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Becoming a licensed IHSAA Referee


grecoref

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In order to become a licensed IHSAA wrestling official you can follow this link for details on the process.

https://ihsaa.org/Officials/Licensing

 

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Specific points about the On-Line Testing Process that you need to know:

  • Scholarships are now available for first year licensed officials, and most local official's associations will also waive their membership dues for the first year. For information on receiving a free license (you may officiate up to 3 sports at no additional cost, and $5 for each additional sport) please contact Chuck Barnett or Jim Russell, or any senior official in your local association.
  • Another option is the 3 year mentoring program. New recruit gets a mentor (IHSAA official) that helps to get them started the correctly. We can set a new official up with a mentor form there local area (this saves the recruit the $50.00 IHSAA fee + any association (approx $30.00) fees for 1 year) 

  • The testing process is an on-line application. No longer do you need to plan to be at a site on a certain day. You do need to have access to a computer to take the test. The testing period is pretty much open all year This is not a timed test.
  • No on-site paper and pencil tests will be provided unless you are taking a class in that sport.
  • The early testing dates for wrestling are April 1-September 8, with regular season testing open from September 9-March 31. In short, you can now test pretty much all year.
  • The test is composed of 100 questions, mostly multiple choice. You must earn 75% or better on the test to become licensed.
  • You should receive your free rules books from IHSAA as soon as they are published and available by the NFHS. If you are testing in more than one sport, the books for the later seasons will be sent when those books arrive in the IHSAA office. Please begin to study for the test upon receipt of the rules books.
  • You may repeat the test at least one time per calendar year if you do not pass it the first time with 75% accuracy.
  • Time your testing wisely, as it does not behoove you to pay for your license once the season is practically over. All IHSAA licenses expire on May 31 of the calendar year and must be renewed between April 1-May 31 of the current calendar year. 
  • You should receive timely feedback on your test results but you may not schedule contests until you receive confirmation of such from the IHSAA office, which should come within 7-10 days after your test is submitted (and you have scored 75% or better).
 

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Remember, you do not have to be licensed to officiate middle school events or elementary events, and this is a great venue to work and gain experience, especially for those of you who are unsure as to whether or not you actually want to proceed to the high school level. It's a perfect part-time job... especially for a college student. It's a 100 question test that is open book and done online, so you are allowed ample time to complete the examination with little or no stress.
 

Also keep in mind that nearly all officials begin at lower levels and work their way up, so you will not be thrust into the high profile varsity contest with 3000 screaming fans in the stands. If you like the sport and are physically able, becoming an official is a great hobby that pays well, gets you in the door for free, and gives you the best seat in the house!


Good Luck!

IHSAA Referee.pdf

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  • 4 weeks later...

Keep in mind that the IHSAA offers 240 scholarships per year for first year officials, so the $50 licensing fee can be waived. Each association (24 in all) get 10 scholarships each, and for each of the past 3 seasons only about 1/2 are getting used. Once mid August comes around the unused scholarships come back in to the pool and can be used by any of the associations. You can contact your local association to get on their list, and if they dont have any left you can contact me after mid August and I will hook you up. I used 27 total last year... 21 for wrestling officials.

 

Chuck Barnett, IHSAA 009350

Secretary, Calumet Association

mr_charlie_man@yahoo.com

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I've been reading my rule book and preparing for my test. It is apparent that there are officials that have not looked through the illustrations in the book.. at least not for a while. I'm sure I can look this up, but is there a requirement to keep up to date with current situations? Wrestling has evolved over the years and many of the positions, such as ankle pass situations, just weren't as common years ago. Just wondering of there was accountability for keeping up with current trends.

 

To be specific, I have been told several times that in order for a takedown to be awarded, a wrestler must control the opponent's hips. This is common when a defending wrestler is on his butt and his opponent is on top of both legs, but has not yet crawled up the body to cover the hips. According to the book, this is a takedown, but I have seen it many times that a referee does not award a takedown because the offensive wrestler has not yet covered the hips. 

 

I do not intend for this thread to be any sort of area to complain. I'm just wondering if there are systems in place to make sure referees stay up to date.

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  • 9 months later...
On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2017 at 5:44 AM, grecoref said:

Since there is some banter on another topic, I thought i would post this just in case anyone wants to take the plunge. 

 

In order to become a licensed IHSAA wrestling official you can follow this link for details on the process.http://www.ihsaa.org...72/Default.aspx
********************************************************************************************
Specific points about the On-Line Testing Process that you need to know:

- The testing process is an on-line application. No longer do you need to plan to be at
a site on a certain day. You do need to have access to a computer to take the test. You
will need to plan when to take the test within the Testing Period indicated for each sport and
submit your results before the deadline. This is not a timed test.
- No on-site paper and pencil tests will be provided unless you are taking a class in that sport.
- Application Deadlines must be met.
- The test is composed of 100 questions, mostly multiple choice. You must earn 75% or better on the test to
become licensed.
- You should receive your rules books from IHSAA as soon as they are published and available by the NFHS. If you are testing in more than one sport, the books for the later
seasons will be sent when those books arrive in the IHSAA office. Please begin to study for the test
upon receipt of the rules books.
- You may only take a test one time within a program year. If you do not meet the 75%
standard this program year, you will need to wait until the next program year to apply again.
- You should not apply to take a test in any sport whose deadline dates have passed.
- You should receive immediate feedback on your test results but you may not schedule
contests until you receive the insignias and license card from this office which should come
within 7-10 days after your test is submitted (and you have scored 75% or better).
**********************************************************************************************

Remember, you do not have to be licensed to officiate middle school events or elementary events, and this is a great venue to work and gain experience, especially for those of you who are unsure as to whether or not you actually want to proceed to the high school level. It's a perfect part-time job... especially for a college student. It's a 100 question test that is open book and done online, so you are allowed ample time to complete the examination with little or no stress.
Also keep in mind that nearly all officials begin at lower levels and work their way up, so you will not be thrust into the high profile varsity contest with 3000 screaming fans in the stands. If you like the sport and are physically able, becoming an official is a great hobby that pays well, gets you in the door for free, and gives you the best seat in the house!



Good Luck!

how do I go about becoming a middle school or youth ref?

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I really wish Tom was able to reply to this one.   Had a nice flashback of some conversations we have had when his screen name popped up on this subject.   

 

Jason,

Hopefully someone can step in for grecoref and give you more clarity on gaining entry into the middle school and youth level of referee work.  

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 1/10/2018 at 7:48 PM, MattM said:

I really wish Tom was able to reply to this one.   Had a nice flashback of some conversations we have had when his screen name popped up on this subject.   

 

Jason,

Hopefully someone can step in for grecoref and give you more clarity on gaining entry into the middle school and youth level of referee work.  

Just got certified..thanks for the info

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  • 5 months later...

The licensing period for the current 2018-19 season will begin in early September :)

Although many of the dates may already be filled, there are always schools that reschedule events, add new events and/or are late to get their officials. There are also many cancellations or conflicts that pop up during the season, so there are always matches to be had. I suggest getting your license ASAP and then hooking up with a senior official so that you can shadow them and get right in the mix. Never too late to get licensed! 

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  • 1 month later...

Just waiting for my book to come, what advice do any of you have for a guy that has been around for a long time, but never ref'ed  a match? I love this sport, and think that I have learned a lot, and just want to give back to what this sport has given me and my family.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/9/2020 at 5:32 PM, Trinedad said:

Just waiting for my book to come, what advice do any of you have for a guy that has been around for a long time, but never ref'ed  a match? I love this sport, and think that I have learned a lot, and just want to give back to what this sport has given me and my family.


Get ahold of @cbarnett. He can give you a local association to join. That association will likely pair you with a more senior official for you to shadow and help you with any of your questions. Good luck and have fun! 

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3 hours ago, leggin89 said:


Get ahold of @cbarnett. He can give you a local association to join. That association will likely pair you with a more senior official for you to shadow and help you with any of your questions. Good luck and have fun! 

Thanks, I did go to the IHSAA site, they had me join the local central Indiana association. I am waiting for the books to be sent to me, and then its time to study and bone up on things. It scares the hell out of me, I have been around wrestling for 23 years, and have yet to ref any match. I intend to go to some local tourneys if and when they start and get used to being out there. My son did ask me what would I do if I ran into a parent like me when I was younger. I said, well, I would listen for a time, then run them out, there is no room for people like me in the stands. We both had a good laugh at that.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/25/2020 at 4:32 PM, cbarnett said:

You need to get your son licensed, too! Hit me up and I'll use one of the scholarships to pay for  his license ;)

I would love that, nt sure he is a good candidate, he is out of town so often. As far as the scholarship, he is doing fine, cash is not the issue with him, it is time. But you are right, he would make a great official.

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