Not an official yet, but I have considered looking into it and trying to become an official.

If any of you are in the DFW area, or more specifically the Fort Worth area, I'd love to hear from you on how to get started.

Thanks!

Football season is half over, so there isn't much opportunity to catch on this year. Training starts in mid-June, with scrimmages starting the second or third weekend in August.

Our website is http://www.fwfo.org. You will need to contact the chapter secretary sometime next spring/summer to get hooked up.

I would recommend getting ahold of a rulebook, and get familiar with what you can... Following the discussions on this forum, and backing up your conclusions with rule references would be a great way to get a head start on next summer's training...

To get yourself on the field, see if you can work the chains for a game or two... From my experience, a competent box person at a JV or freshman game would be a welcome sight, and you could get used to seeing the game up close from the wing's point of view...

Also, some of the senior officials around here have offered to let some of the younger guys sit in on their pregame... That would let you see some of the stuff that you won't really see until you're thrown into it... If you can make the contacts down there, they might be willing to do the same for you...

Just a thought...

You mentioned DFW area, so I thought I'd add in that the Dallas chapter is at http://www.dfoa.com, and the Texas website is http://www.taso.com.

It does require annual dues to join, and most games for the rest of the year are already scheduled, so I doubt it would be worth your while (dues, equipment, etc) to try to get in this year, but I agree wholeheartedly with the suggestion of volunteering for chains at a local JV game.