentor Checklist for All Study Guides   |  Mentor Field of Play Evaluation   |  Mentor Assessment Reminder Map for Ethics/Standards   |  Mentor Assignment Form
• Mentor Checklists
    1 | Umpire   2 | Starter   3 | Clerk   4 | Finish Line/Lap Scorer   5 | Field Event General Rules   6 | Vertical Jumps: Common Rules   7 | High Jump   8 | Pole Vault   9 | High Jump: General Rules 10 | Long Jump 11 | Triple Jump 12 | Combined Events: Genreal Rules 13 | Marshal 14 | Long Distance Running (LDR) 15 | Race Walking 16 | Meet Management 17 | Wind Gauge
• Mentor Eval Forms
    1 | Umpire   2 | Starter   3 | Clerk   4 | Finish Line/Lap Scorer   5 | Field Event General Rules   6 | Vertical Jumps: Common Rules   7 | High Jump   8 | Pole Vault   9 | High Jump: General Rules 10 | Long Jump 11 | Triple Jump 12 | Combined Events: Genreal Rules 13 | Marshal 14 | Long Distance Running (LDR) 15 | Race Walking 16 | Meet Management 17 | Wind Gauge
• Cert Chair FAQ
    Where is a good place to find 14-17 year old candidates? Track Meets? Clubs? Children of Current officials?   For the non-driving mentees, will it be up to the mentor to provide transportation to meets?   We host a youth and open/masters Track and Field meet each year and some years a regional meet. I can see an athlete that is competing maybe already at the meet and can therefore observe when not competing. What are some suggestions for transporting children to meets to be mentored.   Keeping SafeSport in mind, will the mentee be able to volunteer at a level that does not require a background check?   Are they asking them (the JOP participants I presume) to observe or participate once they are trained? Since the mentee is not certified, how much will they be permitted to do at the meet.   Do you anticipate parents having any hesitation allowing their child to go to a meet for training if they (the parent) are not present.   I live near colleges that host indoor meets. Do you anticipate any hesitation by coaching staff to have minors on the infield being trained?   If minors are being trained at actual meets is a problem, do SafeSport requirements (none at this time) or parental concerns…what are some other options for training the mentees besides clinics.   Handbook states that participants will be members and SafeSport Trained. Does that refer to mentees?   It is suggested that we meet with the mentee regularly. Are you suggesting outside of track meets?   Is this a mandated program?