To become a USA Volleyball certified referee, there are four core components that have to occur every year – membership, online clinic, virtual classroom session, and practical.

Become a member of the New England Region of USA Volleyball. NOTE: To referee USAV events, you will also need to have passed a USAV background check and complete the SafeSport Training as required by the USOC. To launch that process, click button at the bottom of this page.

  • Register for the NERVA New Referee Clinic through the USAV Academy, which includes a referee exam (can be done open book).
    • In USAV membership database, click on Household, your membership, and then View Details.
    • To jump to the learning environment, click USAV Academy in upper right corner of screen.
    • Click on Content Library and then the NERVA New Referee Clinic. Complete all of the components of the course.
      (For more, go to https://help.usavolleyballacademy.org/KB/View/134-how-do-i-get-to-the-usav-academy)
  • Complete the elements of NERVA New Referee Clinic
    • The clinic consists of online modules, exams, and a live virtual classroom session. Dates for the virtual classroom session are not yet set. Stay tuned for that.
  • On your own, do some practice refereeing (local leagues are great here).
  • Once you have completed the coursework and you are comfortable as a first and second referee, arrange to be evaluated at a tournament. To do this, reach out to Eric Ngai (eguyinnyc@yahoo.com), who will work with you to identify available tournament
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What we can’t do online is help you practice and get skilled at blowing a whistle, knowing the sport, and actually DOING the job. There is no substitute for time on task. This is something you need to do in venues that are convenient to you and your life. If you need some help finding locales, please drop me a line.

But, the old adage certainly applies, “How do you get to Lincoln Center? Practice, practice, practice.”

Please send any questions to Steven Webster, NERVA Officials chair, steve@srwebster.com.

 

Ready to purchase your membership? Click the button below!

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Referee FAQs
 
How do I get assigned?
After you get certified, you will be set up in NERVA’s online assigning system. Once that is done, you will make yourself available to be assigned to single-day tournaments. In addition, NERVA sanctions several weekend-long events. Once certified, you can register to officiate at these events. Register for these tournaments at www.sportwrench.com.
 
How frequently do I have to referee?
Entry-level referees must work one tournament a season (for which you will be paid). Beyond that, it will depend on your interest, availability, and skills. Some referees work one day a month. Others do so far more often.
 
How much do I get paid?
See https://nevolleyball.org/nerva-referee-pay-scale/
 
Once I get a USAV certification, will I be able to work high school or college volleyball?
No, those settings use different rule sets (though they are very similar to USAV rules). High school play uses NFHS rules (https://www.nfhs.org) and college ball requires PAVO (www.pavo.org) certification. Consult with local contacts for details.
 
For more information, contact Steve Webster, NERVA Officials Chair, steve@srwebster.com.