Section 1- Recruiting and
Membership
2-A Age Requirements
Member umpires must be at least 14 years of age by the start of the current season.
Any umpires under the age of 16 at the start of the baseball season will only be eligible to work recreational and rookie league games at the 12/under or 10/under level. No other levels of play or age groups may be officiated.
Umpires age 16 and above at the start of the season may work any games commensurate with their experience and skill as evaluated by NCSO. The only exception is that no official may work any youth game involving participants the same age or older than the official.
2-B Background Requirements
All officials may be subjected to a criminal and credit history background check prior to or at any time during membership.
All officials must disclose any conviction for, or plea of nolo contedre to, any misdemeanor or felony other than traffic citations under eight points, on their application to NCSO. Such conviction does not automatically preclude an applicant from membership.
In order to be a member of NCSO, an individual cannot have been convicted of, or plead nolo contedere to, or received a deferred sentence for, any violation of criminal law that would constitute grounds for dismissal under the Colorado Teacher Employment, Compensation, and Dismissal Act (Colo. Revised statutes 22-63-2-302) This includes violations of 18-3-305 (enticement of a child) 18-6-302 (aggravated incest) 18-6-701 (contributing to delinquency of a minor) 18-6-301 (incest when the child is between 10-18 years of age) 18-03-401 et seq (unlawful sexual behavior) 18-6-401 (wrongs to children) 18-7-401 (child prostitution) or any law involving the unlawful cultivation, manufacture, or sale of controlled substances as defined in 12-22-303(7). A certified copy of the guilty or nolo contedere plea or judgment shall constitute grounds for denial or immediate revocation of membership.
2-C Training Requirements
Prior to being granted membership, all officials must attend an NCSO approved training program. Such a program is held yearly by the NCSO. Officials from other areas will be required to attend NCSO training, unless they can provide verifiable documentation of attending and successfully completing training that NCSO judges to be commensurate with the level of training required for membership. High school, collegiate, and/or professionally trained officials may be granted waivers of training attendance on a case by case basis.
2-D Membership Period, Agreement, Insurance, and Annual Dues
The membership period shall run from January 1 of the current season to January 1 of the following year. All officials will be charged annual dues in the amount of 65.00 to help cover administrative and other costs.
Member officials act as independent contractors. All games accepted by member officials are accepted as independent contractors, and will be reimbursed in full to the contracting official. Taxes, medical insurance, liability insurance, transportation, etc. are all the responsibility of the member official. All officials will be required to sign an agreement to this effect. NCSO will require, prior to any person being granted membership, that each individual has medical insurance, or indicates on the waiver form that, if not, he or she understands that regardless of medical coverage or lack of it, any injury or illness sustained prior to, officiating, or after any game assigned by NCSO will be solely their financial responsibility. NCSO strongly recommends that all umpires carry liability insurance. Such insurance can be purchased, or is available through any one of a number of officiating advocacy groups such as NASO or the National Federation of High Schools.
Section 2- Scheduling
Officials will be scheduled for games based on their level of training, experience, ability, and availability. The more available dates that an official has, the more games he or she will receive. Umpires are required to submit their availability on-line, and to keep their on-line availability calendar updated at all times throughout the season. All make-up games, added games, or other rescheduled games will be filled off of the availability calendars throughout the year, and it is the expectation and requirement of the member official that their availability remain updated and current. Should any official be scheduled for a game shown on their availability schedule as open, such an official shall be responsible for working that game or finding a suitable replacement.
Each umpire will be assigned a level designating which level and age group he or she may officiate. This level will be based on demonstrated ability, both in the training and game settings and on age of the umpire. An umpire’s level may change during the course of the season. The level designations are as follows:
Level 0 May officiate all games
Level 1 May officiate all games beneath the collegiate or semi-pro level
Level 2 May officiate all games at or beneath the sub-varsity high school level, or games at the varsity level with a level 1 or 0 official
Level 3 May officiate all games at the 14 year-old level, other than select league games. May officiate select league or sub-varsity contests with a level 2 , 1, or 0 official.
Level 4 May officiate only recreational games and mid-level competitive contests.
Level 5 May officiate only 10/u and 12/u recreational games
NCSO may schedule outside this criteria on a case by case basis. Level 0 umpires must be, at a minimum, certified by the Colorado High School Baseball Umpires Association and National Federation of High Schools, or have worked at the college, professional, or semi-pro levels.
Initial schedules will be done for the entire season, on a league by league basis. Schedules will be posted on the NCSO web site at www.goncso.com.
Member officials are responsible for accessing their schedules at www.goncso.com and honoring the schedule as of the posted dates. This shall be the sole means of distributing individual officials’ schedules, unless specifically requested by a member official. Such request must be for good cause, such as a lack of internet access, or any physical or mental disability that would preclude an individual from being able to access their schedule in the above manner.
Any official may find a replacement for his or her game so long as the replacement official is of the same or higher level as the official seeking replacement. Once a game has been assigned, the official assigned is responsible for working that game. If the assigned official cannot, for any reason, work such an assigned game, he or she may find a replacement official. NCSO expects that this will happen only on a limited basis, and only for legitimate reasons, such as illness, injury, or unexpected events.
When such a replacement occurs, it is the responsibility of the replacement umpire to inform NCSO, via email, of the game change. Should NCSO not be notified of the change, the originally scheduled official will be compensated as scheduled. No compensation will be made to the replacement official in such an instance.
NCSO reserves the right to deny any such replacement official the game assignment, and put another official in the vacated spot.
If there is inclement weather, or the forecast of inclement weather, it is the responsibility of the official to determine the status of the days’ games. Game cancellations will be posted on the web site, and, if a Fort Collins Baseball Club game, will be cancelled via a recorded voice message at 416-3144. Any umpire that shows up for a contest that was posted as cancelled one hour or more prior to the scheduled start time will not be compensated in any way whatsoever.
If inclement weather forces a game cancellation prior to the scheduled start of a game, but after officials have arrived at the game site, such officials shall be compensated one-half the normal game fee. If the game is started in good faith and subsequently cancelled, the official shall be paid in full.
NCSO officials have absolute authority in determining when inclement weather shall cause a game to be suspended or cancelled. Officials should, however, consult with coaches of the two teams prior to making such a decision. The ultimate decision, however, lies with game officials. Games shall be cancelled or suspended when the weather itself poses a danger to participants, or when the weather has caused field conditions to be unsafe or unfit for play. Umpires shall use the guidelines established in the NCSO officials handbook as a guide for such determination, but such determination ultimately lies in the individual official’s good judgment.
Game cancellations for other reasons shall be handled on a case by case basis, and resolution of such cancellations shall be fair and equitable to all parties concerned.
Section 3- Payment
Payment is based on the weekly game schedule. Check amounts are based on the schedule of games worked during the pay period as listed on the next page.
Checks will be mailed on the date indicated on the pay schedule. NCSO is not an employer, just a conduit for the funds from multiple organizations. Holidays, delays in funds transfers, or other unforeseen events may delay payments for a day or two. Additionally, non-payment to NCSO by contracting organizations may result in a delay of pay.
All game changes must be reported by the end of the pay period in which they occur. If any umpire fails to report a game change, the umpire appearing on the schedule will be paid for that game. Once paid, that game will not be paid again, and any compensatory issues must be addressed with the umpire who was originally paid.
Per policy 3-D, any fines accrued during the pay period will be withheld from the umpire paycheck. An explanation of fines and money withheld will accompany the paycheck. Upon notification of a fine, an umpire may choose to appeal the fine. The appeal must be in writing, and received by NCSO within one week from issuance of the fine. A hearing will be held within 2 weeks, before a board consisting of three umpires of “level 0 or 1” rank, selected by NCSO. The decision of that board will be final, and such decision shall be made by simple majority vote.
Pay advances will not be made.
Any dispute regarding the amount paid must be put in writing to NCSO. The schedule to be paid is always available on the web site at www.goncso.com.
Checks not deposited or cashed within three months of being issued will not be paid.
Checks will be mailed to the address listed as the home address on the registration form.
The pay periods and check dates shall be:
Game Fees(2017)
10/Under Recreational
30.00 Single Umpire
12/Under Recreational
30.00
14/Under Recreational
35.00
17/Under Recreational
45.00
10/Under AAA/AA League
40.00
12/Under AAA/AA League
40.00
14/Under AAA/AA League
45.00
Legion C
50.00
Legion B
55.00
Legion A
60.00
Connie Mac
65.00-75.00
(9 innings)
NABA
80.00
Collegiate Club Baseball
75.00/90.00 (9 innings)
Game fees listed are per umpire, per game. NCSO reserves the right to change game fees, in order to accommodate a wider range of sports organizations. Such changes shall be posted to the web-site and any umpire working such a contest will be notified of the change.
Section 4 -Code of Ethics
As a member of the NCSO, I shall:
- Promote and exemplify the highest standards of conduct while performing my duties as a sports official
- Recognize the importance of the position which I hold, and the influence that it has on game participants and spectators.
- Uphold the honor and dignity of the profession, and in doing so uphold the integrity of the game.
- Fairly and impartially enforce the rules of play, and be aware of and actively reduce the inherent risk of injury to the participants in all ways commensurate with the authority granted under those rules.
- Cooperate fully with officiating partners, leagues, and assignors; and honor all contracts, policies, and procedures set forth by such entities.
- Prepare myself mentally and physically for the contest, and shall dress and conduct myself appropriately.
- Work to master the rules knowledge and mechanics necessary to work at the highest level I am capable of.
- Not use my position for personal gain or profit, and shall remove myself from any situation in which any partiality, real or perceived, may exist.
- Remember, at all times, that sport is about education and recreation- not scholarships or shoe contracts. I will maintain my sense of priorities, and not allow misguided individuals and/or misguided behavior to drag me into similar behavior or circumstance.
- Refrain from using language or making comments that are vulgar, derogatory, or demeaning, and treat all participants, regardless of their behavior, with the same respect that I expect to be shown.
Section 5-Fines/Suspension of Membership
For violations of any of these policies and procedures, discipline may be enforced as a corrective measure to improve behavior and/or performance. Such discipline can range from written warnings to fines to revocation of membership. Revocation of membership shall not be undertaken without just cause. Any revocation of membership is subject to the vote of a four person panel comprised of level 0 or level 1 officials. The vote must be unanimous in order for membership to be revoked. The panel shall be chosen by the NCSO administrator.
Written warnings shall be issued for any conduct not in keeping with these policies and procedures, the code of ethics, or accepted standards of professional conduct, and that are not listed hereafter. Any official who receives three or more written warnings in a season is subject to revocation of membership.
Fines shall be assessed as follows, and all fines shall be accompanied by a written warning.
Failure to appear for a game the equivalent of that game fee
Appearing after a game has begun the equivalent of one half of that game fee
Arriving less than 20 minutes prior to game time $5.00
Appearing on the field less than 10 Minutes prior to game time $10.00
Improper Uniform $5.00
Use of tobacco at a game site the equivalent of the game fee at time of use.
Emergency or exigent circumstances will, of course, be taken into account before any fine is levied. All fine money shall go directly toward aiding scholarship and financial aid programs run by local youth sports organizations.
The NCSO reserves the right to suspend or terminate any membership when such membership poses a threat to the integrity of the organization, or to the safety and security of any of its members.
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT
I, the undersigned official, understand and agree that any and all games assigned to me by the Northern Colorado Sports Officials (hereafter NCSO) are offered to me as an independent contractor, and that I accept all game assignments as an independent contractor. As such, I understand and agree to abide by all the policies and procedures of the Northern Colorado Sports Officials, and by signing below, indicate that I have read, understand, and agree to abide by them.
I understand and agree that, as an independent contractor, I am exclusively responsible for any and/or all tax liability resulting from payment of game fees, and that the NCSO is not my employer, and is not responsible for withholding, deducting, or accounting for my individual payments, or for furnishing the IRS with any information regarding payments to its independently contracted officials, unless required by statute.
I understand and agree that the NCSO does not offer any form of insurance to its members, and is not responsible, in any way whatsoever, for payment of any costs related to any injury or illness incurred as a result of traveling to or from, or officiating in, any athletic contest assigned by NCSO. As an independent contractor, I understand that workers compensation insurance is not offered by NCSO, and that all medical bills and other related costs such as lost wages, property damage, etc. resulting from injury or illness received in, or traveling to or from, such a contest are exclusively my own responsibility. I understand that there are inherent risks of injury involved in any athletic competition, and freely choose to undertake such risk in knowledge of the previous statements. I further certify that I have personal medical insurance coverage; or if I do not, that I freely choose to officiate knowing the risks involved and that NCSO and contracting organizations do not provide any such coverage.
I understand and agree that I may not hold the Northern Colorado Sports Officials, Sean Grogan, any contracting organizations, or any other employees or members responsible for any liability, damages, or other legal remedies resulting from any injury, illness, or adverse condition received while traveling to or from, or officiating in, any contest scheduled by NCSO.
I understand that I must pay annual dues to become and to remain a member of NCSO. Such dues may change from year to year, and will be clearly listed on the web-site and annual registration form. I understand and agree that dues must be paid prior to receiving any game assignments, and that dues are non-refundable once paid. I further state that I have received ample, independent training in the game of baseball, and that any training clinic sponsored by NCSO is minimal in nature, and related only to specifically contracted functions, and not to the game as a whole.
I understand and agree that it is my responsibility to keep NCSO updated on any changes to my personal information such as addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc. and that failure on my part to do so which results in delayed payments or missed game assignments will be my own responsibility.
I understand and agree to uphold not only the policies and procedures of NCSO, but to adhere to the mission statement and abide by the NCSO Code of Ethics, which, by signing below, I certify that I have read and understand.
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Signature Printed Name Date
IF UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE AT TIME OF SIGNING
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Parent Signature Printed Name Date