In an effort to foster excellence in officiating, Section VIII has approved the observers program for the Long Island Swimming Officials Association.
The goal of the Observers Program is to provide on-deck observations and feed-back to primarily less experienced officials. The official should consider the feed-back and work to improve their game performance. A field observation is done by an experienced official who comes to a game for the sole purpose of watching the performance of the officials. The observer discusses the performance of the officials with them after the game and gives suggestions for ways to improve their performance. A written report of the official's performance will be provided after the game.
Guidelines for Swimming and Diving Observers
Section VIII
Long Island Swimming Officials Association
Be Professional at the Game Site:
Dress professionally – jeans, t‐shirts, sweat shirts, etc. should not be worn.
Do not consume alcoholic beverages before observing. When people smell alcohol, they assume that you are not competent to do the job.
Do not bring anyone with you who will interfere with your work as an observer. No guests should be with you when you are sharing your observations with the officiating crew.
Do not make comments about specific calls or about the general work of the officiating crew to spectators, coaches, administrators or others.
Be as inconspicuous as possible in completing your task.
Make the host administrators aware of your presence.
Call school to confirm game time and introduce yourself upon arrival.
Arrive well in advance of contest; sit in on some pre‐game procedures with officials.
Observe the entire contest from the time officials enter the pool area through the conclusion of the meet.
Evaluate in detail the official(s) you are assigned to observe.
Be professional when meeting with the officials.
When sharing your observations with officials, emphasize the areas that were covered well, be specific about the areas in need of improvement, be able to give examples from the contest, use the rules book, NFHS Swimming Manuel, and the NFHS Diving Manual as references.
Approach your evaluation from a positive standpoint.
Try to encourage officials to build on their skills while at the same time pointing out weaknesses.
The quality of play by the two teams should be considered in your evaluation since it is not as difficult to officiate a game played by skilled competitors versus a poorly played contest.
Be consistent in your evaluation. Forget friendships, reputations and past acquaintances. If you receive an assignment where you feel you cannot give a fair and unbiased evaluation, return the assignment, and another observer will be assigned.
Procedure for Observations:
Study the rules book and NFHS Swimming and Diving manuals to educate yourself on the updated rules and mechanics changes and floor position changes.
Observers will be paid $50.00 for each contest observed – maximum six contests.
Each observation should be submitted immediately to the association president and the mentoring chairman copied on all correspondence.
The LISOA will pre‐determine the site, date and official(s) to be observed.
It is mandatory that the observer meet with the officials and have a meaningful conversation with the them about the officiating of the contest.
Comments should be made on the observation form about the sportsmanship displayed and the general atmosphere of the contest.
Report apparent injuries that may keep officials from doing their best.
This is an excellent opportunity for retired officials, those with difficulty maneuvering on the pool deck or those that cannot receive an officiating schedule for medical reasons.
