How to get started...

[James Walker]

I am thinking about doing some football this year, and I have a few questions.

1st, I live in Willis, which is about an hour north of Houston. Are there any pee wee football leagues or associations (I honestly have no idea what to call them) in this area? Or would I have to start in JH?

2nd, what kind of gear would I need to get in order to get started?

3rd, I assume (I know, dangerous), that pee wee plays on Saturday and jh/HS plays during the week. Does anyone have any insight into what time these games start during the week?

Also, any interesting tips or information would be greatly appreciated.

[JRutledge]

I am really surprised that one of the many Texans have not chimed in on this topic. Welcome to the board first and foremost.

I cannot speak for Texas specifically, but I would think you could work HS ball as well as Pee Wee ball or other leagues. Unless there is a local standard, many around the country can work HS ball our first year. But you cut your teeth on the other levels and how much is really based on the availability of officials and what the training process might specifically be.

I would suggest you check with your local official's associations about what the standards are specifically. But when you do, then you can go with some officiating outlets like Honigs, Gerry Davis Sports or Official's call. There are others that probably can get you what you need, but because football officiating is in transition, there might be specific things you will need that are based on the standards of your area. For example, whether to buy black pants or white knickers. Now I am pretty sure that people do not wear white knickers anymore in your state, but that is something I am going off of memory. It is possible you might have to get both, but that needs to be determined by people where you live.

And the last question is strictly an area answer. I would think most play during the weekend, but Texas is football crazy and I am sure they play on different days during the week as well. Even in my area there are weekday games, but at the youth level almost everything is on the weekend. Usually the lower level HS play on the week days.

Good luck and I hope I helped you a little but most of what you will actually need is from people where you live with specific details as to licensing and standards.

Peace

[Texas Aggie]

In Texas, you can't sling a dead cat without hitting a Peewee organization of some sort. PW football is on Saturdays. Most of the organizations I'm familiar with are assigned and supervised by guys who officiate in TASO chapters. Essentially, you can worry about Peewee later. Get signed up now with a TASO chapter. In TASO, you'll get training and start working Jr. high and maybe some HS games, depending on what's available. Then you find the guys who do the peewee assignments and just get in with the group that best suits you. Some peewee is tough to break into while other leagues will take anyone, but most want officials who are TASO members even though the games are in no way affiliated with TASO or UIL.

In Willis, you have a few choices. I'm not sure which chapter serves Willis schools now (I worked Willis games on the road years ago in the College Station basketball chapter, but I've never had a home game there). Houston probably gets close to there, as does College Station, and I don't know if there's a chapter that serves Huntsville/Conroe/Woodlands or if one of those two serve those areas. You'll have to check with them. I would get online and find TASO Houston football and TASO CS football and call or email whoever is listed as the new officials coordinator.

You will need the following: black hat, striped football shirt, black pants and belt (shorts for scrimmages and some peewee), black socks and shoes, a flag or two and a bean bag, a down indicator (I make my own), a set of note cards and a card wallet, along with a pen or pencil. Also grab a few quarters while you're at it. You can get all this stuff online or depending on which chapter you join, some meetings will have gear vendors there. DON'T buy anything right now. You'll have plenty of time to put together a uniform. Just save up as you'll need to spend about $250, depending on what shoes you get and if you need to get undergarments.

Subvarsity in Texas isn't uniform across the entire state, but the gist of starting times is this: Monday and Tuesday are jr. high games that start between 4:30 and 5:30, and there are 2-3 games a night. In the smaller areas, there aren't games on Mon/Tues, as the jr. high plays on Thursdays with the HS. In my area there aren't many Wed games, but in larger metro areas there might be. In Houston, there are probably a lot of Thurs varsity games due to need for stadiums, so Var thurs means JV Wednesday.

In my area, we start most games, (M-Th) at 5:30, though an occasional freshman C or sophomore game might be scheduled earlier. In smaller areas, they may start jr. high games at 5 or even 4:30 in order to get in 3 or 4 games that night. The trend has been against starting before 5 so more parents can attend, more butts in the seats and more money. The 4:00 start will be for schools playing on fields without lights or a C team game hastily scheduled at the last minute. The 4:30 or 5 game will be the first of a 3 game night at that field, and the 5:30 will be most of the rest. However, what is specifically done in your area, I can't speak to.

Feel free to ask any other questions. I've been under the weather lately and haven't really been checking this board that often.

[Welpe]

Sorry just saw this. You should have PMed me on U-E.

JRut and Aggie gave you a pretty good breakdown. I'm almost positive that Willis falls under the Houston Chapter, our boundaries stretch pretty far north. You'll want to get your start calling for TASO because scholastic games get you experience points, Peewees do not. The better paying peewee leagues are also harder to break into whereas subvarsity games are plentiful.

Your first year in Houston you'll call anything below varsity. Jr high plays M-Th including private schools. Freshman and JV usually play Wednesday and Thursday. There's also six man football you can get involved with. That's the quickest way to start calling varsity football.

Training classes will be starting soon so don't delay in contacting chapters. Based on where you live I'd contact both the Houston and College Station chapters. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[James Walker]

Originally Posted by Welpe

Sorry just saw this. You should have PMed me on U-E.

JRut and Aggie gave you a pretty good breakdown. I'm almost positive that Willis falls under the Houston Chapter, our boundaries stretch pretty far north. You'll want to get your start calling for TASO because scholastic games get you experience points, Peewees do not. The better paying peewee leagues are also harder to break into whereas subvarsity games are plentiful.

Your first year in Houston you'll call anything below varsity. Jr high plays M-Th including private schools. Freshman and JV usually play Wednesday and Thursday. There's also six man football you can get involved with. That's the quickest way to start calling varsity football.

Training classes will be starting soon so don't delay in contacting chapters. Based on where you live I'd contact both the Houston and College Station chapters. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Welpe, didn't know you were over here too, or that you did football. The only 6 man football I remember was in the Bryan/ College Station. I may be wrong though.

Does JH play same rules as JV/V, with mods for time, or is it completely different?

Do you usually work with the same crew, or is it like baseball, and you work with the same core guys but can have different partners for different games?

[Texas Aggie]

The only 6 man football I remember was in the Bryan/ College Station.

Most chapters in the state assign 6 man games. There are private schools that play 6 man all over the state. I dare say all chapters, but some may just pass their local schools to other chapters.

Does JH play same rules as JV/V

Same rules. Timing may be different -- jr. high are 8 minutes max while HS subvarsity range between 8 and 10.

Do you usually work with the same crew, or is it like baseball, and you work with the same core guys but can have different partners for different games?

You will usually work with different guys though you may see some of the same guys in the area you work a lot. But you won't work on a crew in these games. Most chapters like you to work games outside your immediate area at least a little. Chapter crews are for varsity games (though some crews like to work some of their subvarsity games together). Once you get signed up with a chapter, ask them if they have a 6th man program where you work with one crew at their varsity games through the season as a member of the chain crew -- usually the down box. Then start calling crew chiefs and checking to see if you can work with them.

[Welpe]

More good answers from Aggie. Some ISDs around here have special rules for Jr High but we aren't usually tasked with enforcing them. There isn't anywhere in the Houston area that plays overtime in subvarsity, that may be a state wide thing but I'm not sure. The general guideline for game times is Jr high play 8 minutes, Freshman/JV play 10 minutes. Some of the 5A districts play 12 minutes for JV and that is where you'll usually see four officials working, otherwise it is going to be three officials for almost everything else subvarsity.

Houston has seven subvarsity assigners to cover the area. Your region is one of the largest that the chapter covers. We also have one assigners for six man football, which is growing in popularity out here. Mostly it is private schools playing six man due to the smaller enrollment and there are even some private schools who used to field 11 man teams are now dropping to six man to better compete.

[Adam]

Do you guys have an 8-man option in Texas?

[Welpe]

No. 6 man or 11 man only.