As part of its mission to educate alpine officials, the NHARA Alpine Officials Committee hosts a number of clinics to present materials and administer certification exams from U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

Starting with the 2026 season U.S. Ski & Snowboard requires all Alpine Officials to attend a "rules update" every season for certifications to remain valid.   

• Attending a clinic where the Type contains "AO Update"  satisfies the annual requirement for all certifications except Technical Delegate (TD) and Race Administrator (RA).
• Officials with a TD and/or RA certification must attend an update specific to that certification. 
• The NHARA "Coach and Referee Update" clinics target coaches and referees; however, officials with the Referee (RF) certification may attend any "AO Update" clinic.
• Officials adding a certification must attend an in-person clinic where the exam is available. 

Officials can verify that their certifications are valid by viewing their USSA Alpine Official profile. Certifications are valid when the "Last Clinic" year matches the current season. 

Attending a Clinic

Prior to a clinic you will receive an email with specific meeting location, links for online sessions, and the latest materials published by U.S. Ski & Snowboard. 

If you are attending a clinic for the rules update, no preparation is required; however, you can read the annual update and review document published by U.S. Ski & Snowboard. 

Prior to taking a certification exam you will want to the review rules, study guide and other Education Resources provided by U.S. Ski & Snowboard.   Passing a certification exam helps you gain understanding of the rules as well as the roles of the officials involved in running an event. Your education should also include shadowing officials at an event to gain relevant, on-the-job, experience.  

RA, TC and TD exams are available as needed. If you are interested in moving forward with one of these AO certifications first, verify that you have the necessary requisites by reviewing the Alpine Officials Certification Guidelines. Then speak with your programs Director or Alpine Official coordinator and let them know you are seeking the certification. If you have the requisites and support of your Program, then, reach out NHARA AO Committee Chair to schedule the certification. 

Resources

• Alpine Official General Information

• Alpine Official Education Resources

• NHARA Alpine Official Resources

• USSA Members and Officials Lookup  

The USSA Alpine Official Education Resources for the current season are posted in late October. The documents are updated each season to account for changes in the rules. Any changes to the rules are identified in the annual update, so rules and resources from the prior season are still a good and valid resource.

Other Clinic Options

Other divisions (e.g., Tri-State, Maine, Vermont) also host clinics. Attending an in-person or online rules update hosted by another division satisfies the annual requirement.

• 2026 USSA Eastern Region Alpine Official Clinics
• 2026 USSA Alpine Official Clinics (national) 

Officials can attend any clinic with a "Rules Update" to satisfy the annual update and review requirement.  

As within NHARA, some clinics specifically target the Technical Delegate (TD) and Race Administrator (RA) roles and should only be attended by those with or seeking these credentials. 

Last updated October 11, 2025