Track & Field

Where every Track & Field official starts

Sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps, throws — Track & Field is the biggest and busiest discipline in the sport, and it's usually where most new officials begin. There are two ways in: ease into it gently with the Assistant Track & Field Official course, or head straight for a Level 1 course in the specific role that's caught your eye. Both routes lead to exactly the same place.

Assistant Track & Field Official

Open to anyone aged 14 or over, this is a relaxed, four-hour course mixing theory with hands-on practice, and it's the easiest possible way to find out whether officiating is for you before committing to a specific discipline. You'll cover:

• The responsibilities and role of an Assistant Official
• Measuring and recording times and distances
• Making, sharing and recording judgements
• Ensuring safety, and knowing how to report a concern
• Communicating clearly with athletes and other officials
• Following procedures and applying the basic rules of competition

From here: gain a minimum of two competition experiences at licensed events, complete your Access NI check (from age 16), complete the self-taught Safeguarding module, and submit the Assistant Official's Application Form to officials@athleticsni.org.

Level 1 Track Judge

For anyone 16 or over ready to commit to Track. This three-hour course covers every track event on the programme — sprints, hurdles, steeplechase, distance and relays — and gives you the grounding to work confidently as part of a track officiating team. You'll learn:

• How to work as part of a team of track officials and carry out the duties of a Track Judge or Umpire
• What equipment to bring to a meeting so you're properly set up to do the job
• How to record what you see, without being influenced by anyone else's view of a close call
• The track markings that matter most — especially the finish line and lane lines — and how to judge them
• The core duties you'll rotate through: judging, lap board and bell, break line, relay take-over judge, hurdle observation, and umpiring for lane infringements or impeding another athlete

From here: gain a minimum of two competition experiences, upload your licence photo to Athletics Hub, complete your Access NI check, complete the Safeguarding and Health & Safety self-taught modules, and submit the Level 1 Track and Field application form to officials@athleticsni.org.

Level 1 Field Judge

For anyone 16 or over drawn to the field events — jumps, throws, and the para-athletics versions of both. This is a longer, four-hour course, reflecting how much ground field officiating covers. You'll learn:

• How to follow a duty sheet on competition day
• The full list of field events and the officiating roles within each one
• The Health & Safety issues specific to field officiating — this is a discipline where equipment and run-ups genuinely matter
• How the rules of field officiating apply in practice
• How to complete a result card accurately, first time

From here: gain a minimum of two competition experiences covering at least one horizontal jump and one vertical jump event, upload your licence photo to Athletics Hub, complete your Access NI check, complete the Safeguarding and Health & Safety self-taught modules, and submit the Level 1 Track and Field application form to officials@athleticsni.org.

Our courses run throughout the year. Wherever possible, we aim to deliver them face-to-face with our Northern Ireland-based tutors. However, where demand is lower, some courses may be delivered online through our colleagues in the other Home Countries.

If you're interested in any of our officiating courses or disciplines, please complete an Expression of Interest form here.