Frequently Asked Questions for Officials

How do I become an official?

First of all, thank you very much for your interest in becoming a USA Cycling official. Officials are the backbone of much of what happens out in the field and the true ambassadors of USA Cycling that the riders will see. To become an official, you will need to attend an official's seminar, purchase an official's license, and take an open book exam. The seminar is called a Level C clinic (or introductory clinic) and gives a basic introduction to road, track, and mountain bike officiating.

These clinics are offered often during the season in the various regions, but they are most heavily concentrated during the winter and fall months. The best way to find a seminar is to contact your Local Association, if your state has one, or your Regional Coordinator if it does not. To find your Regional Coordinator, search our Local Contacts page. This will pull up a map where you can click on your state and find out who to contact at your Local Association. Clinics are also listed here.

While we prefer new officials to take a live seminar, we also have a distance learning option for those officials who are too far removed geographically from a clinic. Please contact Shawn Farrell, Technical Director, at sfarrell@usacycling.org for more information.

Where can I get rule books?

When you take your first seminar to become an official, you should receive a USA Cycling rule book. When you renew your license the following year, you will automatically get a new rule book. Additional materials can be acquired online (see below).

Where can I get officials clothing?

We have a distributor for a line of officials clothing. New officials get a 15% discount on their first purchase, and there is a discounted item every month that you will read about in the Technical Director update. To access the clothing program, please follow this link.

What resources are available online for officials?

From the Officials page, you can find downloadable versions of the rule books, as well as the Officials Manuals, which describes how officials do their jobs in the various disciplines. There is also the motorcycle referee's handbook.

What are the categories for officials?

The basic categories for officials in road and track are level C, level B, level A, national commissaire, and international commissaire. The categories for mountain bike and BMX are similar, but without the level B. There are requirements for advancement to each rank, and these are explained in the manuals and through links on the officials page. Upgrading requires a combination of time since last upgrade, number of races and positions officiating, attendance at an upgrading seminar, and performance on an upgrading exam. For road upgrades to B, there are a series of modules to take.

In addition to the basic categories, there are also some specialties, such as motorcycle refereeing (motoref), track starter, and race secretary. These specialties are taught in periodic seminars.