[pizanno]

I gotta believe this suggestion applies to HS levels, and is an effort to "humanize" the officials in the student/player's eyes.

I've spoken at a couple practices, by invitation from the coach or by the league, to go over new rule changes.

I tell them that understanding the rules is a vital element of improving your game.

Invariably, the players will ask "..this happened last year, why did/didn't I get a call".

My stock response is usually "I can't comment on a play I didn't see, but you know that officials make mistakes, and will continue to make mistakes. The best thing you can do as a player is to play on, and show your coach that you can play through a tough situation, while other players may complain or lose focus."

Educating players about our job outside of a game environment is always a good opportunity to help promote sportsmanship and break down barriers between officials and teams.