I’m not a good golfer. I’ve never broken 90 in my life. I’ve played enough golf to know exactly where I stand. And yet, I have vivid memories of a few truly great shots. One, in particular, still stands out.
Years ago, I played in a tournament and was in the very first group to tee off. There was a small crowd watching. I stepped up to the tee and smashed the ball right down the middle of the fairway. My second shot landed on the green. I two-putted for par.
That hole might be the best single hole I’ve ever played.
But here’s the truth: that moment says absolutely nothing about my ability as a golfer.
For every clean drive, I’ve sliced dozens into the trees. I’ve swung so badly my divot traveled farther than the ball. I had a round so frustrating that I grabbed my clubs mid-round, walked off the course, and immediately created an advertisement to sell them.
The problem wasn’t talent. It wasn’t equipment. It wasn’t bad luck.
The problem was simple: I didn’t practice.
My clubs lived in a closet. I’d dust them off occasionally, hit a bucket of balls on the range a few minutes before my tee time, and then expect competence on the course. Unsurprisingly, that approach never worked.
A bucket of balls before a round does not equal preparation. It only creates the illusion of it.
The Officiating Parallel
We can’t treat football officiating the way I treated golf.
Showing up to preseason meetings, working a scrimmage or two, and then expecting sharp performance in August and September is the officiating version of hitting a bucket of balls before tee time. It feels productive, but it’s not nearly enough.
Consistent practice is what separates isolated moments of success from dependable performance.
In officiating, “practice” doesn’t just mean games. It means:
- Studying the rules when there isn’t a test looming
- Watching film with purpose, not passively
- Rehearsing mechanics away from the field
- Talking through judgment plays with a mentor
- Reviewing situations that went poorly and understanding why
One great call, one clean game, or one compliment from a coach doesn’t define us. Those moments are encouraging, but they don’t represent our true level of preparation.
Just like golf, officiating exposes what we’ve consistently invested in—not what we occasionally dabble in.
Consistency Over Moments
Anyone can stumble into a great hole of golf. Anyone can have a good game on a calm night with cooperative teams. But reliability comes from repetition, not flashes of success.
If we want to be officials who are steady, confident, and trusted, especially when games are fast, emotional, and difficult, we need more than last-minute warmups.
We need consistent practice.
Not perfection. Not obsession. Just regular, intentional work that compounds over time.
Because in both golf and officiating, the scorecard never lies.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer.
4/4 at the B-42. A16 scrambles and, while on the B-41, throws a forward pass downfield. The umpire throws a flag for an illegal forward pass. A37 catches the ball and is downed at the B-30. B46 lowers his shoulder and drives it into the prone A37.
- Enforce the penalty for A16’s illegal forward pass from the B-41; then enforce the penalty for B46’s personal foul from the succeeding spot. 1/10 for Team A at the B-31
- Enforce the penalty for A16’s illegal forward pass from the B-41; then enforce the penalty for B46’s personal foul from the succeeding spot. 1/10 for Team B at the B-31
- Enforce the penalty for A16’s illegal forward pass from the B-30 (the end of the run); then enforce the penalty for B46’s personal foul from the succeeding spot. 1/10 for Team A at the B-20
- The penalties offset. 4/4 for Team A at the B-42
Review Rule 7-5-1, 10-1-6, 10-4-5b