Quote:
Originally Posted by MelbRef
What's your best advice for a rookie ref at this level?
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Same advice for any level: control what you can control, and don't worry about the rest.
Applied to your level, what can you control?
1) Your appearance. Get the correct equipment. Good shoes, beltless pants, Fox40 whistle, V-neck shirt. Press the pants, shine the shoes. Look good. Stand straight. Don't wear jewelry (except a wedding band, which is acceptable almost everywhere). Get rid of a funky hairstyle, if you have one. (Facial hair too, depending on the expectations of your assignor(s) ). First impressions are important; make a good one when you step on the court.
2) Your rules knowledge. You control how much you study the rule and case books. Know them inside and out. When you have questions, this is a great place to come and get them answered (or at least, argued about
). When a coach complains, it's great to be able to start your answer with, "Coach, by rule. . ."
3) Your mechanics. Look over the signal chart in your rule book. Practice them -- in front of a mirror. Watch yourself to see if your arm is straight. Put your signals out in front of you and at least chest high; mine are actually pretty much even with my face-level.
Once you have these things, you can see lots of plays and file them away for later. (But again, you don't have control over that.) Good luck, have a great season.