Test Results

I met the crew at 5:30AM. I'm tired and have information overload. A lot of great information was provided by several D1 officials covering holding philosophy, mechanics, DPI, etc.

Or association reps reported back from a meeting with the coaches. There seems to be an open dialog between the coaches and the staff regarding rule interpretation and he as a group will be enforcing them. I think this is great idea, although I expect to hear the same thing I hear in high school - last week they didn't call that.

This is a topic I like some opinions on. How do you ensure consistency between crews when it comes to judgement calls? Obviously by their very nature they are somewhat subjective. Does your association provide you with judgement guidelines?

During the clinic we took two tests - 30 questions each. The first was fairly easy and I only missed one (and an easy one too) Prior to the snap from scrimmage kick formation the SJ and FJ should identify the numbers of the two eligible receivers on their side of the formation.. Well, duh... but I got that one wrong.

The second test was on penalty enforcements and I did not do as well. I passed but with a caveat.

I explain more on this next time.

So Late

Went for a run tonight in a feeble attempt to get back into shape. I can only seem to to any running two or three times a week. Better than nothing I suppose, but not nearly enough.

10:14 PM and I'm just now getting to sitting down at the desk. Having three kids really puts a damper on how much time you can spend on preparing. I'm really sicks being so tired and trying to pull knowledge most poorly written books I've every read. The rule are confusing enough let alone having many of them written in double negatives.

Better stop procrastinating, Now it's 10:29.

Next Steps

Completed the last college summer study meeting tonight. Watched some film. Reviewed the tests questions. Made plans to meet 5:30AM in order to get to the clinic by 7:45.

We had a long discussion on one of the new rules changes related to fouls by A on free kicks out of bounds. Can B elect to take the ball at the OB spot and tack on the five yard penalty. One side felt accepting the OB spot was one the penalty options and thus wiped out the distance penalty. You could not have both. At the end of the discussion, we determined that with the new rule, B could take the ball at the OB spot and tack on five yards. I'm sure this will get screwed-up several times and there will be many a coach who want an explanation.

I also learned tonight from my HS Crew Chief I was being moved to a new crew that needs some help. The crew I am currently on is very strong and we've been together for 10 years now. This is very disappointing for me. Three of us on the crew all came-up together.

We all knew this day was coming. There just are not enough officials to fill all the games and the crew system just doesn't work when you are thin.

Summer School Ends

Tonight is the last local summer meeting before the association qualifying meeting this Sat. Last chance to ask questions and remove any doubt. Doubtful that will work.

The differences between High School ball and College are quite stark. It's still football, but in college there are so many exceptions to the rules. Some penalties are previous spot, some are spot fouls. Penalty enforcements are like 'all-but-one', but then again, not really. It reminds me of grammar class - why bother having a rule when there are so many exceptions.

It really isn't that bad, but it feels that way at the beginning. The study group has really helped stop the temptation to compare HS with College. You just have to let go of HS rules and look at the version of the game independently.

Prelude

The objective of this blog is to chronicle my journey from being a High School Football Official to a NCAA Football Official. For those who have been down the path already you can advise me. For those who have never officiated a competitive sport, I hope to open your eyes to very challenging yet fulfilling calling.

I'll outline the process my Association takes me through to receive an offer to become an Official(I am currently called a Candidate). I'll make mistakes. I'll do somethings right. I'm going to learn a lot and hopefully you will too.