See the Ball!
When I began officiating in 2007, our association began each meeting by having everyone stand, raise their right hands, and recite, “I will not blow my whistle unless I can see the…
Ready For Play
Read MoreSee the Ball!
Everyone Has a Role in Penalty Enforcement
Here is a Ray Lutz “Forward Progress” post from August 19, 2008 (edited for clarity). Too many times the crew leaves penalty enforcement entirely to the referee, which is not correct. The…
Don’t Be “That Guy”
As a crew chief, I have 13 other officials on my crew. I supervise the overall activities of the crew including education and training and game assignments. Some associations have smaller established…
See the Whole Play
Beginning, Middle, and End We need to see the whole play (beginning, middle, and end) to determine if a player fouled. Sometimes we’ll only see the end of the play and throw…
Look for Reasons to NOT Throw the Flag
Officiating is not black-and-white. There are multiple shades of gray. There is a science to officiating (the rules book and mechanics manual) and there is an art to officiating (judgment). This website…
Take an Inventory
If my math is correct (and the internet gremlins don’t strike), this Ready for Play article will be published on August 8, 2024. Our association’s first varsity game in Colorado is August…
Avoid an Inadvertent Whistle During a Kick
I’ll never forget my first inadvertent whistle. My mistake was during a first-round playoff game. I was the “youngster” on a crew of veteran officials, so I was excited and honored to…
Getting Plays Right
Here is a Ray Lutz “Forward Progress” post from August 16, 2011 (Edited for clarity and rule changes) Here is a partial list of some plays crews have screwed up or were…