At the recent SDI conference, USSF
clarified the formats for entry level clinics. Starting July 20, 2003,
the Grade 09 clinic (Recreational Referee entry clinic) will be 8 hours
consisting of 4 sessions instead of the current 3 sessions. The Grade 08
clinic (Basic Referee entry level clinic) will remain the same as in
previous years, i.e., 16.5 hours in 8 sessions. The new Grade 08
"Bridge" Clinic will be for Grade 9 referees with at least 4 months in
grade. This clinic will be 9 hours in 7 sessions. This experience
requirement was endorsed by the NTX State Referee Committee at its
meeting on June 24th. Grade 10 Linesmen and Grade 11 Associate Referees
who meet the age and time-in-grade requirements may also take the Grade
08 "Bridge" Clinic during 2003.
Age requirements for NTSSA referee
clinics remain 12 years of age for the Grade 9 Clinic and 14 years of
age to attend either the Grade 08 Clinic or Grade 08 "Bridge" Clinic. In
addition, attendees at the Grade 08 "Bridge" Clinic will be required to
provide proof of registration as a Grade 09, with a registration date at
least 4 months prior to the start date of the clinic.
We had originally interpreted the
creation of the Grade 08 "Bridge" Clinic to mean that USSF intended to
eliminate the current Grade 08 Entry Level Clinic. This is not the case.
The current Grade 08 Entry Level Clinic remains an option for
Associations to schedule as needed. The clinic request form for the
Grade 08 Clinic will be added back onto the web site as soon as
possible.
Remember the NTSSA State Referee
Committee has decided to block out specific dates on which no clinics
may be scheduled. These dates are the weekends of the AGM, the Semi AGM,
the weekends of Youth State Cup, and the time frame of June 1 thru the
date for the NTSSA Instructor workshop (held the weekend after the AGM
in July). The latter exclusion dates are due to lack of USSF materials,
which are not available until late June or mid-July.
