Officials Certification
The officials certification and team requirement page is now available for the 2022-2023 season. Tests and DEI training for officials will go live September 9th. Field tests request forms will be available soon. Any official who plans to LAR or HR by September 26th can work with referees@usquidditch.org for assistance with tests. You can find them on the Officials page of the USQ website.
Please remember that individuals must wait at least 24 hours after failing a test before retaking the same one. Officials exams do not need to be taken in any order, provided all requirements are completed. When taking the tests, please use the same email address as is associated with your USQ member account. DEI training must be LAR, HRs and Flag Runners this season.
Upon passing all written tests, Head Referees who have phased out of tiers in the previous season must field test to serve on USQ official matches in a Head Referee capacity. Referees who entered the 2022-2023 season were emailed their tier and must complete the Head Referee requirements above or take part in the recertification process.
Team Officials Requirements:
2 Assistant Referees
1 Seeker Referee
1 Lead Assistant Referee
1 Flag Runner
As an update to last season, teams are now only required to certify 5 individuals (previous 6). Please note that a crew of the above will be required for referee requirements at USQ hosted events, and a fully certified crew will be required at USQ championships (regionals and nationals).
If you are interested in becoming a referee or flag runner for the first time, the table above outlines the steps. Certified head referees, lead assistant referees, and flag runners are paid when they officiate an official match, as well as at an unofficial match at a USQ sanctioned event. The compensation is:
Head referees: $20/official game.
Lead assistant referees: $10/official game.
Flag runners: $10/official game.
Referee Tier System
USQ’s Referee Team will continue with its tier system from last year (view the Head Referee Recertification section). If a head referee has passed a field test in the 2021-22 season and has not phased out of all tiers, they can follow the recertification process.
Throughout the next few months, USQ’s referee team will be providing additional referee resources. The team will also begin to host open forum sessions during the fall, with the first one hosted September 14th at 7pm ET.
Flag Runner Tier System
New this season, flag runners will only need to pass the seeker referee exam and a flag runner safety exam. Similar to last season, all flag runners are assigned a tier immediately upon certification, beginning with tier 5. Once a flag runner has become certified, they may undergo an evaluation by a proctor. Passing this evaluation advances a snitch runner from tier 5 to tier 1-4 based on the result. Evaluations can be conducted in person by a proctor or virtually by submitting game film for review (link available later on the officials web page). USQ’s Runner team may ask for additional film to be provided before the flag runner can advance.Tiers can be reassessed throughout the season as additional film or field tests take place.
Throughout the next few months, USQ’s Runner team will be providing additional resources to help with certification and development.
If you are interested in becoming a proctor for flag runners, please email referees@usquidditch.org
Team Officials Requirements
This season teams are required to certify the following officials as part of their team membership requirements:
One Lead Assistant Referees (AR, SR, and HR written tests, DEI training)
One Flag Runner (SR and flag runner written tests, DEI training)
One Seeker Referee (Pass AR and SR written tests)
Two Assistant Referees (AR written test)
If you are non-player, you must also have a non-playing officials membership after completing your tests if you are a LAR, HR, or Flag Runner. If you are a player, a playing officials membership is no longer required.
Teams are required to complete their referee and snitch requirements by any of the deadlines listed below:
If your team is competing at a fall regional championship, you must complete the team referee and flag runner requirements two weeks prior to that specific championship.
If your team is competing at a spring regional championship and/or USQ Cup 2023, you must complete the team referee and flag runner requirements two weeks prior to that specific championship.
If you are not going to any USQ-hosted event but still an official member team, you must complete the requirements by one month after your team registers for the season or one week before any official games (whichever is later).
USQ staff will provide ways for teams to confirm which officials are coming to their regional championship. If there are more people on the team who are certified than what is required, we will confirm who is best suited for which position.
Timeline for Officials Requirement for USQ teams attending regionals:
Great Lakes Regional Championship: Sunday, October 16, 2022
Northeast Regional Championship (TBD): Sunday, October 23, 2022
Midwest Regional Championship: Sunday, October 30, 2022
Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship: Sunday, November 6, 2022
South Regional Championship: Sunday, January 29, 2023
West Regional Championship: Sunday, February 5, 2023
Southwest Regional Championship: Sunday, February 12, 2023
For questions, email referees@usquidditch.org.
Other Officials Policies
FIELD TEST PROCTOR ELIGIBILITY
At the beginning of each season, returning proctors must email referees@usquidditch.org to express interest before meeting with a member of the Referee Team for an interview and instruction on the process. USQ Referee Team reserves the right to approve proctors who are not Head Referee Certified on a case by case basis.
New referee proctors must email referees@usquidditch.org to express interest before meeting with a member of the Referee Team for an interview. If accepted, they will be paired with an existing proctor to receive additional instruction before conducting their first event of field tests under the supervision of the existing proctor. The existing proctor will provide feedback and ensure the quality of the proctor before the proctor may conduct field tests without supervision.
New Flag Runner proctors must email referees@usquidditch.org to express interest before meeting with a member of the Runner Team for an interview. If approved, they are then allowed to proctor flag runners on-site during USQ official matches or work with the Runner Team to evaluate submitted footage.
FIELD TEST PROCESS- All officials
Before the event:
To request field testing at an event, the Tournament Director must fill out the Referee Field Test Request form (link available later on the officials web page).
Events with USQ official games, USQ sanctioned events, or Major League Quidditch official events are the standard for field tests. The games used for field testing at events may be either official or unofficial. Field tests for tier development are permitted at USQ Regional Championships or US Quidditch Cup for officials who are currently certified, but they should be aware that field testing may not be available due to scheduling. All officials are encouraged to field test at other events when possible.
Unofficial events may be approved for field testing provided they meet the following additional requirements:
Fill out the Field Test Event Request form (link available later on the officials web page).
If following a ruleset other than one of the standard ones, email a copy to referees@usquidditch.org for approval
Have all below official positions filled during each field test. The required referee positions are:
A certified lead assistant referee, at least one assistant referee, a seeker referee, a flag runner, a scorekeeper, and a timekeeper
Applications for field testing at unofficial events should be submitted at least two weeks before the event. There is no deadline to request field testing at an official event, however it is recommended to apply at least two weeks before the event.
Once a field test candidate signs up for a field test through the field test sign up form, they will be assigned a proctor for the event in question. As soon as a field test proctor is aware of an upcoming field test, they should set up a meeting with at least one member of the Referee Team and/or Runner Team. This meeting should be scheduled to be a few days after the field test is to be administered.
During the event:
The field test proctor watches the game and takes extensive notes.
The field test proctor must use the USQ field test rubric available for the required position.
Rubrics available on the officials web page under the ‘field testing’ tab
Field test candidates will not receive their results at the event and cannot be provisionally passed.
If the candidate is only a Head Referee Candidate, no other official games may be head-refereed by the field test candidate (except in cases of inconclusive games). If the candidate is currently certified as a tier 1-4 referee and is testing to move up a tier, they may referee other official games at the event.
After the event:
The field test proctor must meet with at least one member of the USQ Referee (or Flag Runner) Team less than one week after the field test is administered. This meeting should be scheduled before the field test.
At this meeting, the Referee/Flag Runner Team member(s) and field test proctor will reach the final decision on whether the field test is passed and the updated tier of the tester.
The field test proctor must be paid $20 for the results to be considered official. If payment is not received in a timely manner, the proctor should email referees@usquidditch.org.
The field test proctor must send an email with the results to the official and CC referees@usquidditch.org within one week of the field test.
Repeatedly failing to meet the deadline of sending field test results within one week may result in field test proctor suspension.
Photo Credit: Dante Close