Becoming a lacrosse official is a rewarding way to stay actively connected to a fast‑growing, high‑energy sport while making a meaningful impact on athletes’ experiences. Officiating sharpens your leadership, confidence, and decision‑making skills, all while keeping you physically engaged and part of a supportive community. It’s also a flexible, paid opportunity that allows you to give back to the game—helping ensure safety, fairness, and great competition at every level. If you love lacrosse and want a front‑row seat to the action, becoming an official is one of the most fulfilling ways to stay in the game.
The NCLOA conducts its Candidates Class every January for those interested in becoming a certified high school lacrosse official. The class size is limited and any requests to be considered for the upcoming class will be accepted in the order they are received.
We need new officials who are at least 18 years of age, high school graduates and have Availability during the week to work Public School boys lacrosse games assigned by Nassau County BOCES.
Please only apply if you can work games starting at 4pm on weekdays. Weekend games are very few.
Check out or Frequently Asked Questions!
No request is held over from year to year. If you were on our waiting list, you must reapply before each upcoming season. Your request will be acknowledged by e-mail and those accepted for the class will be notified in December. If you are interested, please fill out the form below completely and hit SEND.
Also, please email our new officials coordinator, Engin Suvak, to make sure your contact information is received; enginonli@gmail.com
Candidates must take the officials course and successfully pass the exam at the end of the classes. In addition you must pass the NYS Certification test that is given annually.
Public School games are assigned by Nassau County BOCES. All new candidates will be certified to work Middle School level games. The number of games you officiate will depend on your availability; most games are played Monday – Friday starting between 4:00PM – 4:30PM
The NCLOA has a “Big Brother” program whereby all new officials are assigned a veteran official as a “Big Brother” who will act as a mentor during their first year. First time officials will also be working with an official who has at least some experience to mentor them through their first games.
First year costs include the cost of the class which includes 1st year dues. Additional costs include: US Lacrosse Membership required by NYS, Fingerprinting required by BOCES if not already in their data bank, uniform components and any other accessories required to officiate (flags, whistles, etc.)
There is no physical exam required, however candidates should be aware of the physical activity required to officiate lacrosse. This includes running, jogging, sprinting and standing during the duration of the game.
All successful candidates are NYS certified to officiate youth level and tournaments games. Officials are assigned by the league or tournament director and not by the NCLOA or BOCES.
Public School games are paid based on the level of the game (i.e. Middle School, JV, Varsity). Youth league and tournament compensation is determined by the league or tournament director.
Advancement to the next level is determined by a BOCES administered rating system. Officials are rated by the respective coaches at each game. Ratings are based on appearance, knowledge of rules and on field performance. Each year the official will receive a rating, which determines their ranking at their current level. Once an official has completed 2 years of consecutive ratings they are eligible to move up to the next level if their ranking is high enough. Promotion to the next level is based on needs such as retiring officials, number of games, etc. and is determined during discussions with the executive board and BOCES.