WFTDA Officiating
Roller derby leagues rely on hundreds of officials. In order to ensure that WFTDA sanctioned bouts and tournaments are staffed by the most qualified and capable officials, the WFTDA created a process of evaluation and certification. As the WFTDA grows in both size and national prominence, it is critical to recognize those officials who exhibit the best ability, implementation of the rules, fairness, and consistency across the board. When a bout is staffed by WFTDA certified officials, those teams know they’re getting the best.
Officiating Clinics
The WFTDA Officiating Clinics are a two-day immersion into all things officiating, with both classroom and track time, culminating in a put-it-into-play scrimmage. The clinics are offered annually and hosted in locations all over the world in order to reach as man officials as possible. Follow the link below to learn more.
2014 Officiating Clinics
WFTDA Referee Certification
- About Referee Certification and Certification Documents
- Levels of WFTDA Referee Certification
- Roster of Certified Referees
- Referee Certification FAQ
WFTDA Non-Skating Official (NSO) Certification
- About NSO Certification and Certification Documents
- Levels of WFTDA NSO Certification
- Roster of Certified NSOs
- Roster of Endorsed NSOs
- NSO Certification FAQ
Officiating and Training Documents
WFTDA Officiating Standard Practices
Establishes standard practices for referees and non-skating officials during interleague and tournament play. Last updated March 2014.
Officiating Standardized Practices PDF File — 562 KB
WFTDA Official Hand Signals
Official hand signals for communication of penalties and directions between referees and skaters. Last update March 2014.
Official Hand Signals PDF File — 827 KB
WFTDA Official Pre-Bout Protocol
The WFTDA pre-bout protocol describes and explains actions the officials should take when checking skater equipment as well as verifying skater numbers and other uniform requirements delineated in the current rule set.
WFTDA Official Pre-Bout Protocol PDF File — 395 KB
WFTDA Officiating Verbal Cues
Standardized verbal communication between officials and skaters during gameplay. Last updated March 2014.
WFTDA Officiating Verbal Cues PDF File — 382 KB
WFTDA Officials Dress Code
Effective for all WFTDA-sponsored tournaments.
WFTDA Officials Dress Code PDF File — 132 KB
WFTDA Minimum Skill Requirements and WFTDA Written Rules Test for skaters are now located at wftda.com/resources.
The Official Rules and Track Design documents can be found at Rules Central.
WFTDA Official's Game History
The WFTDA Officials Committee, in concert with Referee and NSO Certification, has developed a standard template for documenting officiating experience. Utilizing this format will simplify the efforts of those reviewing numerous candidates for tournaments and/or certification as well as ease officials' efforts in developing their own formats. While developed primarily to track WFTDA game experience, extensibility was included for officials wishing to consolidated experience in other derby disciplines. The template may be found at the link below and will be considered the mandatory format for the Officiating History requirement of certification applications as of March 15 and required of 2013 WFTDA Tournament applicants.
Google Doc: WFTDA Official's Game History
Published by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), P.O. Box 14100, Austin, Texas, 78761, USA. These files and their contents may not be reproduced or translated in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the WFTDA. Modifications are only allowed with the consent of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.
Real. Strong. Athletic. Revolutionary.