First game as white hat in a couple hours

[ccRyder]

I guess I should have stated - what are some good pregame items for my crew prior to the game? The captains meeting will be - just like you suggested - short and sweet.

[wheels]

ccRyder,

Your crew pre-game should cover coin toss, Free Kicks/Kickoffs, scrimage plays,punts, FG/PAT, penalties, measurements, timing and signals.

What you are discussing is who is responsible for what and what their duties are. You want to make your umpire youe best friend as he is the one that makes sure you do the right thing. You should be letting the crew know how you want them to report penalties to you. You want to inform your BJ about how to let you know the Team A is close on the 25 sec. The little things.

[MJT]

First game of the year should always focus on the basics of all your mechanics, where you are on kicks and such, keys, and how you will handle penalties, and any new stuff your crew is focusing on.

[With_Two_Flakes]

Ensure you don't preach. Get everyone contributing. If I know there will be a reasonable length of time for the pre-game then I e-mail each crew member a topic on which to prepare a short (2 or 3 minutes) talk.

As for the game itself, take your time. No matter how slow you thing you're giving your penalty signals, slow down some more! Make sure you get away from the huddle so everyone can see you.