Psychology of Officiating
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...
8 Steps to Better Communication
When it comes to the necessities needed in becoming a successful sports official, the art of conversation might not seem to be high on...
Pause Points Help Manage Stress
Officiating, at its core, is the ability to make quality decisions under stress. The loud environment, the passion of the players, and running up and down the field,...
How to Handle Difficult Situations in These Contentious Times
It takes brains, wit and a cool head to handle difficult situations and navigate the various on- and off-court/field minefields officials have to deal...
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...
6 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs
Depending on the part of the country in which you live, winter can be a cold, bleak and depressing time of year. If you don’t officiate a winter...
Attitude Adjustments That Improve Performance
There are a lot of things I know now that I wish I had known when I started officiating. One area that I needed attitude adjustments...
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...
‘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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Who Gets The Longer Leash?
As officials, we unfortunately know that emotions run high in sports and every official must understand how to react appropriately when someone at the game...
Saving One Official at a Time
I met with a friend last year who I heard had gotten out of officiating after only a few years. I thought perhaps his departure...
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...
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,...
Manage High Stress Situations So You Don’t Choke or Panic
Why do some officials perform poorly when under pressure? Ruling out poor positioning, misapplication or misunderstanding of the rules, inexperience and absentmindedness, one must turn to psychological explanations for official underperformance....
Strategic Planning For Your Officiating Career
Do you sometimes feel that your officiating career has grown stagnant, that your future seems unclear and that you’re not sure where you’re heading...
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,...
You’re Not Advancing
A frustrating and isolating problem in officiating is when you’re not advancing. You’ve put the time in, gone to camps, helped your local association, worked all the...
Lack of Family Support
Most officials at some point in the journey have to deal with family related issues, being away from home at key stages of the lives of their children...
