Potential New Member Information
After reviewing the information below, if you are interested in officiating this Fall, please contact Rhiannon at r.stracener@utexas.edu
2024 ACV Training Plans (Requirements based on prior Volleyball and/or officiating experience)
Thank you for visiting our website. On this page, you will find useful information regarding officiating high school and middle school volleyball in the Central Texas area. The information listed provides an overview of the expectations, requirements, and how to sign up to referee. ACV is committed to providing quality officials for all matches in Austin and surrounding areas. There is a link to a map detailing all the schools ACV covers on the home page. Let’s get started with some general information, followed by how to join TASO and ACV.
Potential new members are required to submit applications and dues to be eligible to attend training.
Orientation and Training:
ACV has excellent trainers who are committed to helping new members learn about volleyball officiating through classroom and on-court training. The classroom training schedule and other relevant information will be posted to the New Members section of the website as it becomes available – in March or early April. Members who have previously expressed interest will also be notified by email. Most of the orientation and classroom session are conducted in online meetings via Webex. Members will benefit and be most prepared for officiating by attending as many sessions as possible. Note that potential new members with previous officiating or volleyball knowledge will not need to attend as many sessions as those without prior experience.
The Classroom training will consist of the following:
Orientation Sessions: are available for potential new members to learn more about becoming a referee. Length of season, uniform information, match assigning, and other details are covered. Our first orientation will be in late May.
Training Videos: These are topic specific training videos where the basics of officiating such as rules, procedures, scoring, etc. will be covered.
WebEX Training Sessions: There will be one WebEX Meeting each month (May/June/July) to review topic specific trainings related to the training videos provided.
At-Large Rep Meetings: This is where you can learn who’s who, how to navigate the chapter and chapter website, pay and how payment is made and other general information.
On-Court Training occurs predominantly in June. This is where officials get “hands-on” training. These sessions are conducted during live Spring and Summer league matches under the guidance of on-site trainers
New members should visit the Member – Calendar – Training Requirements section of the website frequently for updates and training opportunities.
The Season:
The season begins with scrimmages the first or second weekend in August and ends in November. Most middle school matches begin in September and are on Thursdays, with some on Mondays. High school matches begin in August and are on Tuesdays and Fridays. Matches generally start at 5:30 PM, with some starting earlier. Saturdays are for tournaments and some regular season matches with various start times. Most nights matches are over by 8:00-9:00 PM. Officials are expected to arrive 30 minutes prior to match time.
Payment:
Information about match pay is posted in the Pay section of the website, along with pay sheets. Officials are normally scheduled at least two matches per night. Expected match night pay (depending on school location) is as follows:
Two middle school matches - $110-$125
Two 9th grade matches - $120-$135
One JV match and one varsity match - $140-$155
Payments are usually received within two weeks to a month. The UIL requires schools to make payment within 45 days. Officials are considered independent contractors by the IRS and as such, should maintain accurate records of payments and expenses for their tax records.
Uniform and Equipment:
First-year officials are eligible for up to $50 in reimbursement for uniforms and equipment. Details about the uniform and equipment requirements will be covered in the orientation sessions.
Assigning:
Matches are assigned by the ACV Assigning Secretary. Officials are responsible for maintaining up-to-date availability in the chapter assigning software – RefTown. In addition to available days, officials will set their available leave time, leave location and available travel distance. They will also identify the schools closest to their leave location and any schools they need to block from being assigned. Members are in control of making themselves available as little or as much as they wish. Those with greater availability are likely to be assigned more matches.
Membership:
When the decision is made to sign up, there is a two-step process. Members must submit applications and dues to TASO (the Texas Association of Sports Officials – the state organization) and ACV (the local chapter of TASO).
TASO - Applications for membership with TASO are submitted online at www.taso.org. Click on “Membership Renewal/New Applicants” in the upper right-hand corner. New member TASO dues are $90, which includes payment for the annual rules clinic requirement – the State Meeting, a regional clinic or the online clinic.
ACV - Applications for membership with ACV are submitted online on the chapter website. Click on “New Members” and then click “ACV New Member Application”. Annual dues are $30.
For further information, contact Rhiannon at r.stracener@utexas.edu