My worst game yet.
 

Tonight my son and I worked a game for 2 Christian Schools which do not fall under any league or State associations. They do play schools at times that do but this particular game they did not but still play by NFHS rules and hire licensed refs to work their games. 1 team was somewhat advanced. The other was not. It was 1/2 way through the first quarter before the one team even crossed half court.It became so bad that when I would call a foul or violation on this team (which they did a lot of) that even the visitors would boo. The game when finished was like 60 to 7. I let a lot go and hate doing that but this team really struggled. Also the advanced team had 17 players and the other had 6. What do you seasoned refs do in these type of games?

Some people will say we are just there to call a game. So it is what it is for the game. I sometimes I also let a lot go when the game is that lop sided. I get a long with most of the coaches I work for so they know I would do the same if it was there kids. I really like a running clock when something like the above happens. But the REAL story is I bet it is great working with your son. If he is a young official do not let him pickup any bad habits on a game like that one.

Since they are "independent" schools, it's your responsibility to inform them of the NF rule change - the one that says if one team gets a five point lead, you go to running clock for the rest of the game including timeouts, free throws, between quarters and halftimes. ;)

We've all had those. My second year, I had 73-3.

It was 52-0 after three, and it took a technical foul (second plane violation) to get the visitors on the board. It was -- and will likely be -- the only time a coach thanked me for the T when reporting it on his team.

I had someone observe me once, in a JV girls game. The game was over 3 minutes into the first with the score 18-0, visitors. The observer commented that I lost focus after the game was out of hand. He was absolutely correct....I lost focus because I was trying to switch into game management mode.

I also work soccer -- and when you go to do an USSF assessment the observer will throw out his observation if the game was not challenging/difficult enough. Their rationale is that officiating a low-quality game does not provide opportunity to show your true colors as a referee.

The takeaway is this: do your best to focus, but also realize that how you do in this uncompetitive game is not a true reflection of your skill as an official. Even great officials can struggle in a terrible game.

1. Find things in your game you can work on.
2. Call fouls that need to be called so that...
3. All of the participants leave with the body parts they arrived with, preferably still attached to their bodies.

Tell us more about what you mean by "lost focus" and "game management mode."

Sure!

"lost focus" -- I started thinking about how to better manage a game that was turning into a blowout.

"game management mode" -- using preventative officiating to curb any potential problems that may arise (such as fighting/rough play, taunting, etc.) due to the losing team's frustration. This mostly includes calling more of the marginal fouls and violations committed by the winning team.

Doesn't sound like you lost focus to me. More like you shifted focus a bit, in a positive manner from where I'm sitting. Surely there was more to his critique than simply "lost focus"?

I wish, he didn't elaborate. He wasn't an official observer, just one of the varsity officials on the game after mine. He arrived early and I asked him to give me notes on how I did. I stuck around for his game and quickly realized the sad truth -- I'm already better than that guy.

Even if that's true, it's still a good idea to ask for his opinions after watching your game. Anything he might say has potential to provoke thought which may help you to improve, whether you agree with it or not.

I agree, and I do that quite often. However I left out the part where he said "I know you want to do it by the book but....". That's pretty much when I stopped listening.

I'd have to hear the rest before I could condemn that statement. In a JV girls game that opens with an 18-0 run a lot of things often are not done by the book............with everyone's blessing.

I once had a game that, at half time, was 39-0. Ended up 57-1, and I had the same observation given by one of the following officials who caught the end of the 2nd quarter. We had started to lose focus right before the half. I'm not sure how to describe what it looked like, but it was obvious to us (we had discussed it during a TO with a couple of minutes left in the 2nd) and it was obvious to the official in the stands.

Games like these are like putting "lipstick on a pig"...

no matter what you do, you can't make em look good!