FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The North State Football Officials Association (NSFOA) is a dedicated organization of football officials serving schools across the North State region. We primarily provide officiating services for the following leagues and conferences:

• North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) – JV and Varsity levels

• North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) – All levels

Our officials cover Middle School, JV, and Varsity games in the following counties:
Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin.

In addition to game assignments, the NSFOA is committed to the recruitment, training, and development of football officials, ensuring that schools throughout the region receive consistent, high-quality officiating.

Any person who has reached his/her 18th birthday and is not currently in high school and can fulfill the NCHSAA requirements.

Football officiating is one of the most rewarding avocations you can pursue. It allows you to form lifelong friendships, earn extra income, and gain valuable experience—especially if you aspire to officiate at the collegiate level. High school athletics are a vital part of the student experience, and as an official, you play a crucial role in supporting that experience with fairness, integrity, and professionalism.

Registration usually begins mid-March and will end on June 15th. This is a firm deadline for all applications to be received by the Regional Supervisor.

Contact Elbert Lassiter (Regional Supervisor) for North State Football Officials at
info@northstatefootballofficials.com. There is a link on this site for registration.

North State accepts transfers from any other state or other local associations.

Contact Elbert Lassiter (Regional Supervisor) for North State Football Officials at
info@northstatefootballofficials.com. There is a link on this site for registration.

Register as a new official and then have your credentials from your previous association sent to our office.

Yes, all officials who desire to officiate football for the North State must register with the NCHSAA.

Below is a partial list of the fees/expenses:

•  North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Registration Fee: You must register with the NCHSAA for every sport you would like to officiate. To register, please visit www.nchsaa.org and select the officiating tab. Football registration typically begins in mid-May and end Mid-June. Please monitor your registration and do not miss the deadline.
•  A registration fee paid to the Regional Supervisor in the amount of $104.00.
•  Registration fee for new officials is $50.00. All officials must pay this fee during their registration process.
•  Uniforms: Most stores that carry official’s equipment will sell a starter package or something similar.

The NCHSAA mandates that each official who plans to officiate any public school game whose school is a member of NCHSAA must pass a test administered electronically by the National Federation of High School Associations. A passing grade on the test is at least 75%. Officials must score 80% or better on the test in order to be eligible to officiate playoff games in the state tournament.

The exams are typically administered online around mid-August. Check the NCHSAA website for the exact dates. You will need to log on to exams.nfhs.org in order to take the test online.

Officials are required to attend six (6) local clinics in order to receive full NCHSAA credit (though officials are encouraged to attend as many clinics as possible). A list of clinic meeting times, dates, and locations can be found on our website.

Officials are required to work three (3) scrimmages in order to receive full credit with the NCHSAA (though officials are encouraged to work as many scrimmages as possible).

Football officiating fees (as of 6/15/2025):

Varsity = $104.00
Varsity (Clock) = $80.00
JV = $90.00
Middle School = $70.00

The Regional Supervisor has sole authority over every official’s game assignments. You must keep your availability (date(s) and hours that you cannot work) updated in the Arbiter System. This is called “closing out” your dates/hours. You will be required to keep your close outs current. Your assignments will be based on your availability, ability, dependability and need of the Regional Supervisor.

Varsity games are typically held on Friday nights; Junior Varsity games are typically held on Thursday nights; Middle School games are typically held on Wednesday afternoons.

Game times typically begin on:

•  Wednesday – 4:45pm
•  Thursday – 7:00pm
•  Friday – 7:30pm

All officials are required to be dressed and on the field thirty (30) minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff time for all games at the JV level and below. For varsity games, officials are required to be dressed and prepared for the pregame conference one hour and fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff time.