Becoming an Athletics Official
As with all athletics clubs, Serpentine needs technical officials to run athletics matches during the summer season. UK Athletics operates a national training and licensing programme for officials, with a five-level structure within which officials are trained in each discipline: timekeeper, track judge, starter, marksman, and field judge. More information is below, this is taken from the UK Athletics website in June 2007, so please check on their website for updated information.
If you are interested in becoming an official there are regular traiing programmes comprising 2-3 2-hour lectures (1 per week) followed by a written test and a health & safety briefing. The club will pay for your training if you intend to come and officiate for us. Qualified officials must maintain a record of participation that they send to the county officials secretary each season in order to maintain their license.
If you are already a qualified or experienced official we would love to hear from you. We can also support you in progressing through the UK Athletics development programme.
Contact officials-coordinator@serpentine.org.uk
UK Athletics Official's Structure
Level 1 – generic course to become an assistant technical official in all disciplines
Local tutors' lead level 1 – candidates complete an experience sheet of 4 meetings. Selected tutors lead event specific courses.
Level 2 – specific choice of technical discipline
Training is managed locally; candidates complete a log book and are ‘mentored' with no minimum time scale.
Level 3 – advanced specifics for national work
Level 3 is managed from national level with national tutors and mentors. Content includes specific aspects that are relevant to national and international competition (e.g. IAAF rules, technology). Candidates need minimum 2 years to acquire experience and standards.
Level 4 – leading at national level
Candidates access and demonstrate further education e.g. report writing, team leading, mentoring, duty management in a discipline. Only selected national tutors used.
Level 5 – overall management roles and global specialist
Candidates operate as meeting managers, directors, nominees for EAA and IAAF appointments. Tutors by invitation, sometimes from overseas.