Your 1st TV game
 

My questions regarding the 1st TV game that YOU ever worked are:

1. How did you approach preparing for the game?
2. How did you keep your emotions in check?
3. What you did to ensure you stuck to the script regardless of all the bright lights?


Thanks in advance!

Just go out and referee the game, if you worry about all the distractions you will be distracted.

My first TV game I did not know I was going to be on TV until I got to the school.

You work it like any other game. If they want something special like media timeouts, just accommodate. It really is not a big deal if you do not make it one.

Peace

I don't remember when my first TV game was because they are basically like any other game. We will more than likely always be on someone's film and we never know who is watching.

Like everyone else said - it's not that big of a deal. Once the game starts, you don't even know they are there. If you let it become the focus of your game prep, you are going to be in serious trouble.

With eyes glazed over. I didn't deserve the game, I was only in my second year and thought every time the phone rang prior to the game, it was my assignor deciding I wasn't ready. He called a few days before the game and I saw his name on caller ID and my heart sank. I had my speech prepared how I was ready and up for it. As it turned out, he asked me to do the soph game as the school didn't want a certain official. In retrospect, doing the sophomore game loosened me up.

The game was a breeze, I was in Cadillac most of the time and looking at the tape , I did fine. Mechanics were good, no questionable calls, not a peep from either coach(one of them had a reputation for being pretty dramatic and a screamer).

I had a very basic over and back call the first minute of the game and the announcer was drooling " This is a veteran crew, and it shows, with a great call early in this contest". The only thing 'veteran' about me was my grey hair.

In my area, Chicago, they now have a cable game of the week, so they are fairly commonplace. This was about 6 years ago and the PBS station did the broadcast of which they only did four or five all year . It was a big deal.

I'm sure plenty of officials were watching and said how the heck did he get this game. Two top ten teams in the state. In my little world, it's been the highlight of my career.

Just call your game, don't change anything, stay loose and have fun!

Here are my thoughts

Use as many unauthorized mechanics as possible.
Be a histrionic as possible
Showboat
Upstage your partner
Make a lot of calls you have to sell
Call a lot of them out of your area
Wave at the camera when it is on you
Smile
Make sure you are on the pre game and post game interviews
Stop by at half and see if the announcing crew has any questyions about the rules or calls you made. Sell out your partner on the ones he made.
Remember they showed up to watch you ref!

I remember my first men's college basketball game; it was fifteen years ago: The Polish National Men's Team versus Cleveland (Ohio) State University at CSU. It was not a TV game, but it was the first game I had officiated where the electronic broadcast rules pertaining to timeouts were in effect. I knew the rules so I wasn't concerned about that but five days later I had a women's Div. III game where the electronic broadcast rules were not in effect BUT I sure missed those dang electronic broadcast timeouts, :D.

I do have one bit of advise though that I heard given at at men's officiating camp years ago (and yes we had color TV by then): Once the reporting (foul) official comes to a complete stop facing the Table: The official should hold his upper arm (the arm he is going to use to signal the fouler's number) out (parallel with a line that goes his shoulders) from his body with his lower arm raised at a 90 degree angle (perpendicular to the floor). This allows a TV camera behind him to see the number of the fouler as the official announces the foul to the Table.

MTD, Sr.

Three Choices Of Model T Colors: Black, Black, Or Black ...
 

Yeah. Two colors. Black, and white.

set the DVR -- and go have fun!

Give it your usual pregame.

You'll be too busy officiating during the game to worry about your emotions.

Same answer for the third.

Rita

Billy:

Have you been getting information from my sons, :D.

MTD, Sr.

Your Three Sons?

You're pure evil. :D