National Association of Sports Officials

What National Association of Sports Officials does

The National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) is a not-for-profit educational organization headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, founded in 1980 by Barry Mano. It is the world's largest membership organization for sports officials, serving over 32,000 individual members across all sports — baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, pickleball, soccer, softball, stunt, tennis, volleyball, and others — at every competitive level, alongside local officials associations, officiating administrators, and education partner organizations (nearly 100 in 2025).

NASO's product portfolio is operated through an integrated membership and engagement platform. Core offerings include individual NASO Membership (delivering liability insurance, assault protection, advocacy, publications, and discounts), group memberships via the Association Advantage program for local associations, Referee Magazine (print and digital), the NASO Members App, email newsletters (LockerRoom, It's Official), and the Referee Training Center e-commerce storefront (store.referee.com). The annual Sports Officiating Summit in Grand Rapids, MI draws nearly 500 administrators and officials. Proprietary technology assets include the National Officiating Survey (162 questions, 35,000+ respondents, 12 million data points), the GameSavers mentor network, the Sports Officials Legislative Scorecard, and Referee Voices video programming. Sub-brands include Say Yes to Officiating (recruitment program), Stay In the Game (NCAA DIII athlete pipeline launched September 2025), Integrity Resource Center, and Legacy NASO.

NASO's revenue model is subscription/membership-dues-based, supplemented by group memberships, summit registrations and sponsorships, magazine subscriptions and advertising, e-commerce (training materials), and Education Partner contributions. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed; the organization markets to individuals (direct membership via naso.org), local associations (via Association Advantage), and enterprise partners (Summit sponsors, Education Partners). The competitive position rests on a multi-decade brand, an integrated insurance/advocacy/education/protection portfolio, the proprietary survey dataset, and a regulatory infrastructure including the Sports Officials' Bill of Rights and Model Legislation. The organization operates as a 501(c)(6) non-profit, governed by a 12-member Board of Directors, with no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no outside investors; founder Barry Mano passed away in March 2026, creating a generational leadership transition.

Name

National Association of Sports Officials

Legal name

National Association of Sports Officials

Website

https://naso.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NASO is a 501(c)(6) non-profit headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, founded in 1980 and serving over 32,000 sports officials worldwide across all sports and competitive levels through memberships, advocacy, training, insurance, publications, and the annual Sports Officiating Summit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association and Membership Services for Sports Officials

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Sports officials association
• Officiating membership services
• Referee liability insurance
• Sports officiating training
• Officiating advocacy resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Racine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: NASO generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues from over 32,000 sports officials worldwide, providing benefits including insurance, publications, and advocacy services.
2. Group Membership Programs: Association Advantage program provides resources and membership management tools for local officials associations, creating a group membership revenue stream.
3. Referee Magazine and Publications: NASO publishes Referee Magazine and operates Referee.com, providing officiating industry news and information.
4. Sports Officiating Summit: Annual conference generating revenue through registrations and sponsorships, with the 2026 event in Grand Rapids, MI.
5. Insurance Products: Member liability insurance and assault protection benefits, part of the membership protection package.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NASO is a non-profit membership association that provides sports officials with individual and group memberships delivering liability insurance, assault protection, advocacy, education, publications, discounts, and networking. Its flagship offerings include Referee Magazine, the annual Sports Officiating Summit, the Say Yes to Officiating recruitment program, the GameSavers mentor network, and the National Officiating Survey.

Product overview

NASO operates as a membership-based professional organization offering a unified portfolio of programs and services for sports officials. The core offerings include individual membership with liability insurance and advocacy support, the monthly Referee Magazine publication, newsletters (It's Official and LockerRoom), and the annual Sports Officiating Summit. NASO's primary initiatives include the Say Yes to Officiating recruitment program with its GameSavers mentorship network, and the newer Stay In the Game program for DIII student-athletes. Additional offerings include award programs (Gold Whistle, Medallion, Great Call, Inspire), the Association Advantage platform for local association leaders, the Integrity Resource Center for compliance resources, Referee Training Center e-commerce, and the National Officiating Survey database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Referee Magazine: Official magazine of NASO covering officiating industry news and information.
• Referee.com
• Say Yes To Officiating
• Association Advantage
• Stay In the Game
• Integrity Resource Center
• Sports Officiating Summit
• Legacy NASO

Products and services

• NASO Membership Individual annual membership providing sports officials with liability insurance, assault protection, advocacy support, educational resources, member discounts, and access to NASO publications.
• Referee Magazine NASO's official print and digital publication covering news, educational content, and industry information for sports officials at every level and every sport.
• Sports Officiating Summit Annual industry conference held in Grand Rapids, MI, bringing together nearly 500 officiating administrators, supervisors, leaders, and officials for networking, education, and recognition.
• Say Yes to Officiating National recruitment and retention initiative providing free resources, training materials, and community programs to address the shortage of sports officials.
• Association Advantage Group membership and resource platform for officials association leaders providing tools to elevate their associations and training programs.
• Referee Training Center E-commerce platform offering training materials, educational resources, and officiating equipment.
• National Officiating Survey Comprehensive industry survey collecting data from sports officials, providing 12 million data points across 162 questions from over 35,000 participants.
• Stay In the Game Recruitment program partnering with NCAA Division III to help student-athletes transition into sports officiating careers through mentorship and local officiating opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 26,000-32,000 sports officials served globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Division III Commissioners Association (DIIICA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025NASO and DIIICA launched the 'Stay In the Game' program, the first official program from the partnership funded by the NCAA. The initiative recruits NCAA Division III student-athletes into sports officiating, pairing them with mentors via the NASO GameSavers network. DIIICA officially became a stand-alone organization in January 1992 and works closely with NCAA, NACDA, NADIIIAA, NACWAA, and Division III Independents.
• Education Partners (Nearly 100 organizations)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Nearly 100 organizations supported NASO in 2025, funding key officiating programs. Education Partners gain exposure and help champion the future of sports officiating. Organizations can become Education Partners to support the officiating community.
• Battlefields to BallfieldscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership supporting veterans who are exploring sports officiating as a way to stay connected, serve their communities, and build a meaningful post-military pathway. This partnership addresses veteran transition while also supporting officiating recruitment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PGA of America: PGA of America is a membership association for golf professionals offering training, certification, advocacy, and member benefits. A comparable professional-membership model with dues, education, and insurance benefits, though serving golf professionals rather than sports officials.
• National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS): NFHS is the overarching body that governs high school sports officiating and trains officials through its member state associations. Comparable to NASO as a cross-sport governing and educational body for officials, but NFHS is sport-broad and education-focused whereas NASO is membership- and advocacy-focused.

Others

• YMCA of the USA: YMCA is a large national membership-based nonprofit that operates sports and recreation programs and trains officials/volunteers. Comparable to NASO in operating as a national membership nonprofit hosting programs and events, but with a recreation-versus-professional-officials focus.
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): ACSM is a large professional membership organization serving sports-medicine practitioners with certifications, publications, and advocacy. Comparable to NASO as a dues-driven professional association model in the broader sports ecosystem, though serving a different practitioner segment.

Regional players

• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA): NAIA governs small-college athletics in the U.S. and oversees officiating assignments and standards for its member conferences. It is a comparable sports-governance organization with adjacency to NASO through officiating coordination and policy advocacy in college athletics.

Direct peers

• Professional Association of Volleyball Officials (PAVO): PAVO is the national professional association for volleyball officials, providing training, certification, and advocacy. Directly comparable to NASO as a sport-specific counterpart serving officials with membership, training, and standards — NASO covers all sports while PAVO is single-sport focused.
• USA Hockey Officiating Program: USA Hockey operates an extensive officiating development and certification program that registers, trains, and supports hockey officials. It mirrors NASO's role in standardizing officiating quality, providing education, and representing officials within its sport, though within a single-sport scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NASOofficiating
• Facebookfacebook.com/NASOofficiating
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-sports-officials

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Association of Sports Officials