WFTDA Referee Certification FAQ
Who can become a WFTDA Certified Referee?
- Any referee regardless of league affiliation is eligible to become a WFTDA certified referee.
- Skaters may also apply for certification.
What are the levels of certification and the requirements for each?
- Level 1 - Non-skating Official (NSO)
- One (1) Referee Performance Evaluation from a WFTDA member league (NOT the referee’s home league) must be turned in
- Verification of passed league-administered rules test
- Signed WFTDA Referee Code of Conduct Agreement
- Signed WFTDA Non-Disclosure Agreement
- Level 2 - able to perform skating referee duties for a WFTDA Sanctioned Interleague Bout
- All Level 1 requirements met
- Must pass league-administered skating skills test
- Level 3 - able to exceptionally perform referee duties for a WFTDA Sanctioned Interleague Bout, infield referee duties at WFTDA Regional Tournaments, and outside pack duties at WFTDA National Tournaments
- All Level 2 requirements met
- Must have officiated at least two (2) WFTDA Interleague Bouts (regulation or sanctioned) prior to application
- Two (2) Referee Performance Evaluations from WFTDA member leagues (NOT the referee’s home league) must be turned in
- Level 4 - able to exceptionally perform infield referee duties for the highest level of WFTDA competitive play, infield referee duties at WFTDA National Tournaments
- All Level 3 requirements met
- Must have officiated at least six (6) WFTDA Interleague games (regulation or sanctioned) prior to application
- Five (5) Referee Performance Evaluations from WFTDA member leagues (NOT the referee’s home league) must be turned in (weight given to leagues that have hosted a tournament)
- Three (3) of those Performance Evaluations must be from skaters
- Letter of recommendation from at least one (1) Level 3 or higher certified referee
- Level 5 - able to exceptionally perform all tasks of a WFTDA Tournament Head Referee
- All Level 4 requirements met
- Minimum one (1) year experience/six (6) WFTDA Interleague Bouts (regulation or sanctioned) AFTER earning Level 4
- Referee Performance Evaluations from five (5) WFTDA Class A leagues
- Three (3) of those Performance Evaluations must be from skaters
- Recommendation letters from at least three (3) Level 3 or higher certified referees
What are all of the documents and who should turn them in?
- Referee Certification Application: To be filled out by applying referee
- Referee Code of Conduct: To be filled out by applying referee
- WFTDA Non-Disclosure Agreement: To be filled out by applying referee
- Referee Skating Skills Evaluation: To be filled out by a WFTDA League Representative
- Referee Performance Evaluation: To be filled out by a WFTDA member league other than the referee’s home league (should be e-mailed to the panel by the league filling out the document)
- Referee Rules Test: To be administrated and graded by a WFTDA League Representative.
Where can I find these documents?
- As of January 2009, all documents, except for the rules test and key and the skating skills test will be stored at www.wftda.com. The rules test and skating skills test will remain on the peanut.
- A WFTDA League rep must email the Referee Certification Committee to receive the rules test key.
Where should the completed documents be emailed to?
- East Region: refcert_east@wftda.com
- South Central Region: refcert_southcentral@wftda.com
- North Central Region: refcert_northcentral@wftda.com
- West Region: refcert_west@wftda.com
I failed the rules test, what happens now?
- Any referee who fails the rules test must wait 1 month before retaking the test.
I’m a referee with an aspiring WFTDA League How can I take the test?
- The rules test must be administered by a WFTDA League Representative. In order to take these tests a non-WFTDA affiliated referee must contact the nearest WFTDA league to schedule a time to take the test with their league representative.
Which games can I use when asking another league to fill out an evaluation card?
- An evaluation card must be written by a WFTDA member league that participated in either a WFTDA Regulation or Sanctioned Bout.
- A WFTDA Sanctioned Bout is a WFTDA interleague bout between two chartered teams that will count towards the leagues’ rankings.
- A WFTDA Regulation Bout is between two WFTDA leagues that follows all current WFTDA rules but does not count towards the leagues’ rankings.
How do I know what region a league is in?
How will I know if all of my documents are turned in?
- Referee Certification Application Status: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pprCTxCPFvSNhQIMzDjN7Qg&hl=en
What happens once all of a referee’s documents are turned in?
- All documents will be verified for accuracy. Once verified the panel members review all documents and vote whether or not to grant certification
- For Levels 1-4: a referee must receive at least 4 out of 5 votes for certification to be granted
- For Level 5: a referee must receive 5 out of 5 votes for certification to be granted
- The Referee Certification Panel can award a higher or lower level of certification at their discretion
What happens if I do not receive enough votes to become a Certified Referee?
- If a referee does not receive enough votes they may reapply after 6 months.
How long does certification last for?
- Certification is good for 1 year. Each referee must reapply after year even if it is for the same level.