Little Athletics Australia and Athletics Australia have standardised the education and accreditation of Officials to provide a seamless pathway for parents to develop their knowledge as an official. The Australian Athletics Officials’ Education Scheme (AAOES) is a joint initiative supported by the Australian Sports Commission and provides a tiered structure for those just wanting an introduction to officiating right through to those seeking to become Olympics accredited officials.
| Grading | Level | Notes |
| Level 0 | Introduction to Officiating | An Australian Sports Commission course for all sports in Australia. |
| Level 1 | Club/Centre/School Official | Basic grading.This is aimed at Officials wishing to officiate at a local/club/centre/school level |
| Level 2 | State Official | This level is aimed at Officials wanting to:– be appointed as a Chief or Referee at State Level– be appointed as a Chief at National Level |
| Level 3 | National Official | This level is aimed at Officials wanting to be qualifiedto be appointed as:– a Chief at National Level– a Referee at National Level– a position within Competition Management at a National Level |
| Level 4 | IAAF Technical Officials Education Certification Scheme – TOECS Level 2 (Diploma)– conducted by the Oceania Regional Development Centre | Eligible to be appointed as an Area Technical Official (ATO) – Oceania Athletics Association |
| Level 5 | IAAF Technical Officials Education Certification Scheme – TOECS Level 3 (Diploma)– conducted by the IAAF | Eligible to be appointed as an International Technical Official (ITO) – worldwide/global |
The level 0 and 1 courses are free and require a quick registration to login to the sites. Full details are available on the Athletics West website. Here is the link to the login/registration Officials Education & Accreditation page. To start your officiating journey, firstly, register on the Sport Australia Learning Portal and complete the Level 0 – Introduction to Officiating E-Learning module. You can then move on to Level 1 – Club/Centre/School Official and beyond.
