ALPINE OFFICIALS' MANUAL CHAPTER XI ALPINE OFFICIALS' PROGRAM 05-06

Transcription

1 UNITED STATES SKI AND SNOWBOARD ASSOCIATION ALPINE OFFICIALS' MANUAL CHAPTER XI ALPINE OFFICIALS' PROGRAM INTRODUCTION... XI/ 2/05-06 BENEFITS...XI/ 2/05-06 SEMINARS/CLINICS...XI/ 3/05-06 APPEAL OF AN OFFICIAL S FAILING EXAMINATION GRADE...XI/ 4/05-06 CERTIFICATION PROGRAM...XI/ 4/05-06 USSA ALPINE COMPETITION REGULATIONS (ACR)...XI/ 5/05-06 FIS INTERNATIONAL SKI COMPETITION RULES (ICR)...XI/ 5/05-06 ALPINE OFFICIALS' MANUAL (AOM)...XI/ 6/05-06 EDUCATIONAL VIDEO TAPE GATE JUDGES...XI/ 6/05-06 ALPINE OFFICIALS' ROSTER...XI/ 6/05-06 TECHNICAL DELEGATES...XI/ 6/05-06 USSA Technical Delegates...XI/ 7/05-06 FIS Technical Delegates...XI/ 8/05-06 ALPINE OFFICIALS' COMMITTEE...XI/ 8/05-06 ALPINE OFFICIALS' RECOMMENDATION FORM...XI/ 9/05-06 PERSONAL ACTIVITY RECORD...XI/10/05-06 XI/1/05-06

2 INTRODUCTION Many ski areas have professional race departments, but because of the large number of trained officials required for all levels of racing, volunteers are a necessary factor in any race organization. Alpine Officials, whether paid professionals or volunteers, take pride in being the best they can be and affording every competitor a fair and legal competition. This pride and dedication is recognized through attitudes and proficiency in a given area of certification, which benefits not only the competitors but also the general Alpine race program and the specific race organizers. Volunteer race officials are usually parents and/or immediate family members of a competitor. Many are individuals whose children no longer compete, but who stay involved in order that others may benefit from their experience and knowledge. Professional Certified Officials are involved not only because it is their chosen profession but also, like volunteers, they have found the rewards of ski race officiating are contributing to the respective ski programs and the satisfaction of providing fair competitions for diverse groups of athletes. Certified Officials are expected to be active and up to date on procedures and rules. Certification of Alpine Officials by FIS or USSA is an implied guarantee to sponsoring organizations that the Official is qualified and will do a good job. Advancement to a higher certification level does not necessarily constitute a progression through proficiency testing or merit badges; it does imply recognition of proven ability, judgment and service. In cases where officials are not able to fulfill the responsibilities indicated by the certification level(s) listed, the official could be dropped from the list. Inactive officials can also be dropped from the list. BENEFITS Any person may join the ranks of Alpine Officials by becoming a member of USSA as an Alpine Official (Coaches membership includes Alpine Official) and submitting the additional fee as noted on the application form. New officials have no designation until promoted by the USSA Alpine Officials' Committee or appropriate region/division. Upon joining USSA and paying the Alpine Officials membership fee, officials will receive: Annual USSA membership card All regular membership benefits including a subscription to a publication of their choice Annual USSA Alpine Competition Guide (Comp Guide) Access to organized Alpine Officials' education program Secondary Accident Insurance coverage at USSA-sanctioned events Listing in the Alpine Officials' Directory/Roster on the USSA web site Compact disk with master packet of current forms, AOM, and various rule books Annual USSA Directory with contact numbers for staff, clubs and basic USSA information Annual Alpine Official membership and activity card as provided by region/division Additional benefits according to certification level and current race officiating activity NOTE: For USSA-sanctioned, non-fis events, Jury members, Jury Advisors (Start Referee and Finish Referee), Chief of Course, Course Setters, Competitors and Forerunners must be current participant members of USSA as a Competitor, Coach, or Alpine Official. Participant membership XI/2/05-06

3 requires a signed USSA Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability. Associate members are not participant members. For USSA-sanctioned FIS events, these individuals may also be qualified members of a foreign federation recognized by FIS. Age-eligible USSA participant members who are not FIS inscribed and who are forerunning a FIS event due to the Organizing Committee s inability to provide a sufficient number of FIS-inscribed forerunners, must also sign the FIS Athlete s Declaration. Some divisions/regions of USSA require an additional fee. These additional fees help to defray the costs of additional services provided to officials and race organizers in those divisions/regions. SEMINARS/CLINICS A variety of Alpine Officials seminars/clinics are held in the fall in each geographic division of USSA. Seminars/clinics range from those designated as mandatory refreshers for FIS Technical Delegates and other senior officials to introductory sessions for novice officials. These seminars/clinics address the entire range of officiating and race organization. Topics include Competition Official which is required prior to attending any specialty area seminar/clinic, Chief of Race, Data Management, Race Administration, Referee which includes Jury Advisor Start and Finish Referee, Timing & Calculations and Technical Delegate. Technical Delegate seminar/clinics may be by invitation only. Written examinations are offered at many seminars/clinics for those officials wishing to upgrade level(s) of proficiency. Examinations are "open book" and must be taken at scheduled times. They are NOT take-home exams and may NOT be administered by correspondence or ; time limits have been adopted for each examination. All specialty-area examinations expire annually on June 1. For seminar/clinic schedules, contact the Alpine Officials' Committee representative for your region/division/state listed in the USA Directory or contact the USSA regional or divisional office serving your area. Available seminar/clinic schedules will be published in "Ski Racing", announced in regional, divisional and/or state newsletters and listed on the USSA web site. Basic Timing & Calculations, Chief of Race, Race Administration and Referee seminar/clinics require passing a written exam with a grade of 75% or higher prior to advancement to Level 2. Apprentice Technical Delegates (Applicants) must pass their respective exam with a grade of 75% or higher and must receive a favorable evaluation by a senior Technical Delegate prior to being assigned to an event. Technical Delegates who have fulfilled the requirements and who wish to advance to Level 3 must pass their respective written exam with a grade of 80% or higher. Certified Timing and Calculations Officials wishing to upgrade their proficiency level to Level 3 and who meet current requirements must pass the current exam with a grade of 75% or better. Level 3 or above Timing and Calculations Officials are considered for positions at higher-level events. When an individual receives a grade lower than that required by current Certification Guidelines, retesting may occur only after the annual revision of the applicable exam is available. XI/3/05-06

4 APPEAL OF AN OFFICIAL S FAILING EXAMINATION GRADE If after consultation with the examiner and/or the applicable State/Division Alpine Officials Chairperson, a candidate wishes to file an appeal of a failing examination grade, the following procedure must be followed: 1. An appeal of the failing examination grade shall be presented to the applicable State/Division Alpine Officials Chairperson. This appeal must be presented in writing within thirty (30) days of written notification of the failure and must include a $50.00 appeal fee. This fee is refundable if the appeal is successful. 2. The State/Division Alpine Officials Chairperson shall remove the name of the appellant. An appeal identification number shall be inserted, and copies of all examination documents shall be forwarded to the USSA Alpine Officials Education Working Group Chairperson. 3. The USSA Alpine Officials Education Working Group Chairperson shall review the examination and forward copies of the examination documents to two (2) additional alpine officials outside of the appellant s State/Division/Region who are qualified to administer/evaluate the examination in question. 4. Appellant and applicable State/Division Alpine Officials Chairperson will be notified in writing of the decision reached by these parties. 5. Decision will be final and no further appeal will be accepted. *USSA AOEWG Chair as noted in the USSA Directory. CERTIFICATION PROGRAM The USSA Alpine Officials Committee has developed a comprehensive certification program, which is in place on a nation-wide basis and is amended by the Alpine Officials' Committee as needed. The program is reviewed on an annual basis and recognizes officials at six levels in a variety of categories. Officials are recognized at Levels 1-6 in eight different specialty areas, reflecting different responsibilities, abilities and experience. These are: Competition Official CO * Chief of Race CR Chief of Course CC Data Management DM Jury Advisor (Start/Finish Referee) JA (Included in Referee education) Race Administrator RA Referee RF Technical Delegate TD Timing and Calculations TC * Competition Official (CO) certification is required prior to certification in specialty areas. Requirements for advancement from Level 1 through Level 4 vary for each area of certification. Refer to Certification Guidelines for more information. The current recognized certification levels for Alpine Officials are: Apprentice, Associate or State - indicated as Level 1 Divisional - indicated as Level 2. National - indicated as Level 3. XI/4/05-06

5 National Gold - indicated as Level 4. Specialty areas may have additional requirements, but the basic requirements are: - Minimum of 5 years of outstanding service - Annual seminar/clinic participation per divisional requirements, preferably as instructor - Nomination by Divisional Alpine Officials' Committee - Approval by USSA Alpine Officials' Committee at Annual Meeting Honor Role - indicated as Level 5 - Awarded to retired and emeritus officials who maintain USSA Alpine Officials' membership Level 6 - reserved for FIS Technical Delegates Advancements are handled on a divisional basis according to nationally established guidelines. The national Alpine Officials Committee, based on the recommendation of Divisional Alpine Officials Committees, approves certification at the highest levels. FIS Technical Delegates (TD - 6) can only be recognized by FIS after national federation nomination and successful completion of a candidacy program, an oral entrance examination and a written entrance examination. Coaches have a completely separate system of certification and education. A certified USSA Coach, although an Alpine Official because of the USSA membership structure, is not necessarily a certified Alpine Official. Certified professional coaches who are not certified as a Referee and who want to obtain certification should plan to attend a USSA approved seminar/clinic and earn certification as both Competition Official and Referee. A passing grade of 75% or higher on the Referee exam is required; there is no exam for Competition Official. Coaches must be certified USSA Referees as a requirement for advancement as a USSCA Regional Coach. A Directory/Roster of USSA Alpine Officials is available on the USSA web site listing levels of certification and membership status. This Roster can be used to assist Technical Delegates and organizers in their selection of Officials. New officials, without further credentials but with a USSA Alpine Officials' membership, appear in the roster with no designation. [Refer to ALPINE OFFICIALS' DIRECTORY/ROSTER in this Chapter for further information.] USSA ALPINE COMPETITION REGULATIONS (ACR) These regulations are published annually on the USSA web site and in the USSA Alpine Competition Guide. With the exception of FIS competitions where these regulations may not supersede the ICR, USSA sanctioned events are conducted in accordance with these regulations. The FIS International Competition Regulations (ICR) and adjuncts shall govern any and all issues not addressed therein. INTERNATIONAL SKI COMPETITION RULES (ICR) The FIS ICR ( Blue Book ), which governs international ski competition, is revised every four years. The current edition (2004) is available on the FIS web site, accessible through a link on the USSA web site, from regional/divisional or national USSA offices, and at scheduled Alpine Officials' seminars/clinics. Contact regional/divisional or national USSA offices for costs and availability. Rule changes and clarifications are published bi-annually as Precisions ; July for the Southern Hemisphere XI/5/05-06

6 and November for the Northern Hemisphere. These Precisions are published on the USSA and FIS web sites and are also available at scheduled seminars/clinics. ALPINE OFFICIALS' MANUAL (AOM) The Manual is a comprehensive guide to race organization, rules, duties of the various officials, timing and calculations, and other subject areas important to Alpine Officials. It is intended as a resource for seminar/clinic instructors as well as a reference tool for officials. The information it contains does not supersede the current rules of the ACR or the ICR. Although intended to be thorough, the Manual is not intended to be a step-by-step instruction book with definitive procedures for every race situation. The Manual identifies what is ultimately required and what resources are available to reach that end without necessarily dictating the specific how-to directions. The Manual is available on the USSA web site and is furnished on compact disk to every USSA Officials member. The Manual is updated yearly. EDUCATIONAL VIDEO TAPE GATE JUDGES With the support of Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee grants, USSA Masters' program generosity and several alpine ski areas, USSA has one VHS videotape designed for Alpine Officials' education. The video covers the primary area where new officials can begin to participate in ski racing - Gate Judging - and can be used by race organizers for pre-race training at race sites, as educational tools at seminars/clinics or for general club use. The video, "The Most Important Person on the Hill" is provided to all USSA member clubs at no charge. It is also available on the compact disk sent to USSA Alpine Officials. Additional copies may be purchased for a nominal sum from the USSA Membership Department. All proceeds from sales are returned to production costs for future Alpine Officials' videos. Contact the USSA Membership Department for additional information. ALPINE OFFICIALS' ROSTER The USSA Alpine Office publishes an "Alpine Officials' Roster" on the USSA web site. The roster lists USSA member number, membership status, credentials (certification levels and specialties), etc., for USSA member Alpine Officials. Membership status is updated continually; certification levels are updated as information is received form regional/divisional/state Alpine Officials Chairpersons. TECHNICAL DELEGATES Technical Delegates (TDs) are the "senior" officials in ski racing and are assigned by either USSA or FIS depending on the competition level. They act as representatives of the sanctioning bodies of ski racing at these competitions. While the actual conduct of the race remains the responsibility of the sponsoring race organization, TD s are expected to draw on their knowledge and experience and be valued and positive contributors to the event. The TD counsels race organizers on procedures, interprets application of the rules, appoints the Referee for technical events and both the Referee and Assistant Referee for speed events, chairs the competition Jury, has the tie-breaking vote in matters requiring a Jury decision, and decides on questions which are not covered or are insufficiently covered by the rules in so far as these questions do not fall within the scope of other authorities. XI/6/05-06

7 Promotion to TD ranking requires knowledge and experience in all phases of ski competition and competency in on-hill as well as off-hill functions. Skiing ability, good judgment and a sound knowledge of courses is also necessary. The USSA Alpine Officials' Committee has reaffirmed its long-standing policy that, under normal circumstances, TD s will only be assigned to races where there can be no question as to their independence from the Organizing Committee and the host ski area. The expenses of the TD, including room and board at the competition and transportation to and from the site, are the responsibility of the organizers. FIS Technical Delegates are also entitled to a set Per Diem. USSA TECHNICAL DELEGATES Certification procedures for USSA Technical Delegate Applicants are: 1. Certified as Level 2 Referee and have a knowledge of timing and calculations evidenced by a minimum of Level 1Timing and Calculations certification or 2. Certified as Level 1 Timing and Calculations, Level 1 Chief of Race and Level 2 Jury Advisor. The Technical Delegate Applicant must take the Technical Delegate Applicant (Level 1) exam with a score of 75% or better prior to becoming a Technical Delegate Candidate and being assigned as a Technical Delegate to a USSA-sanctioned event. The USSA Technical Delegate Working Group requires that a "Candidate" complete a minimum of one assignment under the supervision of a senior Technical Delegate and that a favorable written evaluation be submitted prior to certification as a Level 1 Technical Delegate. The approval of the applicable divisional Alpine Officials' Committee is required at each level of advancement. Technical Delegates who have met the requirements and who desire to upgrade to Level 3 must take the Technical Delegate Level III examination and pass with a score of 80% or better. The examination covers all aspects of race organization and documentation. Upon recommendation by the USSA or FIS Technical Delegates' Working Groups, Level 3 TDs can be considered as possible FIS Technical Delegate Aspirants. A USSA Technical Delegate should work as an assigned Technical Delegate at a USSA-sanctioned event a minimum of two days every season and must work as an assigned Technical Delegate at least once ever two years in order to maintain certification levels. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the sport, USSA Referees, Jury Advisors and Technical Delegates are urged to attend a USSA approved seminar/clinic/update annually, and they must attend one at least bi-annually. Failure to meet these participation requirements will result in loss of certification status. If a TD has missed an update for 2 years, he or she may be reinstated to the previous level by attending a recognized update. If a TD has missed an update for 3 or more years, he or she may be XI/7/05-06

8 reinstated by passing the appropriate examination, i.e. Level 1 or 2 must pass the Level 1 (TD Applicant) exam; Level 3 or 4 must pass the Level 3 examination. A TD may not violate the update rule for a second time and maintain TD certification. FIS TECHNICAL DELEGATES FIS Technical Delegates are recognized by the FIS Bureau based on USSA recommendation and upon successful completion of an apprenticeship, an oral entrance examination and a written examination. The FIS has adopted a set of standards for FIS Technical Delegates to assure that the best service is given to the sport. Standards include skiing ability, behavior and demeanor on and off the hill, a willingness to assist organizers, knowledge of the rules, and the ability to exercise good judgment. A Technical Delegate's status may be repealed for repeated failures to maintain these standards. Procedure for nomination, apprenticeship, examination and approval of FIS Technical Delegates includes which usually cover a two-year period. 1. Nomination and 2 seconds by current FIS TD s, including background and credentials evaluation. 2. Attendance at required seminar/clinic or symposium. 3. Assignment as a Technical Delegate Candidate at two FIS races - one technical event and one speed event (usually DH). A third race will be assigned to the candidate where she/he will function as the Technical Delegate. This on-hill examination under the guidance of a senior FIS Technical Delegate Examiner (not from the USA) will be a technical event. The three events are usually be assigned over a two-year period. 4. Successful completion of the FIS Technical Delegate oral entrance examination. 5. Successful completion of the FIS Technical Delegate written entrance examination. 6. Recommendation to the FIS by USSA FIS Technical Delegates. For more complete details, contact the USSA Alpine Office or the Chairperson of either the USSA Technical Working Group or the FIS Technical Delegate Working Group as listed in the current USSA Directory. FIS Technical Delegates are required to officiate annually, as assigned, and to attend a FIS Technical Delegate seminar/clinic or symposium at least every other year. The USA FIS Technical Delegate Working Group issues invitations to FIS seminars/clinics or symposiums. ALPINE OFFICIALS' COMMITTEE A complete listing of Alpine Officials' Committee and related Working Group members appears in the current USSA Directory. XI/8/05-06

9 UNITED STATES SKI AND SNOWBOARD ASSOCIATION ALPINE OFFICIAL S RECOMMENDATION FORM Use a separate sheet for each recommendation and return to applicable Division AO Chair. Based on performance at (Please print Official s name.) (List Race Name and Location) is being recommended for advancement from Level to Level in the following specialty area: Rate on scale of 1 to 5: Chief of Course Referee 1 - Outstanding Chief of Race Race Administrator 2 - Good Competition Official Timing & Calculations 3 - Fair/Average Data Management Technical Delegate 4 - Poor Jury Advisor (Start/Finish Referee) 5 - Unsatisfactory This Official: 1. Has a good working knowledge of race operations as a whole. 2. Is knowledgeable about this position and its responsibilities. 3. Is capable of handling this position unsupervised. 4. Explains duties clearly to other race workers. 5. Is confident and shows initiative in this position. 6. Communicates well with other race workers. 7. Works well with other people. 8. Is well organized and accomplishes assigned tasks in a timely manner. 9. Completes all duties required by this position. 10. (For TC/TD only) is capable of performing all calculations required by this position Comments - REQUIRED: Official Capacity of Recommending Official: Signature of Recommending Official (Please Print Name Legibly) Recommendation Date THIS INFORMATION WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL. THANK YOU. XI/9/05-06

10 UNITED STATES SKI AND SNOWBOARD ASSOCIATION ALPINE OFFICIAL S PERSONAL ACTIVITY RECORD For your personal record, enter every race you officiate at and every Seminar/Clinic you participate in either as a student or as an instructor. When applying for advancement as an Alpine Official, a copy of this Personal Activity Record can be used in preparing your request. This record does not replace any Activity Card issued by your Region/Division or by USSA. Name: USSA ID #: Date (s) Name/Location of Race/Seminar/Clinic # of Days DH SL GS SG Position or Assignment XI/10/05-06