Every official has made a significant error, like blowing an inadvertent whistle, making an incorrect ruling, incorrectly enforcing a foul, or mishandling communication with a coach or player.
Maybe a coach blew up at you for a screw-up, and you’ve lost some confidence. Maybe you just can’t shake your regret, and you’re not looking forward to the next game.
Even the best officials make mistakes. How you respond is important. You can bounce back and refocus, or you can marinate in self-doubt and let a mistake bleed into the next series or game.
Officiating high school football isn’t just about knowing the rules and making the right calls—it’s also about having the proper mindset. As officials, the messages we tell ourselves can shape our confidence, performance, and ability to handle pressure.
The saying, “Your mind will always believe everything you tell it,” serves as a reminder that our thoughts significantly influence our reality. If we feed our minds with self-doubt, hesitation, or negativity, we set ourselves up for failure. But if we train our minds with preparation, confidence, and positive reinforcement, we equip ourselves for success on the field.
Confidence isn’t wishful thinking—it’s earned. And the way officials earn it is through preparation.
- Study the rulebook & mechanics manual: Elite rules and mechanics knowledge underpins great judgment.
- Watch lots of film: Seeing plays unfold, even if it’s video review, sharpens our judgment and reinforces correct calls. Film review increases our “snap count.”
- Discuss plays with someone else during the week: You can’t improve if you only think about football for the 4 hours at the stadium on game day. The players and coaches don’t do that. Find a way to connect with someone (a mentor or trusted veteran) during the week to discuss plays, rules, or mechanics. Officiating shouldn’t be our number one focus during the week, but it should rank fairly high.
Don’t Grieve Alone
If you’ve made a significant error, don’t isolate yourself. Reach out to a mentor, trusted veteran, or friend and debrief the mistake. It helps to talk through what happened. This is a good way to decompress and regain your confidence.
Have the Memory of a Goldfish
A short memory is essential. Learn from mistakes, but don’t let them define you. Trust your hard work and preparation as you move on to the next play or the next game.
As Ted Lasso instructed, “Have the memory of a goldfish.”
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer. (Choose all that apply.)
4/12 from the K-3. While K12’s scrimmage kick is in the air, R35 signals for a fair catch at the K-45. The ball bounces high at the K-40 and is caught in the air by R88 at the K-43. R88 is immediately tackled by K67 at the K-43.
- The ball is dead when R88 catches the ball
- R88 may advance
- K67 is guilty of a personal foul
- Team R may free kick from the K-43 to score three points
Review Rules 2-32-16e, 6-5-1, 6-5-3, 6-5-4a