Taken from a CrownRefs Facebook article, Feb 5, 2026. I’ve adapted some of his wording, replacing basketball-specific terminology and positions with their football equivalents.
If you ever find yourself stuck when a coach is talking, unsure what to say, unsure how to respond, or overwhelmed by a coach referencing multiple plays at once, here’s the solution:
Go Narrow
Coaches will often speak in generalities. “Ref, that’s a foul all night,” “You’re missing everything,” “We’re getting no calls.”
General comments lead nowhere. One of the greatest strengths an official can develop as a communicator is the ability to redirect the conversation to something specific.
Try this: “I hear you coach. Do you have a specific play you’d like to discuss?”
That one question changes everything. Here’s why it works: When you ask for a specific play, you move the conversation from emotion to clarity. You take it out of opinion and put it into the rule, where officials have the leverage.
Many times coaches won’t actually have a specific play in mind, and when that happens, the conversation naturally ends and the game moves on. If they do have a play, now you’re in control. You can articulate what you had, reference the rule, and close the exchange professionally.
So remember this principle: When coaches go broad, you go narrow. That’s where your leverage lives.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer. (Choose all that apply.)
3/20 from the A-10. A18 runs around the right end and kicks the ball at the A-12. The ball goes out of bounds at the A-35.
- 1/10 for Team B from the A-35
- 4/18 for Team A from the A-12
- 3/24 for Team A from the A-6
Review Rules 2-18, 2-24-9, 2-33-2, 4-3-1 EXCEPTION, 5-1-3e, 9-7-1, 10-1-5, and 10-4-9