Referee and Competition Secretary Criteria


Mission Statement: To have a program that develops, educates and certifies officials that are experienced, qualified, competent and impartial to ensure high level organization and fair and just competition for our athletes to have the opportunity for high level performance.

Local Weightlifting Committee (LWC) Referee

To become a LWC referee, individuals must meet the following requirements and obligations:

  • Be a member of USAW.
  • Have a current rule book.
  • Attend a rules clinic conducted by national or higher referee.
  • Take a pass/fail standardized test.
  • Have LWC submit request for LWC referee certification to national office signed by referee conducting clinic and test with date of clinic and signed by LWC president.
  • Complete all of the above before getting LWC card from national office.
  • Officiate at least once a year a complete session for both the snatch and the clean and jerk (30 attempts each minimum).
  • Attend a rules clinic every two years.

National Referee

To apply for National Referee, individuals need to demonstrate that they:

  • Are a member of USAW.
  • Functioned as an LWC-approved referee for a least two years.
  • Refereed at least three events in each of the past two years.
  • Provided a resume of one's experience in the sport as:
    local weightlifting referee
    a weightlifting athlete
    local administrator
  • Provided a resume of all sanctions USA Weightlifting events at which one has been a referee during at last the past two years including name of event, date, location and the position in which one functioned.
  • Had LWC president provide a letter directly to the referee coordinator at testing to one's referee activity within the LWC.
  • Attended a national referee's clinic when provided at a national level event.
  • Submitted request for taking written and practical examination 45 days in advance of the specified event at which one wishes to be tested. Such requests are to be sent to the referee coordinator.


Application forms are available at the National Office or contact Ken McClain, referee coordinator.

International Category II Referee

Promotion to International Category II Referee is as stipulated in section 6.4.31 of the IWF Technical Rules and requires five years service as a national referee. An applicant must be forwarded to the referee director at least 45 days before the event to be tested.

International Category I Referee

Promotion to International Category I Referee is as stipulated in sections 6.4.32 to 6.4.52 of the IWF Technical Rules and requires two years service as a Category II. An applicant must be forwarded to the referee director at least 45 days before the event to be tested.

Additional Information

If a person fails to pass either the written or practical test, he/she is required to wait six months before requesting to be tested again.

Validation of International and National Referees

Valid/Active Referee

The following requirements are necessary for an International or National card holding referee to be classified as a valid/active referee in the United States:

  • Must attend, officiate or offer assistance at three meets/contest on a local, state or national level each calendar year.
  • Must attend at least one authorized rules or officials clinic within a three year period.
  • Must attend, officiate or offer assistance at a Collegiate, Junior, National or American Open meet least once within a three year period.

Invalid/Inactive Referee
A referee (International or National) not completing all of the above requirements will be classified as Inactive Referee. This inactive status will eliminate a referee from adjudicating at any National meet.

Current Referee
A referee (International or National) unable to comply with attending, officiating or offering assistance at a Collegiate, Junior, National, or American Open within a three year period, but wanting to keep his/her referee card current, must pay $5.00 privilege fee annually. This fee will permit a referee to be classified active but only on the local level. (A current referee must meet the other active referee requirements.)

Eliminated from the Records Referee
A referee not complying with any of the active referee requirements will be removed from the records. 

Application to Test for Referee

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NEW!  USA Weightlifting International Referee Nomination Criteria:

USA Weightlifting IWF Representative Responsibilities

USA Weightlifting International Referee Criteria

USA Weightlifting International Referee Application

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Competition Secretary Criteria:

USA Weightlifting
Criteria for Competition Secretary at National Championships

Competition Secretary at National events is a volunteer position.  Candidates will have expenses for travel, and lodging paid by USA Weightlifting, however, meals, and other associated expenses shall be paid by the individual.

Competition Secretaries are asked to arrive at the National Championships on the morning of the day prior to the beginning of the competition.

Duties of the Competition Secretary shall include:

  • In cooperation with the National Office, the Competition Secretary shall receive names of all National Referees that are planning to attend the competition as well as general times and days they will be there. This information will be used to help assign working officials prior to the competition.
  • In cooperation with the Competition Director, the Jury, and the referee's, the Competition Secretary monitors the progress of the competition.
  • Verifies the lists of competitors and divides them into groups if necessary according to best results supplied on final entries.
  • Conducts Technical Conference and Verification Meeting one night prior to competition beginning.
  • Produces revised start list and scheduling of lifting after completion of verification meeting.
  • Conducts weigh-ins or appoints appropriate technical officials to do so.
  • Appoints and schedules the technical officials for the sessions of the competition.
  • Supervises the order of lifting in accordance with the technical rules.
  • Supervises registration of new records with the High Performance Communications Coordinator.
  • Supervises the generation of and distributes electronically and manually the results of the competition including bodyweight categories, Team, and Outstanding Lifters.
  • Is responsible for all technical documentation and electronic equipment used to generate these documents.

Qualifications of the Competition Secretary shall include:

  • Must be a current registered member of USA Weightlifting.
  • Must be a USAW National Referee or above to serve as Competition Secretary at National Championships, Olympic Trials, and American Open. Competition Secretary's for all other National level competitions may be an LWC referee with more than 3 years experience.
  • Must have experience as Meet Director or Competition Secretary at the LWC level.
  • Must serve as "Assistant Competition Secretary" (LWC Referee required) at least once in the past or served as a meet director or assistant meet director of at least 8 competitions.
  • Must have excellent computer skills in Word and Excel programs.
  • Must have excellent working knowledge of all required documentation for the competition.
  • Must be in contact with the Meet Director and High Performance Director or High Performance Communications Coordinator well in advance of the competition to be informed of logistics and help coordinate set up issues.
  • Must have ability to work in close and cooperative manner with Competition Director, staff, and Technical Officials, including the jury president (if applicable)

Forms Generated by the Competition Secretary shall include:

  • Start List
  • Weigh-in list
  • Competition Cards
  • Official Results form
  • Record Forms

The National Office shall provide the following:

  • 1. Marshall cards
  • 2. Updated Start List
  • 3. Score Sheets
  • 4. Record Forms/Current Records
  • 5. Assist with final schedule in conjunction with the meet director/competition secretary.