Let’s talk about pregame communication with coaches and school staff. Some people think we just walk onto the field and officiate the game, right? Wrong!! Today I’m going to talk about the pre-game routine and all the details we go through as a high school football team.

As a general rule of thumb, we like to be on the course at least 35 minutes before start time. During this time, crew members must meet with the head coach of each team and follow these communication rules:

The white hat of High School Football (Referee):

* Does most of the talking
* He is your ‘General’ – allow him to maintain that level of respect and professionalism
* Will introduce the crew members.
* Everyone shakes hands, showing respect to the head coach.
* The referee asks the head coach if all the players are legally equipped. Do all players have the proper gaming equipment?
* Do any players have casts that may require a doctor-approved note to play?
* Do any of the players have wraps or braces that need to be checked for metal or sharp edges and for adequate padding (safety concerns)?
* If there are casts, bandages or braces, the referee will instruct the referee to check them for adequate padding.
* Does the team run special formations or tricks so the team knows ahead of time to keep an eye on them?
* Does the team’s quarterback throw left or right handed (so the umpire knows which side to be on for quarterback protection)?
* Is the team’s field goal kicker left-handed or right-handed (so the team knows their positions on field goals or extra points)?
* The referee establishes any special points of emphasis this year: free space on the touchline in the players’ box, horse collar, etc.
* Does the home team have any special activities before the game or during halftime that might take extra time?
* The referee will give the coach a card with the names and positions of the crew members
* The referee will ask the coach who is the ‘reverse’ coach – this is the coach who assists the sideline official in controlling the team area.
* The referee will ask the coach to identify the person playing the ball
* The referee will ask the coach if he has any questions for the crew.

The high school football referee:

* Help the referee when he meets with the coaches
* Allows the referee to speak most of the time
*Review any documentation i.e. doctor’s notes for any players in casts or wraps
* Check padding for casts, wraps, or braces to assess adequate protection for player safety.

High school football linesman

* Check the “line to win” team for various things
* Check that the chains are actually 10 yards (or 15 yards for 6 men) (don’t laugh, sometimes chains are too short!)
* The line judge communicates with the network team:

• Tells them what to do and what not to do
• He tells them never to move unless the referee or linesman tells them to move to the next ball spot.
• It tells the person in the box below to move to their sensing foot each time they go down.
• Tells the drop box person to manage the chain clip (for measurements) every first drop
• It tells the low box person where to put the chain clip.
• It tells the entire chain team to never move the chains or the box down if they see a penalty marker.
• He tells the entire chain team to drop the chains (another reason for the clip) if the game comes their way.

*Do the chains have a piece of ribbon directly down the middle at the 5 yard mark?

* Now why would you need a silly piece of tape in the middle of the strings?

• Help the linesman and referee determine if the penalty will result on a first down.
• The tape makes it easy to tell if a 5-yard penalty or a penalty within 10 (half the distance) will get you a possible first down.
• As an umpire, you don’t have to guess, you can watch the tape and know if a 5-yard penalty gets you a first down.
• We make a point to replace that tape every game

The high school football linesman:

* Secure and check game balls
* Communicates the person in charge of the ball to always stay close to the linesman and linesman for quick rotation of the ball when a ball is needed
* Communicates with the ball person to always retrieve game balls when they go out of bounds during plays.
* Communicates with the ball handler to place a ball behind the goal posts before an extra point so the ball is ready for the team
*Check start time

The High School Football Back Judge:

* Is responsible for the timing of the game.
* It is responsible for the 25-second clock: moment when “ready to play” is signaled.
* Is responsible for the 45/15 second clock for timeouts and between scores
* Is responsible for:

• meeting with the clock operator
• communicate the signals to the clock operator
• communicate the overtime procedure with the watchmaker
• communicating to turn off any horn at the end of the time period
• contacting the watchmaker to find him to start the half-time clock

As a team, you need to make sure everyone knows their responsibility leading up to the game. This will help you maintain credibility with coaches and school officials, leading to a much smoother game for everyone.