Southwest Florida has been growing at a tremendous pace. We have been adding a huge number of High Schools and Pop Warner football programs to our area and that trend will continue. The number of football officials that service those teams has remained fairly constant.

The SGFOA is currently officiating 23 High Schools and 11 Pop Warner Associations, which adds up to over 500 games per season. The bottom line - we need to train, book and pay new football officials today!

A new official in our association will be trained properly and have games to officiate right away.

As an official, you have the best seat in the house! Do you have what it takes to be an official?

As an official you have to make instantaneous decisions, deal with stress and pressure and resolve conflicts.

If you would like to be an official, please download the registration form: registration_2008SGFOA.rtf                                                                                      

What to expect:

Expect a great deal of fun and satisfaction. Expect to develop new friendships, and make some extra spending money, but most of all expect to be an integral part of America's favorite game - football!

The costs associated with officiating include registering with state and local associations and equipping yourself. The total expense should be around $150. Game fees are based on the level of the contest and range from $45 to $60 per game plus mileage.

Training sessions will begin in July. A new official will need to attend 10, two hour training sessions prior to the season, then take a 50 question true/false exam. The first year official will continue to learn and train by working Pop Warner games on Saturdays. The good new official will learn on-the-field mechanics necessary to begin working High School games during the first year or two.