Art Of Officiating
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Covering conflict management, the psychology of officiating, best practices and officiating/life balance.
4 Habits of Successful Officials
If you took a poll of coaches and players and asked them to name the skills and habits that are important for a game...
Warning Signs of Burnout
People officiate for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s love of the game, exercise, camaraderie or extra money (or any combination of those), too...
How to NOT Argue
It takes a minimum of two people to have an argument. If one person chooses not to participate, that leaves the second party blustering...
Stay Focused until Game Conclusion
At any sporting event, you’re likely to hear someone holler, “Keep your head in the game!” That heckler might not be referring to the...
You Got Next
A
t a time when scrutiny of officials is greater than ever before, the need to get plays right is Job One. Most evaluators won’t...
Make Your Time Work For You
Adding officiating to your already busy schedule can cause a painful time crunch. But if you manage your time well, you can fit officiating...
Someone is Always Watching
When you sign up to be an official, you should understand there is a higher standard of behavior for your actions on the field...
When Do Comments Go From Noise to Unprofessional Conduct?
Comments from head coaches, their coaching staffs, team supporters and fans can vary and deserve a multitude of responses. But when the comments go...
Use Team Captains as Assets
Being captain on a team is a pretty big deal. It means the player has earned the trust and respect of his or her coach or teammates. It’s...
20 Inspiring Books For Sports Officials
If you had inside access to the bookshelves of college and professional officials and officiating leaders, what books would you find? Sure, rulebooks are...
The Association Isn’t Backing You
One problem that officials can face is being unable to find dependable support, which is needed for a wide variety of reasons. For example,...
Everybody Wants a Problem Solver
One type of person all businesses want is a problem solver. The same can be said for any type of athletic event. They want...
Battle Through a Tough Start
Anyone who has officiated any sport at any level has had games in which things didn’t go as planned. What if the unexpected trip-up...
Right Way to Turn Back a Game
In most aspects of life, there is a right way and a wrong way. Such is the case when you turn back a game. Knowing the difference...
Maintain the Rhythm of the Game
A game is a kind of dance, with its own unique rhythm. Not completely, but they have similar elements. One team is on offense...
What’s Acceptable Contact Between Officials & Participants?
The issue of the propriety of any two human beings touching one another runs the gamut of the human condition; from liberal to conservative, man to woman, western to eastern....
Your Officiating Style Should Embrace Personal Growth
It's been one of those games. Every stop in play, someone from each team is complaining, and that doesn’t even include the coaches, who...
The Three Types of Officials
I t may sound elementary, but for the most part there are three types of officials: rulebook attorneys, freelancers and a combination of both.
The rulebook...
Tips on Handling Blowouts
Sometimes games are less than games; they are a mish-mash of horrendous play
and lopsided scores. Officials can either contribute to the mayhem or else...
Increase Concentration in One-Sided Games
One-sided games are no fun for anyone, except for the team that wins, of course. Generally speaking, the losing team and the officials just...
Arrive and Shine With Good First Impressions
How you enter the arena, stadium, field or other facility says a lot about you. Do you casually stroll in? Are you laughing, confident,...
Take the Bumps Out of Working Multiple Levels
Many Referee readers officiate more than one level of a sport or, at least, hope to do so. That could be middle school and...
7 Roommate Tips for Camps and Tournaments
These 7 tips give officials helpful hints on how to be a good roommate when sharing a room at a camp or tournament.
1.
Figure out...
Impartiality in Addressing Coaches
I'm always ill at ease when an official with whom I’m working is on a first-name basis with a coach. Earlier this baseball season,...
