Weekly post - a day early

[kentref]

I'd like to hear about your training program(s) for officials. Specifically, what do you provide for new guys and what do you provide, as on-going training, for the veterans.

[ref18]

In our association, at the beginning of september the newbies do a level 1 clinic. They take a day when our minor football league has exhibition games, and do a classroom type clinic, and then put the new officials on field with a vetran shadowing them.

Then we have 6 training meetings during the year for all officials where rules and plays are brought up and discussed along with other officiating related issues. Attendence at the meetings is strongly encouraged and almost all officials attend these meetings.

[cdnRef]

All our officials must be level 1 certified as mandated by the provincial football governing authority (CFOA has created 4 levels of certification + trainer certification programs). So, rookies are put through their paces on the level 1 course.

We have weekly association meetings that are used for rules review and mechanics review - in order to receive game assignments, attendance is mandatory (it doesn't take much arm twisting actually, the meetings have turned out to be very useful).

Myself and two other senior officials have donated our time to do onfield evaluations of officials. The local community ball association allows us to shadow the sideline officials and give feedback on a constant basis - usually focusing on the good.

Also, rookie officials are started off in the younger age groups. We are lucky to have a cjfl team in town so we also put the rookies on the chain crew so they get a chance to talk with the head linesman about what's going on and what he's doing.