First Time Varsity R: Advice

[FredFan7]

Due to crew substitutions I will white hat one varsity game this year. I am VERY excited.

I've R'd several JV games but never on Friday night. I've read the manuals, etc., what else do I need to know or watch out for?

[mbyron]

Don't suck.

[jontheref]

Don't feel that you need to run the show. Depend on your crew. Tell them that. They will respond. I assume they will already know that you will be doing your first V game with the hat. Have a good...no GREAT pregame. Prepare it from now. There are parts of pre games you have been in that you like and that you dont. Same pace...every play. Commicate with your crew on every down. Hustle back and forth to your position. If you dont look like its your first game back there, no one will give you much grief. Dont be afraid to listen to your crew. Take your time and above all DONT FORGET TO BREATHE. If you know your mechanics....have good strong signals and communicate...calling only what absolutely has to be called from that position, you will be fine. Have fun, because this is the game that all your stories will be based on when you are an old wiley veteran that you will tell a rookie ref. "I remember when". Good luck. You will do just fine.

[FredFan7]

Avoiding general suckitude is my first goal!

Thanks Jontheref!

[ppaltice]

1. Stand back a little farther. You want to be around 12 yards off the line (which may seem like a lot). Varsity plays can move a little fast and you want to be out of the way while maintaining a good position to view your areas of responsibility.

2. Stand still before you give any signal. Let your umpire place the ball while you get back in your spot (for most plays) and blow the ball RFP back there. When giving signals to the press box, take at most 3 steps from your conference to give a signal. Give strong signals (practice them in front of a mirror).

3. Take your time is good advice. Make sure that you acknowledge the downs with your crew, count Team A, etc. Make sure you have the penalty and enforcement correct.

4. If possible, ask your assignment secretary for a veteran umpire (particularly one you feel comfortable).

5. Prepare a great pre-game. Every association is different, but most rookie referees get a green crew. Make sure everyone is on the same page starting with the crew pre-game. I also have a coach pre-game that I take with me just so I know I don't forget anything.

[ajmc]

Originally Posted by FredFan7

Due to crew substitutions I will white hat one varsity game this year. I am VERY excited.

I've R'd several JV games but never on Friday night. I've read the manuals, etc., what else do I need to know or watch out for?

First, it's good that you're excited and butterflies are perfectly natural. More than likely, these varsity players are a lot better schooled than the JV players you've worked with. They're still kids, but will likely make fewer "odd" mistakes.

As suggested above, trust the guys you're working with and believe in them. You've earned your way to being there, so behave like you belong. Hustle, but don't hurry and just observe what you see.

It's good to remember that at any time you choose, you can stop everything and review any questions you may have with any, or all, of your crew mates and nobody on the planet will have any idea what you might be talking about.

Be respectful to everybody and don't raise your voice in any discussions you may have - no matter what, you will decide who gets to have the last word.

Congratulations and good luck.

[bisonlj]

I had to fill in a couple years ago as a white hat and the following happened:

Inadvertent whistle on a fumble that had been picked up and returned for a TD - the H said the whistle came after B gained possession but I think it came before (B coach still complained that he didn't get the TD and I didn't mention that he technically shouldn't get the ball)

Ejection for a player that had 2 PF on the same play and the second one was an elbow to a throat that caused the ejection

2 hour lightening delay that caused the game to be finished the next day (from the other discussion, the subsequent lightening was far away but since we still saw it we had to delay even though the weather was great at the field)

Live ball PF on the defense during a TD play - enforced on the KO per the new rules in 2007

While explaining that to the B coach (same guy who had a player ejected and "benefited" from the IW) with my back to the field, A lines up in scrimmage kick formation, snaps the ball and attempts the XPT (my U didn't stand over the ball) - should have ruled illegal snap and penalized them 5 yards but we just lined up and re-kicked; they missed resulting in a 6-point lead for A with only a few minutes left

During the subsequent KO I had the A coach upset with me because on the first kick (which was an illegal snap) a team B player came in and knocked down his kicker; of course I didn't see that because I was talking to the A coach at the time! He claims the kicker missed the 2nd attempt because he was injured and it was my fault for not protecting his kicker! He also mentioned they now had only a 6 point lead and could lose if the other team scored a TD and XPT. I was really hoping that wouldn't happen and it didn't.

The bottom line is I remained calm through the whole thing and enjoyed the experience. It's a great memory for my first varsity game as a white hat. Don't get overexcited and use your knowledge and experience to officiate the game. Since you've R'd JV games you already know it's one of the easiest positions during the play. Enjoy and good luck!!

[parepat]

During the conference with the coaches I gave them this little speech the first time out. It worked for me.

Listen M-Fer, there is a new sheriff in town and his name is (insert your name here) and I do not put up with and B*** S*** from coaches. My rules are as follows:

You give me a problem...you're gone
Any of your assistants give me a problem...you're gone
Any of your players give me a problem...gone
Run the score up unneccessarily on the opponent...gone
Call time outs when you are down by 40...gone
Complain that "he was in the grasp" "out of the pocket" "tuck rule" or any other NFL/ College rule...you're gone.
If you have any questions...Go F yourself.

Other than that good luck coach.

Suprisingly I didn't get any playoff assignments last year.

[Ref inSoCA]

Originally Posted by FredFan7

Due to crew substitutions I will white hat one varsity game this year. I am VERY excited.

I've R'd several JV games but never on Friday night. I've read the manuals, etc., what else do I need to know or watch out for?

It's the same game. Just R it like you would any other.

Remember to breathe and don't F&^$ up.

[waltjp]

I'm assuming you're being paired with an experienced U. Use him. Communicate with him. Let him help you set the tempo. Have him nearby when you're explaining penalty options. And make sure he knows that you want his immediate feedback. It makes no sense for him to tell you abut any mistakes once you're back in the locker room.

And make sure you're standing still when giving any signals.

Have fun.

[With_Two_Flakes]

Been a White Hat for over 20 years and I do some assessing of newer guys, so here are my tips..............

You can run forwards faster than you can run backwards, so start deep (at least 12-15yds from LOS) so that you are never caught out by a passer who drops deep.

Plenty of East/West movement. Be a sideline to sideline Referee. On a run that makes the sideline with a loss or little gain, you need to be the 2nd man out there. Don't be stood still between the hashes just killin' grass and leaving it all to the wing guy.

Take your time giving signals. No matter how slow it feels to you, your penalty signals are probably too fast. Another thing I often see when I assess is that newer White Hats are so wound up in talking to the Umpire and the captain that they forget to give a prelim signal, so no-one on the sideline or in the crowd has a clue what the penalty was or who it was against.

Don't blow the ball ready until you are in position and the rest of your crew are ready - take a quick look left and right to check the wings (esp the HL) are ready. That ensures you have the crew's full attention on the next play and as a bonus you'll likely never have to flag a delay of game.

You don't have to be stood over the ball at the succeeding spot to give a 1st down signal. It will be a 1st down wherever you signal it from. If you do, then you only have to move back 12-15yds again to get in position. So save yourself some time and also wear and tear on your feet !