Becoming a Prepared Football Official

Taking football officiating quizzes and tests can be one of the hardest parts of the whole season for many officials. I personally find the tests to be the hardest. But why are they so hard and what are some tips to help you through them? Let me try and help you out with that question. To start, many great officials struggle on tests. In my experience, tests do show how well you know the rules, but doesn’t always quite correlate to the type of official you are on the field. Reading a question and seeing something on the field are two very different things. Additionally making test hard is the fact that on tests, things happen that honestly never happen in a game. But they help you think through complex chains of events. Therefore, to help you get through the test successfully, sit down with your rule book and case book and work through each question slowly. Picture the play happening in your head and everything you are dealing with. Go to the rule book and case book and read up on ...

1. Make sure your registration is current - whether it is for a state high school association or a college conference, make sure you have the proper registration or license to officiate that season. 2. Watch necessary videos - some levels and divisions of football will require you to watch a video that highlights new rule changes and points of emphasis for the year. Make sure to watch this early and often. (if it is actually an informative video, if not, go find a good one online. I recommend looking at the NFHS site for high school and CFO site for college.) 3. Take the test - you will almost always have at least 1 test you must take in order for you to be able to officiate that season. Open it early and print it out. Then you can slowly go through it writing things out to help you. If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask, working through the test with the rule book and a fellow official can teach you a lot. 4. Review the rules - make sure you leave enough time before...