Officials Resources
USA Luge uses certified race officials to officiate national and international races that are held on the tracks in Lake Placid, NY, Park City, UT, Negaunee, MI, and Muskegon, MI. Race officials are required to know the rules of the sport and make sure they are followed so that the competition is fair to all competitors. Officials work the starts, finish, control areas, and timing. Officials are also needed to do the administrative paperwork, be jury members, technical delegates, course inspectors, escorts, marshals and even track workers. A race official must be willing to work outside in all types of weather for long periods of time. A race day is typically 6 to 8 hours for a national race and longer for an international event. But the feeling of helping athletes, young and old, reach their dreams and goals makes the time fly by.
USA Luge offers courses to certify race officials. These courses are held over two days, generally over a weekend, and are scheduled every year at the above track locations. Courses are free and Rulebooks are provided. You must also be a member of the U.S. Luge Association.
The first level of instruction is for the National Official’s Course which is comprised of rules for both artificial track and natural track luge. You don’t need any previous experience with luge.
The second level of instruction is for the International Judges license. You must hold the National Officials Certification as well as meet other specific requirements which encompass working various officiating positions during races. The course is given over a three day period at the end of which you are evaluated with a written and oral exam. For the FIL judges license, the certification has been separated for artificial and natural track.
USA Luge has also established criteria to obtain levels of recognition once you are an FIL judge.
- FIL 1. Twenty hours of volunteer time and race experience with positions at Start, Finish, Control, Weigh in, Timing and Race Administration (race office).
- FIL 2. Attainment of FIL 1, plus twenty hours of volunteer time and race experience in positions of Start Leader, Finish Leader, Chief of Control, Head Timer, Assistant Track Inspector, Assistant TD, Jury Member and Assistant Race Director.
- FIL 3. Attainment of FIL 2, plus twenty hours of volunteer time and race experience in positions of leadership for Race Director, Administrative Race Secretary, Track Inspector Technical Delegate and Jury Chair. Also, must attend an international team captain's meeting, i.e, World Cup, World Championship.
USA Luge offers several one day rules refresher courses every year at all the track locations. These courses are required for officials who are already National or FIL certified. There is no fee to take a refresher course. This course covers any new rule changes, examples of situations that might arise with discussion on how they can be handled, and an opportunity to address any concerns or problems experienced during the season.
Once you are certified as an official, you maintain active status by working a minimum of one race a season and attending a Refresher Course at a minimum of every two years.
Volunteers are always welcome. It’s a good way to get experience and see if it’s something you really want to do before taking the National Course.
This Committee creates policies and/or consistent procedures for race administration at the tracks. It oversees officials’ education and recognition, and is also empowered to create national race rules that deviate from the FIL’s IRO when required.
The race committee is comprised of a chairperson, one individual per track site (currently Lake Placid, Park City, and Negaunee) who primarily officiates at each of the locations sanctioned to host a national level (senior or junior) seeding race, up to two additional At-Large members, and two additional members who qualify as Athlete Representatives. All non-athlete members of this committee must be "active" FIL officials.
Officials will be trained and informed of the official rules by the current methods of the National Officials Exam, then the FIL International Exam following a minimum two-year training period. After the attainment of their International Judges License, the following criteria will be used as referenced in the U S Luge Association's Official’s Handbook. (Please Note that the US Luge Association Race Committee has created the following criteria for their own designations within an FIL Judges License.)
USLA's Level of an FIL 1:Twenty hours of volunteer time and race experience in positions at Start, Finish, Control, Weigh in, Timing and Race Administration (race office).
USLA's Level of an FIL 2: Attainment of USLA's FIL 1, Twenty hours of volunteer time and race experience in positions of Start Leader, Finish Leader, Chief of Control, Head Timer, Assistant Track Inspector, Assistant TD, Jury Member, and Assistant Race Director.
USLA's Level of an FIL 3: Attainment of USLA's FIL 2, Twenty hours of volunteer time and race experience in positions of leadership for Race Director, Race Secretary (Race Administration), Track Inspector, Technical Delegate and Jury Chair. Also, must attend an international team captain’s meeting (i.e., World Cup, world Championship).
During International Competitions (i.e., World Cups, World Championships, North Americans), only those officials who have obtained USLA's FIL 3 rating will be eligible for Leadership positions as outlined in the IRO, except in cases of unusual circumstances.
Check your Official Stats. If you have questions about your luge officials judging status, please contact peggy@usaluge.org
Sets policies for race administration, review equipment needs, maintain a consistency at the three tracks, compile rules for National Races based on the FIL-IRO that need modifications, set training schedules for official's education, discuss and resolve problems that officials and athletes are experiencing at races, and more. Goal that races are run with quality administration, equipment and officials, with fairness for all athletes being the priority.
- John Mowry - Chairperson: john@jmowry.com
- Beverly Detwiler - At Large
- Pete Gillwald - At Large
- Peggy Mousaw - Lake Placid Track Rep
- Jay Edmunds - Park City Track Rep
- Elmer Rinehart - Negaunee (Natural Track) Track Rep
- Emily Sweeney - Athlete Representative
- Taylor Morris - Athlete Representative
- Peggy Mousaw - Staff Liaison: peggy@usaluge.org
- Ken Yonemura - USLA Board of Directors' Liaison