Referees –
The Officials Committee has reviewed the CEU requirement for referees and has made revisions. The
changes are intended to re-align activities towards continuing education and to create additional
opportunities to achieve CEUs.
The current year (2013-14) will be treated as a transition year – either the current or future CEU
opportunities will count for the remainder of this swim season (ending 8/31/14). Remember to keep
track of your CEU activity; we are able to extract CEU information related to the ISI championship meets,
but everything else is done manually.
Here are the revised CEU opportunities, with rationale for the changes:
 Running a large meet as the meet referee. 2 CEUs (A large meet is defined as a meet held a
minimum of 2 days, with at least 3 sessions, with at least 6 officials per session.)
o Current requirements specify the meet must be on the published ISI schedule. CEUs are
granted for running large meets because the meet referee should be more focused on
running the meet as a leader rather than a direct participant, providing training and
mentorship as appropriate.
 Clinician at an ISI sponsored officials’ clinic. 3 CEUs
o Leading a clinic, sharing knowledge and skills, answering questions, being forced to reevaluate one’s perspective from a brand new official’s perspective – this is a
tremendous opportunity to continue to grow as an official.
 Participation at an ISI sponsored recertification clinic. 3 CEUs for a specified swim season
o Recertification clinics provide an opportunity to review rules, situations, protocols and
new materials with fellow officials without the pressures of running a meet.
 Participation at an Illinois Swimming or USA Swimming Championship meet. 3 CEUs per
session during 2013-14 swim season; 2 CEUs per session beyond the 2013-14 swim season.
o Participation includes attendance at the officials’ briefing. Development and refreshing
oneself in championship meet protocol is the goal. USA Swimming championship
meets include Grand Prixs, Nationals, Junior Nationals, US Open, and any trials-class
meet.
 Assignment as an evaluator at an Officials Qualifying Meet. 2 CEUs per session
o Not to overlap with participation at an Illinois Swimming or USA Swimming
Championship meet (i.e., officials do not get credit for both).
 Participation at an Illinois YMCA State Championship meet. 3 CEUs during 2013-14 swim
season; 2 CEUs beyond the 2013-14 swim season.
o Participation includes attendance at the officials’ briefing. Development and refreshing
oneself in championship meet protocol is the goal.
 Assignment as an observer at an IHSA championship meet (sectional or state). 2 CEUs during
2013-14 swim season. No CEUs after the current swim season.
o Providing CEUs for being an observer was an inducement to have observers at the
meets. We now have many stroke and turn judges able and willing to act as observers
at the IHSA meets. There really are no activities done as an observer that line up to
continuing education, so it is being dropped after the 2013-14 swim season.
 Training another official on deck. – 1 CEU with a maximum of 2 in a swim season.
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The trainer must be 100% focused on training and have no other on deck
responsibilities. The meet referee shall record the session for the trainer as a ‘TR’ in
OTS.
o Training officials on deck is always important. The goal here is to provide an
opportunity for high quality training, as the trainer will have no other responsibilities.
Practicing your craft of being an official – working more than double the minimum required
sessions. For every 4 sessions over 20 in the swim season, 1 CEU with a maximum of 3.
o Working many meets gives you an opportunity to practice what you know and refine
skills.
Take and pass the Administrative Official test – 2 CEUs.
o The administrative official test is new and provides an excellent continuing education
opportunity as it covers the facets of timer, timing judge, and clerk of course in detail.
Thank you for your continued support to our athletes and Illinois Swimming!
Rome Yount
Illinois Swimming Officials Committee – Officials Certification