To become a football official, you need to be physically fit, know the rulebook, and be an excellent communicator. There are no educational requirements, but you can take classes or volunteer at children’s games to gain experience. You will need to undergo training and testing with the organization you want to officiate for. The referee is the head official, and there are seven positions in which officials serve. Many officials start calling youth or high school games and may eventually move on to college and professional games.
Football officials help keep each fast-paced game fair by enforcing the rules by administering penalties, taking yardage measurements, and controlling other aspects of the game. If you want to become a football official, you will need to be in great physical shape, know the rulebook well and be an excellent communicator. You can also try out each of the positions that football officials serve in, once you become familiar with the various roles in each role.
There are no educational requirements to become a football official. You must be an excellent student of the game, though, and memorize the rulebook, from knowing where to put the ball at the start of each game to the appearance of illegal blocks to more obscure rules like tackle-eligible past passes. Some communities offer classes to learn the role of a football official, and these classes can be a good place to start. Another great way to gain experience is to volunteer to officiate at children’s soccer games. Simply watching games on television and following the calls can also help you learn football official roles.
To become a football official, you will likely need to undergo training and testing with the organization you want to officiate for. When you become a football official you will need to make decisions quickly because a penalty can come in a split second and you have to throw your flag to observe it. You must be in excellent physical shape, because you can spend a lot of moves in each game to keep up with the players. You will also need an excellent memory to recall your knowledge of the rules during the excitement of the game.
If you want to become a football official, you must also know the positions of the referees on the field and the role of each one. At the highest levels of football, there are seven positions in which officials serve. The referee is the head referee, is considered the final authority on calls, and normally makes the announcement of penalties. The umpire lines up close to the ball, usually on the defense’s side, and observes penalties from the line of scrimmage, as well as recording scores and penalties. The main forward, who lines up on the line of scrimmage, primarily ensures that each team stays on the side of the ball before the ball is hit and decides on out-of-bounds plays.
The place you will most likely start when you become a football official is as a referee. The line judge, the back judge, the field judge and the side judge have the least amount of responsibility, because they help the main officials to watch the players and make calls. This is a great position to help you adjust to the speed of the game and improve your calling skills. Many employees start calling youth football games or high school games and may eventually move on to college and professional games.
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