SWAC
– REGION 18
COORDINATOR OF
OFFICIALS
(Volleyball,
Basketball, Softball, Baseball)
Understand that SWAC - Region 18 women’s and men’s teams are on a highly competitive community college level. As SWAC - Region 18 administrators, we expect the officials who work these games/matches to be qualified to handle such games and hope they aspire to work Division 1 games/matches.
The official must not only meet the high level of competition, but also
continue to improve as the level of competition improves. Additionally, officiating women’s
games/matches are of equal importance as officiating men’s games/matches. Officials who work the women’s games/matches
need to be just as enthusiastic and of the same quality of those who work the
men’s game/match.
With this understanding, expectations for the SWAC - Region 18 Coordinator of Officials are as follows:
1. Work with each of the coaches and athletic directors under the direct supervision of the “Women’s or Men’s Region Director” and/or Assistant Athletic Director or Sport Advisor.
2. Gather schedules from the SWAC Region 18 institutions. Create a master SWAC/Region 18 schedule. Assign quality, as well as qualified, officials to all conference and non-conference games/matches.
3. Oversee officials’ development by:
a. Establishing and implementing systems to:
1. Evaluate officials during the season, for regional tournament selection and at the end of the season. Communicate with coaches and athletic directors, collect evaluations from coaches/evaluators/institutions after each series and act as a sounding board.
2. Establish a standard form to be used for evaluating officials and a system to collect this data to help establish the region list of officials and establish the list of officials for possible post-season tournament selection. Be prepared to show officials’ rankings and evaluation totals with SWAC AD’s at the Spring SWAC - Region 18 meetings.
3. Establish an adequate number of quality officials, which will ensure that officials are working an appropriate number of SWAC - Region 18 games, especially the lead officials.
b. Set procedures for establishing a conference core of officials for the particular sport you are handling. (Communicate with local boards, associations, officials, coaches and AD’s to establish an appropriate list).
1. Acceptance of new officials which would at least include:
1. Application form and procedure
2. Qualifying standards to be met
3. Attendance at established college official camps where the coordinator can observe and work with the officials.
2. To evaluate officials as to whether an official should be retained or deleted from the Region 18 list.
4. Establish and implement procedures to:
a. Conduct yearly rules/technique clinic(s) for all officials, and/or coaches and/or evaluators working in SWAC - Region 18. These clinics should be conducted by the coordinator not a representative.
b. Establish a list of acceptable officials camps where SWAC - Region 18 officials would go on a (yearly/regular/as needed, etc) basis so they can work to improve their techniques, mechanics, etc.
5. As the Coordinator of Officials, become involved personally in watching and evaluating officials during the season and throughout the region’s post-season games/matches.
6. Recruit, coordinate and train observers (evaluators) at each institution (basketball) or in geographic areas (volleyball, baseball, softball) so that evaluations are being done appropriately and are meaningful to both the officials and the coordinator.
7. Make sure appropriate verbal and written comments are given to the officials that will produce change, improvement, etc.
8. Keep officials, evaluators, coaches and administrators updated on rules and technique information. Make sure SWAC - Region 18 concerns are communicated to everyone and handled.
9. Handle reports on ejections by being the one responsible for submitting the copies to the appropriate regional directors and/or athletic directors.
10. Handle the disciplining of officials if necessary or initiating assignment changes at the request or recommendation of the Region Director (and/or assistant Region Director or Sports Advisor)
11. Establish training programs for officials and/or upcoming officials during the off-season scrimmages, jamborees, and tournaments. Assist institutions with this so officials will not be a financial concern to SWAC institutions.
12. Work with the Region Director on the post-season tournament selection process of officials. Function as a “non-working” official at the tournament by overseeing the officials, the tournament responsibilities for officials, evaluating their performance, working with Region Director/Sport Advisor on officials assessments throughout the tournament and making sure everything is handled appropriately for officials during the tournament, etc.
13. View films when necessary, giving appropriate responses back to the coach(es), administrator(s), and official(s).
14. Handle the payment of per diem and mileage for officials in basketball.
15. Volleyball, softball and baseball mileage payments based upon:
a. 40/mile/one way after 50 miles for the driver of the crew unless crew members coming from two directions.
b. Coordinators are to assign volleyball, baseball, softball officials to minimize travel costs as much as possible. This would include but not exclusive:
1. All local officials (when available) for non-conference contests.
2. Crews that can travel together.
3. Local officials as much as possible.
This procedure should not be interpreted that there is unlimited travel possibilities.
* The conference will review this procedure and future possibilities next year.
16. Travel and rotate officials effectively throughout the region (basketball only). For volleyball, softball and baseball, the emphasis will be to use local officials as much as possible to avoid travel/per diem.
17. Handle all vacancies and reassigning of officials.
18. Listen to concerns, issues and recommendations which may result in making changes if necessary.
19. Serve as the conference “rule interpreter” (Communicate with the NCAA and NJCAA office if necessary).
20. Attend the end of season coaches’ meeting, SWAC - Region 18 Play-off Tournament, Spring SWAC meetings and if necessary all season coaches meetings. (Host of Region 18 tournament will provide the Coordinator of Officials a room; expenses to an off-season coaches meeting or coaches meeting to be paid by the region.)