For the second-consecutive year, usafootball.com is the exclusive online destination for NCAA football officials to take the NCAA Football Officiating Test and be provided their test scores almost immediately.
The NCAA Officiating Test is employed by Division I, II, and III college athletic conferences in varying degrees. Some, such as the Big 10, mandate that their football officials take the exam while others strongly encourage it. The ultimate goal of the test is to have officials discussing and debating rules to make the game even greater.
USA Football Officiating Consultant and Big 10 referee Bill LeMonnier and retired Big 10 referee Dick Honig co-authored the 2008 NCAA Test, marking the seventh year in a row that the duo in stripes has worked together on the exam. LeMonnier and Honig work under the direction of NCAA National Coordinator of Football Supervisors David Parry and NCAA Rules Editor Rogers Redding.
USA Football's LeMonnier is a 14-year Big 10 officiating veteran and has worked as an Arena Football League official since 2000. Honig has more than two decades of Big 10 experience and in 2008 begins his tenure as the Atlantic Coast Conference's director of replay officiating and serves as an instructor for the ACC's officiating crew chiefs.
The 100-question test is live for scoring on usafootball.com now through July 15. More than 3,000 football officials logged on to usafootball.com last year to take the test.
"We have more emphasis on the new rules," said LeMonnier of the 2008 exam. "We have a lot more emphasis on timing situations. In the last three-to-five years, timing has become a larger issue in college football.
"A few seasons ago, what would have been a clock starting on the snap - with recent rule changes - those may now start at ‘ready for play.'"
Within 10 seconds of completing the test at usafootball.com, an official receives his or her score. Officials are provided the number of their correct responses, which of their questions were answered incorrectly, and to learn from those incorrect answers, they are informed where in the NCAA Football Rule Book they may find the correct response.
"I keep a copy of this test in my notebook and during the season I reference and add plays to write new questions for the following year," added LeMonnier. "Many of the plays in this test occurred last year during the season. We aim to make it practical."
As an additional service to the officiating community, in late August, LeMonnier and USA Football Director of Officiating and NFL umpire Tony Michalek will share their insight on the NCAA Test at usafootball.com. The pair will provide comments about the exam and offer rationale for proper responses to the test's most debated questions.
Learn more about USA Football's officiating resources and membership to further develop your gridiron calling.