[Mike Simonds]

Hi Otis. Its nice to see a "U" get the call to be a "R"!

Here are some qualities I like to see in my referee:

1. I like a referee who requires every crew member to participate in the pregame conference.
2. I like a referee who hustles and helps relay the ball to me if necessary.
3. I like a referee who has a nice steady tempo to his ready for play and keeps the game moving.
4. I like a referee who takes enough time to administer penalties properly.
5. I like a referee who coordinates our coverage in the middle. For example, which players to key on at the snap so we don't overlap and miss coverage somewhere else.

I would teach your head linesman and umpire to work together on penalty enforcement. Have you been practicing your signals? Doing them in the mirror is a good practice. If you use a microphone now is a good time to practice how you are going to announce penalties. Usually the microphone is not used for the preliminary signal. You have a lot to look for on passing and kicking plays. Was the arm moving forward or backwards? Was the pass forward or backwards? Mental review of all possible play situations and the proper mechanics will help you make the call. You always have to protect the QB, kicker and holder. I know that some of the things the referee is supposed to look for prior to the snap are false starts and snap infractions. But I think you should tell your U, HL, and LJ to focus on these so you can concentrate on legal and illegal shifts by the backs. Of course, you can still keep the offensive line and snap in your field of vision. The HL an LJ can help you with flankers and slotbacks that are closer to their coverage area and field of vision.

I have an idea. Why don't you type a mental check list for referees? Then we can review it and add our observations and experiences.