PIAA: Fall 2022 Officials Bulletin

To download the bulletin, visit PIAA.org.

PIAA Officials’ Convention Registration is Now Open

When: Friday, August 5 & Saturday, August 6 – Hilton Harrisburg

The convention provides officials countless opportunities to become better educated in a number of issues involving high school athletics, and the sports these officials officiate. The convention will give you 5 year credit for inter-district playoff eligibility. The cost of the convention remains $100. Registration is open until July 15, 2022. After July 15, 2022, additional fees will be charged as outlined below.

The culminating banquet on Saturday night will recognize officials who have dedicated at least three decades of service to PIAA, its members schools, and their student-athletes.

The banquet is included in your $100 registration fee.

What does the convention cost?

  • Through July 15, 2022: $100
  • 5 Members or more of the same chapter: $90
  • Late Registration – July 16-29: $150
  • July 30 – Start of Convention: $200
  • Additional Banquet Tickets: $40

Register at www.piaa.org/account/sign-in.aspx. You will be asked to sign in to your PIAA account. In the dropdown box, click “OFFICIALS, SCHOOLS & MEDIA”. You will then be asked for your access code. Your PIAA access code is the first four letters of your last name followed by the last four digits of your social security number.

Bring your chapter

Receive the chapter discount of $90 per person when 5 or more members of the same chapter register. To do
so, fill out the form here for each member attending and send as one packet, with payment, to the PIAA Office.

Spend the night

Discounted rooms have been secured in the PIAA block of rooms at the Hilton Harrisburg for $137 plus taxes and fees. Click here to book your room. When booking, be sure to enter the dates of your stay for the special PIAA rate. You can also call the Hilton at 717-233-6000 and reference group code PIAA22.

PIAA Officials’ Meeting Requirements & Information

Along with staying current with fees, an official needs to attend the required amount of meetings to maintain
registration.

  • Rules Interpretation meeting – Each chapter will hold at least one rules interpretation meeting prior to the start of the sport season. Chapters may now hold a Chapter Meeting on the same date of the Rules meeting.
  • Minimum of 4 chapter meetings – All officials must attend a rules meeting and, at least, 4 meetings in person or virtually. If you attend a meeting at a chapter other than your home chapter, make sure that you sign in as a guest so you can obtain the credit.
  • Officials may also get Pre-Season Chapter Meeting credit by scoring 80% or higher on a PreSeason exam.

To view the list of meeting schedules, follows these steps:

  • Go to piaa.org and click on the Officials tab
  • Click on Rules Interpretation and Chapter Meetings
  • Scroll down and click on your sport
  • Select your district
  • Uncheck the “Rules Meetings Only” box
  • Click on Search

If you are unable to attend the Rules Interpretation meeting at any of the chapters, you have the option to view the meeting online for $50. This option is made available approximately 2 weeks after the LAST inperson Rules Interpretation meeting in the state is held. To access the online meeting, go to piaa.org and sign in with your access code. In the Account Center, click on “Makeup Online Rules Interpretation Meeting”.

All registered officials should check their chapter and rules meeting credits and to find meetings for their sport.

  • Go to piaa.org
  • Sign in with your PIAA access code (the first 4 letters of your last name in CAPS followed by the last 4digits of your social security number)
  • In the Account Center under Account Tools, click on: FIND CHAPTER/RULES MEETINGS & ATTENDANCE RECORDED
  • Click VIEW beside your chapter meeting number to see the date and location of each meeting attended.
  • For each of your registered sports, you will see your meeting attendance credits for the current school year.

Officials attending meetings which are not at their home chapter must make personal contact with the chapter secretary to ensure their attendance is properly recorded.

PIAA Officials’ Fees

Invoices will be sent to the email address PIAA has on file in October 2022 for the 2023-24 school year. Please make sure your email address is updated on the PIAA website. Fees should be paid online. To pay online, go to piaa.org and sign in with your PIAA access code. In the Account Center, click on View or Pay Officials Registration Fees. No invoices will be sent via the US Mail.

Yearly PIAA officials’ registration fees:

  • Until January 15 – reduced fee of $5 per sport ($50 per sport)
  • January 16 through March 2 – base fee of $55 per sport
  • March 3 through March 31 – add $25 late fee
  • After March 31 – add $75 reinstatement fee

PIAA ID Cards

PIAA ID Cards are available online. Officials can log in to their account on the PIAA website, beginning in July, to obtain their ID Card for the 2022-23 school year. ID Cards are no longer sent via US Mail. You will need to print a copy of your ID Card to have with you while officiating contests. You also have the option to show your ID Card to schools right from your mobile device. The new, online version of the ID Card will still list the dates your clearances expire. As you update your clearances, a new ID Card can be obtained by logging in to your account on the PIAA website and following the
same steps as above.

Chapter Meeting Insurance

Most meeting venues require a Certificate of Insurance. PIAA provides this coverage for chapter meetings. The request form can be found here: piaa.org/Certificate of Insurance Request. For more information, contact Laura Lex at llex@piaa.org.

PIAA Contact Information

Patrick Gebhart, Assistant Executive Director
pgebhart@piaa.org
717-697-0374

Ryan Hartman, Chapters’ Secretary
rhartman@piaa.org
717-697-0374 ext. *102

Jacqueline Rocco, Officials’ Secretary
jrocco@piaa.org
717-697-0374 ext. *101

Kim Hill, Officials’ Corresponding Secretary
khill@piaa.org
717-697-0374 ext. *103

PIAA Online Registration & Testing

Applicants are now able to submit their application online and pay with a credit card, or print out and
mail in the form with payment.

  • Application fee is $40 per sport.
  • Application fee provides you with two testing credits per sport. If you do not obtain a passing grade on your first attempt, you will have a second credit to take the exam again.
  • After registering, you will receive a rule book and practice exam in the US Mail.

Testing for each sport is now completed online.

  • 120 minutes allowed time to complete exam.
  • Must be done in one sitting—if you exit out of the exam it will be marked complete and you will use one credit.

For additional information on applying and testing online, please go to the PIAA website, click the patch on the bottom right of the main page or call the PIAA Office at 717-697-0374.

PIAA Sportsmanship Message

This message shall be read to the head coach and captains prior to each contest officiated by a registered PIAA official. This message shall be enforced by contest officials and its enforcement shall include a strict and swift enforcement when unsportsmanlike actions involve demeaning remarks or actions that may be related to the racial or ethnic background of any party.

PIAA requires all registered sports’ officials to enforce the sportsmanship rules for coaches and contestants. Actions meant to demean opposing contestants, teams, spectators, and ofofficials are not in the highest ideals of interscholastic education and will not be tolerated. Let today’s contest reflect mutual respect. Coaches please certify to the contest official(s) that your contestants are legally equipped and uniformed according to NFHS rules and PIAA adoptions. Good luck in today’s contest.

The proper procedure is head coaches and captains MUST attend the pre-game reading of the sportsmanship message. Coaches must certify to the contest officials their team is legally equipped and in compliance with NFHS Football Rules. The reading of this message will have the coaches verbally confirm aloud their teams’ adherence to compliance with equipment and safety rules. This confirmation is not only the adherence to contest rules, but also assists in alleviating the legal liability concerns for the officials if the teams subsequently violate the proper equipment provisions of the contest rules.

Not able to officiate PIAA this year? Go Inactive

Inactive status removes meeting attendance requirements for PIAA officials. Inactive officials are not permitted to officiate contests involving PIAA member schools. In order to go inactive, registration fees and clearances must be current. Find the inactive form on the PIAA website.

PIAA By-Laws Disqualifications: Article XIII, Section 8

Section 8. Disqualification From Next Contest(s).

A. General Rule. Preamble

Sportsmanship is a core principle in interscholastic athletics. Actions which are unethical and/or intended to demean, embarrass, intimidate or injure opposing contestants, Teams, spectators and/or officials are considered unsportsmanlike and will not be tolerated since they are contrary to the purposes of PIAA and convey lessons incompatible with the reason why high school sports exist.

  1. Mandatory Disqualification. One Game Suspension Any Coach and/or contestant who, while Coaching or competing for a PIAA member school, is ejected from a Contest by a state high school association recognized and/or registered official in that sport for unsportsmanlike conduct or flagrant misconduct is disqualified from Coaching and/or participating for the remainder of the day and in all Contests on the next Contest day of the same level (varsity, junior varsity, or otherwise) of competition from which the Coach and/or contestant was previously disqualified. For a Coach, participation in the next Contest includes any contact by the Coach with members of the Team, including other Coaches, between the time that the Team arrives at the Contest site and the conclusion of the last Contest of the day. The Principal must direct the Coach not to attend all of the Contest(s).
  2. Supplemental Disqualification. Two Game Suspension Any Coach and/or contestant who, is ejected from a Contest by a state high school association recognized and/or registered official and a component of the ejection is confronting, contacting or addressing a Coach, contestant or official using foul or vulgar language, ethnic or racially insensitive comments or physical contact will be disqualified from competition for the remainder of the day and for the next two (2) Contests including all Contests on the next two (2) Contest days of the same level
    (varsity, junior varsity, or otherwise) of competition from which the Coach and/or contestant was previously disqualified. For the purposes of this provision, the jurisdiction of the official(s) to apply and enforce this rule begins upon the official’s arrival at the Contest site and ends when the official (or the last of the team of officials) leaves the Contest site. The Contest site is defined as premises on which the competition surface is located and includes the entirety of the premises and parking areas.

    When the Supplemental Disqualification implicates a contestant, and in addition to the two (2) Contests disqualification, the contestant may not return to competition representing the contestant’s school until the contestant completes the NFHS Sportsmanship program at NFHSLearn (online) and provides a certification of completion of this program to the student’s Principal and the Principal submits the certification to the PIAA District Sport Chairman. A Coach disqualified under this provision may not return to competition representing the Coach’s school until the Coach completes the NFHS Sportsmanship program and Teaching and Modeling Behavior program at NFHSLearn (online) and provides a certification of completion of these two programs to
    the Coach’s Principal and the Principal submits the certification to the PIAA District Sport Chairman.

    A disqualification under B. above supersedes a disqualification under A. above. A PIAA District Committee may, at its discretion, convene a hearing to address any and all disqualifications and may provide additional penalties as warranted by the circumstances.

Example of Disqualification

The Supplemental Ejection is not designed for violations of “Rules of the Game” The one game sit out penalty still remains for those actions that do not fit the Supplemental Ejection policy. PIAA Board of Directors has given officials an additional tool to use, if warranted, to curb bad behavior. This could aid in the recruitment and retention of officials.
Officials should not concern themselves with the penalty. School administration will handle that.

A few examples:

  • Situation: After the basketball game has concluded and the officials are in the locker room, varsity head coach Jones begins to bang on the door and use profanity toward the officials.
  • Ruling: The coach’s actions would merit a Supplemental Disqualification. The crew chief must file the Supplemental Disqualification report within 24 hours on Coach Jones who must sit out the next two varsity contests. The crew chief must also make contact with Coach Jones’ athletic director immediately or immediately after leaving the contest site to inform them that the Supplemental Disqualification was issued on Coach Jones.
  • Situation: During a junior varsity soccer game a player from team ABC commits a handball violation in the
  • box.
  • Ruling: The referee properly issues a red card and escorts the player to the sideline. The referee also informs the coach of the reason for ejection. The referee must file the Disqualification Report within 24 hours and the player must sit out the next junior varsity contest.. This is a standard one game sit out disqualification penalty.
  • Situation: In the third inning of a baseball game the head coach disagrees with a safe/out call and charges onto the field while yelling profanities at the umpire.
  • Ruling: The umpire must eject the head coach and inform them that they are being assessed a Supplemental Disqualification. The crew chief must file the Supplemental Disqualification report within 24 hours on Coach Smith who must sit out the next two junior varsity contests.
  • Situation: During the boys varsity soccer match, Player A1 is taken down with a legal tackle by Player B1. Player A1 feels that a foul should have been called and jumps from the ground and yells at the nearest official saying, “Hey Ref, you suck.”
  • Ruling: The official must immediately issue a red card and eject Player A1. The official must then inform Player A1’s head coach of the ejection and the fact that it is a Supplemental Disqualification due to the foul language directed at the official. The ejecting official must file the Supplemental Disqualification report within 24 hours on the player who must sit out the next two varsity contests.
  • Situation: After the volleyball match has concluded and the officials are walking through the school lobby to get to their cars a parent confronts the officials and uses profanity toward them.
  • Ruling: The officials must not engage the parent in discussion and should continue to their vehicle, if possible. Upon reaching their vehicles the crew chief must immediately contact the host school’s athletic director and inform them of what occurred. The officials do not retain jurisdiction under the Supplemental Disqualification in this instance. It does not apply to fans, only coaches and contestants. School athletic administrators must take action to prevent this type of occurrence in the future.
  • Situation: After the varsity football game has ended and the officials are gathering at the 40 yard line to proceed to the locker room, the head coach rushes on to the field and confronts the crew about calls made that evening. The coach while using foul and abusive language contacts one of the officials.
  • Ruling: The crew chief must inform the head coach that he is being assessed a Supplemental Disqualification for his actions. The crew chief must file the Supplemental Disqualification report within 24 hours on the head coach who must sit out the next two varsity contests

Final Point:

  • Question: On the new 2 game DQ is it going to be the officials’ decision if it’s a 2 game DQ or the PIAA’s after reviewing the report?
  • Answer: As with the previous 1 game DQ, it is always the decision of the official to eject but the actions of the player or coach will be the deciding factor whether the Supplemental DQ is used. The official really has no decision to make. If the actions are what is listed in the Supplemental Disqualification then the penalty is 2 games, the decision will be made for them by the actions of the offender. The official will not have the ability to choose between the two different disqualifications. The choice will be made for them.

PIAA Chapter Secretary Information Reminders

Below are some guidelines to help chapter secretaries within their role.

  • Chapters are required to schedule a minimum of 6 chapter meetings (PIAA Officials Manual, Article IX: p. 15).
  • Chapter meetings need to be scheduled under the following guidelines:
    • Fall sport meetings need to be held between July 1st and November 30th
    • Winter sport meetings need to be held between October 1st and March 31st
    • Spring sport meetings need to be held between February 1st and June 30th
  • Attendance is to be entered online within one week following the meeting.
  • Officials scoring a minimum of 80% on the pre-season exam will be automatically credited with one chapter meeting credit.
  • One chapter meeting must be attended in October (fall sports), January (winter sports), and April (spring sports)
  • The mandatory Rules Interpretation and chapter meeting can be held on the same date (PIAA Officials Manual, Article IX: p. 15).
  • Attendance for the mandatory Rules Interpretation meeting and chapter meetings is now completed electronically. Paper copies of attendance forms are no longer accepted at the PIAA office.
  • The End of Year chapter summary report (listing next years officers) is now available online – you will no longer receive a paper copy. To access this document, go to the PIAA website and sign in. Click on Manage Meetings and scroll down to the bottom. Click on “Download End of Year Chapter Summary” print it out, complete & forward to PIAA.
  • Voting for Officials Representatives will only be conducted electronically. No paper ballots will be accepted (PIAA Officials Manual, Article XIII: p. 18). Please encourage your membership to update their email address, and all contact information on the PIAA website.

Recording attendance for rules meetings

It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to make sure you give meeting credit to HEAD coaches and visiting officials. If you are unsure of how to do this, please contact our office. When head coaches fail to attend a mandatory rules meeting, their school is fined $100 (officials pay $50). This creates an issue when officials call our office claiming they attended but were not given proper attendance credit by the chapter secretary.

Keep your information updated

Keeping your information updated with PIAA is vital for communication. Be sure to login to the PIAA website to update your information today!

  • Go to piaa.org
  • Click the LOGIN button in the upper right corner
  • In the dropdown box, click OFFICIALS, SCHOOLS, AND MEDIA
  • Sign in with your PIAA access code (the first 4 letters of your last name in CAPS followed by the last 4 digits of your social security number, ex. HART1234)
  • In the Account Center under Account Tools, click on: UPDATE PROFILE INFORMATION