Becoming a volleyball official is a rewarding experience. This page outlines the requirements for officiating at the high school, collegiate and club levels. The process for becoming certified is slightly different depending on the level of volleyball, but this summary should help you get started on your journey.
High School
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is the governing body for volleyball officials at the middle and high school levels. To become an official, the following requirements must be met:
- be at least 17 years of age (provisional licenses allow 15-16 year olds to officiate through the 9th grade level)
- properly complete an IHSA application online
- pay the required licensing fee
- not have been convicted of a sexual offense, a crime against a minor, or a crime involving illegal drugs, or murder, homicide or manslaughter of any degree; and
- be in compliance with the IHSA conviction policy.
IHSA follows the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) volleyball rules. To become a licensed official, please visit the IHSA site here. There are three levels of officials for IHSA volleyball: Certified, Recognized and Registered. As you gain experience and grow in your volleyball career, you can apply for a promotion to the next level.
Club Volleyball
Club volleyball refers to youth and adult programs that operate outside of the regular high school season. Clubs can be affiliated with organizations like USA Volleyball (USAV), AAU, and the JVA, among others. To become an official in Illinois, the following requirements must be met:
- register at Great Lakes Region Volleyball and follow the instructions here to register as an official
- create a SportsEngine account
- complete the Safesport and Background Screen process
- take the required training on USA Volleyball Academy
- register for an on court training session where you will be evaluated to complete your certification
- once certified you will need to maintain your certification by staying active and participating in recertification clinics depending on your level.
For the most part, USA Volleyball rules govern most Club tournaments, although there may be specific tournament rules or different rules based on Junior vs Adult play. To officiate at AAU events, you will need to become a member and pay the fees. More information on AAU membership can be found here. JVA tournaments do not require a membership and if you are a USA Volleyball certified official, you can also work JVA tournaments.
There are four levels of certification for USA Volleyball – Provisional, Regional, Junior National, and National. As you gain more experience, there is a process involved for promotion to the next level which includes additional exams and observations.
Collegiate Volleyball
To officiate volleyball at the collegiate level, an official will need to have a membership in PAVO (Professional Association of Volleyball Officials) and depending on the region, may also be required to register with USA Volleyball. The NCAA is the governing body for volleyball rules and modifications may exist for the different divisions and classifications. To be assigned matches at the collegiate level, the following requirements must be met:
- register at PAVO.org and select membership type – a step-by-step guide to the registration process can be found here.
- to be eligible for postseason assignments, you must submit to the NCAA-commissioned background screen.
- select an affiliate board for the State of Illinois.
- take the required training on PAVO.org.
- register for an on court training session with the Illinois affiliate board where you will be evaluated to complete your certification.
- once certified you will need to maintain your certification by staying active and participating in recertification clinics depending on your level.
Once you become a volleyball official, one of the ongoing challenges you will experience is the different rules based on the various levels, conferences and divisions you work. A helpful guide for rule comparisons is below.