The goal of the officials certification program in North Texas is to train others—through education, participation, and mentoring—to achieve a high competency in officiating swimming and to ensure consistency and fairness at meets across the LSC.
North Texas (NT) Swimming certifies officials in the following positions. Requirements for each position can be found by following the link to the appropriate document. Candidates working toward new certification should track their apprenticeship by using the corresponding Training card/ Log. As of April 2020, we have updated the training card/log for S&T, CJ, SR and DR to improve the consistency of mentoring and training. The updated card can also help apprentices to better understand the expectations and skills requirements. Officials who are already NT-certified in a particular position can find the standards for recertification in the Requirements document.
*The Training Cards are form-fillable. Enter your Name and Team on the front cover page and it will populate on the cards
Clinic schedule
All non-administrative positions require attendance at a clinic prior to certification. You can find the latest schedule of clinics on the Officials Calendar.
Background Checks
USA Swimming requires all non-athlete members to complete a background check once every two years. For officials, "non-athlete members" includes all referees, starters, administrative officials, chief judges, and stroke and turn judges. The background check is a criminal record search that "determine[s] an individual's eligibility for membership in USA Swimming;" thus, it is a requirement for all LSC certifications and recertifications. For more information or to initiate a background check, see the USA Swimming website.
The Officials Committee encourages all NT-certified officials to grow their knowledge and experience by participating in USA Swimming's National Officials Certification Program. This Program aims to
expand the education of officials through mentoring, participation and evaluation as well [as recognize] those officials who have demonstrated their knowledge of swim officiating at each level and position.
The Program defines two levels of certification—N2 and N3—that augment LSC certification in the following positions:
Stroke & Turn Judge
Chief Judge
Starter
Deck Referee
Administrative Official (N2 only)
Administrative Referee
You can find more information on the USA Swimming website.