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Proud Member of US Lacrosse


© 2008
Oregon Lacrosse


OWLUA Expectations and Information

1. There is a yearly US Lacrosse Membership Fee required of all OWLUA umpires ($50 for 2006). The US Lacrosse fee includes insurance coverage for officials. For more information go to www.uslacrosse.org . Payment must be paid prior to taking part in any on the field training session or umpiring of any scrimmages or games.

2. There is a clinic fee ($25-$35) for first year umpires. The clinic fee for early registration is $25 (registration received three business days prior to the clinic you plan to attend), and $35 is the clinic cost for any registration received after that. This fee covers the cost of rulebooks, umpire kits (yellow flag, whistle, and cards; red, yellow, green) and for paying the umpire trainer for the clinic, and for the clinic site.

3. There is a yearly OWLUA Membership Fee of up-to $35 for returning umpires. OWLUA uses this Membership Fee to covers expenses such as envelopes, stamps, printer cartridges, PO Box, Hotmail, checking account fees, trip to lacrosse convention for one, food & drink at training session for returning umpires, food & drink at year end umpire party, awards, advertising for more umpires, and maintenance of a portion of the web site. This membership fee will be waived for first year umpires.

4. A 3% assignor’s fee is subtracted from your total to pay for the OWLUA Assignor. The Assignor is the individual who schedules the umpires for all the games.

5. Rating Process. US Lacrosse and the Women’s Division Official’s Council do not approve or encourage the use of unrated umpires. As an affiliate of US Lacrosse, OWLUA requires all umpires to become US Lacrosse rated umpires. Along with US Lacrosse, OWLUA is committed to ensuring that all umpires have proper training and the skills necessary to keep the game safe. The rating process acts as an integral part of the improvement and training of umpires. The levels of umpires (Youth, Apprentice, Local, District and National, International) and the requirements are described in detail in the US Lacrosse Women’s Division Umpire Manual.

a. One of the requirements for umpires is to be rated on the field by an experienced umpire. If the on-the-field rating session takes place during a game umpires will forfeit their game fee to the rater(s) for the game in which they are being rated (Umpires do not get paid for the game in which they are being rated). If schedules allow, Youth umpires and new apprentices may have their on-the- field rating sessions during designated training scrimmages in which there is no pay involved.

b. US Lacrosse/OWLUA umpires are required to take a written rules exam annually to maintain their rating. The minimum score requirement for each rating is as follows:
• Youth and Apprentice: Open book exam; min. score: 80
• Local Umpire: Score 86 or above
• District Umpire: Score 90 or above
• National Umpire: score 92 or above

c. Umpires failing to complete the field rating session and/or the written exam, regardless of years of experience or previous rating, will be considered probationary/un-rated. Umpires with a probationary/un-rated status will be paid at the rate of $20 for all level of games umpired. OWLUA wants the rating process to be a positive one for everyone. Though OWLUA will set up rating/training days for youth and apprentice umpires, communicate with returning umpires on rating opportunities and set-up times for written exams - it is the individual responsibility of each umpire to ensure completion of the process.

6. OWLUA needs the help of each umpire to aid in correct team billing and umpire payments. Each umpire is expected to keep a separate record of games they umpire for high school and youth games on the form provided at the beginning of the season. Promptly turn the forms into the OWLUA Assignor at the end of their respective seasons.

Note for those umpiring college club/post-collegiate club games contact the Assignor for NWWLA games, with questions on assigning and payment. The Assignor can be contacted at wslub@comcast.net.

7. Mileage ($0.35/mile) will be paid to umpires traveling more than 50 miles round trip; it will be based on mileage between your home and the field. There is an expectation that umpires will coordinate carpooling if conditions allow. To collect payment for mileage an umpire must indicate mileage on their record of game forms (see no. 6 above) in the Comment space, and document the payment for mileage requested for each game, using map quest. Submit this documentation with your record of game form.

8. Email the Assignor when a game is cancelled due to weather, etc. If you don’t email the Assignor within one business day of the cancelled game, you will not be paid for that game.

9. Email the Assignor, when the other umpire does not show up for the game. This helps us with the billing of the teams at the end of the season.

10. Email the Commissioner, Mike Clark at OWLUA@msn.com, immediately, when there has been a problem on the field, such as injuries, conflicts with coaches, etc.

11. Payment for a umpiring a game is as follows:
• Varsity games - $48/game
• JV games - $38/game
• Youth games - $35/game
• If you do not complete/pass the on-the-field rating session and the written exam (see no. 5c), all games will be paid at a rate of $20/game.

• For a solo game, an umpire will receive 50% more (bonus) than their regular rate.

Umpires are paid at the end of the season.

12. If you are not able to umpire a game that you have been assigned, you are required to give three business days notice to the assignor. If you are not able to give the required three days notice, and that results in a game being umpired solo, you will be penalized the bonus amount paid to the solo umpire. Each umpire will be given a one game grace period for this penalty.

13. There is an expectation that you will arrive 30 minutes before each game, so that you can begin the pre-game procedures, per the US Lacrosse Women’s Division Umpires Manual (Section Two-1), 20 minutes before game time.

14. The assignor will be requesting information from you on your availability, prior to the season beginning. There is an expectation that you will respond promptly, so that the Assignor can have the necessary time to schedule umpires for the games.

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