·  How do I become a certified Referee?
·  What is the Level 1 Officiating Course?
·  What is the Level 2 Officiating Course?
·  What is the Level 3 Officiating Course?
·  What are the Touch Judge and Assistant Referee courses?
·  What should I do when I am a Touch Judge?
·  What are the Levels 1 and 2 Officiating Sevens courses?
·  What is CIPP?

1. Register in advance for one of the referee certification classes on-line with USARugby and attend the all day class.

A. You will pay the course registration fee to USARugby when you register for it. You must also already have your CIPP or you must apply for it from USARugby at the same time. You can apply for your CIPP in dual capacities (eg, coach and referee) for no extra charge.

B. All attendees must register for the class in advance and on-line via USARugby to ensure that course materials will be available at the course and to be eligible for reimbursement. Please confirm that you plan to attend directly with the designated course instructor.

C. Taking and passing the open book exam beforehand is strongly encouraged. Bring the print out of your passing certification to the course.

D. The Referee Society will reimburse Level 1 referee course fees for any coach from a men's or women's college team and for one or two players from the team so long as the player(s) attend the course with the coach. Players must have at least two years playing experience.

E. As part of the CIPP registration, you will be asked to print out and sign the liability waiver. Please send the signed original liability waiver to Jim Crenshaw at the address listed below.

F. If you were already CIPPed as a coach or player, you will need to re-register (for free) your dual capacity with USARugby adding you as a referee in order to get your referee certification.

2. To Join the Northern California Rugby Referee Society:

A. Please send a $10 check (annual dues) made out to NCRRS to the following address:

Jim Crenshaw
c/o Delta Supply
1248 E. Oak Ave, Suite D
Woodland, Ca 95776

B. Please also send in the signed liability waiver at the same time. This document must be signed and received by the Referee Society in order to be covered under the USARugby insurance program.

C. To be considered for assignment of any games, you must also print the Match Safety Protocol (link) from  the Pelicanrefs website and sign and send it in as well.

3. After becoming certified, joining the Referee Society and refereeing five (5) or more assigned games, the Referee Society will reimburse the $50 registration fee.

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• Prerequisites for taking the course - None
• CIPP and Course Registration
  • If intending to referee, students must be CIPP registered. It is the individual’s responsibility to register with USA Rugby as forms will not be available at the course.
  • Students wishing to register for this course online must be CIPP registered first. Both CIPP and course registration may be done at http://membership.usarugby.org.
• Course description
  • The purpose of this introductory course is to enable officials to acquire basic skills to officiate safe, enjoyable competition. Course certification is required for anyone who wishes to referee any match that could potentially lead to a national championship.
  • The course focuses on the following aspects of the game:
    • Game Knowledge
    • Principles of rugby
    • Principles of refereeing
    • Management
    • Role of the referee
    • Positioning
    • Communication
    • Risk Management
    • Planning
    • Referee preparation
    • Referee support
      
    • Technical
      
    • Starting and restarting the game
      
    • Advantage
      
    • Open play
      
    • Contact
    • Scrum
    • Touch
      
    • Lineout
      
    • Foul play
  • Students will receive a Law Book, whistle, red and yellow cards, and a Course Manual.
  • The course takes about eight hours to complete and is conducted both in the classroom and outdoors in practical exercises. You will not require paper as the course manual has sufficient blank spaces for note-taking, but you will need a pen or pencil. Lunch will be provided by the Northern California Rugby Referee Society.
• Requirements for Certification
  • Current USA Rugby membership, including registration as a referee
  • Attend and successfully participate in all course modules
  • Pass open book law exam administered at the course site
• Fees
  • The course fee is $50 payable to USA Rugby with online registration.  See CIPP and Course Registration above. The $50 fee will be reimbursed by the Northern California Rugby Referee Society once the student becomes a Society member and referees five assigned matches. The course fee can be paid in cash at the door if the student does not register online. He or she is in danger of not having any course materials available, however, if they do not register online.
  • Society membership is $10 per year

• Prerequisites for taking the course
  • Current USA Rugby membership, including registration as a referee
  • Level 1 Officiating course certification
  • One full season of refereeing
• Course description
  • The purpose of this course is to enable officials to develop further the skills acquired in the introductory course so as to officiate safe, enjoyable competition.  Course accreditation is one requirement for promotion to the grade of B3.
  • The course focuses on the following aspects of the game:
    • Principles of attack and defense
    • Key factor analysis of unit skills
      
    • The representative game in your country
      
    • Refereeing principles
      
    • Communication
      
    • Referee support
      
    • Fitness basics
      
    • Responsibility and commitment
      
    • Risk management
      
    • Consistent application
      
    • Touch judging
      
    • Advantage
      
    • Foul play
      
    • Open Play
      
    • Scrum
      
    • Lineout
      
    • Tackle
      
    • Ruck v Maul
  • The on-site course delivery occurs over two full days, approximately 16 hours, and includes both classroom work and outdoor practical exercises. Lunch will be provided each day by the Northern California Rugby Referee Society. Additionally, students wishing to be accredited as Level 2 Match Officials must complete a number tasks outside the classroom as listed below in “Requirements for Certification/Accreditation.”
• Requirements for Certifications/Accreditation
  • Certification
    • Attend and participate in all course modules
  • Accreditation
    
    • Attend and participate in all course modules
      
    • Achieve satisfactory practical assessment (excellent or competent)
      
    • Pass take home open book law exam (can be taken prior to the course)
      
    • Submit a 12 event officiating diary covering matches and training sessions
    • Complete IRB Rugby Ready certification (can be completed prior to the course)  
• Fees
  • The course fee is $100 payable to USA Rugby with online registration. See CIPP and Course Registration in Level 1 Officiating Course above. The Northern California Rugby Referee Society will reimburse its members their fee.

• Eligibility - By invitation only. Students must have passed the Level 2 referee course and hold a grade of T or higher. Passing this course is a requirement for all National grades
• Course description
  • The Level 3 course is the advanced course. It is designed for National level referees looking to share information, and calibrate standards. The course is run as a group seminar, in which an IRB facilitator leads the referees in a discussion of all important aspects of their craft.
  • The course is run once a year by USAR if there are enough students. It takes two full days to complete, and will usually require air travel.
• Fees
  • The cost of the course is $150 which goes directly to USA Rugby.
  • The Northern California Rugby Referee Society will reimburse the clinic costs, airfare, and hotel of any Society member invited to take the Level 3 course, although meals are not covered.

• The Touch Judge course is intended for club touch judges and all referees.
  • The course, which takes about four hours and is conducted both in classroom and in outdoor practical exercises, provides instruction on the primary tasks of the touch judge in adjudicating touch, touch-in-goal, kicks at goal, and the roles of the touch judge in seven-a-side rugby. Course certification is one requirement for promotion to the grade of C1.
  • The course focuses on the following aspects of the game:
    
    • When is the ball in touch
      
    • Touch judge signals
      
    • Places of the throw in
      
    • Touch judge positioning
      
    • Seven-a-side variations.
      
  • Course certification requires the following:
    
    • Current USA Rugby membership, including registration as a referee
      
    • Attend and participate in all course modules
      
    • Pass a closed book exam administered at the course site
  • The course fee is $25 payable to USA Rugby with online registration. See CIPP and Course Registration in Level 1 Officiating Course above. The Northern California Rugby Referee Society will reimburse its members their fee.
    
• The Assistant Referee course is intended for certified referees and persons desiring to become certified referees.
  • This course, which takes approximately two hours and is conducted in the classroom, provides instruction on the secondary and tertiary responsibilities and tasks of the touch judge, including the adjudication of foul play. Course certification is one requirement for promotion to the grade of C1.
  • Approximate delivery time: 4 hours.
    
  • The course focuses on the following aspects of the game:
    
    • Foul play adjudication
      
    • Signaling and reporting
      
    • Positioning for detection
      
    • Other roles of the assistant referee
      
    • Principal accountabilities
      
    • Time and replacement
      
    • Positioning at kicks
      
    • Positioning at lineouts, scrums, rucks, mauls, and stoppages
    • Communication systems
  • The course fee is $25 payable to USA Rugby with online registration. See CIPP and Course Registration in Level 1 Officiating Course above. The Northern California Rugby Referee Society will reimburse its members their fee.

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What should I do when I am a Touch Judge?

This document should answer this question! Touch Judge Checklist

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The Levels 1 and 2 Officiating Sevens courses are designed to provide referees with the skills and knowledge needed to referee Sevens Rugby in the national environment (in major Unions) and to international levels in less developed Unions and/or age grade international competitions. They build strongly on the IRB Levels 1-3 Officiating courses and seek to assist match officials who aim to referee or assist in Sevens. These courses rely very much on the participants’ input and is delivered using the following structure.

The Level 1 Officiating Sevens course is a one day, attendance only program focusing on the following:

• The principles of attack and defense in Sevens Rugby;
• The timing, space, and tolerance needed for refereeing Sevens; and,
• How assistant referees and in-goal judges assist the referee.

The Level 2 Officiating Sevens course is a two day accreditation program which incorporates and expands on the Level 1 Officiating Sevens course, while adding a module covering the preparation, both physical demands and planning, required to referee Sevens. Course participants in the Level 2 course must then show competence in all competency transcript descriptors for all modules of the course.

The entry requirements for the courses are these:

• For Level 1 Officiating Sevens, the entry requirement is an IRB Level 1 Officiating (generic Fifteens) Certificate of attendance.
• For Level 2, the entry requirement is an IRB Level 2 Officiating (generic Fifteens) Certificate of accreditation.  It is beneficial, however, if participants have advanced understanding of Sevens Rugby from their experience as a player, coach, or match official.

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