Membership in the NHTOA is open to anyone over the age of 18 who is no longer a high school student and is interested in officiating high school Track & Field and Cross Country in the State of New Hampshire.

New Officials
Joining the NHTOA for the first time, you must:

  1. Submit an APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
  2. Pay NHTOA dues (determined each year by the NHTOA Board of Directors)
  3. Pay the NHIAA annual fee assessed to every certified official in all sports*
  4. Pass the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) Track & Field and Cross Country exam (a passing score is 90%).
  5. Attend a Rules Review, ether at the NHTOA Annual Meeting or a Clinic organized by the NHTOA Supervisor of Officials.

* NOTE: If you officiate more than one NHIAA sport, you only pay this fee one time and it covers all sports for the year, July 1 through June 30. Payment and registering with the NHIAA is done through ArbiterSports.com.

The Exam
The exam is an open book, exam (true-false and multiple-choice) based upon the NFHS Rules Book, Case Book, and Officials Manual. Exams and Rules Reviews are given at the NHTOA annual meeting held each year on the first Saturday of March. The NHTOA also offers clinics where you can take the exam and participate in a rules review. Dates and times of the clinics are determined by the NHTOA Supervisor of Officials.

Additional Requirements for New Members
Once a new member has met the requirements listed above, they need to be observed officiating at two track meets (generally unpaid) by a certified official before they can be assigned as a paid official. The certified official will work with the new member, reviewing the event(s), rules and general information about how to officiate at a track meet. The new member will get an opportunity to act as the official at a specific event, and will be observed by the evaluating official. Upon satisfactory completion of the two observations, the new member will be eligible to be assigned, and get paid as a certified official. NOTE: One, or both, of the observations may be waived depending on past officiating or coaching experience of the new member, or at the discretion of the NHTOA Supervisor of Officials.

Maintaining Your Certification
To maintain your eligibility to officiate, every year you are required to:

  1. Pass the NFHS Exam
  2. Attend a Rules Review
  3. Pay the NHTOA annual dues
  4. Pay the NHIAA registration fee