Become an Official

What kind of training can I expect?

• Rules – Alabama is a member of the National Federation and uses National Federation rules

  • 1. First 4 weeks of training consists of reviewing the rule book in preparation for the state test.  Everyone must take the state test, rookies and veterans.  The registration test is an open book test and is taken online.

• Mechanics – Positioning and responsibility before, during, and after each play.

  • 1. After the test, new officials will concentrate on the mechanics of being a football official. 

• District Camp (optional but recommended)

  • 1. Held  usually in Huntsville or Albertville - Time and location TBA

    2. Usually the first or second week in August

    3. Classroom lectures and some on-field mechanics.

Are there pre-season events?

• Yes- we participate in pre-season scrimmages and camps in which new officials have the opportunity to get work on the field with live teams. Veteran officials will be at these scrimmages also to help train and answer questions.

What do we do when the regular season is over?

• Playoffs positions are assigned by our district director. We will send crews to assigned playoff games outside of our association and will cover the play clock, game clock, and chain crews for our own association.

How much does the uniform and required equipment cost for an official?

• The uniform consists of the following required clothing and equipment:

  • AHSAA approved striped shirt (short and long sleeves)

  • Black football officials pants

  • Black Socks

  • Athletic / turf shoes - mostly black, can have white accents but primary color is black

  • Whistle

  • 2 Yellow penalty flags

  • 1 Black or white bean bag

  • Game card booklet with pen or pencil 

  • Down indicator for the wrist

  • Watch with timer settings

Basic uniforms and other items will cost approximately $200.00.  A uniform can be purchased at several online/catalog companies that specialize in officials equipment. Usually current officials will have items for sale and will bring them to the meetings before the season starts. They will normally give you a very good price on these items because we all know what it is like to be starting out.  

What fees must be paid?

• Association Fee- $75

• State Registration Fee- $60

• Background Check Fee- $10

• District Camp Fee- $40

• State Camp Fee (optional)- Varies typically around $100

What schools do we officiate for?

• All of our schools are listed on the "Schools" tab on this website

  • We cover Junior Varsity, Middle School, and Varsity games at all of these schools

When does the season start and how long does it last?

• Football season starts at the end of August and last 11 weeks of regular season

• Playoffs start usually the first week of November and last 5 weeks

How are games assigned and when are they played?

• Assignments are assigned via an online system called DrangFly Max 

• Assignments will cover that week, Monday through Saturday

• Normally there are no games on Wednesday or Sunday

• On average, each official works two nights a week.  The number of games you work depends on your availability.

• Monday, Tuesday, and Friday are our three busiest days.

• We are flexible in scheduling your assignments

• The location and time of meeting depends on the location of the game.  If it is an out of town game, usually the crew of officials will travel together

• The Referee will send out a pregame message early in the week giving a meeting location and time that MUST be followed. 

What is the pay of officiating?

• We pay our officials each week for the games you just worked.  These fees are set by the AHSAA.

• Varsity (5 person crew) = $120.00 per Official per contest. 

• Varsity (7 person crew) = $110 per Official per contest. 

• Sub Varsity 10 min Qtrs. $75.00

• Sub Varsity 8 min Qtrs. $65.00

• Chain Crew = $40 per person (If an Official) 

• Electric Clock Operator Fees:

  • Varsity = (Game and Play Clock) Operator $65 per Official

  • Sub Varsity = $45 per Official 

What games can I expect to work as a new official?

• As a new official with no experience, you can expect to start at the middle school level.  Based on your performance, you can progress to the freshman and JV levels.  We have had new officials work varsity games their first year, it is rare but it is based on your performance and our schedules. 

Do I need football experience to be an official?

• No.  If you come to us with no football experience, that gives us a blank slate to work with.  You have no bad habits of other officials or you won’t have to learn new mechanics if you come from another state.

• Of course, having played football will help you understand the game, it is not necessary.  We have officials that have never played before work the AHSAA Super 7 Finals!