Would someone be willing to share with me their process of game tape evaluation, so that I can better use this tool to help my officiating skills improve? Are there some guidelines that you follow to enhance your evaluation? Thanks in advance.

[Edited by ctpfive on Feb 15th, 2006 at 03:06 PM]

The best thing to do is to compare. I am sure there's someone in your association that has high respects in the officiating community. Get a tape from them and asked them to view your tape. Schools/coaches will send you a tape if you send them the shipping cost. Or you could just pick one up from the school.

Take the tape of the official and watch it. Now some tapes may not show officials all the time which makes you wonder what they are doing when you cannot see them. The good officials are always moving to position themselves if the ball comes back into their area.

If this tends to be a problem, take a video camera to a game and film it. Make sure you notify the home coach of your intentions.

I have one tape that I have been viewing most of the winter in football, there's about three things I am going to be working on this fall. Hope this helps and good luck.

Here are the things I would look at on the tape:

1) Mechanics - Does everything look crisp and are you signalling with strength? Do you look like you know what you're doing?
2) Floor Presence - Do you lean on one foot when you stand, are you leaning to see better when you should be moving, do you run athletically? Are your movements determined?
3) Positioning - Does it look like you were in the best position to make the call or could you have been somewhere else?
4) Calls - Are there any calls that looks like you may have missed, should have made, incorrectly ruled on? Goes back to positioning. You won't be able to do this all the time since you don't have multiple angles.
5) Anything Weird - Are you doing anything wierd on the court that you need to change?

Those are the main things that I could think of with a short description.

I think someone wrote an article about this on the pay side.

She hasn't been in yet, I think she's sleeping off her big night.

A couple crews I know well and mine try to set up a post-season tape night. We plan on watching a tape from each crew, having some beverages and helping each other out. It should be a fun way to end a season as well as a good learning tool. Another option we are talking about is getting together to do our sportsmanship ratings (just my crew) looking at our schedule for next year, and watching the tape. You can learn a ton by looking at yourself.

well....that's better than sleeping <b>through</b> your big night(coughTHcough). :D

Five,

One thing that I would do is chart the number of calls made from each position. You may determine that you need to become more involved from say the Trail position, etc.

Mulk

I do not think there is a one way to do any of this. Film evaluation is not much different from simply watching officials. I know when I watch my own tapes I watch every movement if possible and I look at every call. Then I look at my mechanics (if the tape shows them) and nitpick anything that I do. I look at myself on tape the same way I do when I watch other officials. Each game I come with the same level of scrutiny.

Peace

The good thing about most game tapes you get from schools is that they stop the camera at each whistle. So you can watch a single game 5-8 times in an evening. The bad thing about most game tapes you get from schools is that they stop the camera at each whistle, so you never get to see what you really look like at the table.

I sit down with the remote, a pad of paper and a pen. I start watching, and I start writing. Everything I see that needs fixed, improved or polished gets noted. I'll watch it literally 5-8 times, until I don't get anything more out of watching it. Then I prioritize my list. I start with the things that need fixing the most, down to the things that need fixing the least. And I begin working on them.

However, you'll only pick up things that you are capable of spotting yourself. So if you can get a more experienced, knowlegable official to watch it with you at some point, he/she may have additional things for you too.