Competition Rules/Referees
To host a USA Taekwondo Referee Development Seminar click HERE.
RDP Mission Statement
To develop USAT Referees at all levels through education, standardization, and practical application. To certify and promote referees using a systematic approach based on merit and diligence to ensure a fair and firm competition environment for athletes in pursuit of competitive excellence.
USAT Referee Code of Conduct (updated May 14, 2007)
Revision of Arbitration Rules (August, 2007)
Foundations of Refereeing
There are general principals which a referee in any sport must fully understand and adhere to. These principles protect the integrity of the competition process and the physical safety and trust of the competitors.
Competition Rules (updated July, 2009)
Equipment Standards (updated Feb. 7, 2006)
Junior Safety Rules
- Junior Safety Rules (updated July 2009)
CENTER OF THE RING
VOL. 2, NO. 3
John Seiber
Greetings fellow referees and welcome to the third issue of the Referee Development Program e-newsletter for 2009.
We would like to begin by expressing our sincere thanks to Masters John Holloway and Leon Preston for their years of service and dedication as the USAT Referee Co-Chairs. Their accomplishments and dedication are greatly appreciated by all associated with USAT and the Referee Development Program.
Our new Referee Chair, Master John Seiber, is eager and prepared to take on the challenges that face him and is excited about building upon the success of the program initiated by his predecessors.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the USAT community in this position," said Master Seiber. "I would personally like to thank Masters Preston and Holloway for the excellent leadership that they have given the referee program. I know I have large shoes to fill and I look forward to the challenge."
Master Seiber has already begun his duties and we wanted to take a moment to share his goals and vision with everyone.
Goals:
One of the most important goals for Mr. Seiber with his new role is to grow and develop the corps of referees. He plans to put together a team to help recruit new referees, as well as encourage current referees to get excited about the future. This team would be responsible to work at most, if not all of the events in assigned regions to develop the referees in that particular region. He also feels that we need to identify the referees that truly have the potential and desire to step up as officials in the program. Seiber would also like to encourage all of the Masters that host events to contact USAT to set up official seminars the day before their events. This would allow the officiating at their event to be of a higher caliber and will also help USAT identify referees that want to succeed and improve their skills. Many new ideas are planned to be rolled out in the near future to accomplish these goals.
Master Seiber would also like to continue with the development of existing referees who do such a wonderful job of supporting USAT and all the events. He believes that every referee has goals, just like athletes. These goals may include officiating at some of the higher-level competitions. They may include becoming an International Referee. He feels that this program will help the individual realize their goals, which will only raise the quality of officiating at events.
Master Seiber feels that it is a privilege and honor for him to have this opportunity. He also thinks that it is the duty of the upper-level referees to help teach, train and mentor the less-experienced referees. He is very thankful for all the referees in the past that helped to improve his skills. Click on the photo of Seiber to read more about him.
Upcoming Events:
As we talk about events, we have several taking place to look forward to. The Junior World Championships Open Team Trials are taking place December 12-13 in Colorado Springs. Applications are being accepted until mid-November. To apply as a referee for this event, please log into Hang-A-Star or click on this LINK.
Following the Junior World Open Team Trials, USAT will be hosting the Junior World Team Trials at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, January 9-10, 2010. Referees should expect to see applications for this event around early December.
Registration for the 2010 U.S. Open is currently in effect and will be available until December 1, 2009. This exciting international event will be held at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, from February 10-14, of next year. For details about applying as an International Referee for this event, please click HERE.
Prior to the start of the U.S. Open, a Poomsae seminar will be conducted by PATU from February 6-8, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nevada. More details about the Poomsae seminar will be posted on the homepage of the USAT website once they are confirmed.
During this relatively slower period of activity, referees should utilize this time to become more familiar with the new WTF rule changes. Please click HERE to view the new rules. We want to remind everyone that referees are special and play an integral role in the sport of Taekwondo. Taekwondo referees are held to a higher standard than officials in other sports due to the martial arts component, so let's continue to strive to be the best that we can be each day!
We look forward to seeing you all in the "Center of the Ring".
Past Referee E-Newsletters
Center of the Ring, Vol. 1 Issue 1
Center of the Ring, Vol. 1 Issue 2
Center of the Ring, Vol. 1 Issue 3
Center of the Ring, Vol. 2 Issue 1
Center of the Ring, Vol. 2 Issue 2
Referee Development Opportunities
In order to raise the level of skill, knowledge and experience of the USA Taekwondo referee corps, a number of referee development programs have been established to ensure that our referees will perform to the highest of standards. These programs consist of referee camps and seminars that will be scheduled in various locations of the country throughout the year. Please click HERE to find out about upcoming referee development opportunities. Thank you for your time and commitment to our athletes and organization and we look forward to your participation at the next camp or seminar!
