Frequently Asked Questions

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"The objective of a referee is not to get mentioned. I tell a lot of young referees that not being mentioned is king. If you can achieve that, that then it has been a pretty good game."
-Alan Lewis

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Don’t worry! We provide our members with a rule book and casebook to help you study. Additionally, we receive training at each of our meetings including presentations and
video analysis.

Yes. As a NYS Certified Official, you are an independent contractor and will receive payment for your services.

NY State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) abides by the National Federation of High School Sports (NFHS) rules. We are certified upon successful completion of the Part II online examination. (But don’t worry, we train you!!)

Yes. Before you can start, you will need to be fingerprinted, purchase your uniform, and pay your dues for the year. The first year’s dues are less than other year’s dues as they are only to cover your insurance as an official. However, if you are a Military Veteran, there is a scholarship program which helps take care of a lot of the start up costs. visit https://www.battlefields2ballfields.org to learn more.

To be a good official, many hours are spent studying on your own.  However, we have weekly meetings that last approximately one hour every Tuesday night starting in August and going through the length of the regular season.  Additionally, expect to arrive to games an hour and a half early for pregame discussion.

We have two seasons. The first season is the tackle football season. Our meetings start at the beginning of August. The season typically starts the last week of August and runs through the end of October. Playoffs start after that and run through November. Our second season is the girls flag football season runs April to May, with meetings beginning in March.

We have meetings typically every Tuesday night beginning in August and going through the season, 7pm at the Hibernian Center.  701 Kinyon Street, Elmira, NY 14904.  We discuss many topics and have trainings at these meetings.   

We cover the following school districts:

*^Corning-Painted Post
*^Elmira
Elmira Heights (Thomas A. Edison)
Elmira Notre Dame
*^Horseheads
^Odessa-Montour
^Spencer-Van Etten
*Waverly

*These schools also offer Girls Flag Football in the spring.
^These schools are part of the Southern Tier Youth Football Conference.