I want to get the collective opinion of officials and coaches on this forum.

As a Referee, one of the things I struggle with early in the season is remembering to cover the items I need to cover in pregame. So to prompt my memory, I have created a cheat sheet made from paper about half the size of a postcard and I glance down at that to make sure I talk to the coaches about everything I need to talk to them about. I don't hold the card up and read directly from it. I glance at it to make sure I have everything covered and I force myself to look the coach in the eyes when I listen for an answer.

I am being told by a fellow crew member that this sends an bad signal to the coaches.

What are your thoughts on working from a cheat sheet of pregame questions?

Mike,

What if you and your umpire came up with a checklist for your pregame conference with your coaches. If you both knew the topics you wanted to cover he could point out anything that you omitted.

I have a little vinyl cover (from The Referee's Call) with slip pockets inside it and I have a card in the left pocket that has a checklist at the top. I lay my game card on the checklist so the check items show right above it. It looks like I'm looking at my card but I can see the list right there. I don't see anything wrong with it especially early in the season when it's still a little foggy after a year off. I also keep an overtime cheat sheet in there just in case.

Mike, if you have to use a sheet, then go ahead and use it. But it does look better if you don't have to. Couldn't you give the sheet to your umpire so that he could discretely check that you covered everything?

I too have a cheat sheet on the vinyl sleeve that my cards are in. This way I just go down the list and quickly cover everything that I need to cover.

I have used a laminated card for the past 10 years and have found it works well. Rather than appearing unprepared, I think it looks as if you have taken the time to make sure you are well prepared and everything is under control.

Our crew goes over the items we want to cover (in the meeting with coaches) in our pregame discussion. One of the crew will speak up if the R happens to miss an item. For example, one of the wings will actually demonstrate to the coach how we'll be communicating with his wide receivers regarding being on or off the line of scrimmage.

Personally, when I coached, I'd rather know that the crew has gone over everything by the R having a list to read off of than to have something go forgotten about and have an issue come up because of it later.

I'm sure no card looks more professional, but my guess is that it'd be up to the individual coaches, etc as to how they perceive it.

Nothing wrong with the card. I WH for the first time this season Friday night and sure as heck I forgot to get the Captains names/numbers in talking with the coaches.
In talking with the clock operator I forgot to mention the 3 min warm up. He had been doing it for a number of years so he had it covered.

I would never have a Cheat Sheet. But I do use a checklist. :)

I use it quite openly.

Instead of being a hindrance, I think it is a benefit in that the coach sees I'm going down a list and <i>seems</i> less likely to interrupt with, "Say, let me ask you about this call I had in a game the other day..."

(I do this in another sport. In football, I'm the umpire and don't have a written checklist.)

I also have a laminated card that I keep in my leather sleeve with my game card.

REPLY: Doesn't the coach use a list of the plays he wants to use in various situations? Does that send a wrong message to you? Absolutely nothing wrong with using a similar device to make sure we cover everything with him before the game.

I am a varsity WH and I don't use such a checklist. I remind my crew that if I miss anything to feel free to catch it when I ask them if they have anything to add.

I think it's OK to have a checklist, but would reflect poorly on you if you read from it, step-by-step.

I have been a referee for over 20 years and during that time I have always had a card that listed everything I wanted to cover with the coach. I have never had a coach negatively comment about the use of the card, actually, some have stated that they wish every referee was as thorough and concise. This year I have moved to umpire so that I can help train a new young referee. I offered him my card and he chose not to use one. During our conference with the coach something will almost always be forgotten to be mentioned. That forces me to bring it up, which in my mind makes the referee look bad. One final observation. How many head coaches have you seen that don't have a sheet with them at the game.+

And I also see a lot of QB's now with printed plays on their wristband.

Would anyone care to share their list?

Being a first year WH I use mine every time. I keep it in my official wallet with my other cards. it has the following.

Intro of officials
Captains #'s
Players legally equipped- Casts or braces
Sportsmanship
Sideline Control
Special plays/formations
Game ball
Ball boy
Wing officals will mark back of ball for receivers
Questions
Talk to other team then get flip out of way

[Edited by Ken H on Sep 17th, 2005 at 03:55 AM]

Halftime activity is another to add to the list.

Tried it friday night, I am U and just checked things off as we did them. worked great, smoothest game of year (except for inadvertent whistle, but had little influence)

I also use a checklist. Now, the last item on my list is to ask if everyone is legally equipped. Prevoiusly, I found that if the coach had a player with a cast, etc, he would stop & yell for the player to come over and it would interfere with our meeting. (this occurred even if I told him that we would check the player after.) Have been asking about equipt. last this year and things have gone much smoother.

That's kind of how we do it. If you work with a steady crew for any length of time...even as little as a year's worth of games, this will usually become second nature after awhile. I think the tip off to a coach is obvious nervousness and that's usually tipped off by a very quick and fairly uninformative meeting with one or both of the coaches. Relax and take your time. You have to remember they're going to get their first impressions of you and your crew from this PG meeting and your ratings for the game may start out on a bad note from the get-go.

Dude: it's bad form to dig up nearly 4-year-old threads.

I don't think the cheat sheet is a bad idea at all. I agree that reading from it might not be considered professional however it can help frame your thoughts and keep you on track.

Hard as I try (and I'm not a WH) my little league message on Sat/Sun never seems exactly the same and I do it from memory.

I use a similar cheat sheet for fast pitch softball to help me remember the details of our plate conference with coaches and captains. Kentucky also requires us to read the NFHS sportsmanship card as well so both are kept in my chest pocket.

So, you moved from referee to umpire. Congratulations on the promotion. :D

As a varsity coach, I have a card with things on it that I want to go over with the crew when they come to talk with me. Doesn't bother me in the least if they have a card or sheet also - quite often the things on the two cards match up pretty well.

Good topic.

I use a card that I refer to at the end to make sure I covered everything. Once I finish my spiel I introduce the wing sho will be on that coaches sideline. While he is giving his spiel, I refer to the card. If I missed anything, I will address it when the wing finishes up. I always felt kind of funny about it. I like the idea of having the umpire hold it, but, if he has to step in and remind you, then you will probably look worse than if you looked at the card in the first place.

With respect to pre games, some of our crews are just having the umpire and ref talk to the coaches. Do any of you do this? And, if so, what are the advantages?

It doesn't feel like you are ganging up on him. We try to be quick, yet thorough. 2 of us makes it a lot easier to accomplish this than all 5 of us.

We used to have all 5. I'd have the wing give the rating card to his sideline, talk about back foot to the receivers, etc. and I eventually found this to be too long of a process. The coach is in the middle of pregame prep and as long as we cover everything, he would prefer (I think) for it to be handled crisply and quickly so he can get back to his team.

Once again the referees trying to hog the spotlight and leave the real workhorses on the crew out in the dark.

No card for me. I keep it pretty short and simple so the coach can get back to doing what he wants to be doing before the game (which amazingly is NOT chit-chatting with me). It's not that hard to keep memorized.

And yes, it's just me and the U. The other guys have their own pre-game stuff to do anyway. If there's anything special to pass along to the other guys, I do that in our short meeting before the toss. Just like they can tell me if the clock operator knows his stuff, if the chain crew is ready and if the field has any problems. There's just no point in the whole herd travelling together to talk to coaches.

In La., for district games, it is just the R and the U. For pre-district games and for playoffs, the coaches are supposed to be introduced to the whole crew.

I make up my own game cards and on the back I have the names of our crew to introduce and I have my list of questions to ask the coach. I have no problem doing this. The object is to get it right. And when I have it out, it's just a continuation of the front of the card where I write down the captains' numbers as the coach gives them to me. I also have a business size card with our association, crew names and contact info so coaches can give us feedback.

Our association has just the R and U meet the coaches as well. The other three officials all have other things to be doing, and ideally by the time the R and U are done with the coaches, we're done with our duties, and we all get together to get the game information we need.

Interesting. Don't you think it is beneficial for the wing on the coaches sideline to be part of the meeting? And, why have the umpire along. Doesn't he have other things to do as well?

You must be kidding, right?

Do other position people really feel that being the WH is an *easy* job? I had two guys on the crew like that -- I solved that perception by putting them in the R position during JV games and watching them struggle from a wing or the BJ position.

While I'm primarily a WH these days, I pride myself in being able to competently work any of the 5-man positions at any time. And I have at the varsity level.

Well, then maybe we should meet with all the coaches, not just the head coach? :rolleyes:

The umpire needs to hear if he needs to check any players' equipment. And the R needs *someone* along as a second set of ears.

The back judge can meet with the timer and the wings can check the chains and meet with their ball boys.

This has nothing to do with the white hat wanting to hog the spotlight or keeping the rest of the crew out. It's using the time as best as possible and keeping the meeting with the head coach short and sweet.

I think Buckeye was just busting onions.

In my opinion the most important relationship (for lack of a better term) is that between the wing and the coach on his sideline. The way they interact can make you or break you. My question was whether the two talk prior to the game if not in the pre game conference?

In my association, we introduce ourselves to the coaches before we bring the captains out for the coin toss (ideally), or while we're clearing the sidelines for the kickoff (less so).

Our wings talk to their coaches before the game starts.

My crew has been together a long time and our varsity schedule is typicially 11 games from the same 15 schools. We know all the head coaches and most of the assistant coaches, and very often we know the visitors too. Some coaches some of us know professionally or socially as well. So all six of us come on the field about 45 minutes before the game and say hello. If we don't know a head coach, all of us will introduce ourselves. Sometimes it's just the U and I who have the meeting with the head coach, sometimes one or more of the other officials will be there. It depends whom they're talking to at the time. The meeting with the coach covers all the important stuff, but it's pretty informal.

PENALTY ENFORCEMENT
NFHS:
The all-but-one principle applies. All fouls are penalized from the basic spot, except a foul by the offense behind the spot. Loose-ball plays include the snap, kicks, legal passes or fumbles in or behind the neutral zone and includes the run(s) which precede such legal or illegal kick, legal forward pass, backward pass or fumble. The basic spot for loose-ball plays is the previous spot. The basic spot for running plays is the end of the run.
Only roughing the passer, snapper, or kicker /holder plus defensive pass interference include an automatic first down.
The following fouls have special enforcement provisions and options for the offended team: free kick out-of-bounds; kick-catching interference); unfair acts; roughing the passer; and fouls on scoring plays.
When unsportsmanlike or dead-ball personal fouls by both teams are reported to the referee, they are enforced in the order of their occurrence. If the order cannot be determined, the fouls cancel.
Live-ball fouls on touchdown or successful field goal plays may be enforced on the try or succeeding kickoff provided they occur after any change of possession. Live-ball fouls enforced as dead-ball fouls and dead-ball fouls must be enforced on the try.
NCAA:

Normally, the R & U are the only officials who meet with the Head Coach to address the pre-game questions. During that discussion the respective wing officials will be pointed out to the HC and identified, and the Referee may (usually does) specify that the identified wing officials will relay information regarding penalties to the HC, suggesting that depending where the penalty was and who made the call, getting the details may take a moment, or even a play or two.

Each wing official, prior to the opening kickoff will subsequently directly introduce himself to the HC, and verify the Referee's indication that he will report penalty information, as soon as practical, and verify if the HC wants that detail delivered to him, or a member of his staff.

The general idea is to have the initial contact between the HC and wing official a positive one, offering assistance during the game. Of course, how effectively the wing official delivers on that offer goes a long way in keeping the relationship positive.

Well said...and that's how my wings handle it, as well.

So...we don't want to bother the head coach 45 minutes before the game, but we will stop him on the eve of the kickoff while he has ten thousand things going on and try to have a conversation with him. This is my criticism with just the U and R meeting w the HC. But, if it works for you.....

As someone working his first WH assignments this year, would anyone be kind enough to post a copy of their cheatsheet I can work off of for NFHS rules?

Pregame?
 

I ask my LJ and HL to meet with me when I meet their sidelines respective coach.

They have the first 15-30 seconds, introduce theirself, let coach know they'll be working that sideline, they talk about sideline control, ball boys, and time-outs, then they get on their merry way and we can continue our pregame with the other things I like to cover.