The National Line Judge certification is awarded only by the PAVO National Rating Team (NRT) at specific rating sites around the country each year. Because this certification is for the most highly skilled and experienced line judges, PAVO establishes a selective application process, stricter rating criteria, and more demanding renewal requirements.
National Line Judge Certification Standards
List of PAVO Nationally Certified Referees
Application Process
Any questions related to this process may be directed to Dan Swensen, PAVO Director of Line Judge Training and Development, at linejudge.director@pavo.org
Candidate Criteria
To be accepted as a candidate at a National Line Judge Rating site, applicants must:
- Hold a current PAVO Basic Line Judge certification for at least two (2) years.
- Attendance at a PAVO Camp within two (2) years prior to application is highly recommended.
- No later than September 1 and at least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the rating session, take the PAVO Line Judge exam, online, without using a rules book or other resources. A minimum score of 90 is required.
- Submit evidence of one of the following on the NRT Application Form:
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Line Judge at an NCAA 1st/2nd round, regional, or championship event (any division), the final round of the NAIA National Championship, or the final round of the NJCAA National Championship (any division) in at least one (1) of the two (2) previous years.
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Be recommended by three (3) different individuals who serve in any of the following capacities: |
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a. College or university women's volleyball coach (maximum of two recommendations).
b. PAVO National Rating Team member (maximum of one recommendation).
c. Applicant's PAVO Affiliated Board Chair.
d. PAVO National Referee or PAVO National Line Judge with national tournament experience (maximum of one recommendation).
Note: National Referees and National Line Judges may only sign three candidates' recommendations per year.
e. Coordinator/Supervisor of Officials of an NCAA conference (maximum of one recommendation). |
* Completed application process and a $150.00 application fee must be submitted online.
Initial Line Judge Referee Certification Requirements
- Pass an on-court examination at an NRT site with a minimum score of 90. There must be at least three (3) raters, all holding PAVO National or Retired National certifications.
NOTE: Rating expires on December 31, four years after the year in which the certification is awarded.
Maintaining a National Line Judge Certification
Certification expires on December 31 in the fourth year after the year in which the certification is awarded.
Although a National certification is valid for four (4) years, officials who hold this certification must meet annual requirements to maintain their certifications. If a National Line Judge fails to meet any of these requirements once during a term, no renewal points can be earned that season. Two failures to meet any requirement during a term will result in loss of National Line Judge Certification.
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By September 1, take the PAVO Line Judge exam without using a rule book or other resources. A minimum score of 90 is required. |
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By September 1, take the online Line Judge Exam. There is no time limit, and no minimum score is required. |
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Attend an PAVO Line Judge Clinic prior to each women's college season. |
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By January 15 (or alternate date announced by PAVO), use the online submission process to report points earned in the previous calendar year. |
Renewing a National Line Judge Certification
Certification expires on December 31 in the fourth year after the year in which the certification is awarded.
In addition to meeting the annual requirements for Maintaining a National Line Judge Certification, listed above, there are additional requirements for renewing a National certification at the end of each 4-year term:
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Pay a renewal fee of $75.00 to PAVO in the renewal year. |
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Demonstrate that the National Line Judge is still officiating at a highly skilled level. This requirement can be met either by passing a practical examination at an NRT site with a minimum score of 90 or by earning enough renewal points (full details can be found in the National Line Judge Certification Renewal Options and Point Renewal System document). |
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View the NATIONAL LINE JUDGE CERTIFICATION RENEWAL OPTIONS and POINT RENEWAL SYSTEM document here. |
Criteria for Retired National Line Judge
A PAVO National Line Judge may choose to take retired status and maintain an affiliation with PAVO in order to remain active as a trainer for the Affiliated Board with whom they are associated/registered. PAVO has established the following criteria:
• Hold a National Line Judge certification for at least two, four-year terms.
• Meet all requirements for Affiliated Board membership and PAVO membership.
The Application for Retired National Status must be submitted to the Director of Line Judge Training and Development (Dan Swensen, linejudge.director@pavo.org) by December 1 of the year your National Line Judge certification will expire. The application must be signed by the applicant and the Chair of the member's Affiliated Board.
Direct questions to Lynette Muller, Executive Administrator, PAVO Central Office at pavo@pavo.org or 316-788-4035.
Direct technical questions to PAVOhelp@gmail.com.