Policies

General GLOA Policies for Officials:

• Ensure you keep your contact information, availability, and blocks updated on the Arbiter.
• The referee for a given game is responsible for providing Rating Cards to the coaches.
  • Download Rating Cards in a 4″x6″ PDF format
• Note NFHS (Federation) Mercy Rule — if one team is up by 10 or more goals in the 2nd half, then go to a running clock.
• Schools must provide adequate security for officials. Find out who the site coordinator is before the game begins. The home team is responsible for security. Do not allow fans to congregate behind the team bench areas.
• If you are working a High School club (i.e. non-GHSA) contest or a youth game that is not scheduled through the Arbiter, work out payment procedures with home team prior to start of contest. (Note: Many teams require this voucher to get paid.)
• It is the Umpire’s obligation to contact the Referee 48 hours prior to contest to arrange meeting time and location.
• You should plan on meeting at least 45 minutes prior to game for all varsity contests and 25 minutes for sub-varsity contests.
• Report any player/coach misconducts using the Game Report form within 24 hours of the contest.
• Get in, do the job, then leave. Do not loiter on the field or in the parking lot following a game!
• Have fun, be safe, and think!

Uniform and Equipment:

Officials are responsible for ensuring they have all the required uniform items and equipment.  All officials must wear matching uniforms (e.g., both wear shorts or both wear rain pants; similarly both wear either long or short sleeve shirts). Shoes should be polished and ALL BLACK. If under garments are worn, they should be black and free of any designs, colors, or slogans that may show through uniform.

Uniforms should be clean, not discolored, and in good repair. We want to present a professional image to the teams. In case of differing selections (long sleeve vs. short sleeve or shorts vs. rain paints), the referee typically determines what is worn.

See the Uniform and Equipment Page for a list of required (and optional) uniform and equipment items.

Inclement Weather Policy:

This applies to both NGLL and GHSA games. In the event of inclement weather, the following procedure must be followed by officials and schools.

SCHOOLS

• Cut off time for notifying officials of a cancellation is three hours prior to the scheduled start time for the game. Since most of the games are 4:30 – 5:00 start times the cut off for an afternoon game would be 1:30 – 2:00.
• If the game is cancelled the schools are obligated to contact the officials by phone to let them know of the cancellation.
• Referee assignments and contact information is located on this site.
• Failure of the schools to contact the referees obligates the school for payment of the fees.

REFEREES

• The referee should contact the school if there is a concern regarding whether the game will be played.
• It is the referee’s obligation to notify the umpire (and field judge should one be assigned).

Game Cancellations and Postponements

• After a total of sixty minutes of delay, the game is called.
• Game postponed or cancelled after official is on site but before the face off, team pays travel fee.
• Game postponed or cancelled after face off but before the end of the second quarter, team pays travel and one half of game fee.
• Game is official if called after the second quarter is complete.
• If you are scheduled for a game and you do not show up, the association is liable to monetary compensation to the school. GLOA may choose to recoup these expenses from your game fees.
• If a team does not arrive at the game site for any contest without notifying the host opponent of a late arrival, that contest will be forfeited 30 minutes after the scheduled game time