Art Of Officiating
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Covering conflict management, the psychology of officiating, best practices and officiating/life balance.
Get More Postseason Games
“Why didn’t I get any playoff games?” Across the officiating world, that is probably the most frequently asked question by established and even some new officials. Postseason games are...
The Art of Listening to Coaches
Successful officials are approachable and are good listeners. They recognize they have two ears and one mouth and they use them in that proportion....
Clinicians and Presenters Critical to a Successful Camp Experience
The best way for you to judge the effectiveness of a clinic or camp is to count the number of habits or procedures that...
Automatic Eject Button
Skim the rulebook for any high school or college sport under the section of automatic ejections and the word “flagrant” is likely to appear.
For...
Get To The Point With Game Language
Good officials must know the language of their respective sports and be able to communicate that language in a way that coaches and players...
Get Great Series: Better by Tomorrow
If someone told you a way to get better by tomorrow, would you do it no matter what it was? How about if it...
Rehearse Fundamental Judgments
Officials can develop healthy habits when they rehearse fundamental judgments. Many sports have repeated practices or habits that you can rehearse in preparation for...
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...
Strategies to Stay Above the Fray
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the officiating industry has taken a heavy blow. All officials in some shape or form were impacted and continue to...
Connect the Head and the Heart
Sports officiating is an emotional challenge. Gonzaga University’s Rachelle Strawther knows this firsthand after her experience running a sports and officiating soccer program in...
Moving Forward After Disappointment
Officiating mimics life. Do it long enough and you’re sure to experience the full gamut of emotions. There are times when you’ll experience incredible...
What the Best Officials Keep Doing
You received the plum assignment, playoff game or bowl game you’ve always wanted. If your group has a scoring system, perhaps you graded out first at your position. You're...
Earn That Good Reputation
Ever try constructing a tower out of playing cards? It isn’t easily built. Once achieved, it’s something to be proud of. But one wrong...
6 Qualities That Get You Respect
In a business environment, you know the people you don’t like to work with. You know the laggards, the braggers and the ones who shove daggers in your...
Use Your Confidence for the Good of the Game
Confidence is not a suggestion when it comes to being good in this avocation. It is at the core of what it takes to...
End Game
Your job doesn’t end after the game is over. Most of the time, the game ends without serious conflict. However, there are some things...
13 Immutable Laws of Officiating
There is no sense in building an architectural masterpiece on a sand dune. The view might be great but it will be short-lived and very expensive. It might be part of our...
Traveling Etiquette 101
There are practices that should always be followed when traveling with officiating partners to make sure everyone gets to the game on-time, and gets along with...
Why Are You Talking?
When it comes to the necessities needed in becoming a successful sports official, the art of conversation might not seem to be high on...
How to Handle a Downgrade You Disagree With
Sometimes you can just feel a downgrade coming. You’ve just completed your game. You’re headed home for the evening but you can’t seem to get that one...
When Your Game is Postponed
Your bag is packed and you’re just about ready to head out for your game when the phone rings. A chicken pox outbreak at...
Correcting Bad Behavior With Well Timed Warnings
W
arnings come in a variety of forms. There’s “the look,” “the stop sign” and “the quiet word,” to name a few. Each can be...
Restart Readiness
At a time when scrutiny of officials is greater than ever before, the need to get plays right is Job One. Most evaluators won’t...
Always Time for Teachable Moments
Whether it is during the prematch conference or a postmatch debrief, a formal evaluation or a self-evaluation, or in a classroom clinic setting, we...