Welcome To The NCLRA

Northern California Lacrosse Referee’s Association

Mission & Vision Statements & Policies

Mission Statement

Our Mission:
The Northern California Lacrosse Referee’s Association’s mission is to provide education and training to, and support men’s and boy’s lacrosse officials in Northern California, to provide well trained officials for all men’s and boy’s lacrosse games in Northern California, so that lacrosse officiating is synonymous with safety, sportsmanship, and fair play at every athletic contest.

Vision Statement

The Northern California Lacrosse Referee’s Association’s vision is to serve its members by providing them with the best possible training available to officiate lacrosse contests in order to provide the best trained and certified officials for all men’s and boy’s lacrosse games in Northern California.

Our Vision: 

• All Officials at an interscholastic athletic event are participants in the educational development of high school students. As such, they must exercise the highest level of self-discipline, independence, integrity, humility and responsibility.
• All officials are educated and trained on all aspects of the rules, the reasons for the rules, the spirit and intent of the rules, the enforcement of the rules and to officiate all lacrosse contests safely, fairly, and according to the rules.
• All officials shall exercise their authority in an impartial, firm, and controlled manner.
• All officials shall master both the rules of the game and the mechanics necessary to enforce the rules.

• All officials shall prepare themselves both physically and mentally, shall dress neatly and appropriately, and shall comport themselves in a manner consistent with the highest standards of the profession.

Policies

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LACROSSE REFEREE’S ASSOCIATION

CODE OF ETHICS

Each NCLRA member shall be required to read and adhere to this Code of Ethics, as well as the “Officials Code of Ethics” found in the current NFHS rule book. If a member is found to have violated this Code of Ethics, a penalty may be imposed by the NCLRA after the member is provided with his or her due process rights according to our Bylaws The penalty could range from requiring the member to attend additional training clinics to expulsion from the NCLRA.
NCLRA members shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.

The NCLRA’s Code of Ethics requires its members to:

• Strive to learn, understand and fairly interpret officiating rules and adhere to the standards of conduct for good sportsmanship and professionalism.
• Assist, counsel, and support other officials to achieve a higher standard of officiating.
• Not disgrace the sport of lacrosse or the avocation of officiating.
• Not to engage in objectionable conduct including, but not limited to, berating a fellow official, an official of another association, or an official of another sport, coaches, players, school administrators or fans.
• Not use non-prescription drugs or consume alcoholic beverages during the day prior to or during a game assignment.
• Not use drugs or consume alcoholic beverages on school property, or any field used for playing lacrosse. This ethics policy applies to youth, high school, and college lacrosse assignments.
• Not use tobacco products on school property or on fields used for the sport of lacrosse including all youth fields.
• Not use profanity or objectionable language or engage in improper conduct while at any game site or while in uniform at/in any public establishment.
• Be on time for all assignments.
• Not discuss the conduct or decisions of other officials with anyone other than the appropriate NCLRA officer or director.
• Make calls as the action of the game dictates and not be influenced or intimidated by outside factors concerning any decision.
• Present a good physical and personal appearance; be properly dressed and in the correct and identical uniform as the other crew members, act and look like an official.
• Officiate all contests in an impartial, firm, and controlled manner and use language that reflects calmness and confidence.
• Not officiate any contest in which a child or grandchild is participating, or in which the member is affiliated with any school, league, club, school district up to and including but not limited to: a) child/grandchild attending/playing for a school, league, or club; b) is currently employed or has been employed (last 3 years) in any form; c) is a member of any auxiliary organization, booster club, PTA etc.

NCLRA SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
As interscholastic lacrosse officials, we recognize that we represent not only ourselves, but also our fellow officials, our assigner, the institutions with or for whom we work (NCLRA, NCS, CCS, conferences, leagues, and schools), the entire officiating community and the sport of lacrosse. We also recognize that, as officials, anything we say about a game, rule, player, or coach, may carry a certain weight and/or credibility by our position as officials who are presumed not only to be authorities on the rules and mechanics of the game but are also presumed to be unbiased.

To protect the integrity and reputation of all officials, and the game itself, we recognize that we must refrain from any comment or communication which can be recorded, transmitted, or published, either by word, recording, film, internet or in any form of social media, including Facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc. As a guideline, it is strongly recommended that before you send any message to stop and think and ask yourself: Are these words appropriate in all respects? – mindful that once you push “send” you cannot retrieve the message. Prohibited are:

• Comments which are, or can be deemed to be, in any way critical or derogatory about a player, team, coach, college, conference, assigner, fellow official, or any institution that we represent.
• Comments that may in any way be construed to be racist, sexist, or otherwise prejudiced, derogatory or inappropriate.
• Actions or words which could be construed as bullying, intimidating or threatening against any player, coach or official,
• Comments about any assignment we receive or is received by another official to work any game.
• Comments about any game or play or the application or interpretation of any rule or mechanic that arises either in any game or play.
• Acts or statements which violate the By-Laws of NCLRA.

Any violation of the above, depending upon the nature and severity thereof as determined in the sole discretion of the NCLRA Board, could result in one or more of the following sanctions:

• Letters of Reprimand.
• Loss of Games, Assignments.
• Termination of NCLRA Membership

The Officers and Board of Directors of the Northern California Referee’s Association reserves the right to update, alter, change, add to, delete, or otherwise remove, suspend, any or all the above polices due to changes in the laws state or federal. If the decision is made to do any of the aforementioned, the membership may be notified by, electronic transmission, U. S. mail, at the general meeting, posting on the NCLRA websites, or any other means dictated by the NCLRA By-Laws.