ALL SPORTS
EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN
jstern@referee.com
FOR ALL SPORTS, ALL LEVELS
YOU GOT NEXT No Daze Between Plays
By Jeffrey Stern
A
t a time when scrutiny of officials is greater than ever before, the need to get plays right is Job One. Most evaluators won’t judge too harshly an official who may not be in the absolute best position according to the manual but still makes a correct ruling on the play. Unless the official freelances his or her positioning the entire game, judgment trumps mechanics almost every time. With all of the pressure officials face while play is in progress, it’s easy to forget what happens while play is stopped is just as important as what happens during active play. An official who views timeouts or the time between plays as dead time is asking for trouble. Preparing for what will or may happen next helps officials maintain game control and puts them in a frame of mind to cover the action that follows. Here are six things you need to do before play resumes after a stoppage.
74 | REFEREE October 2021
2. Consider the game situation Understanding what strategy
DEAN REID
Time is out, and plate umpire Drew Fowler, Tinley Park, Ill., won’t resume play until he’s sure his partner and all the players are ready to go. During the break, he can also mentally process the game situation and anticipate a possible strategy that will prepare him to cover what happens next.
1. Make eye contact with your partners Just because you’re ready to go, it doesn’t mean those you’re working with are in the same state of preparedness. They may be tying a shoe, addressing a clock or equipment problem, talking to a coach or player or just plain daydreaming. Restarting the game before everyone’s ready can result in having to redo the restart, which makes you look less than professional. You should also make sure game-related auxiliary personnel (e.g. the chain crew, scorers, timers) are in place and ready to go as well.
