New referee advice?

[BryanV21]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

... raise your arm every time you blow your whistle. Either a raised fist (foul) or a raised open hand (for everything else).

Except for a held ball/jump ball signal, which in and of itself is a stop clock signal.

We're lucky to have a mentoring program here in central Ohio. I worked with the same JV crew four years, who worked along with the same Varsity crew. They would watch us, we would watch them, and all discuss how to get better.

Assuming you don't have that, find the top refs around you and talk to them. Ask them if you can watch them work games. When I did that they'd always allow me into the locker room with them before the game, at halftime, and after the game. That way I could either ask questions or simply see what they do and how they talk about it. One thing I learned was what the right questions were to ask, and how to ask them.

I also had some of them come watch me work and join me in the locker room.

Just don't be afraid to ask for help. The books are great, as is this message board, but there's no comparison to talking with veteran officials first hand and watching them work.