New Officials
We are so glad you have joined as a new official. So what are your next steps? What do you do now? Here is a list of things you need to know.
FingerPrinting & Affidavit
In case you haven’t done this yet, please follow these instructions and get it done ASAP!! You won’t be able to work any games until you get cleared by Section IV.
MEMBER STATUS
There are multiple statuses for officials:
1. Applicant
2. Candidate
3. Associate
4. Active Member
5. Inactive
The Association may place a member on the Inactive list provided the member has applied for such classification, continues to pay an annual membership equivalent to the State dues, and the Executive Board approves the reasons given. Inactive membership must be renewed annually.
Members on Active Duty with the US Armed Services will be placed on the Inactive list without a fee, and they shall be automatically reinstated to their previous status upon return to the Association.
The Association, at the direction of the Executive Board shall have the authority to name as Honorary Members those who have ceased to be active officials and have by reasons of length of service and quality of performance proven deserving of such honor. Honorary Members are placed on the Inactive list although they are not required to pay the annual membership fee of an Inactive Member.
Honorary Members shall also be entitled to attend the Annual Dinner as guests of the Association.
At the discretion of the Executive Board, an Honorary Member may officiate in any capacity available to the Association’s membership upon the payment of the appropriate dues under Article XI. When that member once again ceases to actively officiate, he/she shall automatically revert to the status of Honorary Member, with all its rights and privileges.
Dues
Dues are paid an academic year in advance. Therefore, applicants will need to pay the current year’s dues up-front. Then, before the end of the season, dues for the following academic year are paid by everyone, including applicants, as they will be moving to the candidate level. This means that applicants will pay in September (for the current year unless these fees are waived from the spring), and then again in December (for the next academic year as candidates).
As per our Chapter By-Laws, the dues we collect are paid based on the level of the official and the varsity game fee. The dues for NYSACFO are taken out of this amount. The exception to this are the dues we collect for new officials for the current year. New officials only pay the NYSACFO Annual Dues in September unless the fee is waived from the spring season. The Varsity Game Fees schedule can be found in the Section IV Officials Contract, the downloads page, or by clicking here. Prior to the last general meeting of the fall season, all active and associate members’ dues are equal to the varsity game fee, while the candidates (2025 new officials) will pay 60% of a varsity game fee.
Here is the current dues amount.
New Officials in September: $40.00 (unless waived from the spring season)
Amounts (for the 2025-2026 Academic Year)
Candidates (2025 New Officials) : $67.00
Associate Members and Active Members: $111.50
Training for New Members
EFOA has a Mentor Training Program for its newer members.
We have a retired official with over 40 years experience who trains new officials and assigns them to position specific mentors. These mentors will be available to the newer officials to go to with questions about anything. Additionally, the mentors may be available to observe games to give feedback to the newer officials.
After we meet as an entire association for General Business during our meetings, we enter a training session where we learn the rules, watch videos, and discuss various topics. During these sessions, the newer officials will go with the Head Mentor and learn similar topics but at a lower level. This allows newer officials to learn the basics and also be in a more conducive learning environment where they can feel comfortable asking questions.
Required Online Training- Spring Only
If you are joining us in the spring, you will need to take two online courses from www.refreps.com
1. Intro to Football Officiating
2. Intro to Flag Football
These courses are $50 each. However, by completing these courses, your dues for the current year are automatically waived and you won’t have to pay new official’s dues in September. You will need to email your completion certificates to the Secretary-Treasurer as soon as you finish, so they may be forwarded to the State for the dues waiver.
TESTING
Each year, officials will need to take the NFHS Part 2 exam scoring at least 85% in order to be certified.
It is an open book test, and you may take it as many times as you need. Part 1 is not mandatory but is encouraged. You can find the exam at www.dragonflymax.com.
First-year officials only need to score 75%, all other officials need to score at least 85%. Also, if you join after the exam deadline, you will need to take a paper-based test.
BOOKS
The following books will be distributed at the first meeting of the year by the secretary/treasurer. The rule book and the case book are new every year. The officials’ manual is available every other year.
Rule Book
This book is the “Holy Grail” of books. It is the official book issued by the National Federation of State High School Associations. NYSPHSAA has adopted the NFHS Rules for football, and they are the rules that we use when officiating football.
Case Book
The case book supplements the rule book by supplying us with scenarios that correspond to the rules in the rule book. It is a very helpful book that can be used to study but can also be used to clarify real life situations that happen during games.
Officials’ Manual
The officials’ manual explains all the on-field mechanics that we use. Mechanics are extremely important as you need to be in good position to make the correct call. It explicitly states the professional job duties of each of the positions. This book is issued every other year.