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New Officials

Welcome to the Gulf Coast Football Officials Association's recruiting page. Please take the time to read through our frequently asked questions before you send an email to us. If your question is not answered we will be happy to answer it for you. Please contact Vice President and New Officials Liaison Keith Christianson at newref@gcfoa.org for more information. You can download the 2010 GCFOA Recruitment Flyer to post at work or in your neighborhood to help us recruit new officials. Frequently Asked Questions   Why Become an Official?

Are YOU ready to get in the game?

If you love football, officiating is the best way to stay involved in the game. The great thing about being an official is that you actually get to be on the field and not on the sidelines.

Great Way to Stay in Shape: Officiating provides a meaningful reason to stay in shape. As we get older, many adults find it more difficult to find the time to exercise. Officiating gives you the opportunity to get out of the house two or three times a week and participate in an enjoyable and rewarding physical activity.

Be A Positive Role Model:  Officiating provides a unique opportunity to positively influence young people. The official is a role model who is charged with enforcing the concepts of fair play and good sportsmanship.

For The Competitor In You:  Officiating appeals strongly to the competitive spirit that all of us possess. The successful official is a fierce competitor who enjoys the opportunity to work with teammates toward a common goal of officiating a good game.

Personal Development:  Football officiating requires you to make instantaneous decisions, resolve conflicts, and deal with stress and pressure. It demands good communications skills.

Make Lifelong Friends:  Your fellow officials can become your friends for life. A tremendous bond is developed between officials as they work together for the common good and can only be fully explained after you’ve experienced it.

For The Money:  Football officiating is not an extremely lucrative hobby, but then again you will see a positive cash flow. Unlike other hobbies, the time spent at officiating will put some money in your pockets.

Who can become an official?

Any person who has reached his or her 18^th birthday prior to August 1, 2010, is physically fit, and is interested in football officiating is eligible for membership.  

How much does it cost to become an official?

There are three areas that you will have to spend money in.

Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Membership Fee: You must register with the FHSAA for every sport you would like to officiate ($34 for 1st sport, $27 for each additional). Please note that should you choose to register with the FHSAA via paper instead of the online system, it will cost you an extra $20!

GCFOA Membership Dues: These you may pay up front or you may have them deducted out of your first check. Membership fees are $35.

Uniforms:  Most stores that carry official's equipment will sell a starter package that will range anywhere from $120 to $170. The official uniform has the following components:

• "Zebra" shirt (with collar and a pocket) - $27
• Black " coaching" shorts (for youth ball) - $22
• Black Belt - $14
• Knickers - $37
• Northwester Stripe Socks - $12
• Black Turf Shoes $33
• Hat - $12, Flag - $6.50
• Blue Bean Bag - $5
• Down Indicator- $7.00
• Chain clip - $8.50
• Score Card & Pencil - $5

          Total: $189

All prices are for new equipment. We have had several officials retire or those who have bought new gear and are selling their old gear!

FHSAA - $32 +
GCFOA - $35+
Uniform - $189 =
Total:  $256

Do not let money be a factor for whether you want to come out or not. There are always many members willing to help you out!

What kind of training will I get?

The GCFOA has officials that have over twenty years of High School experience all the way down to brand new officials. These experienced officials are always happy to assist you in any way possible. The GCFOA conducts several study sessions before the test, at least one on-the-field clinic, and several practice games prior to the start of the season and training sessions throughout the season. In addition, the FHSAA mandates that every four years, officials are required to attend a State Field Clinic.All rule books will be provided to you via your $32 registration fee to the FHSAA.

The Assignor for the Association will work with you to determine when an official is available to work. You are given a sheet listing all possible dates for games. All you do is cross out the dates you do not want to work and you will not be scheduled for the days you can not work. 

Meetings are held regularly on Monday nights during the season at the Sahib Temple. The address is 600 North Beneva Road in Sarasota. The Temple is 5 minutes from I-75 and a distance of 3.6 miles coming from the south on I-75. Will be about 4 minutes and about 3.4 miles coming from the north. Meetings start at 7:00 pm and usually end between 8:30 and 9:00 pm.

 Freshman games are held on Wednesday nights, Junior Varsity games are on Thursdays and Varsity games are held every Friday nights . Youth games are on Saturdays and provide a great opportunity to work on rules knowledge and mechanics. Even if you are not scheduled for a game, watching a crew work is a great way to work on developing your game. Check out the Calendar page for more details.

For regular season games, the GCFOA services fourteen schools in Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, and Charlotte Counties. Check out the Schools page to see who we are contracted with this season.

The biggest considerations for scheduling are FHSAA test score, experience, and availability. The only games that scheduling restrictions apply to are varsity level games. Everyone may officiate at any level below varsity. There are several factors that are weighed when determining what games to schedule you for:

FHSAA Rank: Used in determining playoff eligibility. To call playoffs you must be a rank 2 official. Each official is ranked based on how many varsity level games he/she has called up to the current season, previous year's test score, and how many years experience they have officiated.

FHSAA Test Score: Each official must score a 75 or better on the test to officiate varsity level games. Each official must score an 80 or higher to officiate in the playoffs.

Experience: The only way you can learn the game of football is by being on the field. Do not let this get in your way if you are new! Many of our first year officials last year got to be on the field for 2-3 varsity level games and countless JV, Freshman and youth games!

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