The following are questions that newer officials or those considering becoming a girl’s lacrosse official often ask. Please see if there are any that help answer some that you may have. And, if not, feel free to contact any of us on the board, or other officials that you know, to try and get your query answered. If someone doesn’t know, we’ll try to find other colleagues that do.

• How much will I get paid?  
  • It depends on the level of the game.  Varsity games pay about $85 per game, and JV or sub varsity pays $60.  Mileage to games from CHSAA can vary.
• Are there more than 1 game per day at the same site? 
  • Often a varsity game is paired with a JV game, and the same crew will do both games.  However, that’s not guaranteed, and newer officials will often be assigned to single JV games.  In your first year you’ll probably get some double headers and some singletons.
• How long will a game take? 
  • A typical varsity game will take an hour and a half to play, with JV games more on the order of an hour and fifteen minutes.  However, you need to arrive at the venue at least a half hour before the game start time, and will often stay for 15 minutes after.  So, count on 3.5 hours, minimum, for a Varsity – JV double header.  Then, you need to add travel time to and from.  It is possible to set a limit on how far you’re willing to travel so that can be controlled to some extent.
• What days of the week are games played and what time do they start? 
  • Games are played Monday through Friday, usually starting around 4 PM, though some are earlier or later.  (3:30 is about the earliest and the latest start it 8 PM.). Games are also played on Saturday and can be at any time throughout the day.  Games are never played on Sunday.
• When’s the season? 
  • The regular high school season officially runs from about the second week in March through the first week of May.  Playoffs occur over the 3 weeks following.  That said, there are summer tournaments and leagues, fall and winter leagues so one can officiate much of the year.  Pay for those games vary, and are typically less than those for the high school season, but it’s often possible to do more games in one session.
• What about training?  
  • Our training usually occurs in January with some extension into February and the first week of March.  There is a yearly training requirement that must be met to be eligible to receive assignments.
• How many partners will I have? 
  • Most high school games are run with 2 officials, but a few high level games will have 3.  You are typically assigned a different partner for most games.
• What does it cost to become an official? 
  • There are two main organizations that you must be a member of to be eligible for assignments.  United States of America Lacrosse, USAL, is the nationwide organization that manages all aspects of girls (and boys) lacrosse in the US.  Currently membership in it is about $55/yr and you must be a member, since it provides liability insurance and training.  Separately, to be eligible to receive high school game assignments in Colorado, you must be a member of the Colorado Women’s Lacrosse Officiating Association, or CWLOA.  Our dues are nominally $75/yr, with an Early Bird offering with the earlier in the year that you register.  That covers training and the primary assigning of games.  Also, there’s an administrative cost associated with the Colorado High School Activities Association to cover the cost of the assigning software usage and other costs.  That usually runs about $20/yr, with a background check charge every other year.  There’s also a cost for uniforms and gear we must use on the field;  part of you first year dues to CWLOA covers a fairly complete starter kit with all that you need get going.
• How many games can I do in a spring? 
  • That’s mostly up to your availability and your conditioning.  There are a few experienced officials that do more than 60 games each spring, working most nights and Saturdays.  There are others that do fewer than 10.  To gain experience quickly so that you become comfortable as an official, we recommend that you try to be available for at least 20 games a year the first couple of year, but there’s no requirement to do that.
• What kind of support and help does CWLOA provide before and during the season? 
  • Besides preseason training, CWLOA holds virtual Q&A sessions that your encouraged to join in on, asking questions that you have, or listening to things others have run into.  All of the CWLOA Board are available for questions, as are many of the membership if you need feedback and help.  Your game partners also provides opportunities to ask questions and get feedback – in fact we encourage it both before and after each game.
• Can I make a living officiating girls lacrosse games? 
  • It would be a challenge, to say the least.  But, you can get in great exercise, spend time with enthusiastic high schoolers, and make enough money on the side for a modest vacation if that’s your preference!
• How are my games assigned? 
  • CHSAA gives us access to a web service by Arbiter that we use for assignments and scheduling.  If you meet all of the eligibility requirements by mid February, your name will be put into what’s called the “auto-assign” phase.  Games are selected for you based on your entered availability (you can block times, days, teams, and so on), your rating level, and the level of the games.  You are notified and have the opportunity to accept or reject any of the assignments.  During the season, games may be available and you may be assigned to them due to others’ injuries or schedule changes, added or rescheduled games, and for other reasons.  Again, you can accept or reject the assignments that you are offered.