New Official!

[grantsrc]

Welcome to the group. You will quickly find that you have decided to join a fraternity of sorts.

Well, you will learn a lot by reading forums like these. The best thing about these boards is that it encourages you to get into the rule and case books and really dig through what each rule is about. You will hear this many times, but focus on rule 2. This may seem boring and pointless, but once you understand the definitions, you will be able to read the rest of the book more clearly.

Also, I maintain a web site that has numerous resources from mechanics presentations to word documents. Check these out. Lots of knowledge there. You might also want to check out this board:http://www.nfhs.org/cgi-bin/ultimate...?ubb=forum&f=9 as it deals mainly with Fed ball. Last, search these boards for "new official" or something like that. There have been many threads similar to this and we might overlook something.

Again, welcome to the group. You will find that once you start officiating, you never watch the game the same again.

[waltjp]

Welcome Mike. This is a great place for information. Read everything you can. Ask questions. When you see situations posted here try to answer for yourself before reading the replies. There's a great group here. Enjoy!

[NewGuy]

I was in almost the exact situation as you a year ago, in my last year of college, never really played football, but really wanted to get into officiating (due to a friend who loved doing intramurals whos dad did some NFL a way back). I unfortunatly only had a chance to do one year of 7on7 intramurals, but just that's a good expereince. The pace of the game in high school is much faster, and much rougher. Make sure you work as many preseason games, jamborees, etc, even if they are unpaid. Know the rules, read all three books over and over and over. I worked hard and actually got some varsity games my first year. You probably shouldn't expect that in your first year unless your area is in great need, but don't let that keep you out. All the games even at lower levels are just as fun, and a great learning experience. And as everyone else says, welcome!

[Mark Dexter]

Congrats on making the transition from flag to tackle football. The first time you see a guy get tackled, you may be tempted to throw a penalty flag. Don't. Other than that, flag is a great way to learn a lot of the rules and mechanics of reffing football.

A few pieces of advice I have.

*Use this board.
*Watch as much football as you can. If you aren't working varsity games your first year, find out who is, call up the R and ask if you can sit in on the pre-game then watch the game from the field. You can learn a lot from the things you'll see and what you can ask the LJ/HL during the game.
*Know the rules. If you're starting off working PeeWee or similar football, learn the crazy local rules, too - that's what gets coaches the most ticked off.
*If you get the chance, work as the White Hat for a few of your games.
*Work as many games as you can. My local association, for example, required 1st year officials to work 3 free JV/freshman games to be evaluated. However, if you weren't assigned on a given afternoon, you could just go and work as a 4th (or sometimes 5th) man. Very few refs will turn down that extra set of eyes.

Best of luck, Mike. You're at a really good stage of your life to start reffing (I'm 23 and wish I could continue, unfortunately schooling comes first).

[HLin NC]

Order the Redding's Study Guide for NFHS rules- it'll come out around May, I think. Honig's sells it or you can order direct from S&S Distributors. This book has helped me greatly in my rules studies. The new Rules by Topic put out by the Fed and available from Referee magazine is pretty handy too.

Work as many scrimmages/games as your new bride can stand
Experience is the best teacher.

I read once where Jerry Markbreit, former NFL official, studied the rule book every free moment he had, including bathroom breaks.

Pick out an official who seems knowledgable and helpful and hang out with him as much as you can.

If you go to Clemson games, train your eye on the officials and watch how they move and act. While their mechanics will be different since they are working 7 man crews, you can get a feel for how to operate.

Good luck!