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March 15, 2002
Defining Your Officiating
Our officiating philosophy defines who we are, how we handle situations and how the games we officiate are played. Developing a philosophy — a mental approach to officiating — is critical. For most people, it takes years to develop and changes over time. Though the core officiating beliefs remain somewhat constant, good officials adjust portions of their philosophy over time. They never stop learning.
What is a philosophy? Simply stated, our philosophy is how we do business. That’s why it usually takes years to develop. We start developing a philosophy when we don’t take everything we hear from other officials as gospel and start making judgments on what is and isn’t the right thing to do.
Who we are. Often, the kind of person you are influences the kind of officiating philosophy you have. That’s natural. If you’re a detail-oriented, engineering-minded perfectionist every day, you’re probably a stickler for the rules and actually enjoy studying them. If you’re a come-as-you-are, laid-back people person, you’re probably more apt to communicate effectively with players and coaches and less likely to quote rules chapter and verse. Balanced people tend to be balanced officials; they can handle the rules, yet aren’t so consumed by them that the game suffers.
Three types of officials. Though admittedly rudimentary, officials can be placed into three categories: rulebook lawyers, fly-by-nighters and a combination of the both. The rulebook lawyers are the nit-pickers. They memorize the rules, can quote casebook rulings with ease and generally are reactionary officials. They see something happen, react to it, quickly apply the appropriate rule and mentally move on to the next analytical item. Their minds work in the "A+B=C" mode.
The fly-by-nighters don’t usually open the rulebook unless they have to. They try to do the right thing, despite what the rulebook might say. They are constantly talking to people and are effective communicators. Their mechanics are usually slightly off-center, but they tend to get through their games with common sense and guile.
The combination people — the best of the bunch — combine the positive traits of each official. They know the rules, apply them wisely and communicate effectively. They are balanced people who have an officiating philosophy that is accepted by their peers.
How divergent philosophies affect others. One cry officials hear all the time from coaches, players and fans is "inconsistency." Though more often than not that can be chalked up to whining, consistency within an officiating crew is vitally important. Arguably, there’s nothing that negatively impacts a game more than officials who are not on the same page and have vastly different philosophies.
Officiating is an art, not a science, and that creates the opportunity for inconsistency. What might be a foul to one official may not be a foul to another. On the national level, rulesmakers and supervisors have emphasized philosophy more each year. In various forms, they have told us how they want us to call the game. That has helped bring more national consistency.
At the local level, we need to ensure we are on the same page with other officials and other officials’ associations. What happens if two local groups are teaching two totally different philosophies? Frustration and borderline chaos in that city! Get involved in your local association and develop an association’s philosophy. Work with other groups in the area to ensure everyone is at least close to the same philosophy. The issue is critical and some concessions may have to be made in order achieve harmony. Remember, the game is the most important thing, not who is right and who is wrong.
What is accepted. When developing your philosophy, learn what is and isn’t accepted at your level in your area. The "when in Rome" theory will help you gain acceptance. If the philosophy in your area is unacceptable to you, you’ve got two choices: move, or work to change things in a positive way.
Remember, what is accepted changes from level to level and, (possibly) gender to gender. For example, contact called a foul in a girls’ junior varsity basketball game is probably not a foul in a boys’ varsity game. It is what it is, and we must adjust our philosophy to the level, not vice versa. If you can’t make the adjustment or think it might wreck your higher level games, don’t work the other games. You and that game will be better for it.
Our advice. In general, the best officials are those that let the game come to them. They see what is happening on the court or field, take in all sorts of information, delay their decision just a split second to decide whether a call would positively or negatively impact a play, then make the call or no-call. They know the rules, but don’t use them as a crutch. They think about the good of the game above all else. They communicate well, get along with others, and aren’t afraid to make the big call (or no-call). They adjust their philosophy slightly according to the game’s level and are adaptable. They are balanced in their approach and never stop learning.
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Leather Luster Shines as Newest NASO Education Partner
One of the most important qualities an official needs to look professional is a clean and polished pair of shoes. It’s one of the basic needs, yet is so often overlooked.
Since 1969, a family owned company in Chesapeake, Va., has provided a shoe polish and shine service to sports officials that is second-to-none. And while the majority of its business is from the military and law enforcement, the fastest growing segment of the business is coming from sports officials.
That explains why Leather Luster, Inc., is the newest member of the "NASO Education Partner" program. To earn Silver Medal status, a company contributes a minimum of $1,500 to the program. The "NASO Education Partner" program supports the development of new educational materials, conference activities and other educational initiatives.
"We are very proud of having a growing relationship with NASO," said Leather Luster President Sharon Paquet. "NASO is certainly the leader for officiating training and reaches thousands of officials every month. We want to take this opportunity to grow our business and at the same time help NASO improve the quality of officiating."
Using the Leather Luster product will certainly improve the impression any official wants to make on others.
"The product sells itself," explains Paquet. "Once an official is seen wearing Leather Luster-treated shoes and the other officials see how easy it is to care for the shoes, they call us."
The process at Leather Luster involves stripping all the original factory polish away from the leather, applying the special Leather Luster polish and soaking the polish into the leather. A high-gloss shine is the ultimate finished look. Once the process is completed, the shoes only need to be wiped with a damp cloth to restore the glossy look. The process can be done to any manufacturers’ leather shoe.
There are two ways to get the "Leather Luster Look." Individuals can purchase a shine kit directly from Leather Luster for $15 or through various officiating supply dealers. By reading the enclosed instructions, officials can treat their shoes themselves. Or, for a $45 fee that includes returned shipping costs, you can send your shoes to Leather Luster and they will do everything for you.
If you’d like to know more about Leather Luster and how you can get that "Leather Luster look" every time you step on the field or court, call toll-free 800/385-2420 or visit the NASO Sponsors link on the NASO website. You can directly link to Leather Luster’s website as well by going to www.leatherluster.com.
Be sure to tell Sharon you are an NASO member and thank them for their support.
Play ball!
The annual Baseball Officials Quiz sponsored by NASO is available by clicking here. You are welcome to print or copy as many quizzes as you need for your association.
Magic
Plans Magical Night to Honor Officials
If you live in or near Orlando, Fla., you still have time to be part of a very special evening the Orlando Magic are planning to honor local sports officials. Thursday, April 11 the NBA team will host a "Sports Officials Appreciation Night" when the Magic play the New Jersey Nets.
All details of the promotion are not complete, but attendees will be able to participate in a pregame clinic with NCAA official Rick Crawford and a to be determined member of the NBA staff. NASO will provide some giveaways and door prizes.
The clinic will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the downtown Orlando Holiday Inn. After refreshments and the clinic, attendees will attend the game at the T.D. Waterhouse Centre (a.k.a. Orlando Arena.) For ticket information contact the Magic’s Steve Chamberland at 407/916-2915.
What do you think?
In the April issue of REFEREE you will have an opportunity to participate in an important cyberspace survey. As you know, there have been many changes to the magazine since January. The editor’s of the magazine want to know what you think of the information they’re providing you every month, especially the sport-specific content and the columns.
You can participate in the survey by going to www.referee.com and completing the Readers’ Survey. It anonymous; they don’t ask for your name or e-mail address. Just go to the REFEREE website’s "Subscriber’s Only" section and enter the password ‘Burr.’ Your opinions are very important. Thank you for your participation.
ABQ — PDQ
Time is fast approaching for the NASO National Officiating Conference in Albuquerque. The June 22-24 conference will feature respected leaders and clinicians from youth, high school, college and professional ranks giving a broad-based perspective of the officiating issues facing the industry. If you’re serious about improving the officiating conditions in your community or within your association, then you don’t want to miss this important event.
The "Sports Officiating 2002" Conference will focus on officiating evaluations. It is an important topic that has seldom been discussed on a national level. In Albuquerque, the conference will address the issue and provide useful direction.
This is the 20th time NASO has conducted a national event, but the first time the conference has been held in cooperation with the National Federation Officials Association (NFOA), the National Federation of State High School Associations’ (NFHS) officiating organization.
There will be numerous activities happening simultaneously to the conference. Prior to the opening session on Saturday, June 22, the NASO Board of Directors will conduct its semi-annual meeting. Several new members will be elected to the board and the staff will report on the business operational matters.
Also in Albuquerque, the NFOA will conduct meetings with its representatives and the Officiating Development Alliance (ODA) will meet.
But not every minute of every day will be work. Attendees will be able to enjoy an emotional celebration Sunday, June 23 when the 2002 NASO Gold Whistle Award is presented. This banquet, hosted by Fox 40 International, is a highlight every year and this one will be no exception.
On Monday, June 24, NFOA will host a luncheon to honor the achievements of three high school officials. The NFHS National Contributor Award, the National Distinguished Service Award and the NFHS Official Citation Award will be presented to deserving individuals. All recipients carry the endorsement of their respective state high school association’s and exemplify the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct and moral character.
For specific details about educational sessions and registration costs, visit the NASO conference informational website located at www.naso.org/conference2002. Everything you need to know is available at the site, including online registration instructions.
Use NASO MasterCard to Rent Avis: You Win - NASO Wins
Want to make your life a little bit easier when it comes to renting a car and save money too? NASO members receive a discount every time they rent from Avis. In doing so, you can help the association because Avis makes a donation to the "NASO Education Partner" program.
Here’s how to make your Avis benefit work for you: Visit the NASO website and click on the "Sponsors" icon or go there directly by clicking here. The link will take you to a web page with all NASO sponsors’ logos. Click on the Avis logo. That action will take you directly to a special Avis website allowing you to make your reservation. Your NASO discount is automatically included in the pricing. Call Avis toll-free at 800/331-1212 and provide the operator with the NASO "Wizard" discount number (B150300). Walk into any Avis rental center and use your NASO MasterCard and receive the NASO discount automatically. When you do that, you double the contribution to the "NASO Education Partner" program because Avis and MBNA (the card provider) make a donation to NASO.
Remember when making a reservation on the website or through the operator, a credit card is not required to reserve the car. Credit cards are only required when reserving a luxury car, mini-van or SUV.
For those members planning to attend the NASO conference in Albuquerque in June, visit the NASO conference website at: http://www.naso.org/conference2002/carrental/index.html, and link to the Avis rental car icon. There you will receive a special discount rate during the conference.
NASO’s Educational Materials Now At A Discount!
Is your association doing all it can to improve its training efforts? If your association belongs to the NASO Local Officials Administration Network (LOAN), it has an opportunity to purchase new educational materials at major discounts and pass those materials on to you!
For example, the Referee Preseason Guide exists for several sports (volleyball, soccer, football, basketball, wrestling, softball and baseball). The cost starts at $2.35 each, but LOAN leaders can take advantage of the "Bulk Order Discount Program" and save money. Not only will buying those guides help your association conduct informative meetings, but they also provide up-to-date information about the new rules and mechanics. It’s a great way to stay ahead of the information circle and at the same time save money too. Finally, what a great "PR tool" for your local association when they provide these guides as a benefit of membership.
Contact your local association leaders and encourage them to invest in your training and development by taking advantage of the bulk buying program.
For more about this or any of the educational materials produced by Referee/NASO, contact Group Sales Manager Patrick Miles at 262/632-8855.
April
Issue in the Mail
The April issue of REFEREE is in
the mail and has lots of important news and information.
Here’s a preview:
- Conflict of Interest
- What Works
- Interview:
Frank Deford
- You Are There: NBA Bad Boys
Plus, there are features and insight on officiating news and more. As always, you’ll also find that the REFEREE editors have put together informative columns on baseball, basketball, football and soccer techniques.
Look for your issue of REFEREE any day. www.referee.com
