PVOA is an organization based in Loudoun County, Virginia, is a professional member of NASO, and dedicated is to the advancement and development of youth sports.
About Us
PVOA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes basketball and softball in the Northern Virginia region by providing officials for area basketball and softball games. PVOA is a professional member of NASO (National Association of Sports Officials) and is dedicated to the growth and development of youth (and adult) sports in Loudoun County and its surrounding areas. We see ourselves as a partner to the leagues as they provide a valuable service for the youth to enjoy and learn the game through organized competition.
To find out more about being a referee, information about PVOA, contact information for the Board of Directors, and about NASO, please select one of the tabs below:
An official who watches a game or match closely to ensure that the rules are adhered to and (in some sports) to arbitrate on matters arising from the play.
synonyms: umpire, judge, linesman;
informal: ref, ump; (Reference: Google)
A referee is a keeper of the rules. On the field of play, a referee fulfills the role of a police officer and a judge. A referee must study and have extensive knowledge the rules of the game, must be decisive, show good judgement in enforcing the rules, and be impartial in dispensing punishment for those who break the rules. A good referee knows the rules of the game. A great referee knows the rules and shows good judgement in applying the rules of the game.
Ever since competitive sports have existed, there has been the need to have a referee to ensure that the rules of the game are being followed. The ancient Greeks had referees to preside over wrestling matches. The Romans employed referees to watch over the gladiator fights in the Colosseum.
The term "referee" originated from association football (soccer), where each team provided their own umpires to resolve disputes on the field. Eventually, a neutral third-party referee would be used, whose job was to be "referred to" when the umpires could not settle a dispute. (Reference: Wikipedia)
In the early days of American football, officials would wear white dress shirts along with bow ties and a beret type hat. The idea is that a formally dressed official has an air of authority, which is what an official needs. However, the issue was that the officials were often confused with players who also had on white uniforms.
Referee Lloyd Olds contracted his friend George Moe, who owns a sporting store, to create an eye-catching shirt that would distinguish the players from the officials and this marks the official birth of the black and white striped shirt.
When debuted, the players hated the shirt, but it did its job in distinguishing between the players and the officials. The black and white stripes earns officials the moniker of "zebra", but with almost a century's worth of history, donning the "stripes" is all about tradition. (Reference: New York Times)
What's Being a Referee All About?
There's no better job than being a referee. Imagine a profession that requires proficiency in so many different areas of personal development: having the necessary rules knowledge, knowing when to apply the rules, learning how to be a competent communicator, figuring out how to deal with stressful situations, and so much more.
Being a referee is not just about blowing the whistle and calling fouls and violations. If that was it, it would be easy! It's about having the whole package, being a great game manager, knowing how to deal with many different personalities, and having a servant's heart in this unique leadership position.
Each game is different and brings about an unique set of challenges and it's the challenging aspect of the game that makes being a referee so fun. As JFK said in a famous 1962 speech: we do this "not because it is easy, but because [it] is hard." On a micro-level, being a competent referee means being able to manage and control the game, but if that's all we get out of being an official, then we've missed the point. On a macro-level, being a proficient referee allows us to be in situations where we develop presence, rise up to challenges, work on our response to emotional and stressful situations, and work on areas of personal development that will benefit other areas of life.
There's no better job than being a referee!
PVOA started in 1978 as Loudoun County Officials after members in our community saw a need for a professional sports officials organization. In 1982, Loudoun County Officials decided to change its name to the current Potomac Valley Officials Association. Over the past 35+ years, PVOA has changed and evolved, but one thing remains the same: we are 100% committed to development of youth (and adult) sports in Loudoun County and providing the best service we can to our customers.
PVOA is governed by a constitution, by-laws, and led by a Board of Directors, who maintain and oversee the direction of the association. The current association members serving on the Board of Directors can be found here. Any member in good standing may run for a spot on the Board of Directors.
Yearly dues are $40 for adult officials for the first sport and $20 for additional sports. Dues for youth officials (officials in high school and below) and officials enrolled full-time in college are $15 a year. In addition, 10% of your game fees will be taken out for assigning fees. PVOA requires that a W-9 be filled out by all officials and will issue 1099 statements for any official making more than $600.
Basketball related duties are run by the Basketball Commissioner with help from the Assistant Basketball Commissioner and the Members-at-Large. As a crew, we are committed to the training and development of our officials and to faithfully serving the needs of our customers.
For more information about PVOA, visit our website.
PVOA is a professional member of the National Association of Sports Officials (http://www.naso.org). Started in 1980 and with over 20,000 members worldwide, NASO is the world's largest organization for sports officials at every level and all sports - it's the fraternity for sports officials.
Membership to NASO has some key benefits and we encourage all of our officials, especially the adults if officiating is something you would like to continue on to do. A major benefit of a NASO membership is the Sports Officials Security Program (SOS), which provides sports officials with vital lifetime insurance protections. The program also provides officials with permanent protections plus defense costs to fill in “gaps” in any officiating coverage already in effect. The SOS program provides up to $3 million per occurrence, with an overall policy aggregate of $4 million for claims for bodily injury, property damage and personal injury, sporting activities that are organized by recognized sports organizations, leagues and associations and while assigning, attending seminars, conferences, camps, clinics and similar meetings. (Taken from NASO.org website)
In addition, the monthly Referee magazine is not a bad read either.
Key Benefits of NASO Membership
Sports Officials Security Program (SOS)
Member Information and Consultation Program (MICP)
$50,000 Game Call and Assignors' Coverage
$10,000 Assault Protection
Monthly members-only edition of Referee magazine
Monthly It's Official NASO newsletter
Monthly NASO LockerRoom e-newsletter
Advocating on critical issues impacting sports officials
Major buying discounts, Honigs, NASO and Referee publications
Marriott Athletic VIP card - Save up to 40% for officiating & Personal Use
Discounts to annual Sports Officiating Summit
Savings on personal services (car rentals, credit cards, hotels)
Relocation services
NASO membership counts as a "Due and Subscription", which is tax deductible when filing your taxes at the end of the year.
To learn more about NASO or to subscribe to a membership, please visit NASO.org.
Would you make a good referee?
If you have a passion for the sport of basketball (or softball) and have thought about what life is like on the "other side", now is the time to join! We accept applications for new basketball officials throughout the summer and early fall.
Training classes for new basketball officials typically occur during October and early November. A good referee is dependent on knowing the rules, mechanics, and positioning so attending all required training is a necessity.
If you would like to join PVOA, please contact the Basketball Commissioner. We look forward to working with you!
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