Well, I officiated my first game tonight.

It was a great experience and I learned a lot. It's definitely more difficult than I expected.

I think I did alright. The other officials who were watching and my partner told me I did alright. I just didn't want to kick any calls.

I'm looking forward to doing more.

Ren

Let's cut right to the chase. How many T's did you issue? We want to know if you "lost your maiden".

No T's this time around.

My partner warned me not to be afraid of giving a T is the coaches got lippy. No such luck this time.

I guess it will have to wait till my next game.

I'll be sure to come here and announce it to everyone though. :)

Ren

Not to spoil the fun, but.....
 

REN

Do not feel like you haven't officiated until you have given a "T". Looking back at my first game, I could have easily justified giving a "T" to the visiting Coach. Instead, I used some common sense, packaged in the form of effective communication, and made the coach aware of my expectations and he conformed.

Knowing the rules is of utmost importance, but you must also learn, with the assistance of a seasoned veteran, preventative officiating and game management skills to avoid "whacking" a player or coach.

A "T" should be the last resort of gaining control of the situation.

Welcome to the ranks of the "Striped"! Have fun and learn something new each game.

Congratulations!
 

Ren,
Remember, we're never as bad, or as good, as others say.
Good luck.
mick

Never measure your ability by the # of T's you give. You will find with experience that it's only the weaker , more defensive refs that give out all the T's. There is a time and place to use the T but learn when and how- never be defensive and always ask yourself the question- was the coach or player possibly correct in the criticism?- if your answer is even possibly ,maybe yes, you do not have a T unless swearing or serious unsportsmanlike behaviour is involved. Great officials are great communicators and work well with everyone involved in the game- they rarely get themselves in"T Trouble". When in doubt eat the whistle!
Pistol

Ren; First of all, congrats on doing your first game !!!! My feeling is that if you did the game without any problesm or 'T's then you did a good job. You must have had the players and coaches under control then. Never judge your performance by the number of 'T's that you give out. You don't want to get that type of reputation as an official. Always remain under control and professional...
Remember there is always room for constructive observations from fellow officials. Never be afraid to LEARN !!!
Have a GREAT season.

Congrats Ren..You did a fine job for your first game. Did you find it a little warm in the gym?
Be prudent with "T" they can be very meaningful if well used. Make sure you know the rules and apply them accordingly with good judgement of course.

Congrats
 

Congrats Ren,

I hope that some of the posts on this board may have helped your development (and continuing development) as a referee.

A word of advice regarding technical fouls...ask yourself if giving a T will help, or inflame, the situation. If you doubt that it will help, then it is probably not the best course of action.

Best of luck for the future,