Use of gaem video for training

[RickKY]

I am interested in what officials or associations do as far as game videos for training officials.  Please provide comments with suggestions, or what methods you find best or not so good.

[HLinNC]

We are on our own so I normally bring a blank DVD in a postage paid mailer for each school.  If I get a 50% return rate, I feel pretty good about it.  There are about 3-4 schools I've given up hope on and don't bother with anymore.

Once the DVD is received, I have a fairly simple program that came with my Toshiba Satellite made by Ulead that I can cut clips.  I post the clips on a non-published YouTube page and e-mail the link to that week's crew.  I may also burn copies of the entire DVD and hand them out at meetings to the individual officials.

I wish I had the capability with this software to shade or highlight portions or use some grapics to point out things.  I'd probably have to buy something much more costly and upgrade my laptop as this one is showing its age.

As schools migrate to these online systems, one might be able to make inroads with staff members to get their password to analyze the video.

[MrFbOfficial]

HLinNC,

If you could post the full name of the Ulead software that you use to cut out the clips, it would be greatly appreciated.  I have been trying to find some software like that to cut out clips.  Thanks!

[HLinNC]

http://www.ulead.com/dmf/

Looks like its about $40.  There is a free trial version on the website.

Once you get familiar with it, you can even slow-mo your clips and make still images.

[fbrefga]

This past season, my wife offered to record my games for me and my crew.  She has done an outstanding job and the videos are priceless.  Each weekend, I would create DVD's for my crew and distribute either at the next meeting or game.  Their reaction has been tremendous.  They view the video and we all talk about the calls made, calls missed, mechanics (good and bad).  In fact, every call made by my crew that was strongly questioned by a coach has been proven to be the correct call via the video.  This has given my crew a great boost in confidence during the season.  There were also some areas where we needed to improve.  I also logged the missed calls.  We had our fair share of missed holds, ineligble downfield, etc; but none were critical missed calls that affected the outcome of the game.  These are points for improvement.

I will share some of the video with my association when we start our meetings in July.

On a side note, this was an incredible offer from my wife; as she is not necessarily a football fan.  However, she has gained some interest and knowledge throughout the season and is looking forward to the next season.  As any married official would say, support from the homefront is paramount.  I am truly blessed after 27 years of marriage.
         

[Atlanta Blue]

We are on our own so I normally bring a blank DVD in a postage paid mailer for each school.  If I get a 50% return rate, I feel pretty good about it.  

50% with a mailer?  That's attrocious!

Any official that works our game and asks can have a copy of the game film.  Give me your card and I'll mail it, or stop by and pick it up.  No charge for the DVD or the mailing, it's on us.

As a coach, we know the value of using film as a training and scouting tool.  Why would any coach not help the officials to get better as well?

We WANT you to be better (after all, we tell you that regularly!).  If that's what we want, doing a simple thing to help you do so is the least we can do.

[Sumstine]

In making the annual Aloha Clinic training film I use the local TV games, clips provided by other officials and DVD's provided by Aloha Stadium. 2011 is in the making and I have 16 more games to see. Early release of the Helmet and Targeting segment at the West Texas Clinic in May.

[RickKY]

The NKOA works for 29 high schools in our 8 county area.  We send each head coach 10 DVDs with postage paid mailers.  Last year we received 93 or 290 games (32%).  I have been pursuing options such as online game film exchanges, but that requires the cooperation of schools at some expense they may or not be willing to pay.  Each of those DVDs I ripped and uploaded to our association web site to share with our officials.  We also use them to make training films such as what Sumstine uses at Aloha CLinic.

[HLinNC]

AB- laziness, apathy, but mostly paranoia.  It has actually been articulated to me that some coaches think we will see something that we miss or see something their team does that they were getting away with and we'll catch it and correct it.

One of the worst offenders is now the AD at at the largest and nicest programs in our area.  He and I actually went to school together

I don't mind paying the postage and feel like the easier I make it for a staff member to just copy, seal, and drop in a mailbox, the more likely I am to receive it and faster too.

What I do find amazing is that one of the coaches who gives us the most grief on Friday night- his DVD's are usually sitting on my kitchen table by Monday evening.

[Atlanta Blue]

AB- laziness, apathy, but mostly paranoia.  It has actually been articulated to me that some coaches think we will see something that we miss or see something their team does that they were getting away with and we'll catch it and correct it.

That is simply amazing to me.

Odds on, I'm not doing anything that no one else isn't doing also, and probably less, so I welcome the review.

The association that does our home games has their weekly meetings on our campus.  I will copy the films (press box and end zone) on Friday night, and if they are working any jr high games at our place on Saturday morning, they pick them up then, or before their meeting on Monday.  If it's an away game, I will drop them in the mail, but they won't go out until Monday.  I have sent films to people I have met on these boards whose association worked the games, and in some cases, individuals that contacted me here.

Now, I will admit, on rare occassion, I send along a specific time code with a play I would like them to watch.  But I do it in a constructive criticism way, and almost always I get a response saying why they felt the call was right, or why they missed it.  But either way, we all learn, and we both accept and respect the inquiry and response.

[Grant - AR]

mostly paranoia.

When I tried to get game films from coaches quite a few years ago, paranoia was obvious when talking to some of them.  I was actually asked at least twice which coach I was going to send the film to.  I asked the coaches what they meant and they said they figured some other coach had put me up to it to get a game film.  I was amazed.

I only tried it a few years, but I don't think I ever got back more than 2-3 per year...out of 10-11 games. 

[concordref]

.The past several years, someone on my crew has downloaded the videos from sumstine videos and I normally send a check to Grant.  This  past year our assoc. got Sumstine videos and and showed them to the members of our assoc at one of our summer meetings.  I tried getting copies from the games that my crew did, but our return rate was only about 30%, so I gave up on that.  The problem with game videos was they only showed from snap to whistle or tackle.  This year my crew will take a good day to get together and   review his tapes and be able to discuss the plays as a crew.  We all our looking forward to that.  It is interesting to see what other crews do to perpare forthe upcoming season.

[Atlanta Blue]

The problem with game videos was they only showed from snap to whistle or tackle.

Ours are little more than that (from coming up to the line to the unpiling the pile), but it still doesn't show everything the officials would like to see.  We start with a nice wide angle in order to show routes and DBs, but once the play direction is determined, the cameraman starts to zoom into the play action.  Some of the penalties are away from the ball and don't always show up, nor do some of the mechanics of the officials off the ball.  But then again, we are shooting for our benefit, not trying to film for the officials.

But you're welcome to it.

As for the paranoia of other coaches getting it:

1.  If an official were to ever give out a film to another team, they would never see another film, and probably would never see another varsity assignment.

2.  Our conference rules require us to exchange a certain number of films with upcoming opponents, and most coaches will exchange whatever number you want as long as it's equal.  For instance, for playoffs, we often exchange 10 films.

3.  Within the network of coaches, there isn't a game film of any opponent that I can't get anyway.  Somebody on our staff knows an assistant somewhere who worked for a head coach somewhere else, etc., etc.  And you always help someone else because you never know when you're going to need help.

[fbrefga]

The problem with game videos was they only showed from snap to whistle or tackle. 

My wife has recorded each quarter in a continuous fashion.  This has certainly helped with dead-ball mechanics, penalty enforcement, pre-snap positioning, etc.  As a w/h, I wanted to see if my signals where crisp, my positioning when signaling to the pressbox and just simply watching my mechanics.  Earlier in the season, I actually timed myself from when the previous play became dead to when I blew the RFP.  I was able to become more consistent.

[RickKY]

It would be great if schools would record the entire game with widest possible lens to get all dead ball period and all officials on the field.  As it is we don;t see dead ball except possibly signal for fouls.  The LJ, U and H are always in frame at the snap, but the R and BJ seldom are.  As the play develops the camera operator too often zooms into the play around the ball.  Some schools offer side and end zone angles, but only rarely.

Our association has two retired officials who attend games as evaluators.  I would like to have the association purchase 2 camcorders, and assign 1st year officials to thos evaluators to record the game with all the dead ball time and widest angle.  Providing such a video with the evaluation would be most helpful.

[Atlanta Blue]

It would be great if schools would record the entire game with widest possible lens to get all dead ball period and all officials on the field. 

I hope you understand why we don't. 

[LarryW60]

I had a similar situation that HLinNC had.  I worked for a high school and asked for game tape so we could train and they hemmed and hawed until finally admitting that they didn't want the OFFICIALS noticing their tendencies.  They were more worried about the officials seeing that their left guard (for example) liked to dig his hand up under the defender's shoulderpad while blocking to gain leverage, then warn the officials working their next game of that fact.  They used a tape system then and I left a bunch of tapes with them.  Because I worked there, no postage was necessary.  I never got a single tape in return.

[RickKY]

I hope you understand why we don't. 

I understand why AB.  But I still wish you would.  I'm hoping to convince the association to make the purchase and use new officials to record the games for ourselves.  But then there's this idea about in an ideal world...

[James]

As for the question of grabbing individual clips from a longer video
VirtualDub is a freeware tool that is really good. You select the video you want and the start and stop position to grab and let it run. Old computers take some time, but it isn't bad... And you can save it is a lot of different formats and qualities.
www.virtualdub.org

[wlemonnier]

Another FREE software application for ripping video clips is MPEG Streamclip.  It works on both Apple and PCs.  To download this free application go to:  www.squared5.com

Each clip can be saved in Quick Time, AVI, MPEG4 or DV formats.  Just get to the starting point on a play and hit "i" for in, and then at the end of the play hit "o" for out.  Choose the format and % quality [recommend 100% quality] and then save the clip to a designated location.  Use the clips individually or transfer them into a movie editing program.  Extremely user friendly.

[RickKY]

It's nice to know that everyone responding to date uses video for training.  Keep up the good work gentlemen.  I guess we need to make a concerted effort to get schools to comply with requests for video, or make our own.

[GoGoGo]

Just wondering - Is anyone willing to look at a game tape from someone (on here or not) and critique the performance?
In your critique are you honest or do you sway away from the truth so you don't offend the other party?

[LarryW60]

Critiquing outside your organization would be difficult because officiating differs from group to group.  I got ridiculed on this site for wearing socks that, while not the type those doing the ridiculing wore, were the prescribed sock for our association.  Similarly, our association mechanics do not go lockstep with the NFHS Mechanics.  Odds are when you try to critique me, all you will be doing is pointing out things we do differently from your organization.  Critiques from within your organization are going to always prove to be much more beneficial than critiques from "outsiders" making (sometimes incorrect) assumptions.

[GoGoGo]

Agree..........

[HLinNC]

Geez Fad, what kind of socks were you wearing?  Unless it was the dreaded NW stripe 2 in 1 with shorts.......

I think one could critique the universal manual items such as positioning (well maybe that isn't universal), hustle, sideline action, receiver coverage, and fouls.

Several years ago, I ordered one of the DVD's from USA Football.  The crews might have been from Michigan, not sure.  I saw some things that gave me pause, considering it was supposed to be a training video.