Coaches to the right of them,
Players to the left of them,
Frenzied fans in front of them
Volleyed and Thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
into the mouth of Hell
Rode the officials.
Could Alfred, Lord Tennyson have been thinking of officials when he wrote "The Charge of the Light Brigade?" Probably not. But we sometimes feel we're in the Light Brigade when coaches and players start taking shots at us. An outsider might ask why supposedly intelligent human beings would subject themselves to so much abuse.
To be honest, the pressure and danger is a major attraction. There is nothing like the feeling of taking on a challenge all alone, with no safety net. Some people put out oil well fires. Some sink everything they have into a new business. We put our pride and ego on the line every play. The pressure to be correct is tremendous. When a tough call comes and the we gets it right, the satisfaction is as great as it is for the player who catches the TD pass as time runs out to win the game. There is much more, too. which keeps us coming back. Sharing experiences while "stormed at with shot and shell" creates strong bonds. The feeling of belonging and of mutual respect shared by us is something many people never find. NFL referee Jerry Markbreit knows this feeling. He and his crew attend Catholic mass every Sunday morning. Jerry is Jewish. His family and friends can't understand it. We do.
Officiating provides an outlet for the success-oriented. The goals and the effort required to achieve those goals are no different than in the business world. The "corporate ladder" moves from youth ball to high school to high school playoffs to the collegiate level to bowl games to the NFL. The feeling the first game at the next level is... remember how you felt at your last promotion or award? That's the feeling.
Health and money lead the list of tangible benefits of officiating. We are athletes, too. Players rest during a game. We don't. Plus, as we gain more experience (get older) we move up to bigger and faster players. Most of us couldn't survive if we didn't work at conditioning all year long. The same ego and pride we like to put on the line drives us in our conditioning. We don't want to embarrass ourselves on the field. I know I am in better physical condition than I would ever be if I wasn't officiating.
Officiating promotes good mental health, too. Working a game is very relaxing. As I see it, officiating is an active form of yoga. Both require absolute concentration, officials on the game and yoga practitioners on their mantra. Stress levels are reduced because the mind won't be shared with thoughts of outside problems during this period of intense concentration.
Confirmation of this comes from a high school women's basketball official I know. As she was leaving home to work a game, her daughter pulled up in dented car. She had been in an accident. The official went to her game, worked it without incident and returned home. When she arrived home, she dealt with her daughter in a relaxed state of mind.
Other officials I know use vacation time from their full-time jobs to work games. They call it their "therapy leave".
You might ask, "How can you call it relaxing to have people in your face calling you everything but a human being?" Good question. The secret is a skill successful officials develop. We learn to tune it all out. We also learn not to take the abuse personally. This allows us to focus on the job at hand and ignore the distractions. This proves to be a worthwhile skill off the field, too.
Money, on the other hand, is not a motivator in officiating. It's the gravy. Other people have hobbies. Most are expensive. Officiating is no different. Time, uniforms, travel, study materials add up. Yet, when it's all over, we are handed a check for our troubles. My personal feeling is that I officiate for free; I'm paid for taking the grief from players and coaches.
Officiating also provides a stage for the actor in us all. We can't be shy and be a good official. In front of thousands of people and television cameras, there is no place to hide. We have to thrive on the attention. I realized one day exactly how strong this is. I had one of those days where I just wanted to crawl under a rock hand hide. Unfortunately, I had a football game to officiate after work. Dressed in my uniform, I drove down the highway in a purple funk. A car came up beside me and I saw the passenger mouth a rather uncomplimentary comment about officials. That pulled me right out of my foul mood. That's when it hit me; it's not whether you like me or hate me, just notice me.
I uncovered another benefit of officiating while job hunting. Showing officiating on my resume is a real grabber. It's a good item to start a conversation. It also makes a strong statement about my character: I can take the pressure and I'm a decision-maker.
It's the best seat in the house, too.
If you're getting the idea I think officiating is the greatest thing since the forward pass, you're right. Everyone, man and woman, should run out and sign-up. If you can take the heat, you can really cook in this kitchen.
Return to Official Call Home Page
To ask a question on NFL rules, NCAA rules, or how the officials enforce the rules contact: