For over 36 years, NIRSA has produced Sports Officials Clinician Kits for the training of intramural officials. The premier publication in this program has always been the NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book and Official’s Manual, clinician kit and online course. For a long-time, the Association also offered officiating rulebooks and resources for other sports. These clinician kits included rulebooks published by the National Federation of High School (NFHS), ASA, and USAV.

In 2004, Human Kinetics became NIRSA’s publishing partner when they took over the production and sale of the clinician kits and other NIRSA publications. Sales for clinician kits over the past several years have dropped to an all-time low as more and more officials’ development resources have become available online. In addition to low sales, NIRSA member interest in serving on the committees that update sports officiating materials has also dwindled. In the sports that used an external organization’s rulebook, Human Kinetics had been selling the rulebooks at a financial loss, a practice they can no longer sustain.

NIRSA and Human Kinetics recently evaluated the program and based on low sales and interest from NIRSA members, have discontinued the program to offer clinician kits in sports other than flag football.  Options are being considered to make PDF versions of last year’s kits available through the NIRSA website. Members interested in purchasing rulebooks for soccer, volleyball, or basketball are encouraged to visit the website of the National Federation of State High School Associations.

NIRSA and Human Kinetics will continue to produce and sell flag football materials—including the NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book and Officials’ Manual, clinician kit, and online course—through the NIRSA Education & Publication Center. The Flag & Touch Football Clinician Kit and online officiating course were updated last year to coincide with the 2015 and 2016 NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book and Official’s Manual, a two-year publication, which is available in both print and eBook versions.

  • For more information about the NIRSA Flag & Touch Football Rules Book and Official’s Manual, please contact NIRSA Senior Director of Professional Development Mary Callender.
Senior Director of Operations at  | NIRSA Profile

Mary Callender, CRSS is the Senior Director of Operations at NIRSA.