Frequently asked questions

Not on this site. Assignments and availability live in ArbiterSports — that is where you set the dates you can work and see what you have been given. FLOA's assignor is Elliot Torres, and availability questions go to him. We carry announcements, contacts, and links; we do not schedule games.

No, and we would rather tell you now than after you have paid for something. FLOA covers the boys' game. Girls lacrosse in this area is the Central Florida Women's Lacrosse Association — cfwloa.org — which is listed with the FHSAA for girls lacrosse in Lake, Orange and Seminole counties. It is a genuinely different job: a different rulebook, different mechanics, a different equipment bag, and a slightly different uniform. Officials do work both, but you certify and belong separately, so start with the association for the game you want. To be clear about one thing the FHSAA directory does not spell out: "boys lacrosse" describes the game, not the officials. Women officiate the boys' game, and are welcome here.

FLOA's current high school fee schedule rises with travel distance. Varsity pays $93 up to 50 miles, $103 for 50–74 miles, and $113 for 75 miles or more. JV pays $79 up to 50 miles, $89 for 50–74 miles, and $99 for 75 miles or more. Officials are independent contractors, not employees.

That is your choice, with a practical tradeoff: if you are willing to drive, there are plenty of game assignments. If you limit your travel, the number of assignments available to you may also be limited.

We do not issue certification. USA Lacrosse runs the national certification for officials — membership, the online rules course, an annual professional development course, and an annual rules exam. The FHSAA handles the separate registration and background screening you need to work Florida high school games. What happens locally is the training and the on-field evaluation, which a local trainer or observer conducts when you are ready. The resources page links to both bodies.

No. Florida high school lacrosse uses a crew of at least two officials in the regular season and three in the State Series, so you are working alongside someone from your first game. Certification also ends with an on-field evaluation, which a local trainer or observer runs when they judge you are ready — not before.

Less than people tell you. The FHSAA writes down a short list — the striped shirt with the sublimated shield, black or white shorts or black wind pants, a black belt, and solid black shoes with black laces — and everything past that is either equipment the rules make necessary, like a whistle and a flag, or something officials simply prefer. The full breakdown, with what is required and what is not marked on every line, is on the Becoming an Official page. Two things worth knowing before you shop. The belt timer is a varsity item that many people buy in week one and do not need. And the FHSAA shield may not be worn at youth, rec or club games, so if you plan to work those too you will want a second, plain shirt. Talk to us before you spend anything.

It comes up less than you expect, and there is a structure for it. You do not engage with spectators — the site administrator and the head coach are responsible for their own sidelines. The rulebook gives you tools for misconduct, you work with a partner, and incidents get reported afterward rather than argued on the field. Handling it calmly is a skill, and it is one of the things training covers.

There is no physical exam. You should be honest with yourself about the running: a lacrosse field is large, games move quickly, and you will be on your feet for most of a couple of hours. Plenty of officials treat that as one of the reasons to do it — you are paid to move around outdoors on a spring evening rather than paying a gym for the privilege.