Background Check FAQs

Yes. Personal information access is only give to those with a true need for such access. USSSA staff and volunteers will not have access to personal identification information. In the event of a Red Light, NCSI will contact the USSSA to request authorization to send an adverse action letter on behalf of the USSSA, and if authorized, will send an adverse action letter to the individual. On request, NCSI will provide additional information to support the USSSA’s review and decision process.

NCSI shall conduct the following searches on each individual as part of its Client Screening Package, in accordance with the Client program (All searches conducted above shall cover (i) the last (7) seven years of history, (ii) the longest period available if information is not available for seven (7) years or (iii) the longest period allowed by applicable law, if less than seven (7) years):

1. Social Security Number validation;
2. Name and address history records;
3. Two independent Multi-Jurisdictional Criminal Database searches covering 50 states plus DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico;
4. Federal District Courts search for the district(s) where the individual currently lives or has lived during the past seven years, going back the length of time records are available and reportable based on the name and address the Individual provides and the developed address history records;
5. County Criminal Records for the county (or counties) where the individual currently lives or has lived during the past seven years, going back the length of time records
   are available and reportable for each county searched based on the name and address the Individual provides and the developed address history records;
6. Two Sex Offender Registry database searches of all available states, plus DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico;
7. Multiple National Watch Lists;Supplemental Background Checks. All supplemental off-year background check screens will be conducted using at least the following search components:
   1. Multi-Jurisdictional criminal database covering 50 states plus DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico; and
   2. Sex Offender Registry database searches of all available states, plus DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

1. A reportable record or disclosure that contains a disposition or resolution of a criminal proceeding, other than an adjudication of not guilty, for any of the below criminal offenses will be flagged as a Red-Light, meaning it does not meet the initial screening criteria established by USSSA, and the individual will be subject to the Client’s policies and procedures to determine eligibility:
2. CRL-1. Any felony; and
   a) Defined as all crimes punishable by greater than one year in jail or prison, regardless of how characterized by jurisdiction. If range, alternate sentencing, or indeterminate sentencing with an outer range greater than one year.
   Any misdemeanor involving:
3. CRL-2. All sexual crimes, criminal offenses of a sexual nature to include but not limited to; rape, child molestation, sexual battery, lewd conduct, possession and distribution of
   child pornography, possession and distribution of obscene material, prostitution, indecent exposure, public indecency, and any sex offender registrant;
4. CRL-3. Any drug related offenses;
5. CRL-4. Harm to a minor, including, but not limited to, offenses such as child abandonment, child endangerment/neglect/abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a
   minor, and DUI with a minor;
6. CRL-5. Violence against a person (including crimes involving a deadly weapon and domestic violence);
7. CRL-6. Stalking, harassment, blackmail, violation of a protection order, and/or threats;
8. CRL-7. Destruction of property, including arson, vandalism, and criminal mischief; and
9. CRL-8. Animal abuse, cruelty, or neglect; and
10. CRL-9. Misdemeanor trespassing.

A “Red Light” means one or both of the following: 1) information is required to complete the screening process (“RL-I”) and/or 2) criteria-related convictions or pending convictions were found and verified in the screening process (“RL-Review”). If a question arises concerning a background check, the individual will be contacted directly by NCSI and given the opportunity to correct potential discrepancies in the individual’s records or to provide additional information prior to NCSI issuing a Red Light determination.

Any individual has the right to dispute what they consider to be erroneous findings of the criminal background check directly with the criminal background check vendor. The USSSA is required by the Background Check Policy to accept the findings of the criminal background check provider as to the accuracy of the records. However, the USSSA Background Check Review Panel shall exercise their discretion and may take all relevant information into consideration to determine the eligibility status of individuals with Red Light findings. The full USSSA Background Check Policy with appeal process procedures can be found here.

The background check required by USSSA on owners is good for two years. A supplemental background check will automatically run after the first year and is included in the background check fee.

Background checks by NCSI is the Gold Standard in youth and amateur sports because of the quality of service provided by NCSI and the depth of the background check. Unlike most discount screens, NCSI will do an in-depth identify verification, search over 800 million records from the national multi-jurisdictional databases, and sex offender registry, and then go to the local state and county searches. This is a key component missing from many discount searches, as many localities do not consistently report up to the national database providers. NCSI will then always do a thorough quality control review on the report before sending results back to the customer. NCSI is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association by meeting a strict and thorough set of professional standards of specified requirements and measurements.

At this time international swim school members are not required to complete a background check. Citizens of countries other than the United States who have a work visa have gone through an FBI fingerprint, name and security check. Therefore, NCSI will only run a domestic check for the time that the applicant has resided in the U.S., as a supplement to the work visa process.

For those applicants who do not have a work visa, an international background check will be required. The cost of the background check is $150.00 at the expense of the applicant.

NCSI will contact the applicant to obtain any additional documentation that may be necessary to initiate the international background check (ex. passport image, country-specific consent, etc.).

In addition to the Gold Standard background check, SportsEngine provides additional document management services to help organizations remain compliant with Pennsylvania Act 153 of 2014. This Act requires that any adults who come into contact with children while serving in Pennsylvania, either as paid employees or unpaid volunteers, provide the following clearances before participating:

• Criminal History Record Search from the PA State Police (PATCH) system.
• Child Abuse Clearance obtained through the PA Department of Human Services.
• One of the following:
  1. FBI Fingerprint screening submitted through the PA State Police
  2. Signed Volunteer Affidavit (volunteers with continuous residence in PA for the past ten years)

Those teachers and staff that live in PA and are completing a background screen, will be required to upload the three required documents onto SportsEngine, and NCSI will validate these documents. Please refer to the following link for complete instructions on how to obtain these clearances: www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov

NCSI does not conduct a LiveScan search in the state of California, as it’s programs are designed to have national coverage.  Some clients do choose to do or require LiveScan for their applicants that participate in the State of California, and manage these screens as incremental to the NCSI national screen.

Youth sports organizations are not specifically required to do the ICORI search in the State of Massachusetts. NCSI’s county level searches are of equal or better quality as a means for finding results within the state.

For chapters who want to conduct the ICORI search, NCSI will use SportsEngine technology to facilitate the ICORI process for those applicants participating in the state of Massachusetts (document management).

The state of Florida has requirements around the ‘Level 2 Background Screening’.

NCSI does not do a fingerprint scanning to confirm identity, but instead uses the social security number and address trace to confirm identity. Then, in lieu of the FDLE statewide search, NCSI searches all local jurisdictions found on the address trace over the appropriate period of time (including jurisdiction outside of the state of Florida). Additionally, two multi jurisdictional criminal and sex offender databases are searched to provide a broader scope.