Frequently Asked Questions for Officials

  
  


General

When you take your first seminar to become an official, you should receive a USA Cycling rule book. When you renew your license the following year, you will automatically get a new rule book. Additional materials can be acquired online.
We have a distributor for a line of officials clothing. New officials get a 15% discount on their first purchase, and there is a discounted item every month that you will read about in the Technical Director update. To access the clothing program, please follow this link.
From the Officials page, you can find downloadable versions of the rule books, as well as the Officials Manuals, which describes how officials do their jobs in the various disciplines. There is also the motorcycle referee's handbook.

The basic categories for officials in road and track are level C, level B, level A, national commissaire, and international commissaire. The categories for mountain bike and BMX are similar, but without the level B. There are requirements for advancement to each rank, and these are explained in the manuals and through links on the officials page. Upgrading requires a combination of time since last upgrade, number of races and positions officiating, attendance at an upgrading seminar, and performance on an upgrading exam. For road upgrades to B, there are a series of modules to take.

In addition to the basic categories, there are also some specialties, such as motorcycle refereeing (motoref), track starter, and race secretary. These specialties are taught in periodic seminars.

Insurance

While working as an official at a USA Cycling sanctioned event, there are four automatic and one optional insurance policies that provide you with coverage.

Commercial General Liability Policy (CGL)
  • $1 million each occurrence
  • $3 million per event aggregate
  • $10 million policy aggregate
  • While working the event in the capacity of an official, you are a named insured on this policy.
Umbrella Policy
  • This provides excess liability coverage on top of the Commercial General Liability Policy.
  • $4 million each occurrence
  • $4 million policy aggregate
  • While working the event in the capacity of an official, you are a named insured on this policy.
Professional Liability Policy
  • $1 million each claim
  • $1 million policy aggregate
  • This policy excludes professional liability bodily injury/property damage claims covered by the Commercial General Liability Policy (the CGL is the main policy while this policy is supplemental).
  • While working the event in the capacity of an official, you are an inusred on this policy.
Excess Accident Medical Policy
  • $25,000 maximum medical expense
  • $1,000 accidental death and dismemberment
  • $500 maximum benefit for dental expenses, orthopedic appliances expenses, Outpatient physical therapy expenses, and transportation.
  • This policy is excess coverage, meaning that if you have primary health insurance, that would pay first before this policy goes into effect.
  • If you have primary health insurance, there is a matching deductible per accident ($1,000 minimum, $5,000 maximum).
  • If you do not have primary health insurance, there is a deductible of $5,000 per accident.
  • This policy does have exclusions, and does not cover loss cause by or resulting from:
    • An official who is in, entering, or exiting any aircraft owned, operated, or leased by USA Cycling.
    • An official who is acting or training as an aircraft pilot or crew member.
    • Emotional trauma, mental or physical illness, disease, pregnancy, childbirth or miscarriage, bacterial or viral infection, or bodily malfunctions.
    • Suicide, attempted suicide, or self-inflicted injuries.
    • Declared or undeclared war.
Non-Owned/Hired Automobile and Non-Owned/Hired Motorcycle Liability Policy
  • This policy is OPTIONAL, and it is the event Race Director's responsibility to purchase this policy.
  • If this insurance is not purchased, or the purchase is declined, then the automobile(s) and motorcycle(s) used in the event (if any) will not receive insurance coverage through USA Cycling.
  • If this insurance is purchased by the Race Director, then only the automobile(s) and motorcycle(s) listed on the application will receive insurance coverage. If you will be using your automobile(s) and/or motorcycle(s), and want this insurance to cover them, work with the Race Director to ensure that they are listed on the application.
  • All drivers must apply for, and pass, a motor vehicle record (MVR) background check to be eligible for coverage. If you are licensed as a USA Cycling Motoref, you will have already completed this step as part of your Motoref license approval process.
  • $1 million of liability coverage
  • This policy is excess coverage, meaning that the automobiles(s) and motorcycle(s) must have primary insurance, that would pay first before this policy goes into effect (it is recommended that the primary insurance coverage has liability limits of $300,000 or greater).
  • This policy only covers automobile(s) and motorcycle(s) driven during the race on the race course.
  • An automobile may carry a maximum of 8 persons or the number of seat belts in the vehicle, whichever is less.

Policy Summary Disclosures
The above information only summarizes the policies and is just an overview. Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy(ies). Should a discrepency occur between this synopsis of coverage and the actual terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy(ies), the policy(ies) terms, conditions and exclusion will prevail.

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A summary of the insurance that covers a USA Cycling sanctioned event can be found at:
http://www.usacycling.org/usa-cycling-insurance-programs.htm

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In addition to the general insurance questions listed above, a comprehensive and easy-to-read FAQ has been created through the joint efforts of USA Cycling staff, members of the National Technical Commission, and officials serving on USA Cycling Sports Committees. This FAQ has been submitted to our insurance provider, with the responses available through the following PDF document:
Officials Insurance FAQ

Do you have questions regarding the Officials Program? Or have a question you'd like to see included in this FAQ? Submit it today to Randy Shafer - Technical Director

This article updated February 5, 2015.