If you're interested in becoming an official, you've come to the right place!
Big Sky. Big Dreams. Big Success!
The Montana Swimming Officials Chair is Eric Belasco from Bozeman e-mail or phone 406-577-6335.
2024 USA Swimming Rule Book PDF or Online Link
Interested in becoming an official? Here are the new requirements effective February 1, 2024.
- New 2024 Officials Certification Standards PDF (What you need to know about training to become an official.)
- New Certification Requirements FAQ's PDF
The new 2024 certification standards and the training templates are broken out by position below. (Updated 2-5-24.)
- New Stroke and Turn Official Certification Standards PDF
- New Stroke and Turn Apprentice Official Training Form/Template PDF
- New Starter Certification Standards PDF
- New Starter Training Form/Template PDF
- False Start Scenarios PDF
- New Admin Official (AO) Certification Standards PDF
- New Admin Official (AO)Training Form/Template PDF
Basic Steps: How to become an official here.
- Join USA Swimming as an apprentice official. You'll need the registration link from your club to join. Your club regsitrar can assist you. The free apprentice official membership is good for 60 days. (Join when you first begin your training.) After the 60 days expire, you'll join USA Swimming (Montana Swimming) as an official and pay the registration fee. (See below on how to register as a non-athlete member.)
- Complete a Level 2 Backgound Check (BGC). Log into your USA Swimming account (hub) then click on the education tab to access the background check. There is a fee for the background check. More information.
- Complete the Athlete Protection Training (APT). Log into your USA Swimming account (hub) then click on the education tab to access the Athlete Protection Training course for coaches and officials. This course is free and must be renewed annually. More information.
- Complete the free Concussion Protocol Training (CPT). If you want to officiate high school swimming take the NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) course can be found at https://nfhslearn.com/ -- Montana law requires all officials to take the course annually. For high school swimming, take the course after June 1 each year. Email a copy of your concussion certificate to Susan Huckeby to upload to your USA Swimming account the first time you take the course. More information
- Complete the on-deck sessions shadowing an official. Bring your training form to each meet and ask the meet referee to sign it. You'll also need to wear the correct officials uniform. while you train The Montana Swimming officials uniform is a white short sleeve collared polo shirt with nany blue pants or shorts and women can also wear navy blue skirts and capris. White shoes and white socks complete the uniform.
- Attend an officials clinic and pass the open book test. Review the USA Swimming rulebook. (2024 USA-S Rulebook) The new stroke and turn online officials clinic will be available on the USA Swimming website hopefully by late April or May 2024. Other clinics will come online later in 2024 and into 2025. If an online clinic is not yet available for the position you are training for, any referee in Montana Swimming can hold a clinic for you.
- Complete the offcials application (below) and email it and your signed training form to Eric Belasco, the Montana Swimming Officials Chair.
- Welcome to Montana Swimming! We are so excited to have you join us as an official.
Officials Application -- WORD PDF (updated 2022-2026 version) Apprentice officials submit this application to become a certified Montana Swimming official. Complete the application and email it and your signed training form to the Montana Swimming Officials Chair Eric Belasco.
How to Register as a Non-Athlete Official with USA Swimming:
Beginning September 1, 2022 all applications to register as a non-athlete official and apprentice official will be done online through a registration link emailed to you from your club if you are a new member or by using the one button renewal if you are individually renewing your membership. If your club has opted in to bulk renew non-athletes, your club will handle your renewal. If you are unattached, contact the MT Swimming registration chair for the registration link.
Contact the Montana Swimming Registration Chairs Susan Huckeby or Jay Friend for the unattached non-athlete link.
Contact your club registrar or head coach for the club registration link.
The new certification standards rule found in Article 102.10.2 -- 2024 USA Swimming Rulebook:
All officials acting in the capacity of Referee, Starter, Stroke and Turn Judge, or Administrative Official at a sanctioned or approved USA Swimming meet shall be certified and trained in such position by their LSC to the uniform and consistent standards set by USA Swimming with recommendation from the National Officials Committee in conjunction with the Coach Advisory Council prior to being assigned to officiate in that capacity. LSCs and clubs shall not require any additional certifications. Uncertified trainees may perform the duties of such positions when they are under the direct supervision of a certified official in said position. See Article 202 and the Corporate Bylaws for USA Swimming membership requirements. [Effective January 1, 2024]
Online Training Videos, PowerPoint presentations, tests, rule books:
To find these resources go to the USA Swimming website and click on the officials tab. Use the drop down pages to search for information.
Officiating Breaststroke Video
Officiating Individual Medley Video
The Start: Philosophy and Protocol Video
The videos are found on the Officials page, then How to become an Official, and scroll down the page to access the videos. https://www.usaswimming.org/officials/how-to-become-an-official
The USA Swimming Officials Online Testing is accessed through your USA Swimming account in the hub. Click on the education tab and search for the test you wish to take. You can also access the current rule book when testing.
You can find the officials documents and more at the USA Swimming officials document tab here.
Officials PowerPoint Presentations:
Stroke and Turn PowerPoint Presentation: here
Officials Stroke and Turn Briefing (revised 12-5-2017): here
Officials Training Clinic Lesson Plan: here
Starter PowerPoint Presentation: here
Starter Clinic Video Discussion points: here
Starter Training Clinic Manual: here
Administrative Official Clinic Guideline: here
Starter, referee, and admin official trainees, please see a referee on your team or the Montana Swimming officials chair for additional information if needed.
Safe Sport Information for Officials:
Officials Safe Sport Power Point Presentation: here
Athlete Protection Training:
In response to member feedback, beginning September 1, 2019, you may notice the next time you log in that the three courses of the Athlete Protection Training have been streamlined into one. The training course continues to be produced by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and must be completed annually with a renewal date one year from the completion date. All adult athlete and non-athlete members must complete this training. This includes coaches, officials, Junior Coaches and anyone authorized to have regular contact with or authority over a minor athlete. The USA Swimming Athlete Protection Training courses can be found here.
Concussion Protocol Training
This requirement is new for all coaches and officials in 2020. Though several states have previously passed concussion education requirements, USA Swimming will now require all coaches and officials complete Concussion Protocol Training by January 1, 2020.
- Courses from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), as well as individual states’ required courses will satisfy the USA Swimming requirement. (For example, if a coach lives/coaches in a state with a concussion education requirement, he/she must only complete this requirement and will not need to complete an additional course). Many high school coaches will have already completed the NFHS training.
- For USA Swimming membership, coaches and officials must successfully complete concussion and head injury education at least once. Individual states may require annual or continuing education and coaches/officials must abide by the requirements of their home state or states in which they coach or officiate.
- This requirement is necessary to avoid personal liability for concussion/head strike incidents, ensuring our insurers will continue to provide liability insurance protection to USA Swimming, coaches, officials and clubs.
- NOTE -- Officials in Montana who officiate high school swimming must take the NFHS concussion course annually after June 1 and prior to the first MHSA swim competition.
USA Swimming Officials Resource Page (Clinic & Briefing Resources) here
USA Swimming Officials Documents Page here
Link to the USA Swimming Officials Resource Page. This page contains news relative to Officiating as well as information about how to become a swimming official. There are also a number of forms related to officiating at USA Swimming meets, including uniform ordering information, and downloads for rules and regulations.
