The C.O.A. is a not-for-profit organization which trains and instructs football and basketball officials and interprets the rules of both sports in an effort to make such interpretations uniform. Our primary objective is to promote and encourage the avocation of sports officiating.

The Central Officials Association is one of the oldest and largest officiating groups in not only the State of Illinois but also the United States.  The association was incorporated in 1929 and consists of two divisions; Basketball and Football.  Today there are more than 425 active officials in the organization working all levels of each sport, from grammar school to NCAA Division I.  There are also many professional officials in both football and basketball who began their careers as members of the Central Official Association.