To prepare for writing this article, the NFL graciously allowed me to interview and observe two NFL officiating crews, those of Ed Hochuli and Walt Anderson, during pre-season games. I interviewed members of each crew about their individual preparation during game week and on game day. I also observed how the crews prepared together to get everyone on the same page. The officials on both crews provided excellent guidance and advice for this article. For that, I am extremely grateful to them.
When to Prepare
Of course, the best advice is to prepare every day throughout the year. However, most officials take some time off at the end of their season. At the very least, you should start doing some work every day starting a month or two before the regular season. The more time that you spend preparing before and during the season, the more prepared you will be on the field. When the season arrives, daily preparation is a necessity. As Terry Brown, a second year NFL official explained, during the season, you must do something every day. Terry, like most NFL officials, works every day on rules, interpretations, philosophies, and mechanics.
Preparation During the Week
There are certain things that we all need to know before we hit the field: mechanics, rules, philosophies, and enforcements. Each individual official needs to know these before game day. What can we do during the week to best prepare for game day? Here are some suggestions:
Film Review
NFL officials utilize film review to prepare for their games and so should you. Film review can be used as a device to review rules, mechanics, and philosophies. Unfortunately, some of us are limited to doing one or two games each week. Even those who work four or five games a week are limited in the plays they see. Regardless of how many games you work, watching film is essential.
Watching film during the week not only allows you to review important officiating concepts, but also allows you to see more and different plays. It will be much easier to make a tough call on game day if you’ve seen that play, or something similar, on film. You may want to watch highlight plays from the weekend’s NCAA or NFL games. You can record games, highlight shows, or find them on the internet. Pay attention to plays under review as well. Now that both the NCAA and NFL use replay, those tight plays are scrutinized even more. Analyze these plays from your perspective. How would you officiate the play if you were on the field? You can take this a step further by visualizing variations on the play. For example, you may be watching a defensive pass interference play where the defender contacts the receiver without playing the ball. Now ask yourself, if the defender looked back toward the ball, would you still call the foul? Go through different situations in your mind with the defender looking back at different times. If the defender contacts the receiver first and then looks back just as the ball arrives, do you have something different? Visualizing these plays and analyzing your reaction and judgment will better prepare you for when you see it on game day.
There are many other types of film you can watch during the week. If possible, review film of yourself. There is no better feedback than watching film of your work on the field. Be sure to critique your calls and no-calls. Does the film verify what you saw on the field? If not, ask yourself why you saw something different during the game. Also review tight plays out of your area. Would you have called something different if the play occurred in your area of responsibility? Visualize the play, your reaction, and your call. By doing that, you will have gained some experience even though you didn’t see the play in the game. You will be better prepared when you see a similar play in live action. You will also benefit from watching your mechanics and demeanor. We almost always look much different on film than we previously thought. What we thought was a crisp signal may look relatively sloppy on tape. We may think we are in better position for a call than we actually are. Watching your films will expose aspects of your officiating in need of improvement.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Part I: When to Prepare and the Film Review during the Week
Part II: Types of Film, Rules Study, and Casebook Study during the Week
Part III: Mechanics and Enforcement
Part IV: Game Day Preparation and the Post-Game Review