Well, first of all, this is just my opinion, but here are some of the basics that I try to follow as a high school football official:

player safety – the only thing I consider the most important. Always be attentive to the safety of the players:

• Cutout
• Illegal blocks: slice blocks, back blocks, etc.
• Face masks/pull on helmet openings/or chin strap – with helmet twist
• Unnecessary roughness, yes, it is football, but an unnecessary hit to a player wholly away from a play or a hit with the intent to damage must be controlled.

Slow down the game – Make sure you watch what you call. It is better to make the call well than to rush.

posture, posture, posture – coaches and fans hate it when a call is made 30 yards from a play; and you know what, so do good officials. Being in the correct position to make a call or observe the play. This is easier said than done and takes practice and good field mechanics. KNOW WHERE YOU BELONG – AND BE THERE.

Communication – Strong communication with your other officers is extremely important. This begins with some pre-game dialogue. Talk about the key aspects of the game, the kicking game: positional duties during kickoffs and scrimmage kicks, measurements, etc. Just to name a few.

Whistle in the mouth? Don’t officiate with a whistle in your mouth; this is likely to get you in trouble sooner or later by blowing an inadvertent whistle and if you do, accept it, get over it and learn from it. It happens on every level!

Read and study the rules. – Almost every chance you get. It is the job of all referees to know the rules, not just the referee or referee. Sooner or later when communicating a call with the other officers you may be asked for clarification. And sooner or later, if you do this long enough, your position will change: you may one day find yourself as a referee (white hat). Know the rules and learn them. I’ll start covering some of the key rules in a future post.

Lastly, have fun., an open mind, and always learn from what you did during the game. Keep a journal of what happened during each game and set goals for yourself!