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  #1 (permalink)  
Old Wed May 22, 2002, 09:46am
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Question

I will begin my first year of officiating football this year and would like to know what advice would be beneficial so that I can progress professionally and become a benefit to the crew(s) with whom I work. Thanks in advance for the input.
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Old Wed May 22, 2002, 07:08pm
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During a down, keep your whistle out of your mouth. Don't put it in until you see that the ball is dead in your area of coverage. That may sound simple but inadvertant whistles are a huge problem with inexperienced oficials. If the whistle is in your mouth, you're going to blow it.
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Old Mon May 27, 2002, 07:59pm
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Welcome to the crowd!

My favorite thing to tell new officials is to remember to have fun. When it quits being fun, STOP and GO do something else.

Watch as many experienced officials as you can. Read the rulebook, then read it again; now read the casebook, and try to relate one to the other.

Shut up and listen; your fellow officials will be more than willing to give you advice. Use it when it's given; too many people say they want advice, then when it's given, they ignore it and go on about their business.

Keep that whistle out of your mouth; after a year or two in the saddle, then you might want to carry it in your lips, but leave it out until then. If you work umpire, get a finger whistle. Most umpires I know rarely ever have to blow a whistle, but it needs to be there in case.

On our website, I have the Louisiana Football Officials Mechanics Manual that you may find to be useful. Go to http://slfoa.tripod.com

Good Luck!
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Old Tue May 28, 2002, 06:00am
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The one thing that I can offer you is enjoy yourself, listen, Pay attention to detail, and most of all keep your flag in your pocket. If it is obvious or safety is involved then call it, otherwise keep the laundry off of the ground.
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Old Fri May 31, 2002, 11:33am
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Location: Newport, KY
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Be Professional

Above all, whatever you do, do it in a professional manner. Study the rules books, learn from more experienced officials, watch and learn. When you take the field, be professional in your appearance, demeanor, communications, and actions.

Hints:
1. Make sure you saw what you think you saw before blowing the whistle and/or throwing the flag.
2. Look the part, no matter if its your first game or 100th.
3. Maintain composure under all circumstances, whether its a rule you're not sure about, or an arguing coach, or a fight between players.
4. Mechanics are every bit as important as rules when it comes to executing your duties.
5. Anticipate -- everything or anything
6. Always know the down and distance.
7. You are part of a crew so work with the other officials on the field.
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Old Thu Jun 13, 2002, 11:15pm
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As a new-ish (halfway through third year) official, I think I can concur with many of the other comments here, but I'll touch on a few.

+ appearance is vital
+ learn the rules, and signals.

Now here are the two I think I still have to work on, and suspect a new guy/gal will also have to deal with.

DON'T THINK.

If you THINK you have a penalty, you probably don't.
If you KNOW you have a penalty, you probably do.
If you don't see the ball, don't THINK it might be dead. In short, if you aren't SURE, don't throw the flag or blow the whistle.

And two - GET FIT.

Your body is a platform off of which everything else operates. Like an athlete, an official becomes more likely to make mistakes.

When you break down the duties of most positions - especially the sidelines where most officials start out, you may find yourself making some 20-30 decisions/actions PER PLAY. Screw one of those up, and you're doomed. If you're too busy panting, you're more likely to miss one of those decisions.

Here in the great white north, the CFL referees are in top shape. I can't ref their games, but I can be in good shape. Last year, I put in over 100 hours of book-study and pre-season physical training. This year, I plan on doing much the same - if not more. (I've gained weight... sadly.)

I may be entering this coming fall as a third-year guy, but I want to be a third-year guy that has a resting heart rate below 50, and isn't sweating like a pig after the third play..... and believe me, in hot climes, physical conditioning is VITAL.

I'd suggest working on aerobic potential (lots of sprinting- not jogging SPRINTING, to build endurance and simulate the job at hand). Core exercises to ensure the back doesn't break down with running, or tripping over a pothole/player/coach/whatever.
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Old Mon Jun 24, 2002, 05:42am
J&T J&T is offline
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Cool practice makes perfect

Pratice makes perfect I always say. If you keep your head up high and try hard you will go far.
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