Rules and Officiating is an introductory course designed to provide students with foundational knowledge and practical understanding of sport rules, officiating responsibilities, and the role of officials in promoting fair play and safety. This course explores the principles, mechanics, and professional expectations of sports officials across a variety of team and individual sports. Students will learn how officials contribute to the structure, flow, and integrity of athletic competition while developing the decision‑making skills essential to effective officiating.
For each unit of credit, a minimum of three hours per week with one of the hours for class and two hours for studying/preparation outside of class is expected.
The Seward County Community College physical education program will broaden the understanding of fitness for life by providing general education, appropriate technology, and professional development opportunities that promote a healthy lifestyle.
Outcome #1: Read with comprehension, be critical of what they read, and apply knowledge gained from their reading to broader issues of the day.
Outcome #5: Demonstrate the ability to think critically by gathering facts, generating insights, analyzing data, and evaluating information.
Outcome #9: Exhibit workplace skills to include respect for others, teamwork competence, attendance/punctuality, decision making, conflict resolution, truthfulness/honest, positive attitude, judgment, responsibility.
1. Define key terms used in the sport
2. Identify important parts of the court, field, competition area and its dimensions
3. Describe the responsibilities of officials before, during, and after the event
4. Describe the process and conditions by which players and can enter and exit the event
5. Determine how timing and scoring rules are applied in specific situational contexts
6. Describe the procedure for starting and ending periods and starting and stopping competition
7. Recognize violations, penalties, and infractions and their corresponding rules enforcement
8. Describe the officiating mechanics of positioning, rotation, and coverage that are applied based on the number of officials
9. Apply rules of the contest in real world contexts to make quick decisions under pressure
- The Game
- The Court
- The Equipment
- Player Equipment and Uniform
- Officials: Responsibilities and Positions
- The Team: Compositions and Positions
- Roster and Lineup
- Rules applying to the specific sport (e.g., volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball)
- Conduct
- Officiating mechanics
1. RefRep Officiating Education System is video-based interactive online LMS
2. Lecture
3. Skills Practice
1. RefReps Officiating Education System (learn.refreps.com)
2. National Federation of High School rule books (nfhslearn.com)
3. National Association of Sports Officials (naso.org)
4. National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (nirsa.net)
5. State High School Association – Referee Certification Information
6. Officially Human (officiallyhuman.com)
Outcome #1 will be assessed and measured by class participation, successful completion of RefReps Modules and module exams indicating comprehension of material read.
Outcome #5 will be assessed by on-court/field simulated game play and discussion of real-life plays and game situations.
Outcome # 9 will be assessed by attendance and participation, simulated game play and working with others on and off the court/field.
SCCC Policy
Technical support is available by contacting the SCCC IT Department at itech@sccc.edu
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Seward County Community College (SCCC) is committed to ensuring digital and physical accessibility for all students, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In alignment with the U.S. Department of Justice Title II accessibility compliance deadlines, SCCC continues to enhance the accessibility of its instructional materials, technology, and online content.
SCCC utilizes tools to evaluate and improve the accessibility of digital course content and help the College reach its compliance goals.
If you need support or academic accommodations due to a documented disability, please contact the Mental Health Counselor at 620-417-1106 or visit the Student Success Center in the Hobble Academic Building, Room A149.
To promote equal access, SCCC strives to provide captions and transcripts for all course videos and multimedia materials. If you encounter any issues with captions, transcripts, or other accessibility features in this course, please notify your instructor immediately so the issue can be addressed and corrected as quickly as possible.
SCCC remains committed to creating a learning environment that ensures all students can fully participate in academic programs and college activities.