Quote:
Originally Posted by KJUmp
First post. 1st year (older) official. My question to the veterans is this..what do you do (maybe it just comes w/ more experience) to "slow the game down". I don't mean the actual game going slower..but just how do you learn to see all the action at a slower pace in your mind and eye? I sometimes feel as if I'm getting "overun" by the action and not seeing all the things I should be seeing...to the point of losing track of what team is going in what direction. I know this probably sounds like total incompetence. I'm sure a lot has to do with being a rookie... but sometimes it just seems like a blur. I feel like I'm doing an OK job...but I'm certainly not kidding myself as to how much I'm either missing or just plain not aware of. I am in a state association as an applicant, so I am geting classroom and some floor training etc. But at my level we have to get our own games, and to date have yet to work with a partner who is board certified veteran who can give me some constructive feedback. Advice? Tips?
PS I've learned a great deal already from reading pertinent (to my experience and level) posts on this Forum...so my thanks to all of you.
Thanks.
|
A number of folks have given some very good feedback, here. I will give my own $.02 some of it identical to others, some a little different view.
I think that the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of getting the game to slow down for you is to get COMFORTABLE with ALL OF YOUR MECHANICS. Get comfortable with your positioning, your rotations (if you are doing 3-man), your violation reporting, foul reporting, switches after foul calls, etc. The BEST way to do this, in my opinion, is to get tapes of a few games you work -- get a girlfriend, spouse, friend, etc. to go and tape the game for you. Have them keep the camera going during the entire game. Have them get the widest angle that they can. On each call, quickly envision (and even mimick the call in front of the TV) how you would make the call and where you should go as the calling official and as the off official. Do this for a few games. I think that this can compress the learning curve.
Once you are comfortable with your mechanics, they become second nature.
As has been pointed out, KNOW THE RULES. Knowing the rules -- virtually no official knows ALL of the rule and ALL of the interpretations -- will help immensely, as well. If you are comfortable with your mechanics and you are comfortable with your knowledge of the rules, you can focus on the game. If you can focus solely on the game, you can begin to pick-up the offenses teams are running and where to concentrate your efforts looking for illegal activities.
I have spoken to officials who claim that this process took them 7 or 8 YEARS. For me, the process was much more compressed. Partly because I was so accustomed to watching game tape that watching a game that I officiated was a "typical" activity. The other part was that since I had coached for so long, I was able to quickly identify a team's offenses and defenses -- this allowed me to better anticipate where the action was gong to occur in my primary area.
Finally, don't put pressure on yourself to be perfect. When you do, you tend to fret over a call you did or did not make. Meanwhile, the game is still moving. If you can't forget about a call you made or didn't make, the process is more likely to repeat itself. Make the call or don't make the call and move on.
Good luck!!!