PREVENTATIVE OFFICIATING:
One of the best ways to keep problems away is to prevent them from happening. This statement is true for most of life’s tasks, including the officiating of a high school football game. Preventive officiating offers many corrections that can be made with subtle, discrete requests to players and coaches in effort to reduce the chance of infractions where safety and the integrity of the rules are not compromised, rather than disrupting the game with a flurry of penalties. Please remember penalties should be enforced on unsafe acts or when one team gains an unfair advantage (Please see the article “Officiating takes Common Sense” posted earlier in April.).

Players and coaches appreciate reminders and warnings of minor infractions much more than they like to see flags on the ground. Many times these techniques are very successful illegal behavior deterrents. Let’s look at some simple preventive mechanics that will allow for a smoother game flow and might possibly reduce some penalties during the course of a game.
Before the snap: Many things can be done before snap by the officiating crew to prevent teams from violating rules without giving an advantage to either team. By keeping a good count of the players for whom you may be responsible and verbally warning them when they are about to have more than eleven in the huddle or lining up, we can prevent fouls. Stern questions by covering officials such as, “Who is in, and who is out?” will usually go along way to prevent illegal substitution and illegal participation fouls.

The referee should take his time and make sure the ball is set and that teams are moving towards their own respective sides of the ball before blowing the ball ready for play. Referees can also make helpful comments when they know the offense is using too much of the twenty-five second clock - giving them subtle hints such as, ” Hurry up guys, your play clock is getting low.” Quarterbacks will usually let their teammates and coaches know that the officials are noting this to them and generally all will respond with better efforts to get the plays in and to get the team lined up during dead ball times. The Back Judge can also help by adopting the mechanic of raising one hand when there is five seconds remaining of the twenty-five second clock. This is a signal that is very visible to the quarterback.

Wing officials can work with players on the offensive and defensive lines so that they line up in a legal position with respect to the neutral zone. Pre-snap comments such as, ”Back up defense!” or “Your hand is in the neutral zone 88!” will prevent many line infractions from occurring. Also many wide outs will look to their respective wing official for guidance of if they are on the line or not. When they ask for help tell them where you have them such as, “ I have you in the backfield 44.” One important point on this is that if you have informed a player that he should move to prevent a foul, and he is moving at the snap, no flag should fly. When you move them, it’s a free move.

Umpires can use preventive officiating before scrimmage kicks by reminding defensive rushers to stay off the kicker, holder and snapper. The umpire is one of the primary tools in the crew’s toolbox in preventive officiating. Almost all preventive officiating involves discrete verbal communication, the umpire is well positioned to be the spokesman for the crew to the players in the pit. If the back judge or one of the wings needs something communicated to a player without bringing attention to it, he can relay the information to the umpire, who can easily relay the message to the player.
Infractions that occur during a live ball that an official does not judge worthy of a flag can be corrected also by way of the official commenting to the violating player(s) or his coach, so that this behavior or action will not be repeated again later in the contest. Occasionally coaches will argue with you when you tell them a player’s actions or behavior are about to draw a flag, but after they speak their peace, coach will talk to player.

We as officials must remember that the games are for the participants and their fans. Officials are evaluators who attempt to keep the playing field level for both teams by enforcing the rules. Preventive Officiating techniques can often be the difference between a smooth game that develops and maintains a flow, and one that dissolves into a penalty-fest. We have to rule on fouls that occur, but we have no obligation to penalize fouls we’re able to use our communications skills to prevent.