Officials

Judges and officials, many of which are volunteers, play a critical role in young athletes achieving their goals and dreams. The USSA sanctions over 4,000 individual competitions annually and provides an educational system for over 5,600 USSA judges and officials. Those competitions would not be possible without the time from those dedicated judges, officials and other competition volunteers.

This section of ussa.org provides information for those wishing to get started, as well as valuable resources for existing judges and officials in all USSA sports.

Getting Started
Why become a USSA judge or official? Taking part as a competition judge or official is exciting -- it brings you into the heart of the action! And it's a way of helping the thousands of young athletes who enter USSA competitions to have fun and to achieve personal goals.

It's simple to get started. Just join the USSA as an official. And work with your local USSA Club to volunteer at an entry level position.

Who becomes a USSA judge or official? Oftentimes it starts with parents of young athletes who want to be more actively involved. Former athletes and coaches are also great candidates with their background in the sport. But it can be anyone who has an interest in helping young athletes and playing an important role in their success.

What Do Judges and Officials Do?
Judges and officials ensure that USSA competitions run efficiently and fairly by the rules. They are responsible for the safe conduct of the event and the accurate timing, judging and scoring. They also play a key role in ensuring that the spirit of the sport and competition is maintained.

In the end, judges and officials are responsible for providing the best possible experience for USSA athletes.

Advancement
Judges and officials are a lot like athletes. Once you start, you'll want to increase your level of expertise. The USSA offers a wide range of local, divisional and regional clinics where you can learn new skills and take on new positions.

Various levels of officials' certification are offered by the USSA in each of its sports programs. Checkout the detailed information on judges and officials in each of the USSA's sports.

As you grow in experience as a USSA judge or official, you may want to consider becoming certified internationally as a FIS (International Ski Federation) judge or official. FIS officials work international events domestically, and may be considered for international assignments.