New Official (Almost) with a Question

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by FeetBallRef

I guess since the rules are skeletons that must be fleshed out with authoritative interpretations, we Newbies don't have a chance to understand the rules that aren't written correctly or when case book plays aren't available for support.

Maybe the skeleton/flesh metaphor is misleading. I'd say at least 90% of the body of rules knowledge is contained in the language of the rules. By your screen name and your join date, I'd bet you are an experienced soccer ref who uses more than their words in applying the rules.

Hope for newbies lies in asking questions and monitoring a good umpire forum and learning from mistakes. I admire your effort. I try hard, but I have few if any perfect games under my belt.