1st year as an official

[Deager]

You will still have those days latter in your career as well... I had one this year... And the coach of the team I was missing the calls for and making the calls against, I know very well and that made it 10x worse I see him every morning at 7-11 for coffee... Just an off day... But be reassured that there is a place for those games… Usually you find that the next game you do your right on top of things and have one your best games… What helps me when I know Im just not with it on a day is to load up on some caffeine before the game…. AND MOST IMPORTANT LEAVE IT ON THE FIELD!!!!!!!!!

[OverAndBack]

You'll feel like that for most of your first year.

If you do enough games your first year, near the end you'll feel it less. It just comes from the fact that it takes a lot of time and a lot of reps, first to get your mechanics down, and then to get the rules down.

I had an experienced official who I greatly respect tell me that it took him the better part of four years before he felt he had a decent grasp of the rule book.

I'm getting to the end of my second year and I am just now starting to feel like I'm comfortable mechanically. Rules-wise it's a whole different story still. But it'll come.

I haven't put it online yet, but I kept a diary of my first season and referred back to it before my second. The stuff I learned might be useful to rookies in the future.

In short - keep doing it. And keep messing up - it's the only way you learn.

[MJT]

What impresses me is how concerned you are that think you had a bad game. That tells me that you care a great deal and want to improve!

Work as many games as you can, learn the rules as well as you know your phone number, go to clinics, talk to good experience officials about rules, mechanics, and philosophy, keep making a reading posts, and keep the passion to improve.

Best of luck and remember you have another game coming up to redeem yourself.