Since 2020, more than 1,600 Veterans, athletes with disabilities, coaches and officials have participated in USA Wheelchair Football League programs, growing their skills and love for football. Officials are an essential part of the game and preside over the field of play and ensure our athletes have a fun, safe and fair experience.

All officials should:

• Have a working knowledge of football and willingness to become proficient and knowledgeable with the USAWFL rulebook to enforce the rules and field safety in a consistent and unbiased manner
  • Experience coaching or officiating football preferred, but not required
  • Experience coaching or officiating adaptive sports preferred, but not required
• Complete Online USAWFL Officials Exam
• Complete SafeSport Training (paid for by Move United)
• Complete a Background Check (paid for by Move United)

Officials are responsible for not only knowing the rules of the game, but enforcing them equally, ensuring safety, and managing potential issues on the field. For those new to officiating who may wonder of officiating is a good fit for them, here are some skills that the most highly effective officials have:

• Excellent Communication Skills
  • Officials are responsible for informing athletes, coaches and their crew of the rules, discussing infractions and settling disputes
• Good Decision Making Skills
  • Officials must observe plays and make split-second decisions
• Flexibility and Willingness to Learn
  • Officials must be able to listen to others on their crew and learn the latest techniques and updates within the sport.
• Ability to Work as a Team
  • No official works on their own. They must be able to cooperate and come to mutual decisions.
• Physical Stamina
  • Officials are physically on the field for the same length of play as the team. They must be able to move up and down the field for 90 minutes at a time and often for multiple games in a row.
• Upkeep of Mobility Devices
  • Officials who utilize mobility devices are responsible for the preparation of their device(s) ensuring they are game ready and in appropriate working order during their assigned game(s).

Physical Requirements:

• Movement
  • Officials must be able to move at the speed of play for the length of a game, often for several games in a row. This can be done standing or in a wheelchair as long as the official can follow the speed of play.
• Vision
  • Officials must be able to clearly identify all aspects of the game in real time. This could be at distances of anywhere from 1 yard to 30 yards.
• Breath Control
  • Official must have enough breath control to be able to effectively blow their whistle in the case of a rules infraction or time out on the field.
• Upper Body (Arm) Movement
  • Officials wanting to be a lead referee, also referred to here as “white hat”, must be able to effectively signal using the standard arm signs for all players, coaches and timing staff to see.

USA Wheelchair Football League officials are compensated in line with industry standards.

All officials receive:

• $60/game for Black Hat Roles or $75/game for White Hat Role
  • Officials average 7 games per tournament
• Reimbursement for travel to tournament as outlined below:
  • For Officials Living Less than 90 Miles from the Tournament Venue 
    • Ground Transportation Fees Reimbursed Based on Local Tournament Host Policies
    • Lunch on Saturday and Sunday
  • For Officials Living More than 90 Miles from the Tournament Venue 
    • Reimbursement for Flights to/from Tournament
      • All travel must follow Move United’s Travel Policies
    • Airport Shuttle
      • Flights must be booked for arrival between approved windows
    • Shared Lodging for up to 2 nights (Friday & Saturday of Tournament weekend). If officials would like their own room, they will be asked to pay for half of room fee.
    • Lunch on Saturday and Sunday
• Officials Shirt and Hat
  • Officials must provide own black pants, black shoes, whistle, stop watch (if needed) and flags/bean bags.
• Opportunities to participate in future championship games
• Knowledge that they’re supporting adaptive athletes to achieve a high quality sports experience

August 23rd & 24th in Chicago, IL

September 5th, 6th, & 7th in Phoenix, AZ

September 27th & 28th in Tampa, FL

October 18th & 19th in Kansas City, MO

If you are interested in officiating in the 2025 season, please share your availability by filling out the survey linked below before March 14th, 2025.

2025 Season Officials Availability

Please note that submitting your availability does not guarantee you will be selected to officiate. Priority will be given to those who have previous football officiating experience. Experience in officiating wheelchair sports is a strong secondary preference. 

The USA Wheelchair Football League is launching an officials mentorship program for the 2025 season!

Officials are a key role in all sports. They are guardians of fair competition, modeling sportsmanship on the field and helping to maintain order through quick decision-making under pressure. Move United recognizes these skills take time to develop. In order to support new officials who want to get into the sport or who are looking to build their skills, the USA Wheelchair Football League is building a formal mentorship program to allow experienced officials to help train and develop the next generation of officials.

Please note that applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Those received by March 1st, 2025 will have the best chance of acceptance for the 2025 season. 

Interesting in being a Mentor? Click here to learn more!

Interested in being a Mentee? Click here to learn more!

USA Wheelchair Football League Rulebook

Click here to download.

Officials Video Library 

Looking to view video of the sport with tips for officials? A video library will be live in early April in our Move United Member Hub.

USA Football Officials Certification

Are you looking for resources around officials health and wellness, conflict resolution and mental health? USA Football has a great training course with resources to support those areas.

Click here to learn more a about certification.

Still have questions about officiating in the USA Wheelchair Football League? Feel free send us an email  at football@moveunitedsport.org.