Stay Connected During the Offseason
“Small daily improvements lead to massive success over time.” As the high-school football season winds down, many officials move on to winter or spring sports. Others finally exhale after a long grind,…
Ready For Play
Read MoreStay Connected During the Offseason
Trail of Triumphs and Disasters
Some officials end the season on a high note: perfect weather, respectful players and coaches, a close contest, maybe even a big playoff assignment. That’s a memorable way to finish. Others don’t…
Practice Makes Permanent
In the movie Forever Strong (2008), Coach Larry Gelwix tells one of his players, “Practice doesn’t make perfect; practice makes permanent.” Just like a golf swing, a jump shot, or a soccer…
Mechanics Matter
Over the past few months, I’ve watched hundreds of Hudl clips, and certain mechanics errors keep showing up. None of these are major rule misapplications or judgment issues; they’re the small, routine…
The Capability Gap
Alabama coach Nick Saban once said: “We oftentimes talk about what someone’s potential is, but the Capability Gap is what you’re capable of relative to what you’re doing. If you understand the…
Complaint or Communication?
Officials, especially wing officials, must learn to tell the difference between a coach who wants to communicate and a coach who just wants to complain. The difference can be subtle, but it…
How Dare You Show Your Back to Me!
In the movie “Gladiator,” Maximus is in the Roman Colosseum to reenact the Battle of Carthage, where he and a group of gladiators are expected to be slaughtered by a heavily armed…
Sliding Runner
Rule 2-32-16f says a defenseless player is one who is on the ground, including a runner who has obviously given himself up and is sliding feet-first. Officials may struggle with how to…