Regular Associations
1. Each Association must consist of a minimum number of AHSAA registered officials
and must have an Employer Identification Number. (See list below).
Baseball 12 Softball 12
Basketball 12 Track 8
Football 20 Volleyball 8
Soccer 12 Wrestling 8
2. Each association shall conduct at least four associational rules meetings prior to
any of its members working a regular season contest. The local association shall
conduct a minimum of two associational meetings each month during the regular
season. A local AHSAA affiliated association can only function for one sport. EXAMPLE: Mid-American BBUA cannot function as one association and have contracts in Baseball and Softball. Mid-American BBUA can function as one association for baseball and Mid-American SBUA can function as one association for softball.
3. All officials registering with the Alabama High School Athletic Association must
complete the AHSAA Online Rules Clinic plus two associational rules meetings
before being assigned to officiate during the current season.
4. Any official registered with the Alabama High School Athletic Association shall
be a member of only one local AHSAA affiliated association per sport. An official can only
receive AHSAA contest assignments through his or her local association.(Assignment
Committee or Booking Agent) Any violation will result in suspension from
the AHSAA for a period of one year. A local association may borrow officials from
another association with the permission of both booking agents.
5. Each association will hold a dress inspection of uniforms prior to its first scheduled
contest. All necessary adjustments will be made so that all officials are in the exact
uniform, and all patches are the same and in their proper place. Any official out of
uniform will be suspended for two weeks. (Failure to wear the AHSAA patches in
their proper places constitutes being out of uniform!) Two such violations in the
same year will result in a suspension for a period of one year. Any official wearing our uniform during a non-sanctioned event/contest is considered an independent contractor that does not represent our organization in any way. In accordance with the safety rules adopted by the NFHS for players, the wearing of jewelry by contest officials is prohibited. (Wedding Bands and Medical Alert Bracelets Are Allowed)
6. An official will not be assigned to officiate two consecutive varsity contests for the
same school. All scratches by home and visiting teams must be honored. Each
association will send a scratch list to the contracted school and upon written
request to the visiting school at least two weeks prior to the AHSAA first contest date in the school’s sport season. The school then must return the completed scratch list at least one week prior to the first contest date in the school's sport season. Coaches shall not influence the local association assignment of officials.
7. Any official having close ties with a school shall not officiate any contest involving
that school. For example but not limited to: close relatives, school employees, former
school employees (within 5 years), or recent school graduates (within 5 years).
8. A maximum of 10% or a minimum of one official of an association’s roster may
be scratched by each participating school at least one week prior to the beginning
of the school’s sport season. (This may not exceed more than a maximum of 10%
or a minimum of one official of any race or gender within the membership of any
association.) Thereafter, scratches are permitted only through the sanction of the
State Office.
9. A planned rules program will be conducted at each meeting. Topic assignments
will be made in advance and covered thoroughly before other areas or topics may
be discussed.
10. Any person at least sixteen years of age may be recruited and registered as an AHSAA official. Any individual convicted of a felony shall not be allowed to register
with the AHSAA until the sentence has been completed.
All AHSAA officials must take and pass a pre-registration exam. A grade of at
least 80% is required to pass the pre-registration exam. Any official age 16-18 can only register as a restricted official. Any official ages 16 and above who makes at least 70% and below 80% on the pre-registration exam may register as a restricted official.
Restricted officials can only work contests at the Junior High or Middle School level.
They may serve as clock operators at the varsity level.
All officials must complete the STAR Sportmanship Program before officiating an
AHSAA contest. This is required only once during an officials career.
11. Officials who use tobacco of any kind in the vicinity of the playing field before,
during, or after the contest shall be suspended for a minimum of two weeks.
12. The association must not adopt any rules or regulations that conflict with the rules
and regulations of the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
13. An official will be suspended for a minimum of one year if he consumes alcoholic
beverages on the same day he officiates prior to a contest. (This includes being seen
anywhere at anytime consuming alcholic beverages while in an AHSAA uniform.)
14. An official’s use of profanity or other unsportsmanlike conduct shall be grounds for
a minimum two-week suspension.
15. An official may be suspended up to a period of one year if he accepts an AHSAA
local association assignment or an AHSAA playoff assignment and then rejects it for another assignment with a Non-AHSAA organization.
16. An official may also be suspended up to one year for failing to fulfill any AHSAA contest assignment or failing to attend a State Officials camp once accepted.
17. Any official suspended from a local association shall not be allowed membership
in any other local association with AHSAA approval for the remainder of that season or until such time during the same season as the suspension may be removed by the local
association.
18. An Ejection Report must be filed with the state office within 12 hours of the occurrence. If any one is ejected for leaving the team area/box during a fight it is to be noted on the ejection report. An Unsportsmanlike Incident (before or after the contest) must be reported within 12 hours of the occurrence. Any contest terminated prior to it's legal conclusion or temporarily stopped and delayed for any unusual amount of time must have a report filed within 12 hours of the occurrence. Failure to fulfill any of these reporting requirements will subject the contest official to a one week suspension. Multiple offenses will subject the official to additional penalties.
19. Letter Of Inquiry - The AHSAA may at anytime send an Official Letter Of Inquiry to a local association or to an individual official. This Letter Of Inquiry seeks information pertaining to the subject matter stated in the letter. A local association or an individual official shall respond to the Letter Of Inquiry within 7 calendar days. If a response from the appropriate party is not received within this 7 calendar day period, disciplinary action may be taken against the party. The local association contact person and President are the people primarily responsible for this getting done. They are subject to disciplinary action if it is not done within the allowed time period.
20. The AHSAA may at anytime contact an official and verbally or in writing request information to aid an investigation. The official shall respond with the requested information within the time frame allowed. Failure to do so could subject the official to disciplinary action.
21. Each association must include the following standing committees:
A. Membership Committee
(1) To recruit new officials for the association.
(2) To screen all applicants and make recommendations for membership.
(3) All members of this committee must be a currently registered AHSAA
official.
B. Program Training Committee
(1) To train, instruct, or direct inexperienced and experienced officials through
a well-planned program of instructions on rules and mechanics of officiating.
(2) Be responsible for a planned program on the rules or mechanics for each
meeting. Plan and conduct programs on specific problem areas as reported
by members of the association or State Office.
(3) All members of this committee must be a currently registered AHSAA
official.
C. Assignment Committee
(1) To make all initial assignments according to the schedule of the schools
being served.
(2) The assignor or booking agent makes any necessary adjustments after the
initial assignments are made as needs arise and is responsible for assuring
every school of a complete crew of officials.
(3) All members of this committee must be a currently registered AHSAA
official and cannot have any close ties to a contracted school. They cannot
serve on this committee if currently under suspension by the AHSAA.
D. Grievance Committee
(1) Investigate charges, disputes, and complaints made by coaches, school
officials, or members of the association.
(2) Conduct hearings on problems pertaining to or within the local official’s
association and report its findings to the Board of Directors. The Board of
Directors upon appeal will make a binding decision and will notify the State
Office only when requested.
(3) Board members and officers cannot serve on this committee.
(4) All members of this committee must be a currently registered AHSAA
official. They cannot serve on this committee if currently under suspension
by the AHSAA.
E. Ethics Committee
(1) To observe the conduct of the officials at the meetings, on the field, and
when possible, after contests.
(2) To hold meetings on the proper conduct of an official in a general manner,
and hold individual conferences in a professional way with an official who
has personal problems in or with his officiating responsibilities.
(3) Board members and officers cannot serve on this committee.
(4) All members of this committee must be a currently registered AHSAA
official. They cannot serve on this committee if currently under suspension
by the AHSAA.
F. Election Committee
(1) Conduct annual elections of all officer positions by the general membership
for the association. All officer positions may be elected for 2 years
staggered terms if the local association chooses to do so.
(2) To assure that current AHSAA registered members are the only members
allowed to vote.
(3) To assure that officers or board members are elected by proper procedure
as directed by the association constitution for the following season at the
conclusion of the current season.
(4) An individual member of an association cannot be elected to more than
one officer’s position during the same year.
(5) All members of this committee must be a currently registered AHSAA
official. They cannot serve on this committee if currently under suspension
by the AHSAA.
22. Coaches sometime send videos to the local associations for review of Official’s calls which occur during their contests. If these videos are being used for the purpose of aiding officials in training or a coach developing a better knowledge of the rules, this practice is welcomed. If this practice is only being used by the coach to obtain information to appeal an ejection or to criticize an official, this practice is not in accordance with AHSAA policy.
AHSAA policy follows NFHS rules which do not allow protests after the conclusion of a contest. The AHSAA reviews egregious contest situations for identification purposes or when a member school appeals the application of a rule. Only member schools may appeal the application of rules and all inquiries should be directed to the AHSAA.
23. A local affiliated association cannot assign officials to non-AHSAA contracted
contests during that AHSAA sport season until all contracted AHSAA member school contests have been assigned. Priority assigning must be given to AHSAA member schools first. This includes a protocol of assigning the "best" officials available to the AHSAA contests.
24. A current copy of the Association’s Constitution and By-Laws must be filed with
the AHSAA office. An association that does not have its Constitution and By-Laws
on file with the State Office may not receive registration of its officials. A copy of
the Constitution and By-Laws along with a local association financial statement
must be made available to each official at the beginning of each season.
25. A local affiliated association must provide a contact person which is a currently
registered official. This person is responsible for communicating any and all information to and from the AHSAA office, schools and coaches to the appropriate officers, Board members or the general membership of the local association. This individual must be a responsible person who is easily accessible. This person shall establish and maintain a valid current email address along with a current phone number which provides the easy access. This person shall report this information to the AHSAA office subsequently to his or her appointment to this position. This person must be able to navigate within the AHSAA Online Officials Member Section. This person can be removed by the AHSAA for failure to fulfill the duties as stated in this section. Local Association Contacts are listed online at AHSAA.com.