MS. MANNERS' DON'TS FOR ZEBRAS ...(unabridged version)

[Ralph Damren]

PARKING LOT :
            DON'T wear colors of either school to the game
                      label your car
                      park next to team bus
PRE-GAME :
           DON'T ovevisit with one coach
                     swear or run pass patterns
                     mingle with fans
                     look like you're bored, stay busy
                     don't clap unless both teams do
GAME :
          DON'T carry whistle in your mouth
                    blow it if you can't see the ball and not on every play
                    ponit on fumble recovery until you've called color
                    grab for flag if you aren't going to throw it
                    stretch...use your beanbag
                    signal catch/no catch from  a distance
                   relay ball overhand or for more than 10 yards
                     lose concentration during live ball (only  10-12 minutes per game)
                     lose concentration during dead ball (that's when cheap stuff happens)
                     laugh at play(ers) - OK to laugh with them
POST-GAME:
           DON'T wear hat or whistle when off field
                     linger or discusds game with fans
                     wander off, stay togather
                     seek out coaches
                     leave locker room in a wreck
                     pop the first one 'till ya' have left campus   

[ElvisLives]

Every one of those items are 100% universal. Good list.
When I tell folks around here these things, many of them get a look of annoyance, as in, either those things are too much trouble to do, or they are ‘above’ doing those things.
But, these are the absolute proper ways to do things.

 

[Etref]

An inner city district stadium had assigned “OFFICIALS”

yeah riiiight!

[ElvisLives]

An inner city district stadium had assigned “OFFICIALS”

yeah riiiight!

Sorry. What does that mean?

[Etref]

Parking spots

My bad

[ElvisLives]

Parking spots

My bad

Ah.
Well, those were so the angry parents could find you easier. And the security officer left for the bar the minute the door to the dressing room shut.🙄

[Ralph Damren]

A war storyfrom many years ago....

SCENE : Working a state championship game at Bowdion  College as umpire, the ref's real job as warden of Maine State Prison  .

ACT I : As we entered the rustic ole' field an empty whiskey bottle came a' sailing and broke at the warden/ref's feet.

ACT II : Ref shrugged and said; "Musta' been from one of my alumni, let's go back to our 'hideaway' ".

ACT III : There ,he pulled out a waklie-talkie (cell phones hadn't yet came to town0 and muttered several codes.

ACT IV : Within moments four Maine State Troopers arrived, we had a 5 man crew, so the BJ didn't have an escort

ACT V : The troopers stayed for the game with 2 behind each end zone. They then escorted us to our locker room and then to our cars.

ACT VI : I asked one if he enjoyed the game. His response : "Beats the heckout of chasing drunks down the highway ."

EPILOGUE : There is an extra layer of protection with a prison warden on your crew.

[dammitbobby]

I've reffed with a Texas Ranger before...  not the baseball kind.

Didn't have any issues but I imagine that we wouldn't have any issues, either.

[AlUpstateNY]

Always carried a couple of Business Cards, from our Official's Organization in my uniform shirt pocket, on the way to/from the field. If/when stopped by people interested in sharing comments/suggestions (without stopping) I'd hand them a card, thank them for their interest, advising, "we're always looking for new members".  Never been advised that any ever followed up, or continued talking

[ljudge]

Extend this to non-zebras who are crew members:  Play clock, game clock and instant replay.  Silence cannot be misquoted.  Commenting on officials ("when I was on the field"), coaching decisions, discussions with media, etc.  Basically any discussion(s) outside of your normal responsibility can easily be either misinterpreted and always count on the potential of what you say being repeated.

Remember, at the end of the day they aren't your friends up there.  Like a Maranda warning "anything you say can and WILL be used against you!"   

[Ralph Damren]

Extend this to non-zebras who are crew members:  Play clock, game clock and instant replay.  Silence cannot be misquoted.  Commenting on officials ("when I was on the field"), coaching decisions, discussions with media, etc.  Basically any discussion(s) outside of your normal responsibility can easily be either misinterpreted and always count on the potential of what you say being repeated.

Remember, at the end of the day they aren't your friends up there.  Like a Maranda warning "anything you say can and WILL be used against you!"

Excellent point, Ljudge, we stress applying Ronald Reagan's  11th Commandment : "Thou shall not speak ill of another Republican." As post-season arrives, there are often more of us in the stands watching than on the field working. Some fans may reconize us as  and when close call happens, ask for our opinion. IMHO, we have two possible responses :
(1)If you felt it was correct : "GREAT CALL,  WAS IN GREAT POSITION AND SAW IT ALL  "

(2)If you felt it wasn't ;"COULDN'T REALLY TELL FROM HERE, , HE HAD A MUCH BETTER LOOK AT IT THEN WE DID  "