Officials

Mission Statement:

The CIAC Officials’ Association exists to work in concert with school administrators, athletic directors, coaches and the CIAC to advance the best interest of high school athletics, serve the betterment of all member officials and their respective organizations, promote ethical standards, sportsmanship, professionalism, and high quality officiating.

CIAC Officials Association Advisory Board

Affiliated Officials Boards

If you would like a link to your boards’ website to appear below, please e-mail the name of your board and the URL to

• Board Name (link)
• Central CT Association of Approved Football Officials
• Central CT Chapter of the CT Approved Baseball Umpires
• Central CT IAABO Board #6 Basketball Officials
• Central CT Soccer Officials Association (CCSOA)
• Coastal Valley Soccer Officials Association (CVSOA)
• Colonial Football Officials Association
• CT Board of Approved Baseball Umpires-Hartford Chapter
• CT Board of Certified Basketball Officials
• CT Board of Volleyball Officials-Boys
• CT Board of Volleyball Officials-Northern Board
• CT Chapter of the National Ice Hockey Officials Association
• CT Federation of Volleyball Officials
• CT Field Hockey Association Officials Board
• CT Independent ASA/Federation Umpires
• CT Interscholastic Wrestling Officials Association
• CT Lacrosse Officials Association-Northern
• CT Lacrosse Officials Association
• CT State Board of Approved Baseball Umpires – Middletown Chapter
• CT Swimming Officials Association-Eastern
• CT Swimming Officials Association-Fairfield
• CT Swimming Officials Association-Hartford
• CT Swimming Officials Association-New Haven
• CT Womens Lacrosse Officials Association
• Eastern Board of Approved Basketball Officials (Board 8)
• Eastern CT Association of Approved Football Officials (ECFO)
• Eastern CT Board of Approved ASA Softball Umpires
• Eastern CT Board of Approved Baseball Umpires (ECBU)
• Eastern CT Soccer Officials Association (ECSOA)
• Fairfield County Board of Approved Basketball Officials (Board 9)
• Fairfield County Chapter of Approved Baseball Umpires (FCCABU)
• Fairfield County Football Officials Association (FCFOA)
• Federation Softball Umpires of Greater New Haven
• Greater Fairfield Softball Umpires Association (GFSUA)
• Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association (GNHBUA)
• Greater New Haven Soccer Officials Association (GNHSOA)
• Litchfield Board of Approved Basketball Officials (Board 7)
• Middlesex ASA Umpires Association
• National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges – CT
• New Haven Board of Approved Basketball Officials (Board 10)
• New Haven Football Officials Association
• New Milford Softball Umpires Association
• Northcentral Board of ASA Approved Softball Umpires
• Northeast CT Board of Approved Basketball Officials (Board 35)
• Northwest Connecticut Board of Approved Baseball Umpires
• Northeast Connecticut Softball Umpires Association
• Northwest Corner Board of ASA Approved Softball Umpires
• Plainville Board of ASA Umpires
• Southern CT Board of Volleyball Officials
• Southern CT Soccer Officials Association
• Waterbury-Naugatuck Umpires Association
• Western CT Football Officials Association (WCFOA)
• Western CT Lacrosse Officials Association (WCLOA)
• Western CT Soccer Officials Association (WCSOA)
• Western CT Swimming Officials Association
• Western CT Umpires Association (WCUA)

Stay Involved; Become An Official

Check out this PSA from the NFHS and NIAAA on why you should consider becoming an official

Membership Benefits

Membership in the CIAC Officials Association provides officials with many benefits, including:

A. Membership cards which entitle officials to free admission to regular season contests in all sports, and CIAC tournament games in the sport(s) in which he/she is enrolled.

B. Mailing of National Federation Rule Interpretation “Bulletins” and other pertinent information.

C. Official representation on all CIAC Sports Committees, the Advisory Board, and the CIAC Board of Control.

D. Support in the performance of your duties as an official by CIAC, the governing body for high school athletics that enforces the CIAC regulations pertaining to coaches and athletes and has the authority to sanction member schools.

E. Promote participation in a state – wide officials’ organization designed to enhance communication, facilitate the sharing of ideas for mutual benefit, and fostering a united front with “one voice” to gain maximum benefit from the fact that “there is strength in numbers.”

F. Provide the opportunity for officials to be part of the “CIAC Team” and work in concert with administrators, coaches, athletic directors and the CIAC to better serve high school athletics in Connecticut.

Some other ways in which the CIAC Officials’ Association can benefit officials and their respective organizations…

• Utilize our advanced technology to communicate with you on a regular basis;
• Continue to customize the CIAC technology network to ensure its compatibility to the assigning program utilized by your particular board;
• Support your efforts to get coaches to attend rules clinics, and be the vehicle through which you can disseminate important messages to coaches, athletic directors, and the schools you serve;
• Support your efforts to encourage and emphasize sportsmanship issues relative to players, coaches, and spectators. We plan to include officials on a newly formed sportsmanship committee, designed to formulate an action plan to address this growing concern;
• Support your efforts to enact legislation to further protect sports officials, and emphasize, to schools, the importance of having a plan to ensure the safety of game officials;
• Support your efforts relative to the recruitment and retention of game officials. We are working on a plan to include a notice on the CIAC website, entitled, “Do you want to become a sports’ official?” Included will be a list of who should be contacted in each particular sport and other pertinent information;
• Publish a list of state rule interpreters in all sports;
• Identify, for the National Federation Rules Committee, Connecticut officials in each sport to complete surveys on the rules;
• Investigate the feasibility of a reduced rate for group liability and Board of Directors insurance;
• Recommend Connecticut officials for NFHS rules committees and recognition awards;
• Provide a CIAC Director of Officials, a staff secretary, and a technology support person to ensure that the CIAC OFFICIALS’ ASSOCIATION is well organized, productive, and responsive to the needs of all officials and their respective organizations; and
• Perform other functions recommended by you, your fellow officials, or the CIAC Officials’ Association Advisory Board, for the betterment of officials and high school sports.

Goals of the CIAC Officials’ Association

• To be an “official friendly” organization, responsive to the needs of officials and their respective organizations.
• To provide a conduit for an improved communication network between officials, the schools you serve, and the CIAC.
• To identify issues common to all officials’ groups and develop and implement an action plan to address the concerns.
• To establish an organizational structure that provides officials with the opportunity to have direct input in the governance of CIAC by having representation, with voting privileges, on all sports committees and representation on the CIAC Board of Control.
• To have a representative in all sports on an advisory board whose main purpose will be to provide expert council to CIAC for the betterment of officials and to serve the best interests of high school athletics.
• To have all officials become members of the CIAC Officials’ Association.
• To provide an opportunity for officials to work collaboratively with school administrators, athletic directors, coaches, and the CIAC staff to better serve athletics in Connecticut.
• To develop a CIAC Officials website that is linked from the CIAC home page.