Uniforms and Equipment for Officials
UMLOA Uniform and Equipment Requirements
The UMLOA uses the following uniform and equipment for all college, high school, and youth lacrosse games:
Black shorts with belt loop and pockets (no cargo shorts)
Black ankle socks (no crew socks or no-show socks; they should just cover the ankle bone)
Black nylon jackets (plain; no striped jackets; no non-black piping or highlights; official UMLOA logo jacket allowed, but otherwise a non-offensive, non-team-affiliated logo no larger than 2.5"x2.5" is permitted)
Short-sleeved striped shirt (on cold days, youth officials can wear black long sleeves underneath if they don't have a long-sleeved striped shirt)
Black belt with plain silver buckle (plain belt; no weaves or designs)
Black shoes with any logos, designs, or other colors blacked out (black sharpie followed by dab-on shoe polish usually works well; some people use black nail polish)
Black hat with white piping
Two penalty flags (gold-ball flags can be used, but black-ball flags should be purchased if possible when buying new flags)
Black Fox-40 finger-grip whistle
Scorecard
Pencils
Coin at least the size of a half dollar
Lacrosse official's timer (Level 2 only)
Small tape measure (6 ft., preferably black or covered in black tapel; Level 2 only)
The referee makes final decisions on the uniform for the day, and all officials must be dressed the same (e.g., you cannot have one official wearing shorts and one wearing pants). If you are not the referee, bring all of your uniform options to each game so the referee can decide what will be worn.
All officials must have a wristwatch with a black band. It is our job to get games started on time and to keep them on schedule, and it's hard to do that if you don't know what time it is. Cell phone clocks are not an acceptable substitute; if you are looking at your cell phone before or during a game, it looks like your mind is somewhere else.
Flag and US Lacrosse Patches
The US Lacrosse patch is worn on the left sleeve for high school and youth level games. The top of the patch should be roughly 3 inches down from the shoulder seam. For college games, the "NILOA" patch is worn on the same spot.
The US flag patch is worn centered on the left breast pocket and with the bottom of the patch ¾ inches above that pocket. UMLOA officials generally use a 3.5" x 2.25" flag patch with a gold border.
Uniform and equipment items not included in starter pack
The following items are not included in your starter package, so you will need to provide them yourself:
Black nylon jackets, if worn (plain; no striped jackets; no non-black piping or highlights; official UMLOA logo jacket allowed, but otherwise a non-offensive, non-team-affiliated logo no larger than 2.5"x2.5" is permitted; no cotton or cotton-blend jackets on the field)
Short-sleeved black undershirt with no visible logos (wicking material preferred)
Long-sleeved black undershirt, sweatshirt, or turtleneck with no visible logos (wicking material preferred)
Black belt with plain silver buckle (plain belt; no weaves or designs)
Black shoes with any logos, designs, or other colors blacked out (black sharpie followed by dab-on shoe polish usually works well; some people use black nail polish)
Small tape measure (6 ft., preferably black or covered in black tape; Level 2 only; can be found at a hardware store or online)
Wristwatch with black band
Black gloves and ear covering for spring, if desired
Updating Your Uniform and Equipment
New officials are issued a starter package of equipment with their Level 1 class, and Level 2 officials receive a belt timer. All officials are strongly encouraged to add to their equipment and uniform options every year. Recommended gear includes:
Black nylon rain pants with zipper ankles (no stripes or logos)
A long-sleeved striped shirt (if you will work games in the fall, winter, or spring; required for all officials working HS varsity)
A black nylon jacket (see above; required for all officials working HS varsity)
A short-sleeved mesh striped shirt (if you will work games in the summer)
Black wicking T-shirts for under your striped shirt (long and short sleeves)
A new officials hat (and/or a mesh hat for hot days)
A plain black bag for your gear
Shoe polish (to keep black shoes looking nice)
Spare or replacement Fox-40 finger-grip whistles, a Fox-40 lanyard whistle as a backup, penalty flags, score cards, coins, tape measures, pencils, erasers, black belt, shorts, socks
Returning junior officials should generally spend at least $50 per year on gear and returning Level 2 adults should spend at least $100 per year.
Some newer officials like to order a second discount starter package with a long-sleeved shirt instead of a short-sleeved shirt to get extras of all of the other gear.
Uniform and Equipment Vendors
The following vendors sell lacrosse officiating gear:
General Sports in Edina
East Side Lacrosse in Woodbury
Zebrawear.com (They are offering a 10%–20% discount for UMLOA members; you should get this automatically if your address is in Minnesota, but if you live in a different state be sure to include a note or email them in order to get the discount.)
Cliff Keen Athletics (official US Lacrosse supplier; use code "USLAXCK5" to get a discount)
ZimaGear (dye-sublimation jerseys with lacrosse patches and flags printed directly onto them)
Beall's of Florida Black Shorts (usually $20 per pair, plus shipping)
Cold-Weather Options for New Officials
If you are a sub-varsity official and don't have a long-sleeved striped shirt yet, you can wear black long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt under your striped shirt (no hoodies and no printing from the shirt can be visible through the striped shirt). Black nylon jackets with no printing can be worn over the striped shirt if the whole crew has them. Black nylon rain pants (no sweatpants) with no stripes or printing can also be worn. All officials should have a long-sleeved striped shirt by their second year. See above for vendors.
Any other items (e.g., gloves, headbands) should be black.
Hot-Weather Options
On very hot days in non-varsity leagues, the referee may choose to have the crew officiate without hats. Mesh shirts are a good option for these days. Some leagues and tournaments use special summer officiating shirts. Some MSHSL state tournament games are officiated with white hats, which are provided by the UMLOA.