Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, a person who is accredited as a sports official by a voluntary association as provided by P.L. 1979, c. 172 (C. 18A:11-3) and who serves that association, a conference under the jurisdiction of the association, or a public entity as defined in Title 59 of the New Jersey Statutes in the capacity of a sports official, whether or not compensated for his services, shall not be liable in any action for damages as a result of his acts of commission or omission arising out of and in the course of his rendering the services. Nothing in this act shall be deemed to grant immunity to any person causing damage by his willful, wanton, or grossly negligent act of commission or omission, nor to any person causing damage as the result of his negligent operation of a motor vehicle.
N.J.S. § 2A:62A-6.1