Art Of Officiating

Covering conflict management, the psychology of officiating, best practices and officiating/life balance.

Art Of Officiating

Art Of Officiating
Covering conflict management, the psychology of officiating, best practices and officiating/life balance.

Make Positive First Impressions With New Coaches

There are many activities that are always part of sports contests regardless of the type of sport, the equipment used, or in what venue the game occurs. One...

It’s Not Your Timeout

A timeout provides officials with an opportunity to galvanize, regroup, clarify or simply maintain focus on the game at hand. What can a person do in 60 seconds? An Olympic-level...

Getting the Play Right Is Not Enough

Many officials can cite large swaths of the rulebook from memory. Others know down to the inch where the mechanics manual says they’re supposed to be on the field or court. But...

Dealing with Obnoxious Fans

Between the lines, sports officials have every right and can take immediate action to eject a player or coach from a game for unruly...

Talk Yourself Into a Good Game

Have you ever wondered how rah-rah pep talks can move athletes toward great performances? It’s because the athletes themselves have an innate desire to...

Groups Work to Give Sports Officials Spiritual Guidance

For decades there have been spiritual outlets for players, coaches and even team administrators, but there hasn't been much available to give sports officials...

‘Big Time’ Attitude is for Small People

Virtually every local association or chapter has at least one official who has “made it big,” the member who has worked a state championship...

Eliminate Your Own Distractions

There are many things that might disrupt an official’s concentration during a game. They might be internal or external and could happen during play...

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...

Get it Right the Next Time

We’ve all had one. Or two. Or 102. That moment when stark reality hits and you realize you have just kicked the ever-living daylights...

Taking the Officiating Plunge in a Father’s Footsteps

If you were offered a job where you had to travel, sometimes long and far, got frequently criticized when you performed your duties and...

Etiquette for Video Training

Using video for training purposes is no longer the discovery of the age. Gone are the days we have to give a blank video...

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...

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...

Working Youth Games Is Good For Everyone

Youth leagues are where many officials get their start, particularly those who begin officiating at a young age. Those games provide a good place...

Why Coaches Yell

Referees frequently talk about how much coaches yell at them. We’d all like to have them yell less. Yelling at referees rarely improves performance. In fact,...

Oklahoma Referee Tackles Bad Behavior Using Social Media

Veteran soccer official Brian Barlow of Broken Arrow, Okla., believes a little public shaming is not necessarily a bad thing. Especially if it results in...

Lightning Protocol Advances with Technology

In the not-so-distant past, the protocol for handling lightning was straightforward for officials working outdoor sporting events at the amateur levels. If lightning was...

How You React to Disappointment Defines You

Officiating is an interesting and challenging line of work, no matter your involvement. Whether you are an active official, assigner or administrator, decisions you...

When Your Partner’s Out of It Mentally

You show up at the game site. You’re pumped. You meet your partner. Something’s wrong. He or she is distracted, upset, not engaged. You can see right away...

6 To Do’s Before Play Resumes After a Stoppage

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...

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...

Does Appearance Still Matter If You Get the Calls Right?

Beards and tattoos have become much more prevalent and accepted in today’s society than in years past. You see them on everyone from CEOs...

Leave Your Bad Day at Home

Television newsman Neil Cavuto says, “There’s nothing wrong or evil about having a bad day. There’s everything wrong with making others have to have...

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