REFEREE CLINIC FOR REFEREE CANDIDATES ARIZONA SWIMMING Arizona Swimming, Inc., All rights reserved.
DON T TURN AROUND! THE BUCK STOPS WITH YOU!
A LEADER BY EXAMPLE Embodies respect, honesty, fairness, integrity, sense of duty and sportsmanship Knows the rules technical & administrative (parts 1 & 2). Deck presence Effective management skills Maintains positive relationships
A GOOD REFEREE REMEMBERS IT S NEVER ABOUT US. UNDERSTANDS YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE RULES
ON-DECK DEMEANOR It IS ABOUT THE KIDS, not us. Leave your ego at home You are a teacher of children. You owe them your best effort. Be accessible & warm. Stay calm and in control of any situation. Do not yell or run. Take it offdeck. Dress in a respectable manner, so that you are respected. Be professional and invisible.
APPEARANCE & EQUIPMENT Look like a leader: clean uniform, not marginal. Credentials & Name Tag Have the needed meet materials. Whistle on lanyard Clipboard, pen & pencil Two-way radios w/ headset, extras, batteries Meet Forms: (Admin) Offl. Sign-in, Assignment Form, Lap counting sheets, Relay take-offs, DQ Log, Equipment: Tape measure, water thermometer, 6 ruler, scissors, duct tape
DECK & MEET REFEREES In Arizona we have two types of referees: Deck referees & Meet referees A Deck referee can manage timed-finals and most meets A Meet referee in Arizona is required to be able to run the complexities of prelims/finals meets Operate both timing equipment and meet manager Seeding complex events Ties & Swim-offs Scratches Finals seeding Time Trials
AZ REQUIREMENTS DECK REFEREE Age 21 Register as USA Swimming Non-Athlete Member Background Check Level 2 Athlete Protection Training Referee Clinic 6 Training Sessions/ 3 meets/2 referees Referee and all 6 other tests: Time, Timing Judge, Clerk of Course, S& T, Starter, Admin Official Deck Check
AZ REQUIREMENTS MEET REFEREE Age 21 Register as USA Swimming Non-Athlete Member Background Check Level 2 Athlete Protection Training Deck Referee and Admin Referee Certified 6 Training Sessions/ 3 prelims/finals meets/2 referees, Referee and all 7 other tests: Time, Timing Judge, Clerk of Course, S& T, Starter, Admin Official Be able to operate Timing and Meet Management Equipment Then run a State Championship Meet
A REFEREE S DUTIES: BEFORE THE MEET Participates in Meet Preparation Meet Flyer Supervises & approves: Entries, Psych Sheets, Time Line Upon Arrival: meets with Meet Director, Clerk of Course, Announcer Checks: Start & Timing equipment, flags, recall rope, 15 meter mark Puts-out Officials Sign-in Sheet. Assigns marshals opens pool for Warm-up Conducts the Officials & Coaches Meetings. Officials Assignments. Sets Officials Positions & Jurisdictions.
REF & STR LAG S ASSIGNING POSITIONS & JURISDICTION-LC 15 M 15 M LEAD S T T START END TURN END T T LAG S LEAD S 15 M 15 M
ASSIGNING POSITIONS & JURISDICTION-SC REF & STARTER 15M X S&T S&T START END TURN END S&T S&T
A REFEREE S DUTIES: DURING THE MEET Runs the Deck: Head official. Sets the tone and pace of the meet. Determines Officials rotations. Enforces the rules. Resolves coaches issues & questions.
DECK REFEREE Establish rapport, protocols & position with starter. Pace: the meet. Each race: Check your deck officials positions Series of Short Whistles Signals swimmers to get ready. Long Whistle: Signals up on blocks or into water. Turn-over heat to starter when swimmers settled. Observe the start, approve/order recall Monitor S & T officials & the swimmers and : always face the pool. Approve/dismiss DQ s:, asks for notification & paperwork
DQ PROTOCOL Know your officials & their positions Checks positions before each race. Acknowledges raised hands immediately, handle or delay Ask official, (Name) What is the possible call? Seeks certainty of infraction and official: do not lead. Repeats understanding, then Accept or NOT Accept the call Direct recording and notification
DQ RADIO SCENARIO Jane: (Hand Raised) This is Jane on the turn end, I have a possible DQ Ref: Go ahead Jane, What s your call? Jane: (Hand Down) The swimmer in lane 6 had a non-simultaneous touch. The right hand touched first followed by the left hand. Ref: The swimmer in lane 6, non-simultaneous touch, right hand followed by left. Jane: That is correct Ref: Thank you, I accept that call, write it up and please notify the swimmer. Ask questions to understand, accept or reject your call
OTHER STUFF Cannot change the rules. One exception opens the door for all. False starts and relays protocol Open & closed decks, traffic patterns. Handling Coaches inquiries. Handling Parents.
A MEET REFEREE S ADDED DUTIES A meet referee s job is 90% preparation, 10% meet management. A meet manager Complexities of prelims/finals meets: Two pools Scratches & no-shows Ties & Swim-offs Seeding Time Trials
TWO POOLS Assign a head referee for each pool. Allocate officials to each pool, radio channel Allow the head referee to set assignments & run their pool Provide needed forms & time lines Provide any needed support Drive byes.
SCRATCHES & NOS-SHOWS Know applicable event scratch & no-show rules: For pre-seeded, deck-seeded, prelims and finals events. After prelim results announced, swimmers have 30 mins to scratch or declare intent to scratch at clerk of course. Clerk delivers finalists names (after scratches) to admin for re-seeding. Finalists (after scratches ) seeded and announced. No shows & penalties: Deck-seeded: out of event & next individual event Finals: age group: out of event, rest of final session & next ind. Event Seniors: death penalty: out of rest of meet.
TIES & SWIM-OFFS Watch prelim results before scratches for ties ** on heat edges. Warn involved coaches After scratches close, clerk re-numbers swimmers. If tie remains, query coaches to resolve if a swim-off & when. Swim-off must occur within 45 mins of event or swimmer s last event of session: in prelims only. Swim-off time is an official, but not qualifying time. Set-up race in hytek & swimmer 5.Loser gets next finals position. Swim-offs are disruptive.
SEEDING Know the meet flyer. What events are deck-seeded, split prelims/finals. Check seeding rules: Prelims and finals seeded differently Fast-to-slow or slow-to-fast, combined by ages, genders Know how to collect two pools results & merge for finals Enter scratches and seed finals in Hytek meet manager
TIME TRIALS Are they sanctioned as part of meet or separately? If ref has discretion and tt s are a possibility: Set-up time trial sign-up at clerk of course, collect monies. Set referee decision deadline. & Then sign-up deadline. State pool and start time for tt s. After sign-up deadline, collect tt list and seed heats. Follow event order: todays; tomorrows, next, back to 1 st day, 2 nd. Etc. Number events in 100s for first day s time trials, 200 s second day, 300 s third, etc. Make 30 copies of hand-written tt event sheet: distribute: lane timers, ref, str, s&t s And clerk of course. Conduct tt s just like regular events and record events/times in separate session.
A REFEREES DUTIES: AFTER THE MEET Thank all officials. Review & sign the results: all scoring sheets Sign & submit to az swimming: official sign-in form, assignment sheet w/ sanction #. Send thank-you to all officials Complete meet officials entry into OTS.
ONE FINAL THING BE ABLE TO HELP OTHERS REACH THEIR GOALS