Resources for:

Officials Observer Certification

About

The important role that local observers and evaluators play in the overall growth, development and quality of officiating is something USA Lacrosse recognizes and hopes to provide expanding support for.

An important part of developing an official is watching them on a game and providing feedback on things they did well and things they need to improve on. Observation and evaluation of officials is one of the most important development methods for officials and the more people that are qualified to observe games, the more officials can be observed on a regular basis and their overall growth and development will rapidly increase.

As the sport continues to grow, the need for observers to conduct ongoing evaluations and observations of officials grows as well. USA Lacrosse, through this program, hopes to standardize the requirements for observers at the local level by providing additional support and development opportunities tailored to them to increase the quality and consistency of officiating throughout the country.

Observer Certification

The goal of this program is to develop observers and evaluators, by utilizing online resources emphasizing proper mechanics, correct rule interpretation, and showcasing different methods of observing and evaluating officials. As such, Certified Observers will be trained to communicate and work with officials at all levels of play, and will be tasked with reporting observation and evaluation data to USA Lacrosse.

Apply Here

Application Timeline
  • 2023 Applications will close on Oct. 31, 2022.
  • Accepted applicants will receive a welcome letter and enrollment notification by November 15, 2022.
Interested applicants should be:
  • An official with at least three years of officiating experience at the high school level in their area or someone with a deep understanding of the game of lacrosse, such as a retired and respected coach or administrator
  • Past experience assisting in evaluating or observing officials is a plus, but not required
How Will USA Lacrosse Evaluate the Applications?

Applications are evaluated by USA Lacrosse Officials Development as well as USA Lacrosse Regional Managers and based on the following criteria:

  • Quality of the application:
    • All fields are complete.
    • Questions are clearly answered.
    • Includes two recommendations from local area officials

Certification Requirements

There are eight requirements for new certified observers. Requirements 1-4 must be completed in order. Requirements 5-8 may be completed in any order.

  1. Apply using the links on this page
  2. Have a current USA Lacrosse Membership with Official Participation.
  3. Register into the Certified Observer program and pay the $25 one-time registration fee.
  4. Initiate a background check through US Lacrosse's background check provider NCSI.
  5. Complete the USA Lacrosse Men's or Women's Rules Online course at usalacrosse.com/myaccount.
  6. Complete the USA Lacrosse Certified Observer Online Course (link provided after registering).
  7. Participate in the annual Certified Observer Webinar (link provided after registering).
  8. Pass the upcoming season's rules tests (NFHS or Collegiate + USA Lacrosse Youth) with an 85% or better at usalacrosse.com/myaccount.
  9. Complete the USA Lacrosse Cultural Competency Online Course at usalacrosse.com/myaccount.

Annual Recertification Requirements

Observers completing all of the requirements are automatically enrolled in the Certified Observer Recertification Program for the following season at no cost to the observer. Recertification requirements are:

  1. Maintain a USA Lacrosse Membership with Official Participation.
  2. Maintain a current background check through USA Lacrosse’s background check provider NCSI.
  3. Participate in the annual Certified Observer Webinar (live or recorded).
  4. Pass the upcoming season's rules tests (NFHS or Collegiate + USA Lacrosse Youth) with an 85% or better at usalacrosse.com/myaccount.

Benefits to Certification

Upon completion of all requirements trainers are granted access to the CTO Resource Library. A one-stop shop where you can download:

  • Training PowerPoint Presentations.
  • Electronic versions of the Training Manuals.
  • Penalty videos.
  • Mechanics videos.
  • Evaluation Forms and examples

The CTO Resource Library also has an online store where you can buy hard copies of training materials, evaluation form packets, and more all at a bigger discount than the average USA Lacrosse Official Member.