Beginning your Boy’s
Lacrosse Officiating
Journey
STARTING OFF ON THE
RIGHT FOOT
Presented by
Buzz Lynn and Nick Tropiano
OVERVIEW
This presentation is a guide to help “New” Boy’s
Lacrosse officials develop and nurture their skills
PREPARATION
A Good Official is well prepared both
Mentally and Physically
KEEP IN GOOD SHAPE
 Do
not lay around and expect to
get in shape during the season.
KEEP FIT






Remember as you get Older the players get
Younger
Get on the treadmill
Build your stamina
Exercise
Ride a bike
Walk
Know the Rules






Read the Rule Book
Make notes
Go to your Local Officials Associations
Meetings
Ask questions
Keep a journal
Have a study group
KEEP YOUR PRIORITY’S
IN ORDER



Keep “Your Home Team” Happy.
Juggling your Schedule between Home, Work
and Officiating.
Concentrate on the Game at Hand.
APPEARANCE




“You never get a second chance to make a first
impression.”
Look Professional – Clean Uniform, Shined Shoes.
Get New Uniforms each season (Hat. Shorts, Socks etc.)
Keep an Extra Uniform in Your Car or Game Bag.
PRIOR TO YOUR GAME




Call your Partner
Call the School
If there are any conflicts, let your Assignor
know immediately.
Give your self plenty of time to get to the
game, it is better to be early then late.
A GOOD PRE-GAME
CONFERENCE
-In the locker room
-In the parking lot
-On the phone
THINGS YOU SHOULD COVER






Rules - New and Old
Recent Interpretations
Memos from Assignor or Supervisor
Mechanics – 2 or 3 man coverage
Game Expectations - What are your potential
problems – Rivalry / Tensions
Bench Decorum – Acceptable / Tolerated
Behavior
GAME TIME







Meet with the Coaches (as a Crew)
Head Coach First, Get His Certification
Ask for Captains and In-Home Numbers
Ask if there is anything Special: National
Anthem, Announcements etc..)
Visiting Coach, Get His Certification
Ask for Captains and In Home Numbers
Relay any Special things the Coach told
you
ON THE FIELD
Talk to the Table Personnel
ON THE FIELD


Tell the Coaches that you are available to
check their players sticks
Check the sticks away from the Coaches
ON THE FIELD

Get your Captains for the Coin Toss
10-15 minutes prior to the Game
ON THE FIELD



Line-Up
Check to make sure the In-Home is on the
field
Face Off
ON THE FIELD



Be in position
Anticipate the play, not the call
Make the call if it happens, not before
ON THE FIELD
If you’re in the
right position to
make the call,
you’re much more
likely to get the
benefit of the
doubt from the
coach.
ON THE FIELD



Hustle, but don’t hurry
Don’t move for movements sake.
Know where you want to be in certain
situations
ON THE FIELD

It is very important to give good, clear, crisp
signals. You are not only communicating with
the Table and the Benches…You are letting
your Partner know what you are signaling.
ON THE FIELD



Get the Call right.
If you have to get together, do it!
Nobody remembers how long it took you to
get the call right, what they do remember is
when you get it wrong
ON THE FIELD



Confidence is not Cockiness
Be Confident
Look Good, and Get it right
INTERMISSION
Take a Five Minute Break
ON THE FIELD




Be Inconspicuous, but
have a presence
Help players play
according to the rules
You are there to make
sure the game is played
fair and safely
Be a Good Dead Ball
Official
POSTGAME



Leave the field as a
Crew…Quickly
Do not seek out a Coach,
you’re the last person that he
would like to see. You don’t
need him to tell you that you
did a good job- you and your
partners will know
Anything unusual- report
immediately to your Assignor
or Supervisor
continued…



Ask your partner for feedback.
If you have time go out and have a “Few
Milkshakes”, discuss the game, Ask yourselves,
What could WE have done better? Or Talk about
recent games.
Don’t wear your stripes in a Bar or Restaurant
REMEMBER THE SIX C’s






COMMUNICATION
COMMON SENSE
COURAGE
CONSISTENTCY
COOPERATION
CLOCK MANAGEMENT
COMMUNICATION WITH
COACHES

Good officials
know how much
criticism they will
take. They know
where to draw the
line. Then “TCB”

Be a Responder,
not an Initiator

Acknowledge
Questions, not
Statements
continued…





Speak to them at all times the way that you
would like them to speak to you.
Sometimes it is good to let them vent, as long
as they are not nasty.
Remember, they could be frustrated with their
team and not you.
Keep your composure. Cooler/calmer heads
prevail.
Do not make coaches the enemy.
CONFRONTATIONS
Gauge the coach’s
anger from 1 to 10,
and react at least 2
“points” lower, but
never higher than a
“4”.
COMMUNICATING WITH
PARTNERS
Your partner is your
only friend on the
field.
Do not let the Coach
divide you.
Do not talk to the
Coach with out your
partner present.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE
TABLE
Table people are on
“our team”.
When addressing the
table, make it clear
and concise. You
might have to explain
it a couple of times.
Be Very Patient.
COURAGE
Make the calls that
you have to make.
Do not let the Coach
influence your call.
No matter what
you call 50% of the
people will not like it.
CONSISTENTCY



Be on the “same page” as your partners.
Remember call it the same way at both ends
of the field.
If it’s a foul in the First Quarter than it’s a
foul in the Fourth Quarter. If you don’t call it
in the First Quarter then don’t call it in the
Fourth Quarter.
COMMON SENSE
Do Not Wake the Coaches up!
Three Types of Fouls
A Foul that hurts or injures
A Foul that will cause an unfair
advantage
A Foul that the “Other Coach” sees
COOPERATION



Cooperate with the Game Managers, Coaches
etc.
Cooperate with your Assignors
Cooperate with your Fellow Officials
CLOCK MANAGEMENT




Face Offs- The players should never have to
wait for us to be ready
Quick Restarts
Know the “Game Situation”
Under 4 minutes
MISCELLANEOUS

DO
Be Positive, Courteous, Helpful, Firm,
Sincere, Pleasant and Confident
MISCELLANEOUS
DON’T
 Be Antagonistic, Excitable, Overly Officious,
Indecisive and Slow to react
MISCELLANEOUS



Do not acknowledge the Fans.
Most think it is ‘fair game” to yell at the
Referee.
They for the most part do not know the rules
MISCELLANEOUS


Most fans and Coaches are not yelling at you
personally, so do not take it personal
They are yelling at the Stripes
MISCELLANEOUS

If you have a problem with a fan, ask the
Game Manager or Head Coach to take care of
them. DO NOT engage at all with the fan. If a
Coach or Fan come after you after a game and
you feel threatened Call the police and report
it to your assignor.
HAVE A MENTOR



Call your Mentor with any concerns you have.
(problems in a game, assignments, rule
questions)
Accept Constructive Criticism. (Do not be
“thin skinned”)
Write down things you need to work on.
Most of All…HAVE FUN!!!!!!!
Good Luck this Season
and
Have a Rewarding Officiating Career!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!