Become an Official

Hammer Sports Officials is always looking for new, dedicated individuals to join our team. While becoming an official with us is a straightforward process, it does require completing several important steps to ensure you are fully prepared and certified for the season. Please follow the guide below to begin your journey.

Step 1: Submit Your Application

The first step is to express your interest by filling out our new official application. Please provide as much detail as possible, including your sporting experience and availability. Once your application is received, a member of the Hammer Sports Officials leadership team will review it and respond via email within a few business days with the next steps.

Step 2: Complete Onboarding Paperwork

After your application has been approved, you will need to complete your initial onboarding. This involves two key items:

Download a W-9 Form here and complete the required information. Save the document as a PDF and upload your competed W9 form here. As an independent contractor, you must complete and submit a W-9 form for payment purposes. This will be provided to you by our administrative team.

Setup your Arbiter account.
- You should receive an email inviting you to join our group.
- Note, our Arbiter name is Hammer Sports LLC and the group number is 104537
- For help in setting up your Arbiter account, please click here

Step 3: Obtain Required Certifications

All officials must hold valid certifications to be eligible for game assignments. The two required items are concussion training and passing a background check. Both of these items are available in your Arbiter account under Eligibility. Note, the concussion training must be completed once every 3 years.

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MSHSL Registration (If Applicable): If you plan to officiate high school level games, you must register with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). This is a separate process with its own requirements and deadlines. Please visit the MSHSL website for more information on how to register as an official.

We are excited to have you join us! If you have any questions along the way, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help you succeed and become the best official you can be.

What Other Officials Are Saying

"I officiate adult softball, as well as basketball and volleyball contests. I have worked with Hammer Sports for many years. They have been good in assigning me games in my area of the metro, they pay very promptly, they understand my personal preferences, and each person at Hammer is very nice to deal with. I have been very satisfied with my association with Hammer Sports."

Jim Delich

"My name is Phil Gladhill and I would like to tell you about my involvement with Hammer Sports.
I have been officiating adult sports for the past 49 years. I started umpiring softball in 1976 and added basketball and touch football soon after. I have since stopped officiating basketball and touch football and currently just umpire softball.

I joined Hammer Sports in 2021 as an umpire and wanted to tell you about the organization. In the beginning of each season an email is sent out asking for your availability to work ( which nights you are available, and which leagues you could work for) If you are "new" to the sport that you want to officiate, Hammer Sports will place you with and experienced official to help train you in.

You are then sent a schedule of games that you are assigned to, and you can either accept or decline each assignment. If you accept an assignment, you are sent an email reminder each week of the games that you committed to. At the end of each week, you are sent payment for the games that you worked that week. The process is very streamlined and the staff at Hammer Sports is exceptional. If you are looking to get into sports officiating, I would highly recommend you contact Hammer Sports."

Sincerely

Phil Gladhill

Hammer Sports is a well run company assigning a large pool of officials to numerous sporting events throughout the year. Heidi, Carlton and Zach continuously work to train and teach existing and prospective officials for youth and high school sports. For those who seek certifications, Hammer Sports is there as a resource if needed.

I have officiated basketball for 22 years and volleyball for 3 years with a vast array of assignors. Hammer Sports professionalism, personal care and commitment to weekly payouts sets them apart in a highly competitive industry. My recommendation is to look no further than Hammer Sports if you are seeking to become an official in the future.

Dave Bahnemann

I have been officiating through Hammer Sports for the past 10 years and currently. These assigners are top notch for ensuring we get all our match details early and utilize a very simple assigning system. Payments for matches are very promptly issued. Hammer Sports also puts on a well run training program every year for new officials.

Deb Lorenson