LIFE CYCLES OF THE ROWING REFEREE 2007 Edition. Referee Commission January 2007 2 Three Stages in the Lifecycle Candidate Assistant Referee Referee

LIFE CYCLES OF THE ROWING REFEREE

2007 Edition

Referee Commission January 20072

Three Stages in the Lifecycle Candidate Assistant Referee Referee

Candidates


Who Is Eligible??

Rowers Coaches Parents Spectators Spouses Friends Young People Old People Men Women …


Candidate Requirements Must be or become a member of

USRowing Must be 21 years of age Must be able to swim 200 yards

Or tread water for 10 minutes Must attend a clinic Must observe 6 key positions at least

once Starter, Judge at Start, Referee, Chief

Judge at Finish, Marshal, Control Commission (Dockmaster, weigh-ins)

Must pass written exam to advance


What does a Candidate do? You will be assigned to

work with different Referees at each regatta

Sign up in advance Try to work with as many

different Regattas/ Referees as possible

Size of regatta and level of regatta play role in where candidates are assigned

More is better


Candidate Responsibilities

The candidate’s training period is to determine:

Whether or not this is a committment you want to make

Do you really want to spend a lot of time with with wet clothes in the trunk?

To teach you techniques and skills to become a referee

Test determination YOU decide if you want to take the

exam.


The Assistant Exam

Offered periodically at mutual convenience of examinee and examiner

2 - 2 1/2 hours Written exam

Multiple choice Short answer Closed Book (Rules of

Rowing)


After the Exam?

Candidate referees who meet all the qualifications and pass the written exam advance to Assistant Referee status.

Assistant Referees spend the next 2 to 4 years learning their craft.


Equipment After passing the exam, you can start

investing in equipment (the list is endless) Clipboard Binoculars Stop Watches (3 or 4) Megaphone Flags Painter life vest noisemaker space blankets First Aid Kit ETC!!!


Equipment, continued

Warm, dry clothes are essential Dress for the weather, always

in layers Keep a spare set of everything

in the car Rain gear is a valuable

investment Buy stock in Glad/ZipLoc

storage bags!


Basic Requirements(Apply to All Referee Ranks)

Attend 1 Clinic each year Work a minimum 4 regatta-days

per year Work at more than 1 course

every year Respond to Annual Data Call Re-certification exam every 4

years

Assistant Referee


Rough Waters Ahead?

Assistant Referee requirements are designed to ensure exposure to all positions under a wide range of conditions.


Initial Work Experience To develop basic competence, all new Assistant Referees are

required to work the following positions for the minimum number of times indicated:

Marshal 2 Chief Judge 5 Starter 5 Control Commission 2 Referee 10 Judge at Start 5

Performance evaluated by a Referee, on a Satisfactory/Needs Improvement basis

Written feedback provided on observed shortcomings


What’s Next? Time to complete period of Initial Work Experience 2-4

years, Level of supervision and attention paid to your needs will

vary Depends on type of regatta Depends on Chief Regional Differences

Options Remain as Assistant

No further written evaluations Re-certification exam every 4 years

Petition to be evaluated for advancement to Referee


What You Should Know More is better

4 regatta-days per year will maintain your license

It will not enable you to gain the skills you need to develop initial competence, or advance

Travel! Many opportunities for Assistants in the

all regions and localities other than their own

Regatta Seasons Sprint: February-November Head Races: September-December


Referee Exam

Two part exam Written exam Practical

Who is eligible? Assistants with completed initial work

experience Upon petition to Regional Representative


Written Exam

Open book Scenario-based Emphasis on

Thorough understanding of the Rules of Rowing

Accurate application Logical reasoning


Practical Exam May be administered in one of three ways

Mock Practical Conducted by evaluation team Usually lasts three hours Least effective method

Live Regatta Assistant Referee is ‘observed’ at actual regatta Most effective method

Combination Frequently difficult to schedule clinicians and

examinee for just one method or the other, a combination of approaches can work well


Evaluation Team

Two and preferably three Senior Referees

Usually Clinicians Usually known by the

examinee Examinee will know who

is on their team prior to taking exam

Evaluation Team may grade both written and practical components

Referee


Referee is different than Assistant Referees should perform with a degree of

independence and greater competence not otherwise expected of an Assistant Referee

Expected to routinely and informally teach, counsel, monitor, supervise, and evaluate officials with less experience.

Expected to be able to work independently and effectively in resource-constrained situations, exercising essential judgment and decision-making skills to insure standards of safety and fairness.


Requirements & Roles

Requirements Same basic requirements Again: more work is better

than the minimum required Roles

Evaluator of/Mentor to Assistants

Chief Referee Clinician


Chief Referee

Referee in charge at a regatta Assigns officials (Chief is first

among equals) President of the Jury Verifies safe conditions and

insures fairness


Clinician

Critical resource for training and development

Uses effective teaching skills that go beyond anecdotal narration

Demonstrated ability to communicate balanced judgment in application of the rules

Has extensive regatta experience at multiple regatta levels

Evaluator/Examiner


Questions?

Documents

LIFE CYCLES OF THE ROWING REFEREE 2007 Edition. Referee Commission January 2007 2 Three Stages in the Lifecycle Candidate Assistant Referee Referee