Football
Classifying Fouls Eases Enforcement
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here are several elements to correctly enforcing a penalty. The first is to accurately identify a foul. If there is no foul, there cannot...
Onfield Meetings – Short, Simple & Complete
Much has been written and said about the importance of perception in officiating. Image is everything, as the saying goes and that is true not only of...
How to Handle a New Crew Member
If you’re used to working on a crew with the same people from week to week, you know that you can quickly reach a...
Hold(er) Everything
When thinking of players associated with the kicking game, the usual focus is on those who kick the ball and team R players attempting...
Forward Thinking on Backward Passes
I created a list of words and expressions commonly used by fans, coaches, announcers and sometimes by officials. However, nothing in my list appears...
3 “When In Doubt” Judgment Guidelines
According to Webster, judgment is the ability to make a decision. An official’s judgment calls will be questioned more often than his or her...
Video Tips for Working as the Referee with Legendary White Hat Jerry Markbreit
Jerry Markbreit is one of the most well known and respected sports officials in the world. Not just in the football community but across...
Aptitude Vs. Attitude
The attitude officials have when they walk onto the field will determine in part the success they may or may not enjoy in officiating...
Protocols for Inadvertent Whistles
Late in the fourth quarter, the home team was up, 16-14, and the visitors lined up at the 25 yardline for what would almost...
Hey Ref! Doncha Know The Rules?
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t’s a question all officials hear at some point in their careers. Unfortunately, fans yelling it from the stands are usually unaware the game...
Football Crew Success Depends on Working Together
Teamwork can be traced back to the Neanderthal age. It has been used to find food, build shelter, drive away enemies and protect the...
Foul That’s Over the Top
Hurdling is an attempt by a player to jump with one or both feet or knees foremost over an opponent who is contacting the...
Wing Officials Are Coach Conduits For Crew
Wing officials face the constant challenge of the game in front of them and having to communicate with coaches who are behind them.
Control of the sideline is important...
Poor Signals Lose Time
By Gerry Grunska
Recently I witnessed a victory that was essentially accomplished through timing errors by the officials. The process went like this. Time was running out for team...
Deep Official A Key Crew Member
Back judges are often undervalued in a crew of five. Perhaps that stems from the many prep teams that run the ball much more often than pass...
Snap, Lapse, Perhaps?
It’s impossible to call a perfect game. Even at the higher levels, where every official is graded in every game, a perfect score doesn’t...
Team B Fouls on a Touchdown
Depending on the rules code, a scoring team may or may not have an enforcement option if the opponent commits a foul during the...
Official/Player Communication Influences Conduct
Trying to manage a football game would be nearly impossible without effective and pointed communication. Although managing players is primarily the responsibility of the coaching staff, officials can facilitate the...
Swap Meet
By George Demetriou
One of the more common misconceptions in football is that a kick receiver must signal for a fair catch in order to...
Muff May Affect Protection
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fair catch is, in effect, a trade. The receiver gives up his right to advance in exchange for freedom from contact by the opponent....
Eyes Off the Ball
More than one clinician has joked about officials who should have to buy a ticket to officiate a game because they mostly watch the...
Coordination, Communication Key to Measurements
One of the oldest sports clichés is that football is “a game of inches.” When a measurement is involved, it might be a fraction...
Calm on Broken Plays
Coaches, players and fans are allowed to panic when a play goes awry. Officials, on the other hand, must react to broken plays as if they're routine...
4 Questions a Referee Never Wants to Ask
There are four questions that no referee wants to ask when a foul has been called. That’s because they should have been asked and answered by the calling...
