Welcome to the jackson area officials association
Congratulations on taking the first steps to becoming a registered MHSAA official. We know the process can seem overwhelming at first but one of the goals of the JAOA is to assist new officiating candidates like you in your efforts to become a registered, trained sports official.
Below you will find a checklist to follow to get you started. If you have additional questions don't hesitate to reach out to any of our board members or fill out the interest form at the bottom of the page.
We look forward to assisting you in your pursuit to become a registered and trained sports official!
-Jackson Area Officials Association
Below you will find a checklist to follow to get you started. If you have additional questions don't hesitate to reach out to any of our board members or fill out the interest form at the bottom of the page.
We look forward to assisting you in your pursuit to become a registered and trained sports official!
-Jackson Area Officials Association
New Official Checklist
1. Register with the MHSAA
The first step is to register for your chosen sport(s) at the MHSAA website. You are registering with MHSAA as an independent contractor. The MHSAA website provides detailed registration instructions and you can complete your registration in a matter of minutes. Registrations are valid from June 1 through July 31 of the following year.
Once registered, you will receive an Officials ID Number, Login information, and Sports Rules Books from the MHSAA. New Officials must take an MHSAA Officials Guidebook Exam and complete a Mechanics Exam if registering for football and/or basketball. The Exams are open-book, and may be taken online.
Note: If you are under the age of 18, please visit the Legacy Student Officials Program page. If you live outside of Michigan and wish to work games in our state, please consult the Reciprocal Official Information. Both Legacy and Reciprocal officials must register by mail.
The first step is to register for your chosen sport(s) at the MHSAA website. You are registering with MHSAA as an independent contractor. The MHSAA website provides detailed registration instructions and you can complete your registration in a matter of minutes. Registrations are valid from June 1 through July 31 of the following year.
Once registered, you will receive an Officials ID Number, Login information, and Sports Rules Books from the MHSAA. New Officials must take an MHSAA Officials Guidebook Exam and complete a Mechanics Exam if registering for football and/or basketball. The Exams are open-book, and may be taken online.
Note: If you are under the age of 18, please visit the Legacy Student Officials Program page. If you live outside of Michigan and wish to work games in our state, please consult the Reciprocal Official Information. Both Legacy and Reciprocal officials must register by mail.
2. Join a local association
The next step is to notify and join a local association such as the Jackson Area Officials Association (JAOA). This fulfills the MHSAA expectation that you belong to a local state approved officials association for purposes of approved training. The JAOA has membership for officials in five sports: baseball, basketball, football, softball, and volleyball. If you are interested in other sports, the MHSAA maintains a list of approved associations for other sports that may interest you.
The JAOA provides rules meetings, clinics and other learning opportunities for rookies and veterans alike. Visit the Membership page to join the JAOA.
Once you have joined an association reach out to the trainers for your chosen sport. They will often provide guidance on the best ways to get in touch with assigners and mentors.
The next step is to notify and join a local association such as the Jackson Area Officials Association (JAOA). This fulfills the MHSAA expectation that you belong to a local state approved officials association for purposes of approved training. The JAOA has membership for officials in five sports: baseball, basketball, football, softball, and volleyball. If you are interested in other sports, the MHSAA maintains a list of approved associations for other sports that may interest you.
The JAOA provides rules meetings, clinics and other learning opportunities for rookies and veterans alike. Visit the Membership page to join the JAOA.
Once you have joined an association reach out to the trainers for your chosen sport. They will often provide guidance on the best ways to get in touch with assigners and mentors.
3. Contact assigners
As an official, you are an independent contractor. Assigners are employed by the conferences to assign officials to games. You can talk to the association trainers in your specific sports to find out which assigners you should be contacting.
Ideally, you should get in contact with assigners 4-6 months before the season starts, since many assigners begin scheduling games that far in advance. Many assigners prefer to see an official work before they feel confident scheduling them for games, and the summer (at camps and clinics) is often a good place to get seen by assigners. If you weren’t able to contact assigners that far in advance, don’t worry! Just get in contact with the assigner (in a polite, professional manner) as soon as possible and let them know that you are a new official and you are looking to work some games.
They will email you an invitation to register on ArbiterSports. You will need to keep your availability up to date on ArbiterSports. This will allow the Assigners to assign you any available games. It also helps to network with other officials and with athletic directors at schools. Start with a level you are comfortable with (usually middle school), and remember there is no substitute for knowing the rules.
The MHSAA also provides a list of assigners and the conferences they assign for.
As an official, you are an independent contractor. Assigners are employed by the conferences to assign officials to games. You can talk to the association trainers in your specific sports to find out which assigners you should be contacting.
Ideally, you should get in contact with assigners 4-6 months before the season starts, since many assigners begin scheduling games that far in advance. Many assigners prefer to see an official work before they feel confident scheduling them for games, and the summer (at camps and clinics) is often a good place to get seen by assigners. If you weren’t able to contact assigners that far in advance, don’t worry! Just get in contact with the assigner (in a polite, professional manner) as soon as possible and let them know that you are a new official and you are looking to work some games.
They will email you an invitation to register on ArbiterSports. You will need to keep your availability up to date on ArbiterSports. This will allow the Assigners to assign you any available games. It also helps to network with other officials and with athletic directors at schools. Start with a level you are comfortable with (usually middle school), and remember there is no substitute for knowing the rules.
The MHSAA also provides a list of assigners and the conferences they assign for.
4. Buy the uniform
Each sport has their own uniform and equipment. Below are some popular officiating stores you can visit. For new officials, the starter package is often a great way to buy all of your required equipment at a slightly discounted price. You should also contact your sport trainer(s) to see if there are specific things that you do/don’t need to purchase.
Correct Call Officiating Outfitters - The place for Licensed MHSAA Officials Apparel and Gear
Smitty Officials Apparel
Each sport has their own uniform and equipment. Below are some popular officiating stores you can visit. For new officials, the starter package is often a great way to buy all of your required equipment at a slightly discounted price. You should also contact your sport trainer(s) to see if there are specific things that you do/don’t need to purchase.
Correct Call Officiating Outfitters - The place for Licensed MHSAA Officials Apparel and Gear
Smitty Officials Apparel
Extra Steps and Tips
Find a mentor: having a more experienced official you can talk to about questions and concerns is a great tool to help you improve as an official. Talking about rules and plays and philosophies makes everyone better, and most veteran officials are thrilled to help newer officials improve.
Get in the rulebook: knowledge of the rules is something that is entirely in your control as an official. Some things (judgment, game management) will only come with experience, but rules knowledge is something that you can work on for yourself!
Find a mentor: having a more experienced official you can talk to about questions and concerns is a great tool to help you improve as an official. Talking about rules and plays and philosophies makes everyone better, and most veteran officials are thrilled to help newer officials improve.
Get in the rulebook: knowledge of the rules is something that is entirely in your control as an official. Some things (judgment, game management) will only come with experience, but rules knowledge is something that you can work on for yourself!