[JRutledge]

There are three legs of officiating.

1. Rules Knowledge
2. Mechanics
3. Philosophy

All three of these work hand and hand. Yes you have to know the rules, but that takes time and experience calling or watching the game to see all the goofy stuff that takes place. Mechanics will have you fake it until you make it and make it look like you are confident and will help you get plays right. Philosophy is the thing that puts all these things together. Every rule and mechanic has a philosophy of why you stand where you do and how to call a rule. If you read this site a lot you will find that everyone has a philosophy on how they call things like "3 seconds" or when a foul is actually a foul. And some rules we are strict about, other rules we worry about less or do not go out of our way to enforce. It is a healthy balance and what people do in your area is what you should mostly follow. But the people here range in experience and range in experience over different eras and levels. Someone that works college ball might have a different philosophy than someone that works only JH ball. Still, develop a philosophy with how you enforce the rules and your mechanics, just be willing to change over time and when you realize what works best for you.

Peace