I. The USILA is an association of Institutions with varsity lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.

II. Each Institution is represented by its Athletic Director unless delegated by the Athletic Director on an annual basis.

• Delegate forms will be sent to member institutions the week of November.

III. Each Institution receives one (1) vote on all USILA business conducted annually at the USILA convention.

• Votes which affect only 1 division (Ex. Officials Fee Structures) are voted only by that division.IV. Association business between conventions is conducted by the USILA Executive Board and the Executive Director.
• The Board is nominated and approved by the membership.
• The Board consists of 5 people, alternating between athletic administrators and coaches from member schools.

V. The USILA is organized to provide the following services to member institutions:

• Officiating Services (See Enclosed Document)
• Recognition of Student-Athletes
  1. All-American Teams in all divisions
  2. Scholar All-American Recognition
  3. All-American Banquet
  4. Player of the Year awards in each division
• Recognition of Institutions
  1. Weekly Top 20 Polls in each division
  2. League Championship plaques
  3. Coach of the Year awards in each division
  4. Service awards
• Sponsorship and Execution of Annual North-South All Star Games (DI, DII and DIII)

VI. The USILA charges members $500.00/year to provide all USILA services.

• Current expenses require supplementation by sponsorship revenue and foundation support.
  

The USILA, in partnership since 2004 with the College Officials Council (COC) of US Lacrosse, provides a full range of officiating services to all member institutions.

I. Game Assignments - All USILA regular season games are assigned by the following USILA providers. All assignments are made with the goal of providing quality officials while considering both official's travel and institutional expense concerns. Schools may request assignments which minimize officials travel and associated expenses.
1. Directors of Officiating Services (DOS) - Connie Hurlbut
- Oversees all Officiating Services
2. District Assigning Director (DAD) - Warren Kimber (NCAA Supervisor of Officials)
- Reviews all game assignment and institutes all rule interpretations and coordinate all DAA activities.
3. District Assigning Authority (DAA's) -
- Experienced regional assignors with an extensive knowledge of both the officials and institutions in their region.

II. On-Line Services - The USILA has contracted with assignbyweb.com to provide online services.
1. Services include:
A) Posting all game assignments by date and school
B) Posting all post game officials evaluations
C) Posting all costs associated with officials fees and travel
2. This replaces the ECAC Program used in 2004 & 2005, at savings of over $15, 000 per year.
3. This new system will allow DAA's to precisely judge officials' travel to allow scheduling to be done with school expenses in mind.

III. Observation and Evaluation of Officials - in order to provide continuous and ongoing feedback to improve officiating.
1. In partnership with the COC, paid observers work under the direction of senior official, Bob Curcio.
2. Coach's evaluations provide institutional input into official's performance through on-line, post game evaluations.

IV. Training and Recruiting of Officials
1. Developed an online NCAA Rules Test to better track the rules knowledge of members and target areas where improvement is needed.
2. Updated NCAA Mechanics Manual and prepared for publishing both online and on paper to allow members instant access to up-to-date mechanics.
3. Developed a new Level 3 (NCAA) Lacrosse Referee Development Program (LAREDO) with 2 models:
A) A program piloted this summer to select and train upper level high school officials to move them up to the college level, and
B) A program under development to use high level summer camps to train NCAA officials targeted for advancement by their District Assignor.
4. Completed a census of local officials associations in order to improve the flow of 2-way information.
5. Currently developing Mentoring and Junior Officiating programs to help local officials associations do a better job of recruiting and retaining new officials.

V. The costs for all these services, including payments to the DOS/DAD/DAA's (5) observers program (75/ observation plus payment to Curcio) are paid with USILA membership dues, COC Contributions, sponsored revenue and foundation support.

VI. The partnership with the COC is less than 2 years old and is just beginning to pay dividends in all the aforementioned services.

Mission Statement

The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) is an organization comprised of member colleges and universities which sponsor intercollegiate lacrosse for men.

The Association is entrusted to enhance and develop intercollegiate lacrosse by providing leadership, management, and services to its membership so that student-athletes, coaches, and other constituent groups will realize the maximum benefit from the sport of lacrosse.

• An institution wishing to become a member of the Association shall make application to the Executive Director using the appropriate form.
• The Executive Director shall determine whether the applying institution is eligible for membership.
• Election to membership of eligible applicants shall be by majority vote of the Membership at the Annual Convention or by two-thirds vote of the Executive Board.
• The Director of Athletes or appropriate institutional authority must endorse the application for active membership.

Privileges of Membership extended to institutions and their official representatives, teams, and/or players:

• Representation and vote at the Annual Convention
• Officiating services
• Participation in sanctioned league play
• Consideration of players for All-American recognition, individual awards, and North-South selection
• Consideration for in-season ranking system.
• Services of the Office of the Executive Director
• Inclusion of schedules, records and statistical data in the official records composed by the Executive Director
• Eligible for election to office and serve on Association committees

The USILA Code of Conduct

Introduction

Lacrosse is the oldest American game. Native Americans have played it since long before the colonies were settled, and at the club and collegiate level it has been played since the late 1800's. This increases the importance of a sense of community among those who play, coach, work and follow the game of college lacrosse. To establish and maintain a sense of community, we cannot ignore the way the game itself is played and the responsibilities we as coaches and administrators have to the game.

Responsibilities to the Game

Coaches are role models. As such, they shall always conduct themselves so as to maintain the highest principles, integrity and dignity of the game of lacrosse.

Coaches are responsible for knowing, understanding and following all the rules of the game as established and directed by the NCAA Lacrosse Committee, the USILA and the conference in which the coach participates.

The coaches must adhere to both the letter and the spirit of all the rules.

It is the coach's responsibility to make sure that all players understand the rules and their spirit. All participants in the game of lacrosse must adhere to the letter and spirit of all the rules.

Game officials - like coaches and players - are major participants in the game. The coach shall neither exhibit nor tolerate any behavior from others (staff and squad) - verbal or otherwise - that might reflect poorly on an official. This includes, but is not limited to arguing a judgment call in such a manner as to incite players and spectators against an official. There are approved methods by which a coach may comment on an official's performance (rating cards, a call to the DAA and/or the NCO). Public displays of displeasure - before, during or after a contest - are not among these approved methods.

It is the responsibility of the institution to provide a safe environment for officials, fans and competitors. A game administrator should be present at all contests.

Responsibility to the Student-Athlete

Despite the pressures on coaches to win contests, that pressure needs to be kept in balance with the objective of instilling the highest ideals and character traits in their players. The safety and welfare of the players should always be uppermost in their mind and these values must never be sacrificed for personal prestige or personal gain.

Coaches should never teach their players tactics or skills designed to circumvent the intent of the rulebook and the standards of fair play. The rule exists to protect the players and provide a common standard by which final results will be determined.

Whenever players exhibit unsportsmanlike behavior on their own, it is the responsibility of the coach to address that behavior and put an end to it. Coaches are responsible for the conduct of their players.

Responsibility to the Officials

All game officials - including but not limited to on-field officials, scoreboard operators, scorers, host personnel - shall at all times be treated in a professional and courteous manner.

In particular, officials should be treated with respect at all times and it is the particular responsibility of the host coach to insure for the safety and well being of these officials in that host facility.

Although officials have the ability to flag a coach for inappropriate or unsportsmanlike conduct, it is incumbent upon the coach to deport himself in such a way that every effort is made to avoid penalties of this nature.

Coaches wishing to express displeasure with an official's conduct must follow the proper procedure as established by the USILA (via DAA's, NCO and if necessary, the Ethics Procedures).

Coaches should be sensitive to the impropriety of private meetings with officials before, during or after the contest, without the presence of a representative of the opposing team.

At no time is it appropriate to use the media as a vehicle in which to criticize an official, officials in general, or any NCAA or conference committee or its policies. Not only are specific or general criticisms through the media inappropriate, so too are emphatic "No Comment" remarks, or disguised criticism ("My athletic director told me not to comment on the officiating.").

Click here for Assignbyweb instructions for inputting games: www.assignbyweb.com/usila