I recently heard a quote from Laurent Mekies, the Team Principal for Red Bull’s Formula One team:
“We want to be performance-obsessed.”
That phrase stuck with me, not because it sounded extreme, but because it sounded intentional. And it got me thinking…what does performance obsession look like for a high school football official?
Rethinking “Obsession”
The word “obsession” makes people uncomfortable. It sounds like too much. Over the top. That’s not what we’re talking about.
Performance obsession isn’t about grinding for hours or turning this avocation into a full-time job. It’s not about sacrificing the things that matter most.
It’s about intentionally and consistently doing the right things. It’s about caring.
The Reality We Work In
High school officiating doesn’t demand this level of focus. We don’t have unlimited time,
full-time expectations, or a system that consistently holds people accountable
And because of official shortages across the country, we’re seldom able to be overly selective.
So no—no one is going to force you to be performance-obsessed. Which is exactly the point. If excellence isn’t required, it must be chosen.
Where Performance Obsession Shows Up
It doesn’t show up in big, dramatic ways. It shows up in small, repeatable habits.
After a game, most officials move on to the next thing. A performance-obsessed official pauses and asks, “What could I have done better?” Not ten things. One or two. Then they carry that forward to the next game.
Before a game, many officials show up and rely on experience. A performance-obsessed official shows up with intent. They’ve thought about what they’re likely to see. They’ve mentally walked through their responsibilities.
The Role of Imperatives
If we’re going to be performance-obsessed, it helps to be clear about what matters.
An imperative is something that is essential. If it doesn’t happen, crew performance suffers, no matter how well other actions are done.
Every position has them.
Wing imperatives include: When the ball is snapped inside the B-10, getting to the line-to-gain and goal line ahead of the runner; correctly observing passing play keys; correctly marking forward progress.
Umpire imperatives include: Hustling to the nose of the ball when the play ends; getting to the line of scrimmage on passing plays.
Referee imperatives include: Staying with the quarterback after he releases a pass; precisely facilitating and managing the game.
Back Judge imperatives include: Effective dead-ball officiating; hustling to the players when the runner goes out of bounds.
These are not “nice-to-haves.” These are non-negotiables.
A performance-obsessed official knows their imperatives and reviews them before every game. Not an exhaustive list. Just the dozen things that must happen for you to be effective at your position.
We’re not chasing perfection. We’re not trying to fix everything at once.
We’re focusing on a few essential behaviors executed consistently, week after week.
In my opinion, most of us don’t need more time. We just need to be intentional with the time we already have. And in our avocation, that choice is what separates officials who just work games from those who truly officiate them.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the BEST answer. (Choose all that apply.)
4/5 at the K-35. R77 blocks the scrimmage kick. As the ball is rolling at the K-27, K56 grasps and twists R77’s facemask. R39 recovers the ball at the K-27 and begins to run. The line judge blows an inadvertent whistle when R39 is on the K-10. Enforce the penalty for K56’s foul from the __________.
- K-10
- K-27
- K-35
Review Rules 4-2-3c and 10-4-2b EXCEPTION