Intramural Sports

OFFICIALS HANDBOOK

YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS RECREATION
330-941-3731

JOB TITLE: Intramural Student Sports Official

Position Purpose: Officiate Intramural Team Sports

TYPICAL OFFICIALS DUTIES:

Provide pore-game assistance
- Assist in setting up equipment for the evening and/or weekend events.
- Sign-in and collect student ID’s of Intramural team
- Cross check student ID’s with semester registered.
- Assist in examining facility for safety hazards.
Provide quality officiating during contests.
- View and follow the Intramural Sports contest and enforce the rules and ensure participants safety
Assist in post game duties
- Assist in completing forms that are in need completed
- Assist in securing facility at the conclusion of the Intramural activity and collecting equipment at the conclusion of the evening
Publicity
- Distribute IM fliers, work informational tables and assist with Symplicty to promote IM program
- Encouraging student participation through discussions.

REPORTING LINE: Work under the supervision of the Supervisor/Intern of Programs and Officials.

QUALIFICATIONS: Attendance of the mandatory training and evaluation sessions Full-time students in good standing are eligible employment

NOTE: Participation and Sports Officiating Experience is preferred.

POSITION KNOWLEDGE and/or SKILLS REQUIRED:

Thorough knowledge of the YSU Intramural Sports and Recreation Handbook.
A thorough knowledge of the Sports being officiated.
Physical ability to keep up with the sports being officiated.
Strong interpersonal skills.
CPR and First Aid certification is a must.

SALARY: Student stipend (entry level rate) is $8.15 per hour.

Note: Student sports’ officiating is a seasonal employment opportunity with scheduling based on weekly performance evaluations.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS RECREATION AND INTRAMURAL SPORTS
DIVISION OF STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Dear Intramural Sports Officials:

Welcome to the Campus Recreation – Intramural Sports We appreciate your interest in becoming an Intramural Sports Official YSU’S Intramural Sports program cannot truly be successful without top quality officials We thank you in advance for being the backbone of our team spots program.

The way an official views a contest is entirely different than that of a player, coach, or spectator An official must view the players, make judgment decisions based on their performance, and enforce the rules and regulations judiciously as possible Officials have a tough job! Intramural sports officials, however, have a greater challenge of officiating their peers It is a special group of individuals who can live up to this challenge!

One fact you will learn as an official is that you cannot please everyone All officials take abuse over what players think are bad calls An official must learn to except that he/she will make mistakes The important thing is to not dwell on the call, but to focus on the next one.

Remember, the greatest compliment an official receives is silence from players, spectators, and coaches With this in mind it is extremely important that an official develop a great sense of pride in his/her ability A good official knows if he/she did a good job before anyone says a word.

One of the great aspects of being an official is the comradely with other officials Only you and your fellow officials know what it is like to make a tough game breaking call on the last play of the game This fact rends to bring officials together both as co-workers and friends.

The best advice we can offer is to be willing to learn, take pride, take time to learn the rules, be assertive, and have fun! From an official’s point of view, there are only two types of calls – good ones…and better ones.

Thanks again for joining our team.

The Intramural Sports Staff

YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY
INTRAMURAL SPORTS OFFICIAL
PROCEDURES

APPLICATION

All prospective intramural sports officials (new and returning) are to complete the application in the Intramural Sports Office, Andrews Student Recreation Center Any prospective official that fails to attend any scheduled mandatory officials function is considered as an applicant REMEMBER: Sports official applicants must be full-time students in good standings with at least a 2.0 GPA.

The Intramural Sports Office hires a new crew of officials each team sport season The number hired, however, depends on the number of teams and scheduled contests a particular sport generates Unfortunately, in some instances, the Intramural Sports Department cannot hire all applicants and is forced to hire only those applicants who show exceptional ability and prior experience.

TRAINING

Training of all officials for most intramural team sports follow the same pattern All official applicants must attend all training sessions.

GENERAL TRAINING SESSIONS

Introduction/Rules Meetings
On Field/Court Clinic
Pre-Season Tournament or Scrimmage (Required)
Mid Season Meeting
Pre-Playoff Clinic

TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT

A one-week notice is requested when an individual wishes to terminate his/her employment as an Intramural Officials.

DISMISSAL

Due to the large number of Intramural Officials under our employment, it is essential that each employee accept responsibility for the success of the program If a student employee is found to be negligent in their duties, certain disciplinary action will be taken according to the nature of the offense Student employees may be places on probation, suspension, offense Student employees may be places on probation, suspension, or be dismissed for any of, but not limited to, the following:

Tardiness or leaving early without permission.
Failure to report for a scheduled work assignment without notification.
Falsifying reported payroll hours.
Improper job attitude or performance.
Any negligent act which might endanger the safety of others or which may result in damage to or destruction of University property.
Being under the influence of or processing any type of drugs or intoxicants during job assignments.
Theft of any property belonging to other employees, participants, or the University.
Being discourteous and/or disrespectful toward participants or fellow employees.
Missing a schedules training session without notification.
Failure to abide by the policies and responsibilities listed in this handbook.
Failure to abide by the policies and responsibilities listed in the Intramural Sports Handbook (this includes all eligibility guidelines).

EVALUATIONS:

During each semester Intramural Officials will be periodically evaluated by the Intramural Sports Supervisors These evaluations will be used as a basis for improving job performance, reference, continued employment and other personnel actions Officials should feel free to review their evaluation with evaluator at any time during the intramural season.

PAID TRAINING

Officials will get paid for all training sessions they attend provided they meet the following requirements:

Attend all mandatory meetings and training sessions during the pre-season.
Honor all game assignments throughout the season.
Officiate at least one shift per week throughout the season.

Veteran Officials: Veteran Officials are to complete employment application forms and to check with the supervisor of officials to ensure that they are on payroll.

GETTING PAID

You must complete new employment forms for each season They can be obtained at room 2018 business office in the Andrews Student Recreation Center.

Officials are paid every two weeks.

PAYDAY

Payroll does not mail any paychecks.

All student employees must be enrolled for direct deposit Direct deposit forms can be obtained in the Payroll Office, 2^nd floor of Jones Hall.

SCHEDULING PROCEDURES

Attendance at all mandatory pre-season training sessions is the most important requirement to getting put on the Weekly Officials Schedule The number of games and/or hours given to each official per week, officiating ability and the official’s availability Officiating ability will be of greater importance as the sports season progresses Be sure to complete an Intramural Sports Officials Availability Sheet at the pre-season training sessions.

The weekly schedule will be emailed to the staff by an intramurals intern a week in advance.

OFFICIALS CONTRACT

All Intramural Officials are required to check their email on a regular basis. Any scheduling conflicts must be reported to an intern one week in advance Failing to report conflicts can result in sanctions outlined in the Missed Assignments and Tardiness section of the handbook.

SUBSTITUTES

If you are scheduled to work, but cannot, you must find a substitute through the Officials Directory and inform the supervisor of officials of the replacement (DO NOT call someone who will not show up.)

Reporting for Work

Intramural Officials are asked to report to work, in their uniform, 25 minutes before games are scheduled to begin Location and time of reporting depends on the spot At this time officials are required to sign-in and will also be asked to assist in setting for the days/nights activities These duties might include:

Setting up equipment
Getting each team captain to sign their team in
Checking participation Ids when necessary
Check the playing surface to ensure its safety
Conduct a brief pre-game meeting with your officiating partner(s)
Conduct a brief captain’s meeting

Departing from Work

All officials have responsibilities before they are allowed to leave a site These duties include clocking out and checking out with a supervisor Other duties can and will be assigned by the supervisor.

Uniform

Intramural Officials are required to wear the official’s jersey they are assigned at the beginning of the semester Officials are to wear clothing suitable for athletic activities (ex: sweat pants, shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, cleats – outdoor sports, tennis shoes – indoor sports) No jeans, dress clothes, or hard soled shoes are allowed Hats should not be worn while officiating indoor sports Officials must always wear their jersey on the outside (over sweatshirts or jackets if it is cold) Articles of clothing are preferred to be solid colored and not flashy or bright – the less attention an official brings to him/herself the better! Please return your jersey at the end of the year

Forfeits

If a team does not have the minimum number of players to start a game at their scheduled time or has simply failed to show, a forfeit will be declared Intramural Officials are instructed to retrieve a supervisor or intern who will declare the forfeit Intramural Officials never declare forfeits Officials get paid for forfeits.

Protests

A team that desires to protest a contest must say the words, “I want to protest this game.” When an official hears this he/she should stop the contest and retrieve a supervisor immediately. Officials should assist the supervisor in filling out the Protest Form by relaying information, gathering team captains and maintaining control of other participants and spectators.

Injuries

When an injury occurs during an intramural contest the official should retrieve a Supervisor immediately. Officials should assist the Supervisor by keeping non-certified people from administering first-aid, giving the injured person room, clearing a path for any emergency equipment, if necessary, and maintaining control of other participants and spectators Officials should not perform any type of first-aid unless they are certified to do so.

Blood Policy

One of the prominent issues in today’s society is Blood-Borne Diseases, in particular, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and HBV (Hepatitis B Virus) The National Athletic Association (NCAA) has issued statements addressing this issue.

If an intramural participant is bleeding, he/she will be removed from the contest immediately.
If an intramural participant had blood on his/her clothing, he/she will be removed from the contest upon detection The blood may or may not be his/her own blood A participant who has someone else’s blood on their clothing will be removed from the contest The participant is ineligible to re-enter the contest until the clothing saturated with blood had been removed.
Before any participant re-enters the contest all bleeding must be stopped and any open wound or laceration be covered.

If clothing saturated with blood cannot be replaced or a wound cannot be properly treated and covered, that individual will not be allowed to participate.

Emergencies

In case of emergencies (inclement weather, fire, power failure, bomb threat, etc.), Intramural Officials are instructed to report to the supervisors and assist them in whatever needs to be done This will most likely include maintaining control of participants, spectators and assisting in moving them in an orderly fashion to a safer location.

Drug/Alcohol Use

Drug or alcohol use before a shift will not be tolerated and is grounds for immediate dismissal Alcohol should never be consumed on university property before or after a shift.

Officials as Participants

Most officials play Intramurals sports as well as officiate This is encouraged to build a good knowledge of the game, not to mention, to have fun However, an Intramural Official who also participants has to remember he/she is always looked at as a representative of the Campus recreation/ Intramural Sports and is expected to show sportsmanship above and beyond an average participant Any Intramural Officials who violates any YSU Intramural policy or procedure stated in the Intramural Sports Handbook or this handbook will be immediately dismissed An official who is ejected from an Intramural contest will be dismissed immediately Furthermore, any official receiving an unsportsmanlike sanction during an Intramural contest will be suspended pending appeal to the Director for Intramural Sports An official who is the team captain of his/her Intramural team will be expected to have greater control over his/her teammates than other team captains. Poor sportsmanlike by his/her team will be reflected upon him/her. Officials choosing to play YSU Intramurals are allowed to have only one other official on their team. When a team with officials playing gets eliminated from post season play those officials are prohibited from officiating games played by the team that eliminated them. The policies in this section will be strictly enforced!

Multiple Sport Officials

Intramural Officials who work more than one sport are traditionally the best a university can offer. Good officiating skills carry over from sport to sport YSU encourages officials to work multiple sports as well as other YSU jobs outside the Intramural program.

Intramural Sports Handbook

YSU publishes and Intramural Sports Handbook each year This handbook contains all the policies and procedure involved in the Intramural program All Intramural Officials must be familiar with this handbook.

OFFICIATING TIPS

The proper handling of any intramural game demands that each member of the officiating team to hustle at all times In addition, the following three factors are essential to the success of any officials:

Positioning and mechanics are factors appreciated in some degree by even the most difficult player The first aspect an official should learn about working any sport is positioning No one can call a game properly without knowing the correct position he/she is supposed to be in An official must understand where, when and what he/she is suppose to be looking for. Good crisp mechanics are also essential for a top quality official. The best mechanics are consistent, crisp and always used according to the game situation.
Judgments involve more than just making the right call The players try to effect your judgment by displaying rowdy tactics and abusive language, the best officials will confront this situation with poise and confidence, keeping in mind his/her primary responsibility – maintaining control of the game Achieving good judgment for all kinds of situations takes patience and experience.
Knowledge of the rules is expected of every official Rookies and veterans should devote ample time to reading and studying the rulebook One does not need to memorize every single rule, but rather understand the common sense approach for each rule It is most important to know the spirit and intent of the rules

PARTICIPANTS DISCIPLINE

Unfortunately, part of Intramural Sports is dealing with and discipline participants Player’s coaches and spectators will display poor sportsmanlike towards opponents, supervisors and, most often, officials YSU Intramurals Sports cannot and will not tolerate any individual who insists on disobeying policies, rules, or instructions Officials who are working a game have full authority of spectators as well as players It is left up to the discretion of any member of the officiating team as to the method of rectifying a situation It is essential, however, that an Intramural Sports Supervisors be notified so he/she can gather information from the individual who is being dealt with The following are a few tips on how to deal with disgruntled participants, coaches and spectators.

Deal with the participants on the field, first and foremost The fans are a secondary concern Ignore them if possible If they are acting in such a way that you cannot ignore them, have a Supervisor assist you If Necessary, have them removed.
If a participant is mad about something and it is obvious to you they clearly do not understand the rule, explain it to them This is often times done effectively a few minutes later.
If a player asks a question politely, answer him/her politely If a player screams a question at you, do not answer him/her
Never threaten any individual with expulsion or removal from the premises Ignore the person, warn them, or eject them.
When giving a warning make sure you let the individual know what you want from him/her Normally it is simple request to calm down and keep his/her comments to himself/herself Never give more than one warning to the same individual.
Remember, it takes two people to argue If after explaining your point the individual persists in disagreeing with you, ignore, warn, or eject him/her.
There are certain actions that require an ejection These include any physical contact, any threat to harm you and certain words used to describe you or your mother (you’ll know when this happens).
If after an ejection a participant persists in giving you a hard time, have him removed from the premises by a supervisor If the individual still refuses to leave give him 60 seconds or the game will be forfeited (always do this with assistance of the supervisors) In extreme cases the police may be called
If the individual you are having trouble with is not the team captain, go to the team captain for assistance.