K's 52 yard kickoff return for TD...

[TXMike]

Yep, this is not a democracy. Just ask my white hat.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by TXMike

Yep, this is not a democracy. Just ask my white hat.

I've brought 3 new officials on my crew (one in 2004, one in 2005, and one in 2006) and all three worked their *first* game on Friday night. All are experienced baseball umpires and two of them also work basketball. They knew what it was like to be an official. Just not a football official.

For a few years, I was a dictator, I'll admit it. I was also a trainer, mentor, sounding board, etc. etc. For guys working their 7th, 6th, and 5th seasons I'd put those guys up against officials with 20+ years experience. They wanted to learn to do things the right way and the training I received back in the 90s (in the South) allowed me to help them. And they trusted me to help them and do the right things.

I'm still the white hat and for the most part, I'm just working the referee position during the games now, reading my keys, watching the QB, watching the blocking I'm responsible for, and moving the football when I can. And orchestrating the rest of the crew during measurements and penalty enforcement. But there are times I have to step up and be the crew chief. The coaches certainly see the white hat and think I'm the "head referee in charge" as one coach put it last season.

When you're wearing the white hat, you simply cannot allow a rule to be missed. Shame on the other guys for not being able to recognize the situation, but as the white hat you simply have to ask the crew the right questions and the buck stops with you. In the end when the whispers go around, they'll say it's (white hat's name)'s crew that screwed it up. "Did R ever possess the ball?" If the answer is no, then you have to be able to say to the crew, "Hey, you guys know that K can't advance that. Do you have the recovery spot? You guys know we have to come back there."