Become A Member

Become A Referee

Referee Application Form

This form is required by all USPA volunteers who would like to be considered for the Referee/Staff Assistant positions stated herein. Please note that the background check is a mandatory requirement upon successful completion of the Referee exam. You will be notified by a staff member of the National office with instructions on how to proceed.

We appreciate your interest in volunteering with us and look forward to reviewing your application. Your contributions as a USPA referee will help us enhance the quality of our events and strengthen the powerlifting community.

Frequently Asked Questions

The USPA covers the cost of background checks for officials, while coaches are responsible for their own fees.

The timeframe for obtaining results can range from 10 minutes to more than three days.

Failing to complete a criminal background check will result in the individual being marked as inactive.

Applicants are categorized as either “clear” or “consider”. “Clear” applicants are immediately approved. If it indicates “consider”, the application may be approved, declined, or submitted to the Executive Committee for review.

The National Office staff will review reports marked as “consider” and bring any concerning reports to the committee chair for further discussion.

No, background checks do not generate an inquiry on an individual’s credit record and therefore do not impact credit scores.

A criminal background check will reveal any crimes that were prosecuted.

Any appeals or challenges to the results of a criminal background check must be adjudicated in court by the applicant before the USPA will reconsider the findings of the background check.

USPA Referee/Staff Assistant Application Form

This form is required by all USPA volunteers who would like to be considered for the Referee/Staff Assistant positions stated herein. This application form is step 1 of a 2-step process. In step 2, applicants will be required to submit a background check. Instructions on how to complete the background check will be provided after you submit this application. Please note that the background check is a mandatory requirement for all USPA volunteers.

Please complete this application if you are interested in becoming a USPA referee or staff official. You must have a current USPA membership to be considered.

The Staff Official Program is for anyone that currently does not plan to judge lifters during meets but wants to assist meet directors by helping at weigh in sessions, working the score table, and expediting during meets. The written test is still required, but no practical test is administered. Anyone that is currently a staff official, may change their status over the next 12 months and become a fully certified judge by requesting permission from the referee chairman, meeting all the referee requirements shown below, and then passing a practical test.

In addition to completing and passing a background check, referees must meet the following requirements:

  • Current USPA member in good standing.
  • eCommended by your state chairman and approved by either the USPA president or the referee chairman.
  • At least 18 years of age and have competed in two or more sanctioned competitions.
  • Take the Level I written examination and practical examination (approximately 200 lifts) administered by the referee chairman, or designated certified referee during a USPA sanctioned full power meet.
  • Achieve a passing score of 90 percent or better on both the written and practical examinations.
  • Complete the practical examination within 90 days of taking and passing the written examination. If you are beyond 90 days, you will need to contact the referee chairman for approval.
  • Assist in at least one weigh-in session.
  • Officiate in at least one USPA meet each year to keep accreditation current. Any official that has not judged at least one competition within a 12-month period must re-take the written test based on their current level status to refresh them on all current rules.
  • Stay current and updated on all USPA rule changes.
  • Maintain a record book with the names and dates of all meets, along with the number of flights they officiated in.


Name(Required)
Select date MM slash DD slash YYYY
You can find your USPA member ID number by downloading your membership card in your account dashboard. If you don't have a USPA membership, you may purchase one at uspa.net/uspa-membership-application/. Applications with inactive USPA memberships will not be considered.
Position for which you are volunteering:(Required)
Address(Required)
Have you lived at the address above for less than 5 years?(Required)
Are you First Aid certified?(Required)
Are you CPR certified?(Required)
Do you have any other certifications?(Required)
Have you ever been refused participation in any youth programs?(Required)
Do you have any physical or mental conditions that may prevent you from performing the duties described in your volunteer application?(Required)
Other than minor traffic violations, have you ever been arrested or convicted of any violation of the law?(Required)


USPA Code of Conduct

The United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) is committed to providing an inclusive, professional, and safe environment to its members and has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination and all forms of harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment. USPA members are prohibited from engaging in behavior or publishing material that, at the sole discretion of the USPA, is offensive or interferes with the rights of others or causes harm to any person or entity. Violating our rules of conduct may result in termination of membership, forfeiture of any membership fees that have been paid, and prohibition from attending or participating in any USPA sanctioned events.

Members include all participating athletes, meet directors, referees, certified coaches, or other officials and/or employees. All members are expected to treat each other with respect and dignity while upholding the integrity and professional standards of the USPA. All members are expected to observe all association rules as currently stated in the USPA Rule Book and adhere to the following principles: Discrimination.

There will be no unlawful discrimination based upon a person’s sex, sexual orientation, age, race, color, creed, national origin, veteran status, marital status, religion, political affiliation, disability, perceived disability, personal appearance or any other legally protected characteristic. Harassment.

Any form of harassment towards others that is illegal, threatening, harmful, abusive or otherwise objectionable will not be tolerated. This includes behaving, communicating, or publishing material that invades another’s privacy, is degrading, defamatory, hateful, fraudulent, libelous, obscene, sexually explicit, or is ethnically objectionable.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment will not be tolerated and includes unwelcome sexual solicitation, physical touching, transmission of offensive sexually graphic images or written material, or any conduct that’s sexual in nature that’s abusive, offensive, and intimidating. A member’s conduct will be considered unwelcome and in violation of the USPA Code of Conduct when the member should have known the conduct was unwelcome, or when the persons (s) subjected to the conduct objected.

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