One of the constant challenges in officiating—at every level—is managing doubt. Not rules knowledge. Not mechanics. Doubt. And very often, that doubt doesn’t originate inside us. It creeps in from the sidelines.
I recently came across a post written for basketball officials by Paul Diaspara of Crown Refs. While the context was basketball, the message applies directly to football officiating. His words are worth reading slowly and exactly as written:
“You can’t listen to the coach’s reaction as a way to tell you if you got it right or wrong, because if he doesn’t say anything, then are you even going to think about that play? Are you even going to say you missed that play if he doesn’t say that? You probably aren’t even going to think about it, but because he mentioned it to you now, you are like, ‘I missed that.’
Try to block out that bad voice. When you blow the whistle, just be 100%. If you’re 94%, don’t blow the whistle. Every time you’re 100%, then blow the whistle. Anything less than 100%, leave it alone. If you’re not sold, leave it alone.”
There are two powerful officiating precepts embedded in that quote.
1. Don’t Let the Sidelines Influence Your Decisions
Some coaching staffs gripe about everything. It doesn’t matter if it’s a three-yard run, blocks during a passing play, or a tackle near the sideline. We hear some kind of complaint from the sideline. If we subconsciously use a coach’s reaction as feedback, we are setting ourselves up to doubt good decisions.
Think about the question Diaspara asks: if the coaches says nothing, do you even think about the play? Probably not. But if they react strongly, suddenly doubt creeps in. The play hasn’t changed, only the noise around it has.
Officials must learn to separate external reaction from internal judgment. Coaches are paid to advocate. Their emotional response is not a reliable indicator of correctness. If you let persistent griping undermine your confidence, your consistency will erode over the course of the game.
Good officials listen respectfully. Great officials decide independently.
2. Don’t Guess—Be 100% Before You Throw the Flag
This is the heart of Diaspara’s message, and it aligns perfectly with sound football officiating philosophy.
If you think you saw a foul, don’t throw a flag.
If you’re 94% sure, keep the flag in your pocket.
We are not in the business of guessing. We are in the business of officiating what we clearly see. That means seeing the beginning, middle, and end of the action, and being fully convinced it meets the standard of a foul.
A helpful mental shift is this: instead of looking for reasons to throw the flag, actively look for reasons not to throw it. If you can’t talk yourself out of the foul, then, and only then, do you act.
This discipline protects credibility. It reduces phantom fouls. And it keeps officials from letting doubt, noise, or emotion drive decisions.
Final Thought
When the whistle blows or the flag hits the ground, it should come from conviction, not reaction.
Block out the bad voice. Block out the sideline noise. Trust what you clearly saw.
And if you’re not sold, leave it alone.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer. (Choose all that apply.)
3/5 from midfield. A17 throws a pass downfield. B55 is flagged for roughing the passer. B39 intercepts the ball at the B-30, is tackled at the B-35 and fumbles. A68 recovers the fumble at the B-40 where he is downed.
- Enforce the penalty for B55’s foul from midfield (the previous spot)
- Enforce the penalty for B55’s foul from the B-40 (the succeeding spot)
- The game clock will start on the snap
- The game clock will start on the referee’s ready for play signal
- 25-second play clock
- 40-second play clock
Review Rules 3-4-2, 9-4-4 PENALTY, 10-4-2d