Apply & register
Complete the Let'em Play application ($91/year, new and returning) and register with the NCHSAA if you plan to work JV or high school.
For aspiring & experienced officials
Become an Official
Get paid to stay in the game — with real training behind you.
The pitch
Start where you are.
Let'em Play recruits, trains, and develops officials across six sports. You don't need experience to start — you need commitment. Our clinics take you from the classroom to the court or field, and our assignments grow with your ability.
Train & certify
Attend a minimum of six clinics for your sport plus the NCHSAA state clinic meeting, and complete scrimmage and exam requirements.
Get assigned
Work games matched to your level — middle school, high school, rec, AAU, and camps.
Advance
June advancement camps ($150) put you on the path toward high school and college rotations.
Why officiate
A shortage means opportunity.
Officiating is a multi-billion-dollar industry running short of people willing to do it well. For anyone dedicated to learning the craft, that's steady work and a real path forward.
100M+
Sports games played in the US each year, all needing officials
$12B
Spent domestically on game officials annually
1.5M
Sports officials in the US — and a nationwide shortage
600k+
Game providers competing for available crews
Join the team
Now recruiting.
On-court officials aren't the only crew we build. Table crews keep games running, and we train them too.
Basketball OfficialsBasketball Clock OperatorsBasketball Shot Clock OperatorsBasketball Statisticians & BookkeepersBaseball UmpiresSoccer OfficialsVolleyball Officials
Your registration fee covers
- Background check
- Training material
- Officials profile setup
- Game assigning and payments through Refr Sports
Registration checklist
Five steps to your first game
- 01Decide which sport you want to officiate.
- 02Register on the Let'em Play officials platform and pay your registration fee securely by card.
- 03Complete your official profile — contact info, experience level, and sports.
- 04Finish your onboarding paperwork and consent to the background screening.
- 05Once screening clears, you'll get a welcome email — then training begins on the posted dates and assignments come through Refr Sports.
What it takes
The first years are the toughest.
Knowledge of the rules and the mechanics matter — but experience is the difference. Take every minute of court time you can find, paid or unpaid: YMCA games, church leagues, scrimmages. Find a mentor who will hold you accountable, and shadow experienced officials until the concepts and rulings click.
There are no shortcuts on the rules
Rule books, case books, and film are available through your association. Game rules are complex — many seasoned officials still put in several hours of study a week. Nothing disappoints stakeholders faster than an official who doesn't know the rules.
Attend every state clinic meeting
State clinics review old rules, explain new ones, and give interpretations on the complex ones. They're also where you get acquainted with fellow officials, coaches, and athletic directors.
Always strive to improve
Yearly camps, measurable goals, sharper rules recognition, and fitness targets. Officiating has no place for someone who doesn't want to get better.
Manage your time like a professional
If the drive is 45 minutes, block 1 hour 15. Use pregame to align with your partner on penalties and positioning, leave a 90-minute gap before your next assignment, and always leave the venue together with your partner.
The application
What you'll need.
Registration takes a few minutes. The full application asks for the following, and every official is subject to quarterly and random background screening.
- Contact details and an emergency contact
- Educational background
- Prior officiating experience and references
- Criminal history disclosure (a conviction is not an automatic refusal — each case is reviewed individually)
- Date of last physical and CPR certification status, if any
- Weekly availability and league preferences (youth, church, school, men's, women's, 30-and-over)
- Other sports of interest: flag football, volleyball, soccer, softball, baseball
Planning to work JV or high school contests? Register annually with the NCHSAA and join a local approved association.
Code of conduct
The standard you sign up for
- 01Register with the NCHSAA each year, on time, if you intend to officiate JV or high school sports.
- 02Join and actively participate in a local NCHSAA-approved officials association.
- 03Accept assignments with integrity and officiate only contests you are qualified and experienced for. Honor contracts, complete game and incident reports, and follow up on all obligations.
- 04Be prepared physically and mentally, officiating to the core principles and philosophy of Let'em Play and the NCHSAA.
- 05No tobacco use within sight of players or spectators, and no alcohol during a contest or at any point before it on game day.
Ready to work games?
Questions first? Email Dbrockett77@yahoo.com.