Mission Statement

It is the desire of Board 60 to establish a concise and well-understood code of conduct and policy and procedures for each of its officials.

Code of Ethics

Each year, all officials must read and be familiar with the by-laws, code of ethics, and policies and procedures prior to officiating any Board 60 sanctioned games.

• To provide members with a meaningful set of guidelines for their professional conduct both on and off the court. To establish acceptable agreed-upon standards rather than unwritten rules.
• To serve as positive role models and examples for other sports officials.
• To provide coaches, players, fans, media, parents, and administrators criteria by which to judge our actions as true professionals.

NYS Five Point Plan

Approved Officials: Officials shall qualify through completion of the Officials’ Five Point Program. Each approved official shall:

1. Observe the constitution and bylaws of their local and state official’s organization.
2. Attend interpretation meetings and clinics of the local organization each year.
3. Give satisfactory evidence of proficiency in the mechanics of officiating and of competent performance related to specific sport.
4. Pass the approved rules examination.
5. Be listed with the Section V Executive Director.

Eligibility Requirements:

For the Current Season:

• Attend an approved interpretation meeting.
• Complete the November IAABO exam (Sub-varsity officials must score 80 or above to be considered for varsity status)

For the Next Season:

• Pay full dues.
• Attend 5 meetings in the current season.

Policies and Procedures

I. Officials Must:

A) Dress to Officiate According to Board 60 Policy:

• Black shoes and black socks
• Beltless black pants (pleats OK) or black pants with black belt (pleats OK)
• Collarless, “V-necked” black and white narrow striped shirt with IAABO patch (American flag on the center of the back at the collar is required)
• Black lanyard (or no lanyard)
• Approved black jacket (college jackets are not acceptable)
• Black whistle (Fox 40 preferred)

B) Uniform changes approved by the Board of Directors shall not take effect until the second season after general membership approval.

C) Know and honor all aspects of the contract between Section 5 and the United Sports Board Council.

D) Have completed at least two years varsity experience before rating J.V. officials.

E) Verbally report all grievance matters to the Secretary or designee, followed by written documentation.

F) Keep availability up to date in Arbiter for both varsity and JV sites.

G) Enter and leave the playing court together and leave the locker room together after the game.

H) Make every effort to meet and ride together. Establish positive contact by Sunday for the week’s games. Positive contact is defined as a response from the contacted official confirming the assignment details, plans, and times to meet at the game site or other location. BOTH OFFICIALS are responsible for initiating positive contact. In the case of a replacement, the replacement official on the game is responsible for initiating the positive contact process. Acceptable forms of contact include face to face, phone, text, or email. If after 2 attempts to contact the partner(s) and there is no response, the assignor must be contacted.

I) Only accept preseason scrimmages through the Board 60 approved process.

J) Arrive at the game site a minimum of 30 minutes before the scheduled start.

K) Complete the assigned game until jurisdiction ends.

L) Avoid interaction with spectators, players, bench personnel, or school staff. Communicate only with head coach, table crew, or site administrator.

M) Contact the site administrator upon arrival.

II. Officials Must Not:

A) Ingest recreational drugs or alcohol on the day of the game prior to the completion of the game or socialize in uniform where alcohol is served.

B) Arrange their own substitute for any assigned game.

C) Officiate games involving schools where they work, coach, have children enrolled, graduated from, or have close personal relationships.

D) Communicate individually with coaches, players, supporters, or media outside official duties.

E) Speak to media without approval from the Board 60 President.

F) Contact coaches or assignors to solicit games.

G) Criticize fellow officials, coaches, or players.

H) Gamble on high school athletic contests.

I) Use tobacco or related products on school campuses.

L) Make public statements about officiating, contests, schools, coaches, or players, including electronic or social media posts.

III. Ratings Requirement

Officials must participate in the Tom Emmanuel Sportsmanship Rating to receive end-of-year ratings.

IV. Missed Game Penalty

Officials shall be fined the game fee for failure to show up for an assigned contest. Payment must be made to the Board 60 Treasurer within 60 days.

Adoption and Revisions

Adoption of these policies and procedures and any future revisions shall follow the by-laws (Article V, Sec E 5). Violations may be addressed under Article V, Section C.

Strongly Encouraged Practices

1. Maintain a satisfactory health record through annual physicals.
2. Dress appropriately to and from games (no jeans or sweat suits).
3. Accept late game assignments unless availability is closed.
4. Contact the assignor by 12:00 noon to request a replacement.
5. Varsity officials should observe at least half of a JV game.
6. JV officials should observe at least half of the varsity game.
7. Review rules and casebook plays’ annually.

Emergency Contact Protocol:

If an official must turn in a game and cannot reach the assignor, contact another member of the Section V Assignment Committee. If unavailable, contact the Board 60 President. If the President is unavailable, contact the Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer.

10/26/2025