JV/FRESHMAN PRE-GAME DUTIES/REPONSIBILITIES
Often for games beginning at 4:00
PM, officials are hustling from their regular jobs to arrive as early as
possible for the underclass contests.
Since a structured pregame is not practical, consider these items as
opportunities to improve preparedness, maintain the starting kickoff time, and
increase your enjoyment of the game.
A. The JV pregame really should begin earlier in the week with a telephone call. Each official must contact the crew chief (preferably on Monday). Especially if any official has “special circumstances” like planned late arrival, please contact the crew chief as early as possible to ease the burden of any potential game day dilemmas. Subjects to be discussed during the phone call include:
1. Date, time and site of game
2. Desired arrival time
3. Uniform (shorts/knickers)
4. Position assignment
A. The crew chief should provide information to each official as to any game site duties that can be accomplished if that official is first to arrive. The crew chief should clearly identify specific duties that should be held in abeyance until the crew chief arrives. Some items to be considered for early dispatch;
1. Meeting with the coaches (captain’s info, verify time, trick plays, game ball)
2. Equipment review
3. Organize chain crew/ball boy(s)
4. Clock operator instructions
B. Clearly, the crew chief should exercise good judgment in allowing less experienced officials to handle certain tasks. It is not recommended that a first year official be given the duty of meeting with the coaches alone. Also, some of these tasks are normally “position” oriented. Based on planned (or actual) arrival times, duties should be looked upon as a responsibility of the crew and dealt with accordingly. There is no good reason a Referee or an Umpire cannot provide basic instructions to a chain crew. The philosophy for games in this time slot might be “Help as much as you can to get the game ready to play.”
A. Half time and especially post-game review is even more important. Since less time was spent in pregame preparations, coupled with generally having a less experienced unit of officials, utilizing the half-time interval for review, possible adjustments, and constructive feedback is essential.
B. The crew chief is strongly encouraged to seek out the other members of the crew and discuss play situations and crew’s reaction to them.
1. Use praise where appropriate.
2. Offer suggestions for improvement, if you see the opportunity.
3. Revisit troublesome moments and look for ways to avoid (or at least minimize) them in the next half.
C. All officials are tasked with communicating their concerns to one another and assisting the crew in improving some aspect of their game each time on the field. Ask questions. Look for answers. Don’t be bashful to ask for help. Most importantly… enjoy the experience and have fun!