18 of the most useful tips to get you thinking right and prepared to succeed your first time out. A perfect primer for those with little to no experience.
Become An Official
School sports are an extension of student education and you can help teach the importance of following rules, fairness and impartiality by being a part of this classroom away from the classroom. The need for qualified and dedicated individuals has never been greater and the time is now.
Sports officiating is an honorable avocation that seeks people, both young and the young-at-heart, with strong moral character and integrity. Its a challenging job, but there are great rewards. To be a very good official, you will need rule knowledge, understanding of the mechanics of officiating and developing good people skills. Sports officiating will inherently teach you all of those skills and much more. If you love sports, you will have the best view of the game as an official. More importantly, officiating will teach you how to view the games in a whole new light, no longer as a fan but as an official – one that emphasizes integrity, fairness, decisiveness and sound judgement. Get ready to challenge yourself and start one of the most rewarding jobs you’ll ever have!
Click here to find out the 12 great reasons to start officiating.
The process of becoming an MHSAA Registered Official is an easy one and can be found below. At the bottom of the page, if you have questions, please fill out the form and submit. The GCCOA Recruiting Director will respond as soon as possible.
Managing Your Expectations
The goal of the GCCOA is to Recruit, Train, and Retain officials. As a member of the GCCOA, we will do everything within our power to provide you with the knowledge and tools to getting assignments, and succeed as an MHSAA sports official. As you begin the process of becoming an MHSAA sports official, you should be aware of a few items that may not meet your expectations.
Timing
Timing is everything when to start your journey to high school sports officiating. Football season begins in August through November. Basketball begins in November through March. Baseball, Softball, and Girls Lacrosse begin in March through June. Game assignments are usually assigned 2-3 months prior to the sport’s season. Because you have registered with the MHSAA, does not necessarily mean you will be immediately assigned games unless you have registered 2-3 months prior to the sport’s season begining AND you have reached out to the assigner(s) in your area to let them know you are available to work games. This is where the GCCOA Recruitment Director can help you through this process.
Assignments
Because you have registered with the MHSAA does not assure you games or an adequate amount of games. Registered Assigners are hired by schools and/or conferences to assign their games to registered MHSAA sports officials. They do not have to use you, however, given the shortage of available officials, you have a good chance of being used. The GCCOA Recruiting Director can help you get in touch with the registered assigners in the area, and provide you with guidance and tips of what assigners expect.
Uniform & Gear Cost
As an independent contractor, you are expected to pay for your own officiating gear. All of which is tax deductible. Basketball and Girls Lacrosse is the least expensive to getting started with your gear. You can expect on average to cost you around $200. Football is a little higher for a basic starter set but when you factor in cold and wet weather, the cost begins to mount. You can expect between $250 & $400 on average. Baseball and softball is the most expensive of the 5 sports GCCOA supports. You can expect on average of $500. It is possible to get them cheaper through used gears and lower quality. When you factor in cold & wet weather as well as your safety behind the plate, the gear can get expensive.
GCCOA Recruiting Director
Nathan McGinnis is our GCCOA Recruiting Director, mainly responsible for recruiting, guiding potential individuals through the process of becoming an official. Nate will also attend job fairs hosted by schools, present and advocate for high school sports officiating. If you have questions or need help, you may contact Nate directly.
Email: natandjax@yahoo.com
Phone: 810-962-3449 (cell)
New to MHSAA Officiating - Steps to Get Started
STEP 1A: Review MHSAA Officials Guidebook (Recommended)
It is highly recommended you review the MHSAA Officials Guidebook and Policy Manual before proceeding to ensure you have a good understanding of becoming an MHSAA sports official.
STEP 1B: Contact GCCOA Recruiting Director (Optional)
This step is optional. The GCCOA Recruiting Director can further simplify the process for you, help manage expectations, and get you in touch with registered assigner(s). Find out if you are well within the timeframe of getting assigned games or are you too late in the timeline. This will provide you with the level of confidence to proceed with your journey to becoming a sports official.
STEP 2: MHSAA Officials Registration (Required)
You must first register at MHSAA.com.
- Standard registration: $70 registration includes two sports and $16 per any additional sport.
- Student Legacy registration: $38 registration includes two sports and $16 per any additional sport.
Officials registration renewals must be applied for annually.
STEP 3: Finalize Registration (Required)
New officials and those not registered the previous school year must take an Officials Guidebook and Policy Manual exam, a Principles of Officiating exam, and complete a mechanics exam if registering for football and/or basketball. These are open-book and are taken online after you have applied for registration. Here are the links for the manuals from which to study:
STEP 4: Additional Resources (Optional)
- Rule Books and Case Book Manuals – will be mailed out to all officials after the registration process has been completed
- The MHSAA posts sports specific content such as resources (training videos, game cards, rule changes, etc), guidelines, and policies pertaining to the sport(s) in which you are registered. Review sport specific content you are registered in Sport-specific officials information
STEP 5: Join Local Association
The MHSAA expects every official to be a member of, and active in, one or more Local Approved Associations. If you do not wish to join the GCCOA, the MHSAA provides a list of approved MHSAA Officials Local Associations.
Starting with 2026-2027 school year, the MHSAA will be making it mandatory for MHSAA sports officials to be a member of a local approved association (pay dues, attend minimum number of required meetings) in order to officiate middle school, sub-varsity, and varsity contests.
STEP 6: Uniforms & Gear
As an independent contractor, you are required to purchase your own uniforms and equipment. You can find out sport-specific uniform and equipment needs in the Officials Guidebook and Policy Manual. Go to page 10 under section “Emblems, Logos, Patches, and Uniforms” for officials uniform specifications.
Correct Call Officiating Outfitters is the MHSAA official supplier of the MHSAA sports officials uniforms and gear. This is where you should go for all your officiating shirts as they are the only supplier to provide MHSAA logo’ed shirts. For all other uniform apparel and gear, go to the Shop Online page of this site for additional suppliers to choose from, including the “Uniform & Gear Guide” document to assist you with basic and advance recommendations.
STEP 7: Getting Trained
The GCCOA will provide basic level training through meetings and clinics. These are generally done 1-2 months prior to start of season. As an independent contractor, you will bear primary responsibility to get trained by reading and understanding the rule book, mechanics manual, watching videos, and attend as many meetings, clinics, and a camp to get you prepared for the upcoming season.
STEP 8: Getting Games
MHSAA Registered Assigners are responsible for assigning games to sports officials. The GCCOA Recruiting Director, GCCOA Sports Director, and GCCOA Sports Trainer(s) can help you get in contact with assigners in the area. You can also go to the MHSAA Web site to search MHSAA Registered Assigners.
STEP 9: Getting Paid
Arbiter Sports is the online web application where MHSAA schools and registered assigners assign games and pay their sports officials. Registered Assigners will send you an invite to their group account. This is where you will set up your Arbiter account and begin receiving games as well getting paid upon completion of your assignment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) sets the overall rules for most U.S. high school sports nationwide, focusing on health/safety and simpler application; the MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) is Michigan’s state-level governing body that adopts NFHS rules but adds state-specific regulations, manages tournaments, and serves Michigan schools, the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) has a partnership with the MHSAA to provide a full compliment of benefits including liability insurance coverage.
When you complete your MHSAA registration, they will mail you a copy of the current season NFHS Rule Book and Case Play books. The cost of these are included in your registration fees. They usually arrive 4-6 weeks from completion of registration. You may also purchase them from the Referee Training Center site. Mechanics Manuals are posted on the MHSAA Website under Sports Specific Officials Information.
- Study your rule books, case books and mechanics manuals
- Keep in adequate physical and good mental condition
- Read the Officials Guidebook, MHSAA benchmarks and review general and sport-specific updates, interpretations and event at www.mhsaa.com/officials
- Find an experienced veteran official to serve as a mentor or have a mentor assigned to you through your Local Approved Association
- Attend meetings with your Local Approved Association and trainings through camps and clinics
- Maintain a record of your scheduled contests
- Purchase proper uniforms and keep them in good, clean condition
- Return phone calls and emails promptly and keep a copy of correspondence in regards to officiating
- Report any unusual incidents or any ejections to the MHSAA within 24 hours and keep a record of these submissions
- Be patient as you will likely need to start out officiating at lower levels to develop your skills and establish credibility
Liability insurance is included in your MHSAA registration fees and is covered by NASO. Liability insurance covers you in the event you are sued for gross negilgence (participant injured), setting aside rules, and assualts. Being sued is extremely rare but it is nice to have this protection in this day and age of litigation.
It is very rare as an MHSAA sports official that you are an employee of a school who has hired you to officiate their contests. It is also rare for a local association or registered assigner to be your employer. As an independent contractor (self-employed), you are free to shop your services to any schools, conferences, and/or registered assigners.
You are an independent contractor (self-employed) and responsible for compliance with IRS requirements, but most officiating expenses are deductible from earned income. Because the majority of your game fees comes from Arbiter Sports, you are given a 1099 Tax Form in January of the following year.
The MHSAA scantioned schools do pay our game fees but not directly. The schools place officiating funds into Arbiter Sports and authorize Arbiter Sports to pay us upon completion of a contest. Thus a single entity is paying our earned income and is responsible for providing us with a 1099 Tax form detailing our earned income to the IRS.
Unfortunately, there is not a lot available in terms of training to use Arbiter Sports / Arbiter Pay. It is fairly intuitive but does have its challenges. Your assigner, sports director, sports trainer, and/or a sports official colleague can help you with set up and navigate. The biggest focus area is accepting/declining games, blocks, profile, and banking information.
No you are not. You must follow the officating uniforms and gear requirements outlined in the MHSAA Officials Guidebook and Policy Manual. You can receive donations of used uniforms and gear. You may also shop around for cheaper deals on other online sites, brick and motar stores such as Dick’s or Dunhams.
NO! Registered assigners are mandated to use MHSAA registered sports officials. Their Arbiter Sports group is linked to the MHSAA for verifying you are a registered sports official. Schools are prohibited from using non-registered sports officials for MHSAA sanctioned contests. Organizers of leagues (youth, church, adult , & intramural) would be foolish to use non-registered sports officials as liabilities would fall solely on the organizer(s).