2023 USAFL Nationals Umpiring Signups
It is that time again! The 2023 USAFL Nationals is now seven weeks away and we need to know what your plans are so that we can prepare for another incredible weekend. Please respond by completing the survey by SEPTEMBER 1st (Friday). If you know you can’t make it, please respond that way so we don’t bug you later. If you are unsure please tell us when you will know for sure by responding with that information.
Click Here to Sign Up for the 2023 Nationals
If you have questions or concerns regarding umpiring at Nationals you can contact the Tournament Umpire Director at [email protected]. Please note that this year we have a group functioning in this role (as Toby was overwhelmed with the duty, he is getting help), so one of us will respond, although it may not be Toby.
For 2023 the USAFL National Tournament will be held at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood, FL. See the USAFL Nationals landing page for details: 2023 USAFL Nationals
UMPIRE CLINICS
We will continue this year with presenting the theoretical work in a separate virtual meeting, leaving precious in-person time available for fieldwork on Friday at the tournament.
THEORY
The virtual theoretical clinic is September 19th 9 pm ET, 6 pm PT, led by our umpire coaching staff. More details to come on this.
PRACTICAL
The Nationals Umpire Clinic begins at 2 pm on the Premier Sports Campus field and consists almost entirely of practical work. This fieldwork session will be led by our visiting AFL umpires. Folks traveling from time zones westward (which is most everyone) will lose hours in travel, so please make the effort to get there as it is worth the effort and how often do you get to work face-to-face with AFL umpires!
USAFLUA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The UA Annual General Meeting will be held Friday night at the Premier Sports Campus Stadium. It will be in the Umpire Meeting room (exact location/time time TBA). Current and former UA members should receive a separate notice of the AGM from the UA Secretary sometime mid-September. Remember, to exercise your right to vote you must be a current paid member for 2023.
USAFL NATIONAL TOURNAMENT UMPIRE MEETING
The Umpires Meeting will also be Friday night in the Umpire Meeting Room at the Premier Sports Campus Stadium (exact time TBA). The Agenda is similar to prior years:
–Introduction: Tournament Leadership, League Concerns, other Minutia
–Match Management: Umpire and Player Conduct, Field Marshall, Team Duties, Paperwork
–Merchandise: Update, Store Processes, Gear Pickup and Expected Stocks at Nationals
–Assignments: Explanation of how assignments will be communicated this year
–Awards and Finals: Explanation of how awards and finals will be communicated this year
FRIDAY NIGHT UA PRESENCE
The Welcome Function will be at the Premier Sports Campus Stadium. We plan to staff it from 8-9 pm in case anyone has questions on rules or accreditation or anything else to discuss. We will release more details as they become available.
SATURDAY NIGHT UMPIRE FETE
The return of the informal (but “can’t miss”) get-together Umpire Fete is in the works for that Saturday night, potentially at the same restaurant it was at the last time Nationals was here. Look for an announcement at the Umpires Meeting or maybe at the grounds, depending on timing.
CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS TO YOUR UMPIRING STATUS
If you have changes to communicate, please re-complete this form. Be complete each time you fill out the form. We use your latest submission to determine assignments etc. so completeness is essential.
UA MEMBERSHIP
As always, you must be a member of the Umpires Association to be paid for working USAFL tournaments. The membership link for 2023 is on the UA website (www.usaflua.org) front page, right-hand side. If you have not yet paid for 2023, please do so before the tournament. If you are unsure of your status, please contact the UA Secretary.
TRAVEL
Prices for air travel are all over the place and seem to be changing more rapidly than usual. Be sure to keep on top of airfare so you can get to the carnival economically. Airports to consider (distance to Main Hotel shown) include:
• SRQ (Sarasota Bradenton International Airport) – 7 miles
• PIE (St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport) – 48 miles
• PGD (Punta Gorda Airport) – 53 miles
• TPA (Tampa International Airport) – 57 miles
Don’t forget to factor in rental car and drive times, especially since traffic can be less than ideal.
LODGING
Umpires are exempt from the league requirement that teams stay at the league’s partner hotels. You can stay anywhere you like. The league has provided the UA with limited hotel space. If you’re struggling with travel and lodging costs and don’t mind sharing space (up to 4 in a 2-bed room) then email directly at [email protected].
GUEST UMPIRES
Thus far we expect 2-3 AFL umpires, perhaps as many as 4-5 other Aussie umpires, several new Canadian and US umpires of varying experience, and hopefully the return of our usual Canadian brethren now that COVID border restrictions have been essentially removed.
COVID-19 HEALTH POLICY – REMOVED
The former requirement for Covid vaccinations or negative test results have been removed for Nationals 2023.
If anyone needs to reach us with questions, comments, details, etc. please do so at [email protected] at your convenience. If needed, we can meet by Zoom to make conversations easier than the back-and-forth and potential ambiguity of email.
Regards,
USAFLUA Tournament Committee