Advice for rookie officials

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by SeanFitzRef
Good points, SME, but unfortunately a lot of assignors and decision makers worry about the proper mechanics and floor positioning over the decision making. I have been in camp stiuations and heard observers marvel at a camper's positioning or 'proper mechanical form', but the person has flubbed three calls in their primary or the reach out of their primary to get something. Part of the problem with that thinking is that the philosophies are discussed just once, and the mechanics are focused on. Might just be in my area, but my two cents.

The problem is you cannot really judge accurately judgment. Of course I can have an opinion, but the officials on the floor is often times in the best position to see the entire play and see how and why contact (or anything else) took place. I do not think observers just overlook decision making, it is easier to judge mechanics related with the call. If you are in the proper position and use the proper mechanics, let us face it the call is often immaterial. After all officiating is a sales job. Having been an evaluator at times, all I can ask is what the officials saw and give them things to think about. I cannot tell them with much confidence from a completely different vantage point whether a call was correct or not. Unless the call was out in the open easily viewable evaluators would only be able to guess whether a call is correct or not. So unless a rule is applied completely wrong, judgment is just hard to judge sometimes.

Peace