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  #1 (permalink)  
Old Fri Jun 25, 2004, 11:30am
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Question

i'm a new official and if anyone out there has some advice for newbies like me, please let me know.

Other message boards have encouraged me (to a fault) to READ RULE 2!!! So i've done that, and I will continue to do that as much as I can.

Anything else would be appreciated!!!!
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Old Fri Jun 25, 2004, 11:57am
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-work as many scrimmages and lower level games as you can.
-when you do not have an assignment, shadow a senior official
-find a mentor and compare notes on a regular basis.
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Old Fri Jun 25, 2004, 01:48pm
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Thumbs up Good luck!

Good luck to you.

Read the case book and the rule book side by side. Its very important to not get overwhelmed in the beginning.

I would suggest getting a hold of the illustrated book. Its a simplified version of the rule book with pictures. In the beginning its very important to grasp the Big Picture first and then work back to the little stuff.

If you can try to work one position during your first year and master the mechanics. I don't know how your association does things but I over here we do Pop Warner and that is where the older guys work with the new guys. Then the new guys start doing JV with an experienced crew (they start at LJ first in a 5 man crew) and then after the JV game they stay and go on the chain crew for the varsity game.

It would be good if you can work with a mentor during the year. And keep a journal note-book. Write down stuff and keep working to improve. Mistakes will be made but you will also do lots of good things also. So just enjoy the journey.

Like my mentor told me its all about getting your reps in. The more you do the better you will get (but don't burn yourself out either; rest and reflection are necessary to properly absorb what you learn).
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Old Fri Jun 25, 2004, 03:22pm
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Let me share my extensive wisdom from my eleven weeks of experience...

-- Make sure to spend some time in the mechanics manual...
-- Establish your pre-snap checklists for each position that you'll be working... And practice them...
-- If there are rules classes in your area, attend them...
-- Same goes for Officiating Camps...
-- See if you can get on the sideline of a varsity game or two... (Work chains, track penalties, etc...) I think you can learn more watching a game up close when you don't have to worry about what you're supposed to be doing...
-- Learn your signals... (I recommend making some flashcards...) Even if you're not gonna referee, your white hat may forget a signal, and it'll be useful if you can help him out...
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Old Fri Jun 25, 2004, 08:36pm
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Location: Mullica Hill, NJ
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I echo Simonds. Get that comic book...it's a great help.

Also, join NASO and subscribe to Referee magazine. You don't only learn rules, mechanics, but you read articles that help you understand advantage / disadvantage, philosophy, articles dealing with coaches, communications with other officials, and it goes on and on.

Additionally, there are oodles of publications advertised in that magazine and are written by veteran officials. If you're thinking of working high school ball for example, I spent $35 (and well spent I might add) for the mechanics for 4 and 5 officials manual written by Jerry Grunska, et al. That book covers quite a bit of material and was incredibly helpful to me.

The best of luck!!!
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Old Fri Jun 25, 2004, 08:46pm
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Read, learn and apply the fundamentals. All of the rules are based upon them. Work with a mentor and always ask for constructive criticism. Smile and have fun.
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Old Sun Jun 27, 2004, 10:51am
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Location: Omaha, Nebraska
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Join NASO and Officiating.com - both have great resources and as a NASO member you can get discounted rates on their reference books.
Reference books that have been very helpful to me are: Judgment Calls; Football Officials Guidebook (NFHS Mechanics for Crews of Four and Five Officials); Official's Study Guide to NFHS Football Rules (by Demetriou and Redding - I got mine through doublesdistributors.com). (the first 2 books are available from Referee/NASO).
Read and understand the definitions and fundamentals. If you don't you won't have a good grasp of the rules.
Attend as many clinics as possible; work as many scrimmages as possible.
Work youth games - the action is slower.
Video tape your games and then critique yourself; better yet, have an experienced official (with good mechanics) critique you.
Attend varsity games and do nothing but watch the officials.
Keep a journal; record what you did in each game - what went right, what went wrong, follow up on rules you're unsure of, etc.

Enjoy the greatest game on earth!
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Old Sun Jun 27, 2004, 07:05pm
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Smile One thing I forgot.

This seems to work well for us:

When we go on the field for Pop Warner with a new guy, we put the new guy at LJ with a mentor right behind him (on the side-line). There is an experienced guy across the field at the HL position.

This really helps because you have the mentor talking things over with the new guy and you have the new guy learning how to communicate and use proper mechanics with the HL across the field.

Forward progress is probably one of the most important concepts to grasp in the beginning and the LJ and HL need to work with each other on this.
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Old Mon Jun 28, 2004, 12:51pm
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Posts: 229
To echo and add:

1. Study the rule book.
2. Get into the gym and get in shape
3. Work as much as you can. A lot of this is "learn by doing" and there is no substitute for games worked.
4. Find a veteran who knows what they are doing. Years of experience and quality of officiating don't always intersect
5. Work as a Referee in subvarsity as soon as possible. There is no better place to learn the game than by running the game.
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Old Thu Jul 08, 2004, 05:38pm
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All of the above suggestions are great and correct. I kept looking for the one that I was given when I forst started and that was to pick one mechanic in a given game and do it perfectly the whole game,ie, counting 11 players, 7 on the line, eligible recievers to your side, etc. By the time you get to the end of the game that will be a habit for you and becomes part of you. Then the next game pick a different one and work on it. You just keep building on those and pretty soon they are all habit between and during the play.
I can't even watch a game without trying to count 11 palyers,
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Old Thu Jul 08, 2004, 08:12pm
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Quote:
Originally posted by KDJBBBJ7
All of the above suggestions are great and correct. I kept looking for the one that I was given when I forst started and that was to pick one mechanic in a given game and do it perfectly the whole game,ie, counting 11 players, 7 on the line, eligible recievers to your side, etc. By the time you get to the end of the game that will be a habit for you and becomes part of you. Then the next game pick a different one and work on it. You just keep building on those and pretty soon they are all habit between and during the play.
I can't even watch a game without trying to count 11 palyers,
Great advice! This is what I do, each game I pick a specific mechanic to focus just like you. Do it the whole game and eventually it will all come automatic each play after several games. Even veterans can continue to pick things to work on.
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