I was watching an episode of Amazon Prime’s FACEOFF: Inside the NHL when Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg described his game-day routine.
On game days, Forsberg wakes up at exactly 8:08 a.m. He eats the same meals, goes to bed at the same time, leaves his house at the same time, and completes the same warm-up routine. Before every game, he puts his skates on at exactly 7:07.
Hockey players are notorious for their superstitions, and Forsberg admits that some of his routine probably sounds silly. But he also explains that the routine really helps him focus and get locked in, particularly when the pressure increases during the playoffs.
There is science behind that.
Have you ever taken your position for the opening kickoff and suddenly realized you weren’t mentally ready to officiate? Your uniform was on, the pregame was complete, and you were standing in the right place; but your mind hadn’t arrived yet. Maybe what was missing was a deliberate act that told your brain it was time to leave everything else behind, cage your gyros and get locked in.
That’s one of the benefits of a routine.
Research on pre-performance routines has found that they can improve concentration, regulate anxiety and alertness, reduce distractions, and help performers direct their attention toward the task at hand. A routine can become the mental transition from everything else going on around us to what we need to do next.
We may not need to wake up at 8:08 or lace our shoes at 7:07, but I believe every official should develop routines that help make that transition. And there are three places where those routines can make a difference: in the locker room, during our on-field pregame and before every snap.
Have a Locker-Room Routine
Our first routine should begin before we ever walk onto the field.
A good crew pregame shouldn’t simply be a conversation that goes wherever it goes. It should have a deliberate progression. We should know what we’ll discuss, what situations we want to cover, and what each crew member needs to accomplish before we leave the locker room.
The routine doesn’t have to be identical for every crew. But it should be intentional and consistent.
Over time, that routine becomes part of our mental preparation. We aren’t just five people sitting in a locker room telling stories. We’re becoming a crew preparing to officiate a football game.
Have an On-Field Routine
The same principle applies when we take the field. Don’t simply wander around waiting for kickoff.
Have a routine.
Check the field and equipment. Meet with the chain crew and ball personnel. Talk with the coaches. Observe the teams. Handle the responsibilities assigned to your position.
Again, the individual tasks aren’t the important part of this discussion. The routine is.
We should know what we’re going to do when we walk onto the field, and we should do it consistently. Besides making it less likely that we forget something important, the routine continues the process of getting us mentally ready for the game.
Have a Presnap Routine
Finally, and most importantly, every official should have a presnap routine. We perform this routine before every play.
Check the down, distance, and clock. Find the line to gain. Know the game situation. Identify the formation. Find your key(s). Ask yourself, “What could happen here that I need to be ready to see?”
The specific routine will differ for a referee, umpire, wing, or back judge. But every official should have one. And we should insist on doing it.
That becomes particularly important when the game gets difficult. Maybe we just missed a call. A coach is upset. We had an unusual penalty enforcement. The crowd is loud. The game is tied with less than a minute remaining.
Our minds have plenty of places they can go. The presnap routine brings us back.
Get Locked In
Routines create consistency. They reduce the likelihood that we forget something. And perhaps most importantly, they help move our attention away from distractions and toward the job we’re about to perform.
So develop your routines.
Have one in the locker room.
Have one when you take the field.
Have one before every snap.
Then use them to tell your brain: It’s time to officiate. Get locked in.
Quiz
Note: This explanation includes philosophies outlined in the Redding Study Guide.
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer. (Choose all that apply.)
Free Kick from the K-40. K14 slips while attempting the free kick and barely contacts the ball. While the ball is rolling on the K-43, K14 kicks the loose ball a second time, sending it downfield. R67 touches the ball at midfield, and K27 recovers it at the R-48.
- No foul, 1/10 for Team K from the R-48
- Foul for illegal kicking; Team R may choose to enforce the penalty from the K-40
- Foul for illegal kicking; Team R may choose to enforce the penalty from the K-43
- Foul for illegal kicking; Team R may choose to enforce the penalty from the R-48
- Foul for illegal kicking; Team R may choose to next snap the ball from the K-43
Review Rules 2-24-9, 2-33-1, 2-44, 6-1-6, 6-1-7, 9-7-1, and 10-4-4b