Does the OSAA require high schools to use certified officials?

No. Unlike team sports, there is no requirement for schools to utilize certified officials for tack and field or cross country meets sanctioned under NFHS/OSAA rules. However, schools are encouraged to seek certified officials for their high school/middle school track meets and are still responsible for ensuring individuals officiating their athletic events comply with state law.

Can schools use officials for high school meets that are not certified?

Yes. However, Oregon State law requires that all officials at youth athletic events complete annual training on concussions among other requirements. Schools are encouraged to seek certified officials for their high school/middle school track meets.

Does the USATF Oregon Association require certified officials?

Yes. Starting in the spring of 2026, USATF Oregon requires all officials to have either USATF or High School officials certification. USATF Oregon uses an online official assigning software solution: RefTown. Official's certification determines what meets are available for self-assignment:

Certification	Type of Meet That a USATF Oregon Official May See/Self-Assign Through RefTown
	NFHS (Middle School)	NFHS (High School)	NCAA (College)	USATF (Club / USATF-Sanctioned)
USATF Officials Certification Only	No	No	Yes	Yes
HS Officials Certification Only	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Both USATF & HS Certification	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Can schools request officials through USATF Oregon?

Yes. Schools may reach out to USATF Oregon with meet dates and requests for certain events/officials' positions to be posted online. Officials with a RefTown account can then self-assign. Schools may also request officials by name. USATF Oregon handles billing to the schools and pays officials directly. USATF Oregon also handles tax reporting.

Can non-certified officials signup on RefTown to officiate high school or middle school meets?

No. The USATF Oregon Association requires that all officials who officiate high school or middle school meets be certified through the High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials Program. RefTown is configured to only allow officials with this certifications to self-assign to high school or middle school meets.

Can those who are only USATF certified signup on RefTown to officiate college meets?

Yes. Those officials who do not wish to complete the steps for becoming certified through the High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials Program can still see NCAA / college meets in RefTown. USATF Oregon will still bill the college and pay officials directly. These officials will not be able to see nor self-assign to high school or middle school meets.

Can officials reach out to schools directly?

Yes. If a USATF-certified official wishes to work directly with a school to officiate at their high school or middle school meet, they are welcome to do so and receive payment directly from the school. However, the school takes on the risk of potentially using individuals that do not comply with Oregon State law or who may not have an annual background check.

Is high school officials certification a requirement to officiate or volunteer at the OSAA Track and Field State Championships?

No, not at this time. However, volunteers and officials are encouraged to become certified through this High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials Program or through the USA Track and Field Officials Certification Program.

Does certification with the High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials Program allow officials to work USATF-sanctioned meets?

No. Meets that are sanctioned by USA Track and Field (USATF) require officials to be USATF-certified and 3-step compliant: current USATF membership, passed a background screen, and current SafeSport training.

Does certification with the High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials Program allow officials to work NCAA/college meets?

Yes and no. Some colleges reach out to USATF Oregon for officials coverage for their meets through RefTown. USATF Oregon coordinated with those schools to confirm which certifications they would accept at their meets. Most colleges have given permission to use either USATF or high school certified officials for their meets.

Why is USATF Oregon requiring high school certification, isn't USATF officials certification good enough?

The USATF Oregon Association offers a service to provide officials for requested meets under the auspices of USATF, NFHS, and NCAA. For youth athletics, providing this service requires USATF Oregon to comply with state laws. To mitigate risks to the Association, USATF Oregon has committed to providing appropriately certified officials to the various types of track meets for three main reasons:

1. High school officials must be compliant with Oregon State law on annual concussion training and training on discriminatory acts. USATF does not have this requirement. Using the OSAA's certification process ensures USATF Oregon fulfils its legal requirements when acting as a "referee governing body" under ORS 417.875 and high school officials comply with state law.
2. USATF only background checks officials every two years, despite their stated policy of screening backgrounds every year. This has caused some considerable issues recently, including in Oregon. There are some potential lawsuits regarding this issue. The OSAA background check is completed every year. This provides the schools some added peace of mind when requesting officials.
3. USATF medical insurance only covers officials at USATF-sanctioned meets. NFHS insurance covers officials at any meet they work. This protects officials in RefTown who opt into this certification from potential liability issues.

Does USATF officials medical insurance cover an official working at a high school meet?

No. USATF medical coverage does not extend to officials working non-USATF-sanctioned meets. Examples of a non-USATF-sanctioned meet are a college (NCAA) meet or a high school/middle school (NFHS) meet. USATF has the following helpful documents regarding their insurance programs: USATF General Liability Insurance Plan Descriptions, USATF Officials' Non-Sanctioned Event Insurance, USATF Participant Accident Insurance Summary, and USATF Officials Insurance FAQ.

Meet Sanction	USATF Certified Officials without HS Certification
	USATF General Liability Insurance	USATF Medical Insurance	NFHS General Liability Insurance	NFHS Medical Insurance
USATF Meets (Requires USATF Certification)	Yes	Yes	No	No
NFHS (High School/Middle School)	Yes	No	No	No
NCAA (College)	Yes	No	No	No
Unsanctioned (Youth/Club)	Yes	No	No	No

Does NFHS Officials medical insurance cover an official working at a USATF-sanctioned or NCAA meet?

Yes. Officials that are certified through the High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials Program have coverage through the NFHS Officials Insurance program. This coverage includes medical insurnace that applies to officials for any track meet, indoor or outdoor, regardless of who sanctions the meet: USATF, NCAA, NFHS, unsanctioned, etc.

Meet Sanction	High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials
	USATF General Liability Insurance	USATF Medical Insurance	NFHS General Liability Insurance	NFHS Medical Insurance
USATF Meets (Requires USATF Certification)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
NFHS (High School/Middle School)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
NCAA (College)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Unsanctioned (Youth/Club)	Yes	No	Yes	Yes

Do officials have to clear a background check as part of this certification program?

Yes. Part of the registration process requires the prospective official to consent to an annual background check. The OSAA screens criminal history backgrounds with the same criteria as team sport officials. According to Rule 2.4.4 in the OSAA Handbook, individuals are not certified as officials if they have been convicted of:

• A felony involving the use, possession, or sale of a controlled substance within the last 10 years; or
• A crime involving the use or threatened use of violence against a person within the last 10 years; or
• A crime involving a minor child at any time.

Are officials SafeSport certified through this program?

No. The High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials Program does not provide training to be considered certified with the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

How long is this certification valid?

One year. This is an annual certification to ensure compliance with Oregon State laws in regards to annual training on concussions (ORS 336.485, OAR 58-022-2215, and ORS 417.875.) Background checks are also re-run every year. Rules occasionally change and it's important to stay up-to-date with continuing education which this annual certification program helps facilitate.

Are there different levels of certification through this program?

No. There is only the base certification focused on NFHS Track and Field and Cross Country rules. Unlike team sport certified officials, this certification program does no distinguish between sub-varsity, varsity, or post-season certification levels. The certification requirements for this program mirror the team sport officials requirement for the varsity level (scoring at least 75% on the annual rules exam.)

Is there a cross-certification option for officials already certified by USATF?

No. This certification program is specifically designed to focus on high school competitions under the NFHS Track and Field and Cross Country rules. While USATF training has a lot of practical material in common with high school competitions, there are differences in rule codes, procedures, and meet operations. Additionally, USATF certified officials do not have annual re-certification requirements which differs from this High School Track and Field / XC Certified Officials Program.

Where can someone purchase additional NFHS rules books or the NFHS Track and Field and Cross Country Officials Manual?

The OSAA Corner Store has a collection of spring rules books for sale. Spring publications become available starting February 1.