News
2022 New Official Training
Jerome Travers (jerometravers@msn.com) and Matt Adamko (matt.adamko@gmail.com) will facilitate the training for new officials over a six week period. Each training session will be held virtually via Zoom starting at 7:00 pm, and will last for about an hour. The full list of training dates is below.
July 7th / July 11th / July 14th / July 18th / July 21st / July 25th / July 28th
All of the training materials, including resources from prior seasons, can be found here.
2022 MPSSAA Registration
Registration to officiate high school football in Maryland for 2022 is now open. All on-field officials need to complete this eligibility requirement through DragonFly. The $40 registration fee covers the cost of the NFHS Rules & Case Books, liability insurance, testing, and other administrative needs.
Additional information and directions regarding registration can be found here.
DragonFly and the MPSSAA maintain records of your payment and there is no need to send the WDFOA a receipt nor a confirmation email.
2020 NFHS Football Rules Exam
The 2020 NFHS Football Rules Exam is now available.
All on-field officials must complete and pass the exam in order to work interscholastic contests in the state of Maryland. A score of 75% is considered passing, and a score of 85% is needed in order to work postseason assignments. Officials will have multiple attempts to pass the exam, and the exam does not have to be completed all in one sitting.
After completing the exam you do not need to send anyone your exam scores as the scores should be saved in the NFHS system.
Additionally, failure to complete and pass the exam impacts advancement to Regular Membership for officials that are otherwise eligible for promotion. The exam will close after August 30th.
If you are a new official and if you have never taken an exam through the NFHS site, you will be asked to first create an account. When inputting information for the “Local Association” please be sure to enter WDFOA. Information about creating or accessing your account, and about exam instructions can be found here.
It is strongly encouraged to use the Rules Book and Case Book when completing the exam. A digital copy of the Rules Book is currently available online through the Arbiter (Switch Views —> NFHS Central Hub —> Publications —> Football Publications).
2020 Uniform and Equipment Guidelines
There are no new changes to the uniform and equipment worn by officials during the 2020 football season.
Referee shirts should still have 1-inch stripes. Shoes should still be mostly all black. Officiating crews should still match during assignments. Patches for the MPSSAA, DC, or other leagues should be worn when appropriate. Velcro on the right shoulder/arm is a great solution for officials that work games in different areas.
There will be a few people selling uniforms, equipment, and WDFOA apparel for officials at the upcoming MPSSAA Football Rules Interpretation Clinic for the WDFOA.
A list of the uniform and equipment guidelines for on-field officials can be found here. Timers should mostly adhere to these guidelines as well.
2020 MPSSAA Football Rules Interpretation Clinic
The 2019 MPSSAA Football Rules Interpretation Clinic for the WDFOA will be held on August 4th (Sunday) at Bishop McNamara High School. The event begins promptly at 12:30 pm in the Cafeteria. As always, Bill Witte (Football Rules Interpreter for the State of Maryland, and current WDFOA Member) will be presenting the major rule changes for the new season.
Directly after the Rules Clinic, announcements will be made by the President, Assistant Commissioner, and Commissioner. A few awards from last season will also be announced during that time.
Additionally, the 2019 Football Rules and Case Books will be distributed at some point during the event. A digital copy of the Rules Book is currently available online through the Arbiter (Switch Views —> NFHS Central Hub —> Publications —> Football Publications).
After the presentation, everyone will be dismissed and there will be time given to new members who still have specific questions about the WDFOA.
If you are unable to attend the Rules Clinic on August 4th, there are still other dates and locations that you can attend. In order to officiate regular season and postseason interscholastic football games in the state of Maryland, attendance at one of the Rules Clinics is mandatory. Failure to attend also impacts advancement to Regular Membership for officials that are otherwise eligible for promotion. Please email the WDFOA Secretary (matt.adamko@gmail.com) if you attend a Rules Clinic elsewhere .