July 6, 2008

1. To have fun.
2. To improve skills and learn new ones.
3. To be with friends and make new ones.
4. To feel the excitement of competition.
5. To succeed or win.
6. To exercise or become fit.

These reasons help shape how we want you to approach officiating. The focus in youth sports is much different from what it is in professional, college, or even high school sports. In higher ranks, the greatest-and sometimes only-focus is on winning. As you can see, winning is fifth on the list for kids. So what should you focus on as a youth sport official? We want you to zero in on four things:

1. Be impartial and fair in your duties as an official.
2. Provide for a safe experience for the players.
3. Keep the sport fun for kids.
4. As appropriate, help players learn the game.

Let’s spend a few moments with each item.

Be Impartial and Fair

One of the main reasons sports have rules is to provide teams an equal opportunity to succeed (we often call this “a level playing field”). Officials are present at contests to make sure that they are being played within the confines of the rules and to ensure that no one is getting an unfair advantage. This responsibility leads to difficult decisions at times: calling a runner out on a bang-bang play to end a close baseball game; calling a fifth foul on a team’s best basketball player with one minute remaining in a tie game: calling a net violation on a front-row volleyball player at match point. Officials are the only people involved in the contest who are impartial and unbiased. You shouldn’t and can’t-care who wins or loses. You can keep the sport fun for the players and have fun fulfilling your responsibilities, but be sure to also maintain your objectivity and impartiality. Players have a difficult time having fun if they feel they are being cheated or treated unfairly.

Provide for a Safe Experience

Another important reason sports have rules is to provide players the opportunity to play within a safe environment. The illegal contact rules in sports like basketball, soccer, and others were written to keep players safe and reduce the likelihood of injury. We have “Out of bounds” and “playable area” rules in many sports to help prevent players from crashing into bleachers or other obstacles while making a play.

There are many things you can do as a youth sport official to provide for a safe experience. Check out the facility and the equipment that will be used for the contest to ensure a safe environment. Make sure there are no unusual or unsafe objects around the playing field-things that players could crash into, trip over, or slip on while trying to play the game. Look for personal gym bags near the court or field boundary lines, extra bats or helmets in foul territory, or an equipment wagon or field liner just outside the confines of the field. Make sure the equipment that youngsters will use is safe: for example, bats and helmets aren’t crack4- volleyball nets are properly secured, with cables covered and/or padded. If in doubt, the rule book is usually a good resource for proper safety precautions and guidelines. If you can, fix it. If you think the equipment may be unsafe and It is beyond your ability to correct the problem, speak with one of your league supervisors. They may not be aware that a safety hazard exists.
Also be sure to apply the contest rules as they were written regarding safety. This is sometimes very difficult, and it requires good and reasonable judgment. -We’ll go into more detail on this in “How Strictly Should You Enforce Rules?” (see page 30).

Keep the Sport Fun

Officials can set the tone for a fun environment One of the best ways to do this is to convey that you enjoy what you are doing and that you’re happy to be there. Your tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language speak volumes to youngsters. The participants want to have fun, but they also want to feel good about their involvement. An encouraging and non threatening tone of voice can help them feel more comfortable. Smiles, affirming nods, and even laughter (when appropriate) are expressions that can encourage participants. And finally, open body language (e.g., hands at your sides or behind your back) indicates you are approachable and open to hearing what someone has to say. Arms crossed on your chest can convey a “know-it-all” or “don’t-mess-with me” attitude. Hands in your pockets may suggest you’re bored.

Words of encouragement can also be appropriate. Telling a participant, “Nice hustle,” “Nice play,” or something similar, tells them that you’re paying attention and that you noticed the individual and his or her effort. So often the child’s effort is overlooked in youth sports. When kids feel good about what they are doing, they’re more likely to have fun.

Help Players Learn the Game

Officials often have the opportunity to help players improve their skills and learn the rules of the game. Skill development is typically the role of the coach, but officials often have- -opportunities to assist youngsters here. We certainly don’t want you to put on a clinic, but an occasional piece of instruction can help young athletes develop their skills and enjoy the game more. As an umpire you may be able to give a catcher some minimal instruction about attempting to block wild pitches. Or, as a volleyball referee you may be able to give a player instruction regarding the proper way to pass a ball. You need to be careful in this instruction; you don’t want to give different information than what the coach is providing, and you wouldn’t want to help one team but not the other.

More often, officials have opportunities to help players learn the rules of the game and their application. If you can take the time to briefly explain why you made a specific call, you can help the player learn not only the correct rule but also the proper technique or skill. For instance, as a basketball official occasionally you call players for traveling. If you explain to them that they moved their pivot foot, and even show them what they did, they will have learned more about the rule and may have learned how mt to do it again. The key is to be brief and concise: don’t take away from the game. And don’t undermine the role of the coach. Remember your two primary roles in tile contest are to be (a) impartial and fair and (b) to provide for safety. Keeping the sport fun and helping players learn the game are the things that set you apart from officiating at upper levels.

We appreciate your commitment to officiating this season. In turn, we’re committed to helping make this season enjoyable and satisfying for you. Our goal is to help you know

• your responsibilities as a youth sport official,
• how strictly to enforce rules,
• how to communicate with coaches and players, and
• how to recognize and handle conflict.

We’ll address those issues throughout the rest of this guide. And in doing so, we’ll help prepare you to have a great season of officiating.

Your Responsibilities

Okay, you know we want you to be impartial and fair, provide for the players’ safety, help keep the games fun, and help players learn the skills and rules of the game when it's appropriate to do so. We want you to keep those goals in mind throughout each game and throughout the season. But what are your specific responsibilities?

If you fulfill the following five responsibilities, you’ll be well on your way to a great season.

1. Know the rules!
   • There is no substitute for knowing the rules of the game. You can do all the other things mentioned throughout this guide, but if you don’t know the rules, you can’t be successful. Sometimes we think we know the rules of a game because we played it. That may be a good start, but there are many rules within a sport that players and officials just don’t know. Study your rule book!
   • Studying a rule book can be boring-so make it interesting! Test your fellow officials on the rules. Read one full rule in the rule book each night before the beginning of the season. In addition, be sure to read any other pertinent program information, and complete any and all tests.
   • The stronger your knowledge of the rules, the better you will be able to “loosen up” or “tighten up” when necessary. This concept will be further explored in “How Strictly Should You Enforce Rules?”
2. Come dressed for officiating.
   • Many facilities may not have a place for you to change into your official’s uniform. Come to the contest ready to work.
   • Wear an official’s shirt or vest, or whatever the league requires. Take pride in your appearance and don’t “downgrade” because it’s children’s sports.
   • If you’re wearing the proper uniform and your appearance is neat, you will make a good first impression, which is extremely important in officiating.
     
3. Arrive at least 20 minutes before a game.
   • There’s nothing worse than arriving at a game site-and everyone is waiting for YOU. It is difficult to get your mind, and sometimes your body, ready to officiate without preparation. There are many things you are responsible for before the game begins (see “Before the Contest Begins”)-, arriving at least 20 minutes prior to the game helps you meet those responsibilities.
   • One of your main responsibiLities is the safety of the players. Before the game is the time to take care of some of that business.
     
4. Begin the game on time.
   • There are often multiple games to be played in youth sports. If any game begins late, it usually delays remaining games, which makes for a long day or evening.
   • Beginning the games on time not only helps to keep things on schedule, it also shows that you are in control of the situation
5. Keep a good “game flow.”

• Quite often this is out of your control, because the players are still developing their skills. These games tend to be choppy, with many interruptions for violations and illegal play.
  
• You can exert some control and establish a good game flow in “dead-ball situations”-such as time-outs, substitutions, throw-ins, between innings, and so on. Keep the players moving and hustling. These may also be opportunities to do some of the things we mentioned earlier, such as encouraging players or letting them know what they did wrong so they can learn from their mistakes.

This isn’t an end-all list-you’ll be responsible for communicating with players,and coaches, and recognizing and handling conflicts (these issues are addressed late~.in this guide). But by fulfilling the five responsibilities we’ve mentioned, you’ll be on your way to doing a great job.

Before the Contest Begins

You should do three things before a contest begins:

1. Meet with whomever is in charge of the contest (the contest manager) . You’ll want to know where they will be during the contest, in case you need them for any administrative assistance. You’ll also want to ask them about any Important relative information, such as the functioning of equipment, pertinent team information (e.g., forfeits or sportsmanship issues), what to do when finished, and so on.
   
2. Inspect the playing area to make sure it’s safe. Report hazards to the contest manager. Remember that this is one of your primary responsibilities. Look for unusual or unsafe objects around the playing field and make sure that the equipment to be used is safe.
   
3. Meet with the coaches. During this meeting, you should
   

• clarify the organization’s expectations (i.e., the organization’s philosophy and how that impacts your officiating). This is especially important at the beginning of the season;
• communicate to coaches your goals for officiating the contest; and
• discuss with coaches any modifications to the rules.

When an Injury Occurs

Because one of your main responsibilities is to provide for safety, hopefully you’ve done all you can to prevent an injury. But injuries are an inevitable part of sports: ankles get twisted, knees get scraped, players collide and go down in a heap. What do you do when a player gets injured?

First, you are not a doctor. Don’t be placed in the position of determining if a player should be taken out of the contest, given ice, sent to the hospital, or provided with a particular type of treatment. One of the coaches’ responsibilities is to provide first aid and determine what should happen next. Your role as an official is to assist with this situation and prevent further injury.

Your first resource in many cases is the rule book. Some rule codes provide information about when to stop a contest, what happens to the player if You must stop the contest for an injury, what happens if there is blood on the player or on the player’s uniform, arid so on. Know those rules.

Next, be too safety conscious. If you think a player’s safety is seriously at risk, stop the contest. It is better to error the side of safety and stop the contest to prevent a serious injury or further injury than to let the contest continue. Don’t make your concern allowing one more run to score or a goal to count. The outcome of the game is not worth sacrificing the player’s well-being. The coaches and spectators will (or at least they should) appreciate your putting safety first.

When you believe an injury to be minor, you may want to wait until the end of the play to stop the contest. An example of when to wait might be in a basketball game when a defensive player gets a steal and starts a fast break. You notice another player limping in the back-court. You may want to wait until the player who stole the ball either makes the lay up or sets up the offense before you stop the game.

When you stop the game for a possible injury, follow these steps (again, check your rule book to determine if a specific procedure is already established for you in that particular sport):

1. Stop play.
2. Indicate that you are calling an official’s time-out. This can usually be done by saying, “My time” while putting your hand on your chest.
3. Go to the injured player and ask if he or she needs a substitute or the coach (or a trainer if one is available).
4. The player’s response will dictate what you do next.
5. If the player doesn’t or can’t respond, beckon the coach out immediately.

How Strictly Should You Enforce Rules?
When young athletes are still developing their skills, talent can vary greatly from player to player. If you were to enforce every rule in the rule book, you would be stopping the contest nearly every 10 seconds. Are there some rules that you can put aside at the lower levels? Or should you enforce every rule on every occasion?

A baseball or softball shortstop, in trying to touch second base on a force play, just misses the bag. A basketball player, in trying to pivot, drags her pivot foot a few inches. A volleyball server’s toes touch the end line as she serves. A soccer player making a throw-in begins with two hands over the head and both feet in contact with the ground, as the rules indicate, but in releasing the ball, the player’s back foot rises slightly off the ground. Do you make any of these calls? Just how strictly should you enforce the rules of the game?

That’s not an easy question to answer; it’s not as clear-cut as it might seem. While we can’t provide directions for all types of calls, we can give you guidelines to help you know what rules to enforce. Remember, you’re trying to be fair and impartial and to make each contest safe, fun, and a good learning experience for the players. You don’t want to unnecessarily penalize players for weak skills. But you do want to enforce rules that are at the fundamental core of the game, that pertain to player safety~ and that have a direct bearing on the outcome of the game.

These may be some good general guidelines to help you know what rules to enforce: (a) consider the skill level of the players you are officiating, (b) establish your “tolerance “ level, and (c) be consistent throughout the contest with the rules you enforce (see “Making Consistent Calls” on page 33). Sometimes with a weaker-skilled player, the body doesn’t do what the mind wants it to. In the examples given above, each player might have known what he or she was supposed to do, by rule, but their bodies did not cooperate. In these cases you may be a bit more tolerant-and not be as strict with rule enforcement. But remember to be fair and consistent!

A basketball player picks up the ball and runs four steps down the court with the ball in his hands. A soccer player making a throw-in uses a one-handed, baseball-style throw, instead of using two hands over the head. A softball player touches the base instead of the runner on a tag play. In these examples, the players either didn’t know the established rule or totally disregarded it, so you have no choice but to enforce the rule as written. You might also, if appropriate, explain the call to the player. By informing youngsters of their infractions and how they were committed, you may help the players prevent them from occurring again. Use your voice to communicate confidence and decisiveness. But remember to maintain a tone of fun and encouragement.

We’ve already discussed the need to enforce rules pertaining to player safety. Those rules cannot be compromised and must be enforced as written. And as officials, fair and impartial ones, you do not want to change the outcome of a game by what you call or don’t call. Who’s to say the call you made (or didn’t make) early in the game didn’t affect the outcome at the end of the game? Your call selection also can contribute to the control, or the lack of control, you have over any contest. This is all a part of the challenge that comes with officiating. Learning to be consistent and having good judgment comes with experience.

Some other tips that will help you with your call selection and rule enforcement are explained in the following sections.

An Ounce of Prevention

The term “Preventive officiating,” often used among officials may refer to safety issues, call (or no-call) selection, or addressing certain behaviors. Officials can use preventive officiating to diffuse potential problems. In a typical contest an official might make hundreds, sometimes thousands, of calls or decisions. So you I should consider anything that can be done to make the job easier and help the participants have fun and be safe. What would you do in the following scenario?

Situation: A free throw shooter is on the line, preparing to shoot. Her toe is on the line.
Options: You have three choices:

1. Don’t say anything and let her shoot; then call a violation.
2. Overlook the violation and don’t call anything.
3. Let her know before she shoots that her toe is on the line, and that it’s a rule that her toe must be behind the line.

Certainly at this level, the third choice is the appropriate way to handle that situation. And there are plenty of other situations that call for a similar response. Here are a few more examples of preventive officiating:

Situation: A volleyball player enters the game as a substitute to serve. She’s so excited to be in the game that she serves the ball without receiving the proper signal from the referee.

Preventive officiating: Blow your whistle to stop play, inform the server she must wait for the signal from the official. Give her back the ball and begin the serving sequence properly.

Situation: A baseball player steps to the plate to bat with a very loose-fitting helmet on his head.

Preventive officiating: Instruct the player that for safety reasons he must have a properly fitted helmet on while batting. Allow him to find an appropriate helmet and step in to bat.

Situation: A soccer team is instructed that it is to receive a corner kick. The offensive player takes the ball and puts it midway between the near goalpost and the corner of the field.

Preventive officiating: Blow the whistle to prevent the play from beginning, and instruct the player that the ball must be placed in the corner of the field.

Sometimes it is appropriate to warn players before they violate a rule, other times it is not. Remember the reference to “dead-ball situations” when we discussed establishing a flow to the game? Dead-ball situations are ideal times for preventive officiating. Note, that in two of the previous situations, the official didn’t stop the game to give instructions or prevent infractions: the game was already stopped. In the volleyball example, the official did stop play: the ball was served illegally, and rather than award a side-out for the illegal serve, we’re suggesting it re-serve For this situation. It is usually inappropriate to stop a game to give an instructional lesson or warn it player that they are about to violate. Again, keep in in mind your goals at this level of play and prevent what you call: just be consistent and fair.

Another great time to use preventive officiating is when players or coaches are becoming agitated or argumentative. You can diffuse potentially difficult situations before they become real problems by talking to the player or coach, warning them that they are approaching inappropriate behavior, and asking them to settle down.

Situation: You notice two opposing soccer players getting agitated with one another to the point that it appears they may say something inappropriate or become physically aggressive.

Preventive officiating: Blow the whistle to stop play (if appropriate) or, during the next dead ball, pull the two of them together, speak to them calmly about why they are there and how you want them to behave (sportsmanlike) and have fun. Have them shake hands and proceed with the game.

The Advantage Concept

Let’s look more closely at the advantage concept. In some sports you can delay enforcing a rule or not call It at all If the team that would have benefited from the call already has the advantage. The best examples of this concept are found In soccer. Say that Player A is dribbling the ball downfield when Player B makes illegal contact with Player A. Player A maintains possession of the ball despite the illegal contact and furthermore has a break toward the opponent’s goal. It is likely that the official would not call the illegal contact by Player B, because calling it would actually put Player A (and Player A’s team) at a disadvantage. The foul may be subsequently called if the advantage does not materialize.

A similar example can be found in basketball. In this next case, defensive Player B1 intercepts a pass going between A 1 and A2, two offensive teammates in their front court. Player B1 has a clear break toward her basket. A I. attempting to knock the ball loose from B 1, makes contact with B 1’s arm near mid court. B 1 maintains control of the ball, however, and dribbles the length of the court to the basket for an easy, uncontested layup. In this situation, especially with more highly skilled players, you could “no-call” the contact because B I has a clear break toward her basket. You might actually be penalizing the offensive players (putting them at a disadvantage) by calling the foul-in other words, taking away a “sure” basket for an out-of-bounds or bonus situation. At lower levels, on the other hand, there is no guarantee that the lay-up would be made, so it may be better to call the foul. Regardless, in this situation, if you no-call the contact near mid court, and B 1 misses the lay-up, you can’t go back and then call the foul. Too much time would haVe elapsed between the two actions.

This is a complicated and confusing concept, one that is often misunderstood by players and coaches and misapplied by inexperienced officials. Calls based on advantage or disadvantage may not be understood, especially by younger players. Many times players may only sense that they have been “fouled” without realizing they actually had or maintained an advantage over their opponent. So they quit playing, knowing they have “been fouled.”

It is probably best to call the game more “by-the-book,” at least for players who are 11 years old or younger, rather than misapply the advantage concept. As you gain experience as an official (and as players gain experience), it will become easier to (and clearer when to) apply the advantage concept to the games you officiate.

Making Consistent Calls

We’ve told you that you shouldn’t always be a “by-the-book” official, strictly enforcing every rule. Yet in some ways it’s easier to go strictly by the book-so long as you know tile book well! Of course, you need to know tile rules of the sport, but how do You maintain the consistency that’s desired from all officials when sometimes you 610 make all the calls that you could? Here are some tips for being consistent—-while at the same time not strictly enforcing all the rules.

• Know a little bit about the kids you are officiating before the contest begins. How old are they? How many games have they played already? Have these two teams played each other before? You may not have access to answers to all these questions, but any background information you can acquire might help you during the contest.
• Watch the teams warm up; this will tell you a little bit about their skill level-and things you may have to deal with during the game.
• As mentioned earlier, establish a tolerance level before the game, or at least early in the game, appropriate for the skill level of those you are officiating. Think to yourself, “Based on the talent and skill level of these players, I may not be able to call [this rule] as tightly today.” Know going into the contest what kind of calls you want to make, and what kind of “flow” you want to establish.
• Once the contest begins, you are in control of what will-or will not-be called. Let your mind focus on being consistent, but don’t over think what Is happening. Officiating is basically reacting to some kind of stimuli. But once you establish a certain kind of call. or certain application of a rule, you must do it the same way each time for each team.
• If you make a, mistake and miss something, or call something that. didn’t really happen (which we all do), forget about It. You can’t “take back” what just, happened. Officials’ mistakes are part of the game, just like missing a free throw,-spiking a ball into the net, or striking out. The worst thing you can do is dwell on it and miss the next call.
• Get it right, of course, if you can. If you do make a mistake and have an opportunity to correct it, do so. This goes back to the dead-ball situations mentioned earlier. If you’ve just verbalized that the ball is to go to the blue team, and you know R really should go to the white team, there’s nothing wrong with taking a moment to correct the situation and giving the ball to the proper team. “No, my mistake, it’s white ball.” This goes a long way toward being consistent and gaining the respect of coaches, players, and fans.
• If you blow it and you can’t make it right, avoid the tendency toward a “make-up” call. Make-up calls go against a team to “make up” for a bad call just made against the opponent. For instance, you call a lift on a player in volleyball because it sounded illegal. As soon as you blow your whistle and give the signal, you have a sinking feeling: “Oops, she really didn’t lift that ball, it just sounded bad.” So, a few plays later, you call a lift on the other team, just to even things up. If you start making calls “just to even things up,” there’s no way you can be consistent. You lose track of whose turn it is for the call. just call what you see. Again, if you make a mistake, forget it and work hard not to miss the next one.
• Don’t guess. If you’re not sure something illegal just happened, don’t call it. Only call what you know for sure happened.
• Concentrate, even when the game gets long and boring. Sometimes games (especially with younger players) can get lopsided or drag on. Your mind might drift to other places or things, like getting home, what you want to do after the game, or just about anywhere but where it needs to be. Play a game within the game to help you keep your focus. For instance, watch the clock on every dead ball so you know the exact time remaining. Count up the number of shots on goal by a certain team or player. Count the number of times the pitcher throws to the inside of the plate. Don’t let yourself be focused on something other than the game (or the game within the game). This will help you concentrate and stay consistent.

Communicating With Coaches and Players

Part of your duties as an official includes communicating with coaches and players. When coaches arid players know up front what to expect from you, the contest usually proceeds more smoothly. Here are suggestions for communicating with coaches and players, as well as others tips about communication.

Coaches
Before the Game....

• Clarify the organization’s expectations For the contest and your officiating objectives.
• Go over any rule modifications.
• Share with coaches the organization’s stance on foul language and other behaviors that are unacceptable and how these behaviors will be dealt with if they occur.

During the Game....

• Promote an atmosphere of cooperation.
• Leave any “attitude” or “game face”-which coaches (and players) will interpret as you’re being mean, not helpful-at home.
• Let the coaches know you will be fair and impartial and that you’re there to help the kids have fun, be safe, and learn the game.

Players Before the Game....

• Meet briefly before the contest with captains or team reps.
• Set the tone for how you’ll officiate.
• Teach the kids the protocol of the game (e.g., officials communicate to teams through captains or team reps, how substitutes enter the game, and so on).

During the Game....

• Be understanding and supportive of the players.
• Use preventive officiating to warn players about infractions.
• Take opportunities to teach about the game and to promote good sportsmanship.

What We Hear

Listening to our surroundings is an important part of communication. But during the course of a contest, you may hear many different things. What do you react to and what do you ignore? Here are a few things to consider regarding what you may hear and how it may be delivered during a contest.

• Questioning. Sometimes coaches (and players) just want to know what you saw and why you made the call that you made. “What did she do?” They may not be questioning your judgment; they may just want a simple explanation: “Coach, she stepped on the plate while she attempted to bunt the ball.” Be approachable and willing to give an explanation in these situations. Remember, you want the players to learn more about the game at this level. However, questioning that becomes excessive or that begins to break your concentration is inappropriate.
• Yelling. Coaches will often communicate with their players by yelling. It may not be a nice way to deal with certain situations, but it may be the only practical way to get their attention. They may also deal with you the same way. If they just want to get your attention for some order of business, that’s one thing. But if they are yelling at you because they think you missed something or they don’t like what you just called, that’s quite another thing. Try not to let coaches yell at you from across the floor or field. It doesn’t set a good example, and it sends the wrong message to the players and fans. You may say to a coach, “Coach, I’m willing to hear what you have to say, but please don’t yell at me from across the floor. I’m not going to yell at you, so please don’t yell at me. Now, what was it that you wanted?” In many cases they will apologize for yelling, and probably won’t do it again. If they do, follow the steps on pages 38-39 to handle the conflict).
• Bench chatter. Sometimes as players who are not currently in the contest wait on the bench or wherever, they verbalize opinions about such things as their coach, the players in the game, tile job you are doing, and so on. In general, ignore this kind of bench chatter. Only address it if becomes vulgar, offensive, or abusive. And then address it wit