First white hat assignment!

[Texas Aggie]

slow down

The best advice so far.

10 yards is nowhere near enough at any level over jr. high. We're doing 15 pretty much all the time except maybe on obvious kneel down plays. There's no good reason to be any closer than 12 yards at the snap otherwise.

Practice your signals in front of a mirror, and I'd get flash cards with the foul on one side and the signal on the other. Go through them until you know them forward and backwards. If you give good signals, everyone will assume you are a good R.

We don't wear white hats in subvarsity, including JV. Check to make sure you do.

I always get the coin flip call before a toss, have the other captain repeat, and say "If I drop it, we'll do it again." Practice that.

Otherwise, just have fun.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

We don't wear white hats in subvarsity, including JV. Check to make sure you do.

I agree with 15 yards. That's about where I go for everything. I know some find that deep, but with a 15 yard cushion at the snap, you don't have to move on a short drop -- nothing says you have to maintain a 15 yard cushion all the way through.

When I started in TN, we only wore WH on Friday nights. Here someone always wears a white hat. I would prefer keeping the WH clean for varsity games, but instead I usually get 3 new ones for each season as for about 75% of my games I'm the R.

[schmitty1973]

Sort of Off-topic. I had about a week and a half notice before I had my first chance to WH. I studied my rear end off and for the first time that "light bulb" went on and I felt like I understood alot of the rules I wasn't too sure about before. After about half way through the first quarter of the game, I thought "ehh... I'd rather be a LJ"
Just my opinion though.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by schmitty1973

Sort of Off-topic. I had about a week and a half notice before I had my first chance to WH. I studied my rear end off and for the first time that "light bulb" went on and I felt like I understood alot of the rules I wasn't too sure about before. After about half way through the first quarter of the game, I thought "ehh... I'd rather be a LJ"
Just my opinion though.

Some people feel the same about being the referee -- it's a mental challenge and I enjoy it.

[Welpe]

No white hats for subvarsity games? Interesting, I haven't heard that one before. What is the rationale for doing that?

Here, the R always wears a white hat, regardless of the level.

[bisonlj]

If anyone here wears a white hat for a sub-varsity game I think everyone looks at them as being a little high on themselves. For most sub-varsity games, a number of officials are hired but no specific position assignments are made. The 3-5 officials get together 15 minutes before the game and decide who is going to work where. To show up wearing a white hat is a little presumptive.

I had worked a handful of white hat in JV/freshman/youth games before my first varsity game. I actually found it the easiest position to work during the plays and as long as we weren't administering penalties, it was also easy. I almost felt like I wasn't doing anything!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

If anyone here wears a white hat for a sub-varsity game I think everyone looks at them as being a little high on themselves. For most sub-varsity games, a number of officials are hired but no specific position assignments are made. The 3-5 officials get together 15 minutes before the game and decide who is going to work where. To show up wearing a white hat is a little presumptive.

I had worked a handful of white hat in JV/freshman/youth games before my first varsity game. I actually found it the easiest position to work during the plays and as long as we weren't administering penalties, it was also easy. I almost felt like I wasn't doing anything!

I always bring both hats. Most games, it's my crew working as a crew -- in that case it's a 90% chance I'll white hat. If I'm with another group, I'll go where they tell me. I *always* show up wearing a black hat, though, hoping I can go work a wing. *I* find it easier.

[VALJ]

Originally Posted by bisonlj

For most sub-varsity games, a number of officials are hired but no specific position assignments are made. The 3-5 officials get together 15 minutes before the game and decide who is going to work where. To show up wearing a white hat is a little presumptive.

Interesting. Our association (as is obvious from the fact that I'm asking in the first place) assigns specific positions. We've been known to switch amongst ourselves on JV games (the assigned LJ is usually a BJ, while the assigned BJ is normally an LJ), though not on varsity games.

I actually look forward to doing JV games "out of position" - especially at BJ - because I like seeing a different view of the game. Everything but U, anyway - I usually U once a season, simply to remind myself why I don't U more often.

One of my favorite on-field moments actually came last year when I was working out of position at BJ. We had a run play to the side, and the wideout was about 15 yards downfield holding the DB. The play got blown up in the backfield, so it didn't affect the play, so I ran in to warn thw wideout about his hands. "Son, remember that when you're leading the sweep, the only person I have on the entire field to watch is you, so if you're holding, I *will* see it. OK?"

[schmitty1973]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Some people feel the same about being the referee -- it's a mental challenge and I enjoy it.

Rich, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the WH position. You have to be well rounded in all the rules vs knowing just your position. I guess I like getting out there and running and "trying" to keep up with the young guys.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by schmitty1973

Rich, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the WH position. You have to be well rounded in all the rules vs knowing just your position. I guess I like getting out there and running and "trying" to keep up with the young guys.

I understand. I work BJ/wing a few times a year just to get some good running in. I could go back to working a wing fulltime someday -- just not in the cards for now.