A Sensible Approach to Officiating

[Green]

Officiating is a system of giving back. This board is a great example of just that.

Below is an article I authored for Referee Magazine in their December 2004 Issue. It was intended for young officials. Much of what I’ve learned over the years about officiating has come from information passed on from experienced officials and I’m fortunate to be able to pass it on in a media like Referee.

Bill Leavy, a NFL referee (R127) was a member of our high school group before moving through the college ranks into the NFL. Bill was asked to speak to our group last week which he gracefully accepted. The last thing he mentioned before ending his talk, he said most of what he has learned about officiating has been from other officials. Last month Referee featured “Five Minutes with Bill Leavy”


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A Sensible Approach to Officiating


A small percentage of high school football players go on to play at the collegiate level. Just a handful ever play in the pros. So how do athletes stay involved with the game they played and loved, and continue enjoying those great experiences that were a significant part of their young athletic life?

One way, obviously, is to officiate. The experiences learned while playing will no doubt provide a leg up for a new official. Knowing that the game builds mental and physical skills, discipline, leadership and sportsmanship will also help develop a game sense. From here, the veterans with whom the new official works, will play a major role in the growth of the new official.

The NFHS officials manual includes the passage, “Officials must have a football sense which supersedes the technical application of the rules so that the game goes smoothly.”

Put another way, that means an official’s job is not simply enforcing the rules; it is an ability to interpret the rules and apply them in the context of game action. How well the official applies the rules will determine the quality of the call.

That doesn’t mean someone without a background as a player cannot be a successful official. Officiating is knowing how to apply the rules in a given situation and how those rules will effect the play. Knowing why a rule was written and the effect it’s supposed to have on the game is equally important, but it doesn’t take a former player to attain that understanding. Rules have been instituted to make the game safer, or to ensure a fair balance between offense and defense. Someone who has played the game has a good idea of why the rule is in place. Over time, the less experience official will also gain that understanding.

Regardless of an official’s experience level, mechanics are a must. Being in the right position at the right time increases the chance that a call will be correct. Mechanics manuals list the general positions, keys and the like. Those are merely starting points; reading the play is what’s going to get the official into the most advantageous position. Reading plays is a skill that must be developed by any official, who regardless of experience wants to improve and advance.

Discerning the point of attack is critical. The way a receiver runs his route can reveal if he’s the intended receiver or a decoy on the play. If that receiver is one of the team’s main weapons, the defense is going to focus on him. That should be duly noted by the officials.

Game sense is knowing when to hold the whistle to let a runner fight for more yardage on one play (without compromising player safety, of course) but blowing a quicker whistle on another. For example, if it’s first and 10 at midfield and the runner has gained three yards before being stacked up at the interior of the defensive line, a quicker whistle might be the right call. If it’s fourth and one and the ballcarrier is still churning his legs in an attempt to grind out those precious necessary inches, delaying the whistle a split second would exhibit good game sense. An official’s thought process has to be ahead of the game; if he’s even with the game, he’s actually behind.

Game sense can be obtained from watching other officials. Ask a local college crew if you can attend the pregame meeting, or serve as a member of the chain crew. Most linesmen will be happy to do a little teaching while they work. Sitting in on the discussion between halves and the postgame meeting, plus asking about situations that happened during the game, can prove valuable in developing game sense.

Developing game sense can be likened to an athlete competing against a stronger opponent. You must elevate your performance in order to expand your base of knowledge. Learning opportunities are endless if you make an effort to seek them out.

Watch, listen, ask questions and learn. Let your game sense become your sixth sense.

Green

[Edited by Green on Sep 19th, 2005 at 11:40 PM]