One of the joys of officiating is the opportunity to work with other officials and, while doing so, improve the quality of your own officiating. While this has been accomplished more frequently in a mentor-mentee setting, it can work just as well between seasoned veteran officials. What is needed is the receptivity on the part of an individual who is officiating. Meaning, an official must be open to suggestions and have a willingness to listen and perhaps incorporate those suggestions of their peers into the way they officiate. This arrangement should work both ways between veterans to be most effective.

Having had the opportunity to have an extensive soccer background, I’ve accumulated a number of practices and/or procedures that have helped me ply my trade as a high school soccer official. I would like to share those practices with you.

Shortly after arriving at the game site with your partner(s), you should speak to the head coaches of both teams. Talk to them about both the starting time and when the officiating team will meet with the coach and their team captain(s) to take care of the pregame procedures. Then, adhere to that schedule!

When you are holding that pre-game conference, keep in mind that you and your partner(s) are an officiating team. Therefore, when talking to the coaches and the captains, always use the pronoun “we.” Never, ever, use “I!” Such statements as, “I want” and “I expect” should be banished from your vocabulary. It’s all about “we!”

During the course of the contest, make your calls in a decisive manner. This can be accomplished in several ways. When you blow your whistle, blow it with authority. Use this communication tool in such a manner that it can be heard by all involved in the game. Decisiveness means making and signaling your call quickly. A delay with your call or hesitation gives off the message that you’re not sure of what you’re doing and this, in turn, can lead to a multitude of problems.

If you’re working the sideline where the coaches and the table are located, ask the visiting coach approximately five minutes before halftime how much time they’d like to take during the intermission. Once the visiting coach shares their preference with you, you can then communicate their desire to the home coach. NFHS Soccer Rule 7-2-1 states “the halftime interval shall be 10 minutes unless the opposing coaches mutually agree to a different length.” So, if the visiting coach requests 10 minutes, let the home coach and the table know this immediately. If the visiting coach requests a variation, for example 5 minutes, ask the home coach if that is acceptable. If their answer is in the affirmative, let the table know this at this time. Doing so will mean that you will avoid having to chase down the coaches at the start of the halftime interval. This is when their focus is on their team and their zest to prepare their team for the second half of the game and not a back and forth diatribe about how much time they want to take for the halftime interval. Or this topic may be covered in the pre-game meeting with both coaches and the entire officiating crew in attendance. This way, there isn’t any gamesmanship involved. The matter would be settled before play begins.

Soccer is played in a wide variety of climatic conditions. If the game is being played on a bright sunny day, chances are you might follow the flight of the ball and to look directly into the sun. This can cause a brief period of sun blindness. This temporary blindness can be avoided by instituting a simple, but effective, practice. Rather than follow the flight of the ball, follow the players who are actively involved in the play. By doing so, you won’t miss any of the action that’s taking place on the field and you’ll avoid that temporary blindness altogether.

The on field performance of an official will always, in some manner or form, be rated both objectively and subjectively by all those who are involved in the game. Therefore, from the time you arrive at the game site until the time you leave, display an air of confidence. Don’t appear aloof, disinterested or adopt a “holier than thou” attitude. Be confident in your abilities and capabilities. Communicate with your crew, your ‘team’ and be there to assist each other when needed. This will enhance the game, and make the ‘work’ much more enjoyable. And, most importantly, enjoy the officiating experience and the opportunity to be of service to others.