Þ
You love the game of football
If you love football, officiating is the best way to stay involved in the game.
The great thing about being an official is that you actually get to be on the
field and not on the sidelines.
Þ
It’s a great way to stay in shape
Officiating provides a meaningful reason to stay in shape. As we get older,
many adults find it more difficult to find the time to exercise. Officiating
gives you the opportunity to get out of the house two or three times a week and
participate in an enjoyable and rewarding physical activity.
Þ
Be a positive role model
Officiating provides a unique opportunity to positively influence young people.
The official is a role model who is charged with enforcing the concepts of fair
play and good sportsmanship.
Þ
For the competitor in you
Officiating appeals strongly to the competitive spirit that all of us possess.
The successful official is a fierce competitor who enjoys the opportunity to
work with teammates toward a common goal of officiating
a good game.
Þ
Personal development
Football officiating requires you to make instantaneous decisions, resolve
conflicts, and deal with stress and pressure. It demands good communications
skills.
Þ
Make lifelong friends
Your fellow officials can become your friends for
life. A tremendous bond is developed between officials as they work together
for the common good and can only be fully explained after you've experienced it.
Þ
For the money
Football officiating is not an extremely lucrative hobby, but then again, you
will see a positive cash flow. Unlike other hobbies, the time spent at
officiating will put some money in your pockets.
Þ How do I
become a football official?
It’s simple! Just complete the TASO application form and
mail it to us. You will need to include $50 registration fee in the form of a
check or money order made payable to Fort Worth Football Officials. If you have any questions, send an email to join@fwfo.org or call the Recruiting Committee
at (888) FWFO-660.
Each year, New Member training is
typically held every Monday night at 5:30 p.m. throughout the summer, beginning
in mid-June. At these valuable meetings, a veteran official will lead you
through rules and mechanics discussions that will help prepare you for upcoming
scrimmages and games. Tentatively, the training sessions will be held at three
locations to meet your travel needs (click for map):
Þ Can you
make any money at this? Is it expensive or time-consuming?
Although nearly all officials will tell you
that they officiate for the love of the game, pay is also a consideration. The football
season can be demanding on time, depending on how many games you care to work.
Most school districts play two or three sub-varsity games on Tuesday and
Thursday nights throughout the season. In fact, some of the larger school
districts even play on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in order to get all
their games played. Many first-year officials run chains during varsity games
on Friday nights, giving them a unique opportunity to watch and learn from
veteran officials.
Almost all local schools pay by check through
the mail. Sub-varsity
and chain assignments typically pay between $20 and $50 each game, depending on
the school districts. Varsity pay in
Many officials are also engaged by area pee-wee football leagues to work their games. These games are typically played on Saturdays, and usually pay anywhere from $35 to $50 per game. If a pee-wee league is in the area, chances are good that one or more of our members coordinates officials and/or officiates games for them.
Þ What
equipment do I need to get started? How much will it cost me?
The basic equipment necessary to get started
on the field includes: a striped official shirt (with Byron collar), black
athletic or coach shorts, Black (or primarily black) athletic field shoes,
officials’ hat (black with white piping), whistle, yellow penalty flag, white
bean bag, white socks and a black belt. There are multiple local and online
vendors from whom you can buy officiating equipment and supplies. Many of these
suppliers offer new officials a “starter package”, which typically costs
between $125 and $175. Typically, you will be able to earn this amount back
with your first sub-varsity assignment or two. Also, several veteran FWFO
officials donate some uniform items to the new members’ class each year. These
are usually items that they have “outgrown” in the off-season, but that still
may be useable for someone else. It is usually “first come, first served” with
these items, but they can help you get started.
Þ Where will
I be officiating?
Fort Worth Football Officials covers many high
school and junior high games in Tarrant,
Þ
Are there any other fees or dues that I will have to
pay?
For first year officials, only the $50 registration
fee is required. In subsequent years, every member pays dues to the state and
local association each year. Currently, annual state dues are $50, and annual
local dues are $65.
Þ Who
assigns the games?
The Varsity Assignment Secretary (VAS) is the
individual responsible for soliciting varsity schedules from schools. Together
with the Varsity Assignment Committee, the VAS assigns officials to varsity
games. There are also sub-varsity coordinators, who are responsible for
entering the sub-varsity games into a central website. Then, each official can
log into the website and self-assign their sub-varsity schedule.
Þ Is there
more than High School?
If your goal is to work the NCAA National
Championship game or the Super Bowl, this is the place to start. All of the
officials you see working at a collegiate or professional level began just like
this.
The state organization, Texas Association of
Sports Officials (TASO), maintains a ranking system which classifies officials
points earned through on-the-field experience, as well as educational clinics.
As you advance, you will begin working varsity games on Friday nights.
Obviously, you should not expect to be assigned to the Trinity v. Cedar
Hill game your first or second time out in uniform. However, the more you
put into your officiating career, the more you might expect out of it.
Several members of Fort Worth Football
Officials are college officials. We have members working in junior college,
NCAA Division I and II, and even in the NFL. Getting to the college or NFL
ranks is similar to getting on the board of directors of a major corporation:
There is a lot of competition for a few openings. But, with time, experience
and exposure, you never know where this “hobby” might take you. Nevertheless,
there is great camaraderie in working High School football – the king of sports
in