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
  • Minimum experience of officiating high school level stand up football is required
  • Experience officiating adaptive sports preferred, but not required
• Complete Online USAWFL Officials Exam
• Complete SafeSport Training (paid for by Move United) or Provide a Current SafeSport Training Certificate of Completion
• Complete a Background Check (paid for by Move United) or Provide Current Background Check Results from a Move United Approved Entity

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 post season games
• Knowledge that they’re supporting adaptive athletes to achieve a high quality sports experience

2026 Season Tournaments:

August 23rd & 24th in Chicago, IL

September 11th, 12th, & 13th in Phoenix, AZ

October 3rd & 4th in Atlanta, GA

October 31st & November 1st in Dallas, TX

Below is an example of a typical tournament weekend schedule.  Note that schedules may vary tournament to tournament. Tournament specific information and details will be communicated in advance to ensure proper planning.

Friday:

Officials Meeting: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Coaches and Captains Meeting: 7:00 PM- 8:00 PM

Saturday & Sunday:

Arrive at Field Site: 7:15 AM

Saturday Games: 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM

Sunday Games: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

More information on upcoming training opportunities in 2026 coming soon!

USA Wheelchair Football League Rulebook

Click here to download.

Officials Video Library 

Below are links to 5 playlists on YouTube that have been categorized by topic area. In total the 6 playlists contain 60+ videos that are all less than a minute. Within each video in the playlist, there is a note about what to focus on while watching the video as well as some initial questions for consideration. A consolidated video library that contains additional resources will be live in early April in our Move United Member Hub.

Playlist 1: Officials Mechanics (Good Positioning)

Playlist 2: Officials Mechanics (Out of Position)

Playlist 3: Officials Calls (Good Call / Good No Call)

Playlist 4: Officials Calls (Missed Call)

Playlist 5: Athlete Play (Questionable)

Playlist 6: Athlete Play (Good Form / Conduct)

USAWFL Concussion Protocol 

Click here to download.

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.