For veteran NCAA officials and rookies alike, USA Football's website offers a 100-question test designed to prepare those who officiate games for the upcoming season.
"I think it's helpful in two ways. I think it's a great individual assessment to know where your strengths and your weaknesses are in terms of rules and knowledge," said Dennis Redding, who possesses over 30 years of officiating knowledge. The second part of the benefit of the test is it's a great way to get people into the books in the off-season, talking to one another about the nuances of each of the rules."
More so, the results of each test will be submitted by the USA Football office to the corresponding Division Conference Supervisor. The test can be taken multiple times and only the highest score will be received by the conference supervisor.
The test is also very convenient and easy to use. The USA Football website allows users to save their results with a username and password and finish the test in multiple sittings.
"I love the fact that you can log off and pick it up again with your password. It's a very user-friendly test to take," said Redding.
This resource offered by USA Football at no cost to members is designed to improve officiating and initiate conversation among officials. Also, when the test is completed, the test-taker will immediately be notified of their raw score, and which question(s) were incorrect, if any at all. The member will also receive an email detailing the test results.
"We, as collegiate officials, have to know the rules cold. It behooves an official to take that test without a rule book because we don't have rulebook on the football field," said Redding. "I think it's essential that we as officials take that test without benefit of the rulebook and that really tells us - individually - what our strengths and weaknesses are."
All questions from the test are based upon NCAA/CAA rulings as of April 15, 2008. With this resource, compliments of USA Football, officials should be ready for the upcoming collegiate season to kickoff.