Officials Certification
Membership vs. Certification
There has been a lot of confusion about the difference between USATF membership and officials certification. Membership requires a yearly renewal (or a multi-year membership) and gives you the benefits of belonging to USATF.
As we are being certified by USATF, the officials committee requires that all officials be current members to show support for the organization that provides the benefits of certification. Certification is for a four-year period between Olympiads. The current certification period began in November 2008 and will conclude at the completion of the 2012 Olympics.
The National Committee's website
The USATF national officials website is a source for a wide variety of resources for officials and prospective officials, including information about officials certification and the current officials rulebook.
Other links of interest:
- Instructions for applying for certification.
- Application for certification.
- Application for new officials.
- Application for USATF membership.
- Review (in test format) of track & field rules.
Certification Levels
New officials are all initially given the first level, Association Certification, and then may progress to higher and more responsible levels if qualified. Click here for more information on the progression.
National Meet Selection
To be eligible for selection, an official must have obtained the national or master level to receive an application to apply. If you have never worked a national-level meet, I encourage you to apply. You will enjoy the experience, especially meeting and working with officials from around the country. If you aren’t a national- or master-level official, I encourage you to look into upgrading if you are eligible.
Clinic Information and Training Materials
A wide variety of resources on clinics and training materials is available at the USATF Officials Website under the "Resources" tab. The training materials include clinic notes and PowerPoint decks; the Equipment and Facilities Newsletter; various forms, manuals and handbooks; and a series of monographs on various topics. Some of the files are large and may take some time to download.
Officiating Opportunities
Check for officiating opportunities on the Opportunities Board.
Contact Information for Mid-Atlantic Officials Chair
Ken Yerger - Chair
133 Spruce Lane
Collegeville, PA 19426
Home: 610-489-4320
Email: KYerger@Yahoo.com