The Referee in review Recertification Clinics 9/23/2012 & 9/29/2012

Agenda Review of credentialing Meet timeline planning Staffing a deck On Deck Training Safe Sport National Certifications And Finally… 9/23/2012 and 9/29/20122ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Checking Credentials Meet referees must check officials credentials AT EVERY MEET SESSION – Can use contact list sent out periodically by Rome Yount – Every official should have USA Swimming and Officials Certification cards 9/23/2012 and 9/29/20123ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Non-athlete membership An official may NOT work the deck if this is all they possess. Registration dates are by calendar year. The presence ofOFFICIAL does NOT mean they are certified. 9/23/2012 and 9/29/20124ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Officials Credentials An official must present this certification card to work the deck. – It shows both LSC and National certifications. The dates on the LSC portion for expiration, Background Check (B/C), Registration and Athlete Protection Training (APT) must all be current. 9/23/2012 and 9/29/20125ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Oops! I forgot my cards… If an official forgets his/her credentials: – Log into USA Swimming to show current officials My Certification Card. 9/23/2012 and 9/29/20126ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Meet Timelines Before the meet starts During the meet 9/23/2012 and 9/29/20127ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Meet Timelines Meet Referees must work with Meet Directors and Entry Chairs in session planning for upcoming meets. – ISI Rule : A pre-meet timeline shall be completed and submitted to the Meet Referee no later than seven (7) days prior to the first day of competition. – ISI Rule : All timed final competition on a single day shall be completed within a maximum of ten (10) hours. Competition for swimmers ages twelve (12) and younger shall be completed within a maximum of four hours. – ISI Rule : All preliminary/final competition on a single day shall be completed within a maximum of eleven and one-half hours (11.5) exclusive of all warm-up periods. 9/23/2012 and 9/29/20128ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Meet Timelines Talk about expectations BEFORE meet entries are accepted Watch the interval – Unrealistic to think that you can deliver a heat in less than a 15-second interval (+15 seconds for backstroke) – Watch need for breaks when timers change ends of the pool The timers march, timing system check Ask about previous history of post-entry scratches for the meet – Early season vs. later in season Do not agree to an unrealistic timeline You cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear 9/23/2012 and 9/29/20129ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Managing a Timeline Deck Referees are responsible for managing the timeline for a session – Keep a session report on the master deck ref clipboard – Record start of each event Monitor how well you are delivering against the timeline Being ahead of the timeline is not a good thing – Alert Meet Referee to major changes 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201210ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Managing a Timeline Ask Meet Referee about timing of short and long whistles – Adjust as needed to stay on timeline – Advise starter of pacing, when to be ready to start – Look for any problems with timers For flyover starts, each timer should have two watches! – Work with timing system operator to insure a smooth flow 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201211ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Deck Referee Reminders Pre-meet assistance – Ask MR how you can help with S/R rotations, checking equipment, blocks, etc. Teamwork – When possible, always be sure the on-duty referee has a back-up on deck Dont blow and go! – Be certain OOF is getting done, start area is being marshaled Eyes on the pool at all times – When talking with coaches or other officials, move them around so you can keep watching the pool Blowing the second backstroke whistle 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201212ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Staffing A Deck Create a team – What does that look like? Mix and Match – Clubs – Experience Other Best Practices 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201213ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

On-Deck Training The Meet Referee is an essential element in our Training Program – Strive to give trainees the best possible training experience – When possible, assign your BEST people as trainers across all levels Trainers required to be certified at least one year in position; experienced officials bring a breadth of knowledge 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201214ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

On-Deck Training Assist and guide your trainers – Tell them what should be covered in the training session – Encourage them to be honest on evaluation card, and to provide helpful comments and suggestions for improvement A rating of Proficient means the official is ready to step confidently into that position; Needs More Training is not a bad thing Its ok to ask a trainee to perform another session 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201215ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

On-Deck Training A training session at any level must be at least two hours in length – For S&T, must include all strokes – For starter, must provide at least 20 starts – For referee and admin judge, must include all strokes and provide at least 20 heats to work 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201216ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

On-Deck Training (Proposed) Referee and Starter – Final training sessions with approved trainer from IL Swimming Officials List – Referee must have at least one training session shadowing the meet referee Reviewing Pre-Meet Activities Making assignments Completing a stroke briefing 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201217ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Handling DQs and Notification Where possible use the most recent two-part DQ slips from USA Swimming Use Chief Judges to alleviate pressure on deck referee – Consider using radios Identify runners (meet host) to route slips to Deck Referee as quickly as possible If a Deck Referee becomes overwhelmed with DQs, ask back-up either to step-in on deck, or to process DQs Meet Referee should work with the table to distribute DQ slips and notify coaches quickly – May be meet dependent – Discuss in coaches meeting 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201218ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Radios and Radio Protocol Radios can be helpful for deck communication, especially at a 50m pool Help your officials learn to use radios correctly – Know to operate: volume, VOX, talk button(s) – Speak calmly in a neutral voice – Notify referee with Possible Disqualification… Lane, infraction – Avoid radio usage between whistles and the start – Avoid unnecessary chatter – Protocols may change for meet specific needs 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201219ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Safe Sport USA Swimming is committed to ensuring a safe environment for all athletes and members. – Level 1 and Level 2 background checks for all USA Swimming non-athlete members – Illinois Swimming meet packets must include statement Use of audio or visual recording devices, including a cell phone, is not permitted in changing areas, rest rooms or locker rooms (ISI ) Be a leader with Meet Management to enforce this Be aware of timers behavior 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201220ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

Safe Sport New legislation passed at Convention requires the following as part of the conditions of sanction ( F): – The meet announcement shall include the following statement: "Except where venue facilities require otherwise, changing into or out of swimsuits other than in locker rooms or other designated areas is not appropriate and is strongly discouraged." The host club and/or the LSC may change the last two words in this statement to prohibited. Be familiar with USA-S Policies and Best Practices for Athlete Protection and other new legislation 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201221ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

National Certifications Increasing the number of OQM meets in Illinois Evaluations are designed to be training and mentoring opportunities Increase the number of certified officials at our state championships Our swimmers deserve the best experience we can provide 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201222ISI Officials Recertification Clinics

And Finally - Committee Requests Training – Clinicians – On Deck Trainers Volunteers for Championship Meets Interest in OQM training meets (Hosting and trainers) Future Training Clinics 9/23/2012 and 9/29/201223ISI Officials Recertification Clinics