Officiating roles

An official talking to an athlete

As well as the core officiating disciplines of Field Judge, Track Judge, Timekeeper, Starter, Endurance, Race Walk and Photofinish – for which we provide introductory courses – there are many officiating-related development opportunities available in other areas beyond the athletics infield or track. These include:

  • Preparing track equipment such as hurdles
  • Preparing field event areas
  • Weighing and measuring throwing implements
  • Helping check athletes in for their races at registration or in the call room
  • Assist with input of results for events throughout the day

Officials will welcome individuals who are interested in any of the above roles with open arms. Officials are part of one big family and like to provide all the support and encouragement to new members of the officiating team to see them develop within the sport.

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Below are just some of the areas off-track where you can have a front row seat in ensuring all athletes, coaches and officials have an enjoyable experience at an event. You will be fully supported throughout your experiences and meet new friends and colleagues during these events.

Clerk of the Course, Equipment Officer and Technical Manager

If you are a DIY guru, have a keen interest in setting things up, or are technically minded, then a role of Clerk of the Course could be one of the roles you would enjoy. Here a team of fellow volunteers/officials (sometimes under the leadership of a Technical Manager at bigger meetings) make sure all the different parts of the track and field have all the equipment they need for the day. This can include taking throwing implement to event sites, learning how to set up a field event site, adjusting hurdle heights/weights/positioning or making sure there are blocks at the start line for athletes. At some events an Equipment Officer is appointed who is specifically responsible for the measuring and weighing of implements and help prepare other venue equipment.

These roles may involve some more physically intensive activity but there are a variety of roles within the technical side of an event that cater for all abilities/passions and areas of interest that can also spur you on to fix those jobs in and around the house and garden!

Registration

You are the first face an athlete sees, and a warm and friendly greeting here will help the athletes experience at the event start on a lovely note. Here some of the roles include recording/marking off the events an athlete is to compete in, issuing bib numbers to athletes, letting athletes know where/when to report for their events and providing that friendly and welcoming first impression.

Call Room

This is the location athletes arrive for ahead of being escorted to their track or field event. Roles within this area include, checking athletes are arriving here on time for volunteers/officials to do further checks. Assisting athletes prepare for their race by making sure they are wearing the correct number, letting them know what lane and heat they are in, escorting athletes to start line for track or to the field event site.

Seeding

With training and support, here athletes are placed into heats/events using pre-event information and that other areas of the event have this information when the athletes arrive at their location e.g. call room, at the start or field event site. If you have a flair for learning about inputting information/data into a laptop or like the technology aspect of things this is a great place to be.

Results

This is where you will be supported and assisting with how to input the results into the software/laptop from individual events that have taken place, ensuring the results are forwarded/distributed to the relevant areas of the event the collate results and enter them into results software; forward to relevant areas.

Getting support

Your local County Officials’ Secretary (COfSec) will actively support and guide you to experienced officials who can guide and support you through the learning process at meetings within your local area.

You can also contact the officiating team at England Athletics who will be able to direct you to events/event organisers/official associations that will mentor you through the learning pathway so you can fully enjoy the wonderful experience of being an official.

Competition Management Award (CMA)

The Competition Management Award modules can be taken as a set or individually. Several stand-alone modules can be completed as individual modules for Continued Professional Development (CPD) or to work towards achieving the full Competition Management Award (CMA). Any official who is level 2 or above can register to attend CMA modules for CPD, and officials at level 3 and above can attend CMA modules for CPD or to work towards the full Competition Management Award.

For any questions regarding the CMA or modules within – please contact enquiries@uka.org.uk’.

Officials' Courses

Find details of all upcoming Officials’ courses for qualifications and development opportunities.