DFOA Membership,

The 2013 off season is with us and the area directors would like to share information regarding our upcoming season. We havesome new membership criteria this year, so it is important for you to meet these requirements. Please read this document carefully.

2013-2014 Membership: Here is a summary of our current membership:

  1. For 2013-2014 we have 231 members who have paid their dues.
  2. Of the 231 members who have paid their dues, here is a summary of other criteria:
  3. Three members are in inactive status.
  4. Three members have moved.
  5. Two members have retired.
  6. One member is in the NFL.
  7. Sixteen members are officiating college football.
  8. Forty-four members are provisional with meeting minimum requirements of the DFOA and CFOA from the 2012 season. We will be offering a one-time “amnesty” program to get these provisionalmembers back in good standing. This is explained later.
  9. This leaves the DFOA with 162 memberswho are active to officiate high school football and enter the draw.
  10. Starting with the 2013-2014 season, 55 people and counting have indicated they are interested in becoming a new member of the DFOA.

New Officials Classes: The new official’s classes will begin August 6th and continue through August 24th. There will be four classes at CHSAA offices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and a final meeting as a group at a scrimmage during zero week. David Acheson and John Conklin will be the instructors this year. If you know someone interested in becoming an official have them email John Conklin . A new member flyer is attached with this email.

2013 Varsity Football Draw: Draw for crew chiefs will be held on Friday, May 3, 2013. From here, crew chiefs will be in touch with their crew members. After the crew chiefs and assignors come to terms, the assignors will publish the assignments through ArbiterSports bythe third week of May.

Be sure that ArbiterSports is up to date with all your personal information to include blocked dates and blocked schools by April 15th. Also, if you have not added a picture to your ArbiterSports account, it would helpful for the assignors so they have a better idea who they are putting on games. We are using ArbiterSports for our official list of phone numbers and email addresses; so,keep all your profile information current in ArbiterSports.

Individuals placed on crews for 2013 will be eligible for varsity assignmentsin Maythrough the draw per discretion of the crew chief and the assignor. Only members who have met all the DFOA and CFOA active member requirements, from the past 2012season,will be in the draw. This includes area meeting attendance of at least three in2012, master clinic every other year, passing the 2012 NFHS test and paying dues before March 1, 2013.

Most everyone meets these requirements, forty-fourdo not. For those who do not meet the requirements, for both individuals on crews and not on crews, we have developed a one-time “amnesty” program in August to allow you to achieve minimum membership requirements. This amnesty program is designed to get your minimum membership requirements active with the CFOA and DFOA.

The amnesty program includes:

  1. If your area meetings from 2012 were less than three, you can “pick-up” and become activeby attending three of five meetings in August:
  2. Three area meetings will be available in August.
  3. One crew study will be available in August.
  4. One scrimmage in August.

Any combination of three of the above (a/b/c) will meet your area meeting requirement.

  1. If you missed or failed the 2012 NFHS test, you can become active for 2013 by passing the 2013 NFHS test.
  2. If you have not attended a master clinic in 2011 and 2012, you can become activefor varsity assignments and playoffs in 2013 by attending the 2013 master clinic.

If you have any question about your eligibility, contact your crew chief. If you are not a member on a crew, contact John Conklin.

2013Sub-Varsity Football Assignments: New this year, will be the availability of sub-varsity games for crews. The assignors will allocate 12 sub-varsity games for each crew. Check with your crew chief by mid May for coordination of these crew sub-varsity assignments. Otherwise, individual sub-varsity assignments will be available in early June after the crew sub-varsity assignments are allocated.

New For 2013: This is important membership requirements. Please give this your best attention. To retain your DFOA membership for 2014 in active status and be playoff eligible for 2013, you will need to meet these new requirements:

  1. Area meeting attendance: Per the CFOA, attendance at five area meetings is required. The DFOA is now matching the minimum requirement set by the CFOA. The old requirement was three area meetings.

There will be ten ways to achieve five area meetings:

  1. Eight area meetings at Aurora Central High School.
  2. One crew NFHS test study.
  3. One zero week scrimmage in August.

Any combination of five of the above (a/b/c) will meet your area meeting requirement.

  1. NFHS test score: Per the CFOA, the minimum test score for passing the NFHS test has been raised from 80% to 85%.
  2. Monitored physical fitness test with signoff waiver: Same as last year, you will need to achieve a 30 yard dash within 8 seconds and a ¼ mile run within 2 minutes and 30 seconds. New for 2013, per the CFOA, your test will be monitored by an area director and you will need to sign a testing waiver form before the test. We will advise you when this test can be taken. Be prepared for opportunities to take this physical fitness test during a special date in May or just before the master clinic at 8:00 am or at our field area meeting in August. Separate emails will be sent later this year advising you of location and times of the physical fitness test opportunities.

Evaluations, Mechanics Classes and onthe Field Training: Starting this year, we are encompassing an all inclusive program of a new evaluation process that is tied to mechanics classes and ends with on the field training. The process and programs mean classroom study in May and June (3 total) and field training for Wings and Back Judges in August. The program is voluntary and is designed to improve your officiating skills. When evaluations are conducted during the season, those attending the mechanics classes and field training will have an edge for a better evaluation. We will be sending email notices for these sessions and encourage your attendance. Be prepared, the evaluation program will carry heavy emphasis this year.

Having Sub-Varsity Assignments Established By September 1st: We are encouraging playoff officials to have their sub-varsity assignments established with an assignor by September 1, 2013. Remember, for playoff eligibility, you are required to have a minimum of three sub-varsity assignments. In order to assign playoffs, we do not want last minute sub-varsity games in late October to be playoff eligible. Generally speaking, at playoff assignment time, we review the sub-varsity schedules given by the assignors of the entire membership. If you are deficient with sub-varsity assignments, you will not be playoff eligible.

Meetings: The CFOA master clinic for the Denver area will be held Saturday, July 27that Lakewood High School from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

New this year, our general area meetings will be held at Aurora CentralHigh School at 7:00 pm.The schedule is included with this email. We have increased the number of area meetings from seven to eight. Crew chief meetings during the season will be on the first meeting night of each month at 6:00 pm.

Membership Not On a Crew: John Conklin (303-591-7422;) will be the direct contact for any DFOA member not on a crew. John will send you correspondence throughout the year regarding any matter pertinent to the DFOA.

Golf Tournament: The annual DFOA golf tournament will be held on Monday, August 5, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Murphy Creek Golf Course at a cost of $100.00. The cost will include golf cart, range balls, dinner, prizes, gifts, and drink tickets. This is a great way to have fun, socialize and get in shape with your fellow officials and friends. All net proceeds go into the DFOA fund. This is our main fund raiser and as such we are asking for participation in some form from all our members. Please consider either playing or helping in other ways. For more information you may contact Mike Letofskyat 303-809-0132. A flyer and application is included with this email.

Another way you can help is securing prizes, or securing hole sponsors or simply donating to our general fund. Don’t sit back and let others help with this important endeavor. We need everyone to contribute in some manner.

NFHS Test: The format for the NFHS test this year will remain as it was last year, on line on ArbiterSports.com. The test must be taken by the third week in August to be eligible for games in zero week. If an official does not take the NFHS test by the CFOA closing date with a passing score, they must take it closed book ata general meeting in late October. If you do not have a passing score before the season begins, you will not be able to work high school football until you do. As previously stated, the minimum passing test score has been raised from 80% to 85%. Participating with a crew test study will count toward one of your area meeting requirements for the 2013 season.

Scrimmages: Zero week scrimmages (August 22nd – 24th) will again be coordinated bythe assignors and assigned by crews when possible. Attendance at a zero week scrimmage will count towards one of your meeting requirements for the 2013 season.

Summer scrimmages will be coordinated by Ron Paolucci (303-480-7803;) with the crew chiefs and respective schools. These summer scrimmages will be available the last part of June. These summer scrimmages do not count as attendance at DFOA area meetings. Look for further information regarding summer scrimmages to be sent later.

On Line Video Study: We are utilizing an internet software called “Watchitoo” to conduct on line video study. Here, you can sit back and watch the program to increase your officiating skills. This program has been underway for some time and we want to keep it going each week. Log in to our DFOA website to the home page and you can find the meeting time and the link to access Watchitoo. Note any time during the week, you can click the link and see the topic for the next meeting. We are encouraging our members in their first four years of membership in the DFOA, that this is a great way to increase your officiating skills.

2012 Playoffs: The Denver area received 36 playoff assignments in 2012, which included 5A and A6 championship games. The crew for the 5A championship was Dan Gilman, Stu Bader, Ben Dwinell, Chris Stearns and Vince Bravdica. The crew for the A6 championship was John Conklin, Ed O’Connor, Mike Bomgaars, Doug Low and Bob Blodgett. We would like to congratulate the 90 officials who worked the playoffs and to those officials who officiated the championship games.

DFOA Website: The DFOA website is

We have posted the state master clinic and general area membership meetings on our web site. The format is new but offers some powerful benefits to our membership. Now you can add the meetings to your calendar app by clicking a link or register for meeting reminders by email.

  1. To get started, navigate to the “2013 Calendar” under “2013 Meetings, Training, and Events.” Click “Register” to get meeting reminders by email. Click “Show Details” then “Add to my Calendar” to add the meeting to your calendar app. Repeat for each meeting.
  2. The 2013 calendar allows you to display the meetings in a list view or if you prefer in a traditional calendar view.
  3. For these events, there is the availability subscribing to an RSS feed (Really Simple Syndication).

Contact Mike Kelley if you need help or have any questions.

Conclusion: As we approach the upcoming season any pertinent information that becomes available to the area directors regarding the 2013 season will be posted to the website or passed on to crew chiefs or sent with email.

Thanks to everyone who has been involved with committees in preparing for the upcoming 2013 season.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns please contact an area director.

Sincerely,

DFOA Area Directors

Scott Saucke

John Conklin

Mike Letofsky

Ron Paolucci