Job Description of USAT Official

The best job description of a USAT Official is that described in the Competitive Rules under Section 9

9.2 Head Referee. Beginning with the start of the event and until all scores are finalized, the decisions of the Head Referee are final and binding with respect to all competition matters pertaining to the event, with the exception of decisions by the Protest Committee.

9.3 Powers of the Head Referee. The Head Referee shall be empowered:
(a) To interpret and enforce these Competitive Rules and any other regulations or policies of USA Triathlon;
(b) To supervise and control the general conduct of all participants, to require that a participant withdraw from an event, and to intercede during a competition at any stage to ensure that the Competitive Rules are observed;
(c) To invoke and impose penalties for violations of these Rules and to prominently post a list of all violations and penalized participants designated by race number at a site located near the finish of the event;
(d) To make decisions on any point not specifically covered in these Rules;
(e) To instruct, direct, assign duties to, and delegate authority to all other race officials;
(f) To examine the equipment or other items of any participant at any time to check compliance with these Rules, and to make the final and binding decision as to whether any equipment or other item is improper or unauthorized;
(g) To overrule any Judge, Marshall, or other race official on any point of interpretation of these Rules, and to resolve differences of opinion between or among Marshals, Judges, or other race officials;
(h) To establish all aspects of protest procedure, including the time and place of hearing, to impose sanctions for noncompliance with established procedure, and to assess penalties in accordance with the resolution of any protests; and
(i) To prepare a report of actions taken and decisions rendered by the Protest Committee and to make recommendations on improving race operations.

9.4 Duties of the Head Referee. The Head Referee shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
(a) The Head Referee shall wear distinctive clothing or other means of identification;
(b) The Head Referee shall establish an officials' headquarters located near the finish of the event;
(c) The Head Referee shall use and maintain a violation posting board erected by race management;
(d) The Head Referee shall process violations reported by Marshals diligently and as soon as possible and shall reviewevery violation with the appropriate reporting Marshal;
(e) The Head Referee shall determine the relative severity of any offense or violation;
(f) The Head Referee shall assess an appropriate penalty;
(g) The Head Referee shall retain the results of reported violations and decisions and shall review the information in connection with all protests; and
(h) The Head Referee shall submit all appropriate data that affects final results to the Head Timer for incorporation into final race results.