Football Officiating > Texas Topics
Pre-game Process
ElvisLives:
Kudos to TexDoc for performing the task he listed. I can only hope everybody are doing those same things. (For what it is worth, my crew does, too.)
As Joe Stack, JasonTx, TxMike, TexDoc has illustrated, there is great variety in the pre-game process employed by TASO Football officials. The reasons for the variety are many, but the one thing that probably drives most processes is how much time the crew allots to their pre-game process. Arriving 90 minutes ahead is "required." But, is it enough? How are the various tasks to be performed managed by the crew during whatever pre-game duration is used?
The UIL's mandated jurisdiction of 30 minutes before KO contributes to the dilemma. First, both teams are not likely to be out there very long. One team or both will go to their dressing room(s) by T minus 20. Do we stay out? Do we go back in?
Going out before 30 minutes raises the issue of liability. We simply must have someone out there, whenever there are opponents on the field simultaneously. Our liability is simply too great to ignore this. The whole crew doesn't have to go out, but, if you don't, it sure creates a headache deciding who goes out, and when. By going out more than 30 minutes ahead of KO, do we, by default, become liable for anything that happens prior to T minus 30? Probably.
If we are to hold our coaches conferences beginning at T minus 75, and we are to be on the field at T minus 30, that leaves 30 minutes or so (may 40, if we're very lucky), to conduct a 'whole crew' pre-game conference, and make individual pre-game preparations. Is that enough time?
Arriving earlier is certainly an option. But, can everyone break away from their primary occupations in order to make the drive and arrive more than 90 minutes ahead? And, a fair question to ask is: Is the compensation we receive enough to justify arriving earlier? If we do arrive more that 90 minutes ahead, how do we manage that additional time?
Now for my personal opinions.
HS officiating is no one's primary occupation. We simply can not ask or expect our members to arrive earlier than 90 minutes ahead for a varsity assignment. Therefore, we must a have a workable plan to make effective use of the time available and timeline provided.
If you arrive more than 90 minutes ahead, take that time to walk the field - in civilian clothes - and observe the field. If you see safety issues, alert game management, to get them corrected. Other things like pylons, etc., may have to wait until near game time (they may not have been placed on the field yet).
T-90: Arrive at site and identify the game manager. Request the clock operators to visit the dressing room not later than T-60. Proceed to dressing room, and start getting dressed.
T-75: R and U have left the dressing room and are at home head coach; proceed to the visiting head coach.
T-60: R and U have returned to dressing room. Conduct/complete conference with clock operators. Conduct crew pregame conference.
T-30: Entire crew arrives on field to perform pre-game duties. When all duties and conferences have been performed, and at least one team has left the field, the crew may return to the dressing room for last minute preparations.
T-5 (at the latest): Crew arrives on field with captains to take positions for coin toss and begin game.
This process fits the UIL requirement and the TASO manual.
Interested to get comments.
Robert
Etref:
We always tried to arrive 2 hours befor to allow tha extra 30 minutes for traffic and other delays.
But I agree a good pregame should include the items you listed above
JasonTX:
My crew arrives 2 hours before and even then we feel like we don't have enough time. If it's a playoff game road trip we will ride together and have our crew discussions on the drive. Regular season games the furthest anyone on the crew would travel is 2 hours, usually driving 3 vehicles, so having a flexible job is beneficial. Our pregame starts long before Friday night. We all review the game film and have online discussions with each other throughout the week. Once we get to the game site myself (R) and the Umpire seek out the coaches for their pregame and I make that a quick as possible. I get the pertinent information and get back to crew.
HoustonUmp:
We arrive between 2 hours and 2 hours 15 minutes before game time and start pregame a few minutes after that. At 75 minutes before, the U and I go meet with the coaches to get any pertinent information. While we are gone the remaining crew members discuss the passing game and their coverages in more detail. After returning with info to share with crew, we discuss any other topics that need to be addressed and then usually try to get to the field with about 45 minutes. When offenses are going through their skeleton drills I have wings and B watch formations to get ready for what might be seen. During time on field I also make sure every official introduces himself to both head coaches. When teams leaves (15 to 20 minutes) we usually corral captains for pretoss. Go in, make any last minute adjustments and come back when just before teams enter the field.
ElvisLives:
Regarding the crew's pre-game conference, this is absolutely essential when it is not a true "crew" assignment, i.e., individuals that don't work together regularly. The more time you can alot to the conference in those cases, the better. Indeed, that can include the time traveling to the game site, but that also pretty much requires the whole crew to travel together. That's OK for crews of 4 and 5, but can be problematic for crews of 7. (How many of us have the large SUVs with room for 7, with reasonable comfort?) Anyway, that's how we did it for decades before the 'crew' system became the near-standard.
One major advantage I have found with the true crew system, is that the crews can meet sometime during the week to review the previous game, and conduct the bulk of their pre-game conference for the next game. That allows the crew to arrive 90 minutes ahead, with plenty of time for everything. The 30 minutes or so that you have between the coaches conferences and the on-field pre-game can be used for a relaxed crew pre-game, to put aside distractions and get your heads into the moment. That can be done in a near infinite number of ways. A crew mini-quiz. An assigned topic to one crew member. A round-table discussion of topics. A "Jeopardy" game with officiating categories. Any number of things.
That's what we do. We meet on Sunday evenings, look at video from the previous game (assuming it has been made available - that's another issue), and discuss what we did well, and where we need improvement. We review CFO video and bulletins (as they apply to UIL football). We also discuss rules and mechanics, in varying degrees of depth. Usually takes about an hour and 15 minutes.
But then, not all crews may have the ability to gather together during the week, and we can't really expect them to do that.
Robert
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