Alabama coach Nick Saban once said:
“We oftentimes talk about what someone’s potential is, but the Capability Gap is what you’re capable of relative to what you’re doing. If you understand the truth about that, you can actually take information that can help you close that gap.”
That idea applies perfectly to football officiating.
The Capability Gap is the difference between: What you’re truly capable of doing, and what you’re actually delivering right now.
Most people underestimate their full capability and overestimate their current performance. They think their gap is small, when in reality it’s much larger than they realize.
In officiating, that might mean thinking, “I know the rules well enough,” “I know where I’m supposed to stand on the field,” or “I communicate fine with coaches.” But those statements often reflect comfort, not capability.
Closing the Gap
You can’t close a gap you refuse to acknowledge. The first step is honest reflection. What’s your ceiling as an official? How much sharper could your rules knowledge, mechanics, and communication be if you invested daily effort instead of relying on experience alone?
Then ask the tougher question: How close am I to that ceiling right now?
If the answer makes you uneasy, that’s good—it means you’ve found your starting point for growth.
Find Your Intellectual Sparring Partners
A powerful way to clarify and close your Capability Gap is to surround yourself with what Sahil Bloom calls Intellectual Sparring Partners—people who: Call you out on your excuses, question your assumptions, and push you to think bigger.
In officiating, these might be mentors, evaluators, or experienced crewmates who challenge you to go beyond “good enough.” They won’t flatter you; they’ll tell you the truth about your performance and your potential.
True sparring partners help you see what you’re capable of and remind you when your current delivery isn’t there yet. They don’t criticize to tear down; they challenge you to level up.
Every official, no matter their experience, has a Capability Gap. The best ones don’t ignore it; they work relentlessly to close it.
As you reflect on your ability as a high school football official, identify one area where you’re falling short of your full potential. Seek feedback from a mentor or challenge yourself to act on something you’ve been avoiding.
Find your sparring partners. Listen to their truth. Then, get to work closing your Capability Gap—one rep, one game, one decision at a time.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.
Team K lines up for an onside kick, with all 11 players positioned between the K-35 and K-40. Six players, including K47, are on the home-team side of kicker K12, who is facing that sideline. Four players are on the visiting-team side of K12. As K12 approaches the ball, K47 crosses in front and kicks it high toward the visiting team’s sideline, where no Team R players are positioned. K66 catches the ball in the air at the R-45 and is downed at the R-40.
- 1/10 Team K at the R-40
- 1/10 Team K at the R-45
- Free kick infraction
- Kick catching interference
Review Rule 6-1-3b, 6-1-4, 6-5-6ab