the referee in review recertification clinics 9/23/2012 & 9/29/2012

The Referee in review

Recertification Clinics9/23/2012 & 9/29/2012

ISI Officials Recertification Clinics 2

Agenda• Review of credentialing• Meet timeline planning• Staffing a deck• On Deck Training • Safe Sport• National Certifications• And Finally…9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Checking Credentials

• Meet referees must check officials credentials AT EVERY MEET SESSION – Can use contact list sent out periodically by Rome

Yount– Every official should have USA Swimming and

Officials Certification cards

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Non-athlete membership

• An official may NOT work the deck if this is all they possess.

• Registration dates are by calendar year.

• The presence of “OFFICIAL” does NOT mean they are certified.

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Official’s Credentials

• An official must present this certification card to work the deck.– It shows both LSC and National certifications.

• The dates on the LSC portion for expiration, Background Check (B/C), Registration and Athlete Protection Training (APT) must all be current.

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Oops! I forgot my cards…

• If an official forgets his/her credentials:– Log into USA Swimming to show current official’s

“My Certification Card.”

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Meet Timelines

• Before the meet starts• During the meet

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Meet Timelines

• Meet Referees must work with Meet Directors and Entry Chairs in session planning for upcoming meets.– ISI Rule 203.3.3: “A pre-meet timeline shall be completed and

submitted to the Meet Referee no later than seven (7) days prior to the first day of competition.”

– ISI Rule 203.3.1: “All timed final competition on a single day shall be completed within a maximum of ten (10) hours. Competition for swimmers ages twelve (12) and younger shall be completed within a maximum of four hours.”

– ISI Rule 203.3.2: “All preliminary/final competition on a single day shall be completed within a maximum of eleven and one-half hours (11.5) exclusive of all warm-up periods.”

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Meet Timelines

• Talk about expectations BEFORE meet entries are accepted

• Watch the interval– Unrealistic to think that you can deliver a heat in less than a

15-second interval (+15 seconds for backstroke)– Watch need for breaks when timers change ends of the pool

• The timer’s march, timing system check

• Ask about previous history of post-entry scratches for the meet– Early season vs. later in season

• Do not agree to an unrealistic timeline“You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Managing a Timeline

• Deck Referees are responsible for managing the timeline for a session– Keep a session report on the master deck ref

clipboard– Record start of each event• Monitor how well you are delivering against the

timeline• Being ahead of the timeline is not a “good thing”

– Alert Meet Referee to major changes

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Managing a Timeline

• Ask Meet Referee about timing of short and long whistles– Adjust as needed to stay on timeline– Advise starter of pacing, when to be ready to start– Look for any problems with timers• For flyover starts, each timer should have two watches!

– Work with timing system operator to insure a smooth flow

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Deck Referee Reminders

• Pre-meet assistance– Ask MR how you can help with S/R rotations, checking equipment,

blocks, etc.

• Teamwork– When possible, always be sure the on-duty referee has a back-up on

deck• Don’t blow and go!

– Be certain OOF is getting done, start area is being marshaled

• Eyes on the pool at all times– When talking with coaches or other officials, move them around so

you can keep watching the pool

• Blowing the second backstroke whistle

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Staffing A Deck

• Create a team– What does that look like?

• Mix and Match– Clubs– Experience

• Other Best Practices

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


On-Deck Training

• The Meet Referee is an essential element in our Training Program– Strive to give trainee’s the best possible training

experience– When possible, assign your BEST people as

trainers across all levels• Trainers required to be certified at least one year in

position; experienced officials bring a breadth of knowledge

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


On-Deck Training

• Assist and guide your trainers– Tell them what should be covered in the training

session– Encourage them to be honest on evaluation card,

and to provide helpful comments and suggestions for improvement• A rating of Proficient means the official is ready to step

confidently into that position; Needs More Training is not a bad thing

It’s ok to ask a trainee to perform another session9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


On-Deck Training

• A training session at any level must be at least two hours in length– For S&T, must include all strokes– For starter, must provide at least 20 starts– For referee and admin judge, must include all

strokes and provide at least 20 heats to work

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


On-Deck Training (Proposed)

• Referee and Starter– Final training sessions with approved trainer from

IL Swimming Officials List– Referee must have at least one training session

shadowing the meet referee• Reviewing Pre-Meet Activities• Making assignments• Completing a stroke briefing

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Handling DQs and Notification

• Where possible use the most recent two-part DQ slips from USA Swimming

• Use Chief Judges to alleviate pressure on deck referee– Consider using radios

• Identify runners (meet host) to route slips to Deck Referee as quickly as possible

• If a Deck Referee becomes overwhelmed with DQs, ask back-up either to step-in on deck, or to process DQs

• Meet Referee should work with the table to distribute DQ slips and notify coaches quickly– May be meet dependent– Discuss in coaches’ meeting

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Radios and Radio Protocol

• Radios can be helpful for deck communication, especially at a 50m pool

• Help your officials learn to use radios correctly– Know to operate: volume, VOX, talk button(s)– Speak calmly in a neutral voice– Notify referee with “Possible Disqualification…”

• Lane, infraction

– Avoid radio usage between whistles and the start– Avoid unnecessary chatter– Protocols may change for meet specific needs

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Safe Sport

• USA Swimming is committed to ensuring a safe environment for all athletes and members.– Level 1 and Level 2 background checks for all USA

Swimming non-athlete members– Illinois Swimming meet packets must include statement

“Use of audio or visual recording devices, including a cell phone, is not permitted in changing areas, rest rooms or locker rooms” (ISI 202.6.2)• Be a leader with Meet Management to enforce this• Be aware of timers’ behavior

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


Safe Sport

• New legislation passed at Convention requires the following as part of the conditions of sanction (202.3.4F): – The meet announcement shall include the following

statement: "Except where venue facilities require otherwise, changing into or out of swimsuits other than in locker rooms or other designated areas is not appropriate and is strongly discouraged." The host club and/or the LSC may change the last two words in this statement to “prohibited.”

• Be familiar with USA-S Policies and Best Practices for Athlete Protection and other new legislation

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


National Certifications

• Increasing the number of OQM meets in Illinois

• Evaluations are designed to be training and mentoring opportunities

• Increase the number of certified officials at our state championships

Our swimmers deserve the best experience we can provide

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012


And Finally - Committee Requests

• Training– Clinicians– On Deck Trainers

• Volunteers for Championship Meets• Interest in OQM training meets (Hosting and

trainers)• Future Training Clinics

9/23/2012 and 9/29/2012

the referee in review recertification clinics 9/23/2012 & 9/29/2012

Documents