Referee Certification

Becoming a PAVO Official 

Study the rules and learn the proper techniques of officiating, using training tools such as iREF and RefSchool. 

Consider attending the PAVO training camps and NCAA/PAVO clinics. Information on these events can be obtained at www.pavo.org.

Attend interpretation meetings and officiating training courses that are conducted in your local area. Practice often and in a variety of environments. 

Contact the WBVO Chair for more information about membership, on-court evaluations, and written exams. Complete the entire evaluation/rating process as described below to obtain a PAVO certification, remembering that maintaining high standards for officials is a primary goal of PAVO. 

NOTE: Earning a PAVO certification as a referee, line judge, or scorer is a separate process from becoming a PAVO member. Current PAVO membership is a requirement for certification eligibility and retention. 

Referees 

PAVO has established five progressive certification levels for referees. Each referee certification level is earned by meeting a set of criteria specific to that designation. 

Apprentice* – qualified to officiate matches that may be adequately managed by a competent, but inexperienced referee. 

Local* – qualified to officiate interscholastic and intercollegiate matches requiring a competent and experienced referee. 

State* – qualified to officiate any match within the state or geographic area where the certification is awarded. 

National – qualified to referee any match in the United States. This certification is for the most highly skilled and experienced referee. 

Retired National – allows referees who no longer actively referee at the national level to remain active as trainers, raters, and/or observers within their Affiliated Board jurisdiction.

*PAVO Affiliated Boards are authorized to award Apprentice, Local, and State certifications. 

Referee Rating and Certification Criteria 

Apprentice Certification

Certification expires annually on June 1, at the end of the PAVO membership year. 

INITIAL CERTIFICATION (Minimum certification standards can be established by the PAVO Affiliated Board, or these standards can be applied): 

1. Complete PAVO exam online (Form C or Form A), corrected to 100%, prior to the collegiate season. 

2. Pass an on-court evaluation.

3. Complete all modules of iREF 100 (one-time requirement, although frequent reviews are recommended). 

RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS: 

1. Complete PAVO exam online (Form A), corrected to 100%, prior to or during each collegiate season. 

2. Pass an on-court evaluation within each two-year period.

Note: This certification is not transferable to other boards. 

Local Certification 

Certification expires annually, on June 1, at the end of the PAVO membership year. 

INITIAL CERTIFICATION (Minimum certification standards are established by PAVO):

1. Complete PAVO exam online (Form A or Form B), corrected to 100%.

2. Pass an on-court evaluation.

3. Complete all modules of iREF 100 and 200 (one-time requirement, although frequent reviews are recommended). 

RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS:.

1. Complete PAVO exam online (Form A or B), corrected to 100%. The exam is available prior to the season, through October 15, for Local referees; it is recommended that the exam be taken after attending a clinic and prior to the season if possible.

2. Pass an on-court evaluation within each two-year period.

Note:This certification is transferable to other boards. 

State Certification

Certification expires annually, on June 1, at the end of the PAVO membership year. 

INITIAL CERTIFICATION (Minimum certification standards are established by PAVO): 

1. Complete PAVO exam online (Form A or B) corrected to 100%.

2. Pass an on-court evaluation. 

3. Complete all modules of iREF 100, 200, and 300 (one-time requirement, although frequent reviews are recommended). 

RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS: 

1. Complete PAVO exam online (Form A or B), corrected to 100%. The exam is available prior to the season, through October 15, for State referees; it is recommended that the exam be taken after attending a clinic and prior to the season if possible.

2. Pass an on-court evaluation within each two-year period.

Note: This certification is transferable to other boards.

The National Referee certification is awarded only by the PAVO National Rating Team (NRT) at several rating sites around the country each year. Because this certification is for the most highly skilled and experienced referees, PAVO establishes a selective application process, stricter rating criteria, and more demanding renewal requirements.

NRT evaluators must hold a PAVO National Referee certification or Retired-National certification, and are selected by the NRT Director based on their on-court referee experience, teaching abilities, and observation skills. At a NRT site, candidates are evaluated by NRT evaluators, and must score a minimum of 90 to pass. Candidates must also demonstrate scoring proficiency, as defined by the NRT Director. The current NRT Director is Mara Wager.

Initial National Referee Certification Requirements

1. Pass an on-court examination at an NRT site with a minimum score of 90. There must be at least three (3) raters, all holding PAVO National or Retired National certifications.

NOTE: Rating expires on December 31, four years after the year in which the certification is awarded.

Maintaining a National Referee Certification

Certification expires on December 31 in the fourth year after the year in which the certification is awarded.

Although a National certification is valid for four (4) years, officials who hold this certification must meet annual requirements to maintain their certifications. If a National Referee fails to meet any of these requirements once during a term, no renewal points can be earned that season. Two failures to meet any requirement during a term will result in loss of National Referee Certification.

1. By September 1, take Form A of the theoretical examination without using a rule book or other resources. A minimum score of 90 is required and the examination session is limited to 90 minutes. If a minimum score of 90 is not attained on Form A, the referee can be re-examined using Form B; the same deadline, time constraints, and minimum score requirements apply.

2. By September 1, take the online Line Judge Exam. There is no time limit, and no minimum score is required.

3. Attend an NCAA/PAVO Clinic prior to each women's college season.

4. By January 15 (or alternate date announced by PAVO), use the online submission process to report points earned in the previous calendar year.

5. By September 1, 2020, officials who currently hold a PAVO National Referee certification (those whose current National Referee certification expires December 31, 2018-2021) must complete the iREF 400 modules.

Renewing a National Referee Certification

Certification expires on December 31 in the fourth year after the year in which the certification is awarded.

In addition to meeting the annual requirements for Maintaining a National Referee Certification, listed above, there are additional requirements for renewing a National certification at the end of each 4-year term:

1. Pay a renewal fee of $50.00 to PAVO in the renewal year. 

2. Demonstrate that the National Referee is still officiating at a highly skilled level. This requirement can be met either by passing a practical examination at an NRT site with a minimum score of 90 or by earning enough renewal points.

Criteria for Retired National Referees

A PAVO National Referee may choose to take retired status and maintain an affiliation with PAVO in order to remain active as a trainer for the Affiliated Board with whom they are associated/registered. PAVO has established the following criteria:

• Hold a National Referee certification for at least two, four-year terms.

• Meet all requirements for the WBVO membership and PAVO membership.

The Application for Retired National Status must be submitted to the NRT Director by December 1 of the year your National Referee certification will expire. The applicatoin must be signed by the applicant and the Chair of the WBVO.