Always Have the Ambition to Be Better

Many months ago, I noticed a Facebook post from @TheConquerMM. The header was:  ConquerMindsetMoney | Self Mastery

Here are some statements that caught my eye:

Always have the ambition to be better.

Complacency is the enemy of greatness.

Every day is a chance to outdo the person you were yesterday.

Set goals, crush them, and then raise the bar.

Never settle, never stagnate—relentlessly pursue your own evolution.

I started thinking how this applies to high school football officiating.

Every year, some officials wait until the week before the first scrimmage (or even game) to dig their bag out of the closet. They (hopefully) throw their uniform in the washer and inventory their gear. They open the rule book only wide enough to pass the local test. Then they hit the field and wonder why they feel rusty.

Officiating isn’t something you can just flip on like a light switch. If we want to be sharp, we’ve got to put in a little work before the end of August rolls around.

First things first. Familiarize yourself with the 2025 rules changes. The previous Ready for Play addressed illegal kicking/batting and the forward fumble rule.

I recommend you take a “steady review” approach to rules study. Read a few pages with a highlighter in hand, one rule at a time. Think through game situations. Ask yourself, “Would I be able to explain this to a coach in the middle of a game?” If not, keep studying and ask a mentor or trusted rules person to help you understand it.

Be a mechanics manual expert! Know where you’re supposed to stand to start each play and what are your keys pre-snap, at the snap, and when the play develops. Know where to look (eye discipline) and how and when to move.

Hudl and YouTube

Pull up Hudl game footage from last season — yours or another crew’s game. YouTube is full of high school and college games. Don’t just sit back and watch like a fan. Watch it like an official. Watching video is another way to “get snaps.”

Set a couple of goals: Read one chapter a week. Watch one Hudl game a week. Don’t overdo it — just be consistent. A little effort now will pay off big when you hit the field.

Don’t settle. Don’t coast. Don’t be the official who rolls into the season hoping it’ll all come back to him or her. Be the one who shows up ready — because you’ve already been putting in the work.

Quiz

Note: This quiz is different from the previous quiz.

Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.

2/10 from the A-20. A33 catches a pass at the A-30, is hit, and fumbles the ball backward and out of bounds at the A-25. B17 is flagged for roughing the passer.

  1. The penalty enforcement spot is the A-30
  2. The penalty enforcement spot is the A-25
  3. The game clock will start on the snap
  4. The game clock will start on the referee’s ready for play
  5. 25-second play clock
  6. 40-second play clock

Review Rules 3-4-3a, 3-6-1a(1)e EXCEPTION, 4-3-1 EXCEPTION, 9-4-4 PENALTY, 10-5g

Click below to reveal the Quiz answer and accompanying explanations.

Ready For Play Category