Finding Officials for Your Meet
&
Official's Contact List

1) How to Find Meet Officials for Your Meet updated 8.25.2021

2) Approved List of Meet Refereees and Admins for Timed Final & Prelim/Final Meets updated 1.18.2022

NEW: Officials Contact List updated 12.30.2021
(Note: This list includes officials that returned the
annual release of information sheet for 2021-2022)
Key: MR=Meet Ref, DR=Deck Ref, AR=Admin Ref, AO=Admin Official, SR=Starter, CJ=Chief Judge
ST=Stroke & Turn Official, OR=Open Water Referee

Referees and Meet Directors may request a contact list for officials
for MN Swimming competitions through the Officials Committee Chair, Jack Swanson.
Please send a request by email.

NEW: On-Call Officials List updated 1.7.2022
(List includes officials that are willing to be "on-call" for teams in need of officials.)

Virtual Clinic Schedule

Attendance at a 101 clinic is required for new and advancing officials within 6 months of certification. Officials should ideally attend a clinic during shadowing. If interested in leading a clinic, please contact Officials'  Training Coordinator Kelly Robole at [email protected].

2021-2022 Pre-Season Kick Off Meeting

The 2021-2022 pre-season kick off meetings were held on
September 27, 2021 and  October 4, 2021.

For those unable to attend, the recording can be found HERE.

Virtual Clinic Resources

Apprentice Forms & Certification Requirements

NEW: Certification/Recertification Requirements (upd. 10/12/21)

NEW OFFICIALS: MN Swimming Stroke & Turn Apprentice Form (upd. 5/25/21)

NEW OFFICIALS: Steps to Becoming a MN Swimming Stroke & Turn Official (upd. 5/25/21)
One-Page How to Become an Official (upd. 11/21)

MN Swimming Starter Apprentice Form (upd. 5/28/21)

MN Swimming Referee Apprentice Form (upd. 5/24/21)

MN Swimming Chief Judge Apprentice Form (upd. 7/20/2021)

MN Swimming Admin Official Apprentice Form (upd. 5/28/21)

NEW: MN Swimming Meet Referee Application (upd. 9/27/2021)

Applications for Advancement to L3 Certification

The MNSI Officials' Committee certifies highly experienced officials in the LSC as L3 in a position. To be eligible for L3 certification as a stroke and turn official, starter, chief judge, deck referee, and/or administrative referee, an official should have been certified for one year in a position, and have 10 sessions experience in that position at meets hosted by 3 different teams. At least 5 of the sessions should be at championship meets. Please complete an application form for each position for which you are applying for certification. Officials holding a current N2 or N3 certification do not need to apply for certification and will be certified as L3 upon approval of their N2 or N3 certification. Officials of all certification levels are always welcome on deck at all levels of meets - many hands make light work!

Stroke & Turn

Starter

Chief Judge

Deck Referee

Administrative Official/Administrative Referee

Becoming an Official: USA Swimming Membership
&
Official Certification Requirements

All officials start out as a Stroke & Turn Judge or Administrative Official. If you are at a meet and would like on-deck orientation training just come over to the meet administration table and ask to speak to the Meet Referee. 

All officials must hold a USA Swimming Non-Athlete membership. Please note, you can start your training before receiving a membership. Most people start their training and while that is underway complete the membership requirements. Here are the steps to receive a non-athlete membership:

1. Submit a Non-Athlete Membership Application and complete USA Swimming's Athlete Protection Training (APT) 
(both are linked under Documents/Coaches_Athletes_non-Athlete)

UPDATED: 2021-2022 Annual Release of Information Form (fillable PDF)

2. Pass a background check.

3. Complete Athlete Protection Training.

4. Complete Concussion Awareness Training
NFHS or CDC
(required by MN State law to be completed once every 3 years).
Certificate of completion MUST be emailed to Becky ([email protected]) or Tracy ([email protected]).

5. Participate in on-deck training at five meet sessions.
This involves training with a certified official during a swimming meet.

6. Pass USA Swimming Officials test (80%).

Reminder: Official’s Membership Cards are no longer printed/mailed.

Officials may print their cards from the Official’s Tracking System (OTS). This card will be acceptable to use as their membership card at all swim meets. Officials may also show their “membership card” from their Deck Pass Pluss app on their mobile devices as proof of membership, as well as their current Background Check and APT. If you want a printed card, you can print one from Deck Pass on the USA Swimming website.

Not sure if your USA membership or certifications are current?

Log in to your Deck Pass (free from USA Swimming) and click on your Member Card to see your expiration dates. 

Concussion Awareness Training Information

Concussion Awareness Training for Coaches and Officials
State law requires that any nonprofit organization that organizes a youth athletic activity for which a fee is charged, must require all participating coaches and officials to receive initial online training at least once every three calendar years consistent with the Concussion in Youth Sports online training program available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site. See more information (including the statute) here.

Training Resources:

Concussion Training (CDC)

Concussion Training (NFHS)

Certificate of completion MUST be emailed to Becky ([email protected]) or Tracy ([email protected]).

Application to Officiate Zone/National Meets

TYR Pro Series - January 12-15, 2022 - Meet Canceled
Knoxville, TN

TYR Pro Series - March 2-5, 2022
Des Moines, IA

TYR Pro Series - March 30-April 2, 2022
San Antonio, TX

OW Nationals - April 1-3, 2022
Ft Myers Beach, FL

18 & Under Spring Cup - May 2022 (exact dates TBD)
Sites TBD (1 per Zone)

TYR Pro Series - June 29-July 2, 2022
Mission Viejo, CA

Phillips 66 National Championships - July 26-30, 2022
Irvine, CA

Futures Championships - July 27-30, 2022
Sites TBD

Speedo Junior National Championships - August 1-5, 2022
Irvine, CA

 
(**MUST be logged into your USA Swimming Account first to see the Futures Application.**)
 

L3 and Championship Meet Sign-Ups

The MNSI Officials' Committee is responsible for assigning some lead officials to prelim/final invitationals and all lead officials for LSC championship meets (MACs, MRCs, State Meets).

Lead/assigned roles are meet referee, deck referee, starter, chief judge, and administrative official/referee roles. Preference will be given to officials who hold a L3 certification in the position assigned, but all officials are welcome to apply.

Vince Herring Assigned Team Interest Form

Vince Herring Officials Sign-Up

MRC Assigned Team Interest Form

State Meet Assigned Team Interest Form

National Certification Evaluations
(Officials Qualifying Meet ~ OQM)

The National Officials Certification Program provides expanded education of officials through mentoring, participation and evaluation as well recognizing those officials who have demonstrated their knowledge of swim officiating at each level and position. One step in becoming nationally certified at a position is to complete an evaluation at a designated meet.

More information can be found at the National Certification and Evaluation page on the USA Swimming website.

The following meets will offer evaluations: 

FOXJ Winter Classic
Univ of MN - Minneapolis, MN
January 14-16, 2022
Officials Sign-Up Form

Reference Materials

2021 USA Swimming Rule Book

Officials Tracking System (OTS) Resources
1) Entering Officials Sessions into OTS
2) Adding Activities from a Meet into OTS

Referee's Guide (PDF)

Pre-Meet Guide (PDF)

Running Meets with Meet Manager  (May 2009) (PDF)

National Weather Service Lightning Safety

Rule differences between sanctioning bodies of swimming
FINA/USA Swimming, NFHS, NCAA, US Masters (PDF) (9.18.18)

Stroke & Turn On-Deck Training Guide (PDF)

FINA New Rules for Timing Resolutions Effective 5/1/16

USA Swimming Observers Briefing Video
(For USA Swimming Officials Observing High School Section Meets)

Entering Official Splits in Meet Manager

Using Footers in Meet Manager
(To print sponsor logos or important messages on the bottom of Psych Sheets and Meet Programs)

Badges & Shirts

Officials Apparel

Name Badges/Bell/Whistle Information