NENSA Officiating Program - Role and Duties of the TD

| Officials Certification | Technical Delegate Duties | Certified Officials

The following materials have been taken from the USSA website, edited, re-formatted in a number of places. Many of the sections conclude with modifications to the USSA text relative to needs of New England racing.

TD Role and Duties

The Technical Delegate or TD represents the FIS/USSA and guarantees that the competition shall be conducted under the rules that apply. The success of a competition often rests on the skill with which the TD discharges duties and exercises authority. In general we can say the TD:

• has the knowledge and experience to oversee a competition

• is able to recognize and resolve trouble spots

• is sensitive to all parties when dealing with difficult situations

• demonstrates enthusiasm and confidence

• is able to answer questions regarding FIS/USSA rules and how they apply to the race being conducted and the situation at hand

Appointments:

The FIS/USSA Officials committees make the TD appointments for the various calendar events. (304.1.1) These appointments are made from the official list of TDs who have been certified by the FIS/USSA. The USSA rules recommend that TDs be from another Division or in the case of an international race, from another country. The chairman of the officials committee notifies the organizers, by letter, of the appointments and then the organizers communicate directly with the TD.

It is recommended that an assistant TD, (304.1.2), someone who lives close to the race site, be named to help with all the local details, therefore cutting down on TD travel expenses.

In New England, the Head of the Officiating Committee working in conjunction with the NENSA Administrative Director appoints officials for Eastern Cups and Championship events

Organization:

The TD must, from the time of his appointment, (304.2) communicate with the organizing committee either by mail, phone or fax If a assistant TD is on or near the race site, the communication can come through him But the assigned TD still has the final word.

The TD works with the organizers to make sure the many details of a race are conducted under the rules that apply the to competition. It is the TDs responsibility to make sure the organizing committee is organized and working as per the guidelines in article 206. The TD makes recommendations to the various working committees if changes or improvements are needed.

The structure of the organizing committee is to be sent to the TD. All the names noted and their positions and job descriptions verified. This is especially important if the race organization is new or inexperienced with calendar races.

In New England, the TD should contact the race site no later than the week prior to the event and if possible should visit the race site prior to the day of race. The details of stadium layout, race format, race start, etc, should be worked out well ahead of time. The NENSA Program Director should be consulted as a resource.

Things to do before arrival at the race site:

• acquire all schedules for entries, training, racing, meetings through site or assistant TD

• be sure that training schedules are to be in accordance with rule 338. Housing, transportation and meal information must be satisfactory, and affordable for all competitors, their coaches and officials.

• be sure that entry and registration forms are written in a clear and concise manner. Deadlines stated and adhered to if at all possible.

• be sure the racer and coaches packets include a map of the race site. On this map will be found locations for waxing huts and wax testing areas, toilets, training and course access, refreshment areas and any other information deemed necessary by the organizing committee and the TD.

• be sure sites and procedures must be part of the packets if drug testing is to be a part of the competition

In New England, the details above are taken care of by the NENSA Program Director, who should be contacted if there are any questions

Course Inspections:

The TD and the organizers determine whether the race site will need to have a prior inspection by the TD, or if the assistant TD can do the inspection and report to the TD. If a course has been homologated, the course profiles must be accurate before they are sent out to the various organizations and competitors. (313.3.4)

Site inspections should be done the Summer or early Fall prior to the competition. This is most important if a course is new or has not been previously used for calendar events. Verification that all of the course rules have been met for the level of competition being held (311) Profiles will be produced and certified as accurate.

During this inspection the TD must walk the course, making sure the trail is in accord with the prevailing guidelines. (312) Checking profiles against the actual racing trail and making suggestions for changes if needed.

In New England, NENSA staff has done summer/fall course inspections

Arrival at the Race Site:

"The TD must arrive at the competition site at least three days before the competition so that he can check, before the beginning of the official training, that correct preparations for training and competition are being made and makes any necessary improvements prior to the start of competition. If the site has limited snow condition and/or a reserve course must be used (304.2)

The TD meets with the organizing and race committees to verify that all personnel positions are filled and working. During this time all information is reviewed and updated.

All schedules are reviewed Race events, location of various activities, transportation to and from the race site, plus any other schedule that pertains to the actual competition. The official training schedule must be organized as per article 338.

The TD reviews the various forms to be used with the competition secretary. The procedures for recording times/bibs, posting unofficial and official results, protest protocols, Team captains meetings, draw schedules, and Jury meetings and their locations are verified along with the procedures and agenda that will be used during the meetings. The draw procedure and the generation of start lists should be demonstrated to the TD for approval. The Chief of Competition and the TD prepare the agenda for the Team Captains meetings.

All safety plans are reviewed with the Chief of Competition, making sure all possible injuries and the care or evacuation of racers is covered.

In New England, the TD should visit the site a day early if travel distances permit, but must be on site at least 2 hours before the competition begins. NENSA’s Program Director should be consulted concerning all of the issues above prior to arrival.

On Site Inspection:

The TD and/or the Jury members must ski the course to check the preparations. (304.2) During this course inspection the markings, intersections and basic layout is checked to make sure the course conforms to the official profiles and established guidelines set for the rules which govern the race.

In New England it is the same.

Stadium Layout:

The TD and the Chief of Stadium review the layout of the stadium. Areas of concern include:

• skier and crowd control

• warm up tracks

• ski marking; start, finish/ski checking

• equipment/commercial markings

• medical/drug testing area and exit.

• location of scoreboards, notice/announcement boards, temperature boards and the various fencing configurations and how they effects the flow of competitors, officials and spectators. If the race will have a large number of media personnel it is important to have a special area or "pen" where they will be restricted to inside the stadium.

• range of public address system.

• access to the announcers by appropriate race officials to enable them to make necessary announcements, i.e. calling for missing skiers, notifying skiers of time left before start, etc.

Timing

The timing area, timing system, location of timing personnel and how it all works together is extremely important to a good race. The TD must be assured that all the various positions are filled with qualified persons and that the timing system, electronic and hand are working properly. There must be a provision for a back up system and a generator available if the major electronic source fails.

In New England, back-up hand-held timing is mandated in lieu of a generator

Grooming

All grooming equipment is inspected and its ability to provide the trails with the proper type of tracks or lack of. The TD must be satisfied that the equipment and its operators are qualified to do the proper grooming that is needed for each race.

In New England, the TD consults with the Chief of Course and the Program Director to ensure the best possible course preparation

Competitor Services

Warming and waxing areas must be easily accessible to the racers. These areas need to be close to the actual race starts but must not impede the flow to and from the start and finish areas. Feeding stations that are located in the stadium or directly adjacent to the stadium must be near the flow of traffic so the racers can have access to them.

>Clothing that is removed at the start must be waiting for the racers at the finish. Provision for handling, marking, collecting and distribution are important, especially if the weather turns bad. Blankets must be on hand for racers to use at the start and finish if needed. The safety of racers and all other personnel involved in the competition is of prime importance. Safety plans are to be reviewed and the various agencies involved, ski patrol, medical personnel, evacuation equipment and personnel, verified.

If drug testing is mandated a testing area must be set up. Ideally an indoor area, manned with a physician and assistants, perform the necessary tests.

In New England the TD works with site officials to see all of the above is done. All NENSA sites have Emergency Medical Plans on file. The TD should review them carefully with the site director.

Morning of the Race:

The TD must arrive at least 2 hours prior to the race. If weather conditions are questionable or the TD feels it is necessary, arrival time will be earlier. (304.3) The Chief of Competition and the TD will confer on all the aspects for the coming race. Some questions to be answered:

Stadium preparation:

Are the barricades correctly placed? Are the bypass tracks marked and fenced off? Have the temperature takers begun to record the various temperatures at the designated places along the trail and inside the stadium? Is the timing set up and tested, what about backup? Is the entrance to the start area setup with the ski marking and equipment check area? Is the finish area fenced off so inspections of equipment and medical checks can be done easily? Are the radios/phones working properly and are all frequencies correct? Has the ski patrol and medical personal begun to set up on the trail?

Course preparation:

Is the course marked accurately, with kilometer markings and directional markers? Are barricades and fencing is place? Are tracks set appropriately/ Are they removed at the proper locations? If feeding stations and medical stations are part of the competition, are they in the correct locations and up and ready to receive skiers?

Is the announcer giving clear audible instructions to the racers?

Are the Jury members names are posted? The TD and the Jury must meet about no later than 15 minutes prior to the race start. The TD gives the Jury any final instructions and any other necessary information.

In New England, the TD will work with the NENSA Program Director and Site director and chief of course to be sure the above issues are resolved.

During the Race:

The TD stations himself in the stadium, observation and monitoring activities. If the weather is cold and blowing or turns bad during the race, the TD must make sure the racers are protected and that stewards are prepared to act quickly if necessary.

The start and timing is to be randomly checked for accuracy. Are the numbers on competitors passing through the start and finish the same as the numbers on the timers sheets? Are unofficial times being posted in a timely manner? Are the medical personnel trapping the correct skiers for drug testing? It is important to make sure that stadium controllers are able to keep the various individuals, skiers, officials, spectators and press, in their proper areas so as not to interfere with the competition.

Relay races bring about special conditions. The lanes must be correctly marked for the various teams. The preparation of the tracks must be checked for correct configuration and the various zones for proper grooming. The tag zones must be checked for correct size and the judge’s placement checked for ease of viewing. Ski marking and equipment checks during relay races present a challenge if space is a problem.

Ski marking and equipment checks are done at the start of the relay area and at the tag zone area if the two are in different parts of the stadium.

It is very important for the TD to talk with racers and coaches and other officials so as to keep a pulse on how things are going. Also being able to spot possible problems and if something does go wrong, to try to fix them.

The TD keeps in radio contact with the various Chiefs (Chief of Race, Chief of Timing, Chief of Stewards, Chief of Medical and Safety).

As the race moves along the TD is to check the continuous posting of temperatures, unofficial times and any DQs, DNS and DNF as they become available.

Immediately After The Race:

The TD checks with the Chief of Timing to make sure all racers are accounted for. This includes all DNS, DNF, and DQs.

The controllers and judges cards/sheets need to be checked. The Competition Secretary must be consulted to see if there are any protests and chairs the Jury meeting.

The TD meets with the Chief of Timing to check and verify results. Backup times will be checked against prime times for accuracy.

The TD thanks the various groups of volunteers for their contributions,

In the Jury meeting, the TD reviews the race and takes up any protests, DQs or any problems or events that came up during the race. The Competition Secretary presents the results in their final form and the TD and Jury members will sign off to declare the results as official.

The TD will direct the Competition Secretary to distribute all final results to the various teams, media and public for publication, including distribution to the various technical entities USSA, USST, FIS, etc.

In New England the Chief of Timing and/or the Race Director frequently double for the Race Secretary. The NENSA Program Director will be an important part of the timing, results checking team

Responsibilities After the Competition:

The TD gathers all the results and reports from the various Chiefs to compile a "TD Report". This written report is to contain a detailed analysis of the competition. Preparations, organization, technical preparations etc. must be included. This gives the various organizations and committees a clear and concise picture of how the competition was conducted and what is necessary if corrective measures are to be taken in the future. This report must be candid and honest to be of any value. The report is to be sent to the USSA/FIS offices, Officials Committee Chairman, host Organizing Committee and Competition Committee along with Divisional Competition Committee. To complete the correspondence with the Organizing Committee the TD should make suggestions and positive criticism as a whole and private criticism when warranted

In New England the TD submits a report to the Head of NENSA’s Officiating Committee and to the NENSA Executive Director. Expenses are submitted to the NENSA Executive Director.

Team Captains Meeting:

The Team Captains meetings must be considered the most important meetings held during the competition. At these meetings the communication between the TD, Organizing Committee, Competition Committee, coaches and athletes is accomplished. This is a closed meeting, allowing only necessary personnel to participate. The TD and the Chief of Competition decide who the participants will be (306.1.2). Meetings are to be held one day prior to each race, as per the published schedule, (216), (218) with the understanding that emergency meetings may take place if conditions warrant it. The Competition Secretary has the responsibility of sending the notices the various invited participants.

Participant list will usually include:

All coaches of participating teams

Athlete representative of individual racers

Various accredited officials examples are:

· • Chief of Competition

· • Competition Secretary and staff Jury members

· • Chief of Timing

· • Chief Medical Officer

The Chief of Competition is the Chairman for the meeting with the TD in the role of supervisor. The business of the meeting will be conducted under articles 306.

The meeting will include all the various elements of the competition. At this meeting action will be taken on any decisions which effect the racers and their captains. The competition is to be conducted under the rules that govern the race but there may be times when a Jury decision is made and it will be announced at the meeting.

If minor changes from the rules are made, these changes are to be voted upon by the participants at the meeting. Each team, the TD and the Chief of Competition have one vote each (218.2) (306.2.6). The TD and the Chief of Competition prepare the agenda using article 304.2 as a guide.

A typical agenda should include the following: (306.3.2)

1. Introduction of the TD, Competition Committee, Competition Secretary and other Chiefs and individuals that are part of the competition.

2. Introduction of the Jury members. If a appointed member is unavailable a new one will be nominated and appointed

3. The weather forecast. It is important that all coaches and racers are aware of forecasted weather conditions for the upcoming race. Because the weather can be unstable, decisions as to possible postponements, delays or maybe cancellations must be understood and how this information will be transmitted to the various entities.

4. The Competition Secretary will present the entries and verify their correctness. Groupings (334) will be verified and any corrections will be noted and approved If there are any reserve entries article 335 dictates that the reserve will be entered only if the originally drawn competitor can not start due to force majeure. Late entries are not permitted. The Jury can give special consideration to racers under special conditions (335.2)

5. The draw is conducted by the Competition Secretary, with the Chief of Timing on hand for procedures. The draw can be done either manually or by computer. Each procedure has it own set of rules, Manual draw article 336.2, computer draw article 336.3.1. At the conclusion of the draw, bib pickup time and location is announced.

6. The stadium layout is presented and discussed. Placement of equipment, exits, entrants, ski marking, start and finish, waxing areas, ski marking, relay zones, etc. plus other information necessary for the success of the competition is noted If there is any special start information, i.e. pursuit, or relay, it must be clearly understood by all. It is the responsibility of the team captains to obtain any and all information for their racers to avoid any misunderstandings.

7. The course and its description are presented. Profiles, access to and off, cutoffs, barriers, signs, Km markers, first aid stations and ski patrol, course security, intermediate timing stations, feeding stations and any other information that skiers must know for a satisfactory and safe race.

8. Course preparations. The time schedules for course preparation is critical for skiers. Grooming is usually done late at night or very early in the morning the setup the snow. If snow conditions are extreme, either too hard or too soft, or weather conditions unfavorable, rain, blizzard, etc.

Then grooming will take on a life of its own. The Chief of Course and Chief of Equipment will work closely with the TD and Jury to have the course in the best condition possible.

9. Information for ski testing, times, locations and regulations are presented Cooperation among the various teams is important to avoid misunderstandings.

10. The training schedule and training courses are probably the highest priority for the racers. The Team Captains have a responsibility to obtain the most recent and correct information to give to their competitors. It is very important that this information is accurate and if changes need to be made, for what ever reason, the TD and Jury must make these changes quickly and distribute them in a timely manner.

11. The TD will give any additional information needed to the assembled guests and answer questions not covered by the meeting.

12. The organizers will complete the meeting with any additional information and answer questions from the floor.

It is the responsibility of the host organizing committee to keep all the teams and individual skiers informed of any and all changes. This is accomplished by setting up regular times when information is decimated and established. (306.3.3)

The Competition Secretary takes the minutes of the Team Captains meeting. (306.3.4)

In New England, Team Captain’s meetings are held at The New England J-2 Championships, the EHSC, the Spring Series, and in a modified way at the BKL Festival