Promoting NFL Referees To Full-Time Status Would Be A Good Starting Point To Fixing League's Officiating Shortcomings

One of the more well-known of the NFL'S officials Ed Hochuli is an attorney off the field.

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Wikimedia 

and

Thinh Nguyen

under

CC BY 2.0 License

Unless you've been living under a rock the last few years or so, I don't need to tell you that the National Football League is the most popular sport in terms of the ratings and viewership numbers it generates.  Fans of the gridiron just can't seem to get enough of for whatever reason.  Maybe it's the overall strategy of the game or the hard hits.

The allure of football would lead you to believe that it's decision makers, such as the Commissioner and the Owners would do everything in their power to ensure that the quality of the officials they employ are the best they can be.  Every professional sports league should strive for greatness from their officials. On the other side of the coin, fans know that not all officials have a perfect track record in their career.  

What football fans may not know is that unlike the other Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA) or the National Hockey League (NHL), the officials of the National Football League (NFL) have other jobs and careers in addition to the work they do on the football field.

As I've mentioned before, if you've been paying close attention, one of the things I really look at when watching sports is the work of the officials in charge of making the calls in addition to watching a game for pure entertainment value.  I know that once I really got interested in all things officiating in all the major sports, I was initially surprised by the fact that NFL officials are not employed on a full-time basis.  I must also point out that those who are among the league's best officials have my utmost respect knowing that they are doing the best job they can do while holding down another occupation.

I don't expect to see any immediate changes to the league's officiating procedures and policies on this matter any time soon but it is something worth keeping an eye on in future seasons.  In the meantime, we can continue getting whatever enjoyment you get from the most popular sport in North America. Just remember that the officials are doing the best job they can the next time you feel the urge to put your hands in your head over a blown call for whatever team you root for.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2016
All Rights Reserved.

Welcome To Your First Day Of Sports Officiating 101

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Wikimedia

and

Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA

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CC BY-SA 2.0 License

As the name of this very blog implies sports is one of the items that my world revolves around along with music and movies.  To go along with my undying passion for sports, I've also developed and cultivated another passion for officiating and what it takes to be a good official no matter the sport.  I have become some engrossed in it that I know pretty much all the names of the officials in each of the four major North American sports.  Yes I am that obsessed with it!

Throughout my years of sports observation I have learned one simple lesson when it comes to officiating.  Anybody can be a sports official if they are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to become one no matter what line of work you're involved at any point in your life.  With that in mind it is important to remember that the job of officiating suits some individuals better than others.

The key thing to ask yourself when determining whether officiating is something you truly want to do in life is is this something that you are truly passionate about?  

The second and more complex lesson I've learned about officiating is what exactly does it mean to be a GREAT official and not just good or adequate one.  Below is my list of my 10 essential rules all officials need to know to go from being good to great:

1. You are one half of the human element in an otherwise unfair world of two true exact outcomes.  One of the beautiful things that makes sports exciting are the true outcomes.  The competitive nature of sports allows for one of  two things.  A winner and a loser.  At the end of the day, sports doesn't care about the human element.  It just wants to find a winner and a loser.  That's it.  As an official, it is up to you to help inject the human element of sports to determine the two true outcomes in a winner and a loser.

2. You must possess excellent communication skills.  We are all human beings correct?  We all have the ability to communicate with each other in one way or another right?  As an official it is paramount that you are able to get your point across without sounding lost or confused.

3. Be fair to all parties involved.  In a world that is essentially set up to be unfair it is your job to act in a fair and just manner.

4. Allow for players and coaches to have their say during competition.  Regardless of whether or not you've blown some calls, players and coaches should feel free to have such discussions without fear of any possible recourse of action.

5. Check your ego at the door when entering the arena of competition.  It is VERY important to keep in mind that sports fans don't shell out huge wads of cash to come see you in your craft.  They are there to see some of the greatest athletes in the world do what they do best in a competitive environment.   

6. You must have confidence in yourself and your abilities.  This sounds like something that should be easy to come by but can be hard to achieve sometimes.  If you don't have confidence in yourself and your abilities then you are doing a disservice not only to yourself but those around you as well.

7. Don't be afraid of failure.  We all make mistakes at some point in our lives and you will undoubtedly make some yourself as an official.  You are not always perfect.

8. Get the calls right no matter what the situation is.  In the name of fairness in an unfair world it is imperative that you do everything you can to make the right calls, even if it means conferring with your fellow officials or utilizing instant replay to do so.

9. Maintain control over any and all situations.  As an official this is probably one of the most important jobs you have as an official.  You must not let things get out of hand.

10. Be invisible.  If you have gone about your job without anybody noticing you're there then you have put in a great day's worth of work.

If you follow these 10 rules, you will have what it takes to succeed in the officiating world.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2015
All Rights Reserved