Set Goals for the 2026 Season

The off-season isn’t just downtime — it’s prep time. Use it to set clear, attainable goals that will make you a better official next year. Here are a few ideas:

Rules Study

• Pick one rule each week to master, not just memorize, but understand why it exists.
• Write a short scenario for each rule and quiz yourself or another official.
• If you find a rule that doesn’t make sense, reach out to a veteran official to discuss the rule.
• Do the same in the Football Case Book.
• Review previous year’s exam questions.

Film Review

• Watch at least one full game per week on Hudl.
• Send notable clips to a veteran official to discuss.
• Build your own “teaching clips” to share with your crew.
• As you watch NCAA and NFL games, practice your mechanics (counting, watching key(s), watching the blocks ahead of the runner).

Mechanics and Positioning

• Revisit the Mechanics Manual, don’t assume you already know it.
• Watch your own film and note one component to improve per game (positioning, hustle, signal use, etc.).
• Practice “reps” at home — whistle, flag, bean bag, clock signal — until the actions become automatic.

Physical Readiness

• Create a conditioning plan to maintain your strength and flexibility.
• Remember, fatigue leads to mental mistakes.

Crew Development

• Schedule a pre-season “rules and film” night with a group of like-minded officials.
• Share lessons learned from the 2025 season and set communication expectations early.

Here’s a shameless plug:

There are over 140 archived Ready for Play articles on the Art of Officiating website: https://artofofficiating.com/ready-for-play/

There are also about 20 “Weekly Dozen” videos on YouTube. Type @artofofficiating in the search bar to locate archived videos.

Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.

Free kick from the K-40. K72 encroaches during the free kick. The back judge throws a flag, but does not kill the play. During the return, R80 is flagged for holding at the R-33. When the back judge reports the foul, the referee reminds him that encroachment is a dead-ball foul.

1. Pick up the flag; it’s too late to enforce the penalty
2. Enforce the penalty for the encroachment foul, then enforce the penalty for the holding foul
3. Enforce the penalty for the holding foul, then enforce the penalty for the encroachment foul
4. The penalties offset
5. Enforce the penalty for the encroachment foul only

Review Rule 6-1-3a