5. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

It is said that officiating is as much an art as a science. The "art" comes from knowing what tools to pull out of the officiating tool bag at any particular point in the game. That comes from experience, but top flight officials also understand that there are a basic set of principles that underpin officiating in general and officiating American football in particular. These include:

common sense;
your personal conduct;
dealing with media;
knowing how to work with colleagues;
what we mean by consistency;
being mentally prepared;
recognising pivotal points in the game;
dealing with uncertainty;
being able to sum up a philosophy in a few words;
what it means to be effective as an official;
as well as lessons learned by officials from other sports.

These are all covered in the following sections. §

5.1 - Common sense officiating

It is important that you call every foul that you see which is conspicuous or affects the result of the play, the safety of the players, or the discipline of the game. However, please remember that neither spectators nor players come to see officials marching up and down the field. Use your discretion, and above all your common sense. Delay throwing the flag for a second or two to give yourself time to review the situation mentally.
Preventive officiating enables a game to flow in a disciplined manner. Whenever necessary, talk to coaches or players with regard to their conduct. Never ignore a foul: you must do something about every foul. Even if you decide not to throw your flag, talk to the player(s) involved. Do not admit that you saw a foul but did not call it - it is better to tell the player that it was "nearly" a foul. @
At appropriate times, such as when the players are lining up for a kickoff or leaving the huddle to go to the line of scrimmage, remind players to check their mouthpieces and chinstraps, and also to use their hands legally. Try not to be obtrusive about doing this.
Always acknowledge complaints from players. You cannot see everything on every play. If a player makes a complaint against an opponent, be prepared to observe the next encounter between them more closely. Request the assistance of other officials when necessary, but don't delay the game in making such a request.
When speaking to players, coaches or spectators always be polite. Your position as an official does not give you the right to be abusive or derogatory. Use soothing language to defuse hostility.
When you have made a decision based on your observation, your experience and your knowledge, do not back down. Pressure from coaches, players, or the spectators should not be allowed to influence your judgment. When you are wrong, admit it, but don't allow it to affect your performance.
Praise players for good sportsmanship, but make sure you do it to both teams.

5.2 - Officials' conduct

Remember that your conduct before, during, and after each game is subject to public scrutiny. Always conduct yourself in a manner befitting an official.
Officials bear a great responsibility for engendering public and participant confidence. You are judged by everything you do, on the field and off it, before, during and after the game. Greet and treat the personnel from each team equally. Don't banter with spectators. Don't fraternize with anyone.
People's first impressions of you as an official will often stick. That is why it is important at all times to look the part. This includes: §
1. you turning up on time;
2. your uniform and equipment being complete and clean;
3. your physical appearance being reasonable;
4. you appearing friendly and approachable;
5. you acting like an official at all times when on duty.
With video streaming and recording becoming more and more common, officials have a responsibility to think about how their actions will look on screen. We are not trying to make all officials look the same, nor are we saying that emotions can't be displayed, but it sometimes does not take much to provoke a negative reaction from observers such as players, coaches and spectators. Possibly undesirable actions include: §
1. Gestures to anyone (including other officials) that are open to a negative interpretation.
2. Touching a player, coach or sideline personnel.
3. Fidgeting or unusual habits.
4. Showing anger, for example when throwing a flag.
5. Inappropriate speech that might be picked up by a microphone.
Perform warm-up exercises before the game
1. preferably in the privacy of the changing room, if not
2. out of sight of spectators, if not
3. well away from players.
Do not test your whistle on or within hearing of the field of play. Do not toss footballs around or indulge in any other recreational activity in sight or sound of spectators, players or other personnel.
Do not consume alcohol or any prohibited drug, or be under the influence of either, before, during or immediately after a game.
Do not provide any team, coach or player with any information pertaining to any other team, coach or player. Do not carry gossip from one team to another, nor make statements about another crew or another official.
Do not engage in arguments with anyone after the game regarding any decisions made. If they wish to complain, refer them to your officiating organisation. Questions of judgment on the part of any official are not open to argument either on the field or after the game.
Be loyal to your fellow officials, to your officiating organisation and to football.
Report immediately to your officiating organisation any approach by anyone regarding the possibility of an attempted bribe or any other unethical act.

5.3 - Dealing with the media

Always be courteous when dealing with the news media, but remember that your job is officiating and that you are not a spokesman for any team, league or officiating organisation.
You may at any time, except in the emotion-charged atmosphere of a game or its immediate aftermath, explain and discuss a rule. Do not, however, discuss a particular play, ruling or interpretation except after the game to answer specific questions from reporters attending the game. This should not be done to camera nor recorded for subsequent broadcast. The best place to do this is in or immediately outside the officials' dressing room. Be sure the crew discusses the play in private, and makes sure all the facts are clear, before the Referee talks to the reporters.
The above is intended to provide reporters with information about a call and the rules related to it. It is not for the reporters to debate the call or question the officials' judgement.

5.4 - Philosophy of crews of 6, 7 and 8

The basic principles of officiating for crews of 6, 7 or 8 remain the same as those of crews of 4 or 5, however the addition of one, two or three extra officials can be an advantage or a disadvantage. It is obviously an advantage to have extra pairs of eyes on the field, maintaining order in fringe areas and giving additional perspectives on key plays. The disadvantages occur if the additional officials simply duplicate the responsibilities of the existing officials, leading to two officials ruling on the same play but potentially in contradictory fashion. Alternatively, there may be a situation where two officials each leave a tough call to the other and the indecision causes the right call to go unmade. It is thus even more crucial on a larger crew that communication is effective and that areas of responsibility are well defined.
Having extra officials makes it easier for a crew to detect rules infringements. This better protects the safety of the players and decreases the chances of a team obtaining an unfair advantage. It should not be the aim of a larger crew to call more fouls, rather the extra officials should provide more opportunities for preventive officiating, as well as having a greater deterrent effect. This should in the long run reduce the number of fouls.
The more officials there are, the easier it should be to detect illegal action away from the ball. It is much less likely that extra-curricular activity will occur undetected.
It is likely that there will be a significant number of plays where some officials, particularly the ones deep downfield, are not directly involved. As one of those officials, you must therefore be prepared to concentrate on your cleanup role, and remain alert for the time when the play does come in your direction, because when it does it is likely to be a big play like a long pass or crucial kick. You can also contribute to the better administration of the game by keeping yourself involved in such duties as relaying balls, controlling sidelines, covering flags and checking penalty enforcement.
With a larger number of officials, as a wing or deep wing official, it is possible for you to concentrate for longer on the action by and against eligible receivers. On a crew of 7 or 8, you should only have to key on one receiver which should make it impossible for any foul play involving them to go unobserved. Similarly, as the play develops, you will have smaller zones to deal with and should therefore be able to provide better coverage.
As a deep wing official (or the Back Judge on a crew of 7 or 8), you must always try to stay deeper than the deepest player in your area (except Field Judge/Side Judge when you have goal line responsibility). By keeping the players boxed in between you and the wing officials, the play can be covered from front and back, providing optimum coverage.
As the size of the crew increases, there is more chance that your initial position will be nearer the place you need to be to make a call, thereby reducing the need for you to make the call while moving at top speed. A larger crew is not however an excuse for you to remain stationary.
When you are one of two officials covering the same sideline or end line, it is crucial that you establish eye contact with your colleague to communicate your ruling to each other before giving any overt signals.
When you are one of two officials covering the same intersection of two lines (e.g. at a goal line or end line pylon), you should concentrate on the crossfield line (i.e. the end line or goal line) if you are on that line, and leave the primary responsibility for the sideline to your colleague.
Occasionally, three officials will find themselves covering the same crossfield line. In this case, if you have another official (almost certainly with their back to you) between you and the ball, don't stand behind them and don't repeat their signals (except timeout, [S3]).
While only a minority of officials may be working in crews of 6, 7 or 8 regularly, it is the responsibility of every official to be familiar with these mechanics so that they can take an effective place on a playoff or other assignment covered by a larger crew.

5.5 - Consistency

Officials are often criticised for lack of "consistency", but often what the critics mean is not what we are actually striving for.

Aspects of consistency that we do strive for include:
1. decisions made in the 1st quarter should be the same as decisions made in the 4th quarter (with the exception of "blowout" games)
2. decisions made for/against the home team should be the same as decisions made for/against the away team
3. decisions made on one side of the field should be the same as decisions made on the other side
4. decisions made for/against players of high ability should be the same as decisions made for/against players of lower ability in the same game
5. all officials on the same crew should interpret the rules the same way (but this may vary in practice according to their experience)
6. all officials participating in the same tournament should interpret the rules the same way
7. the application of standard mechanics
Aspects where we do not require consistency include:
1. decisions made when the facts of the case are different - no two plays are ever exactly the same
2. calls in high-level (e.g. international or national premier league) games need not be the same as calls in lower-level games
3. similarly, we do not require consistency of interpretation between senior and junior/youth games
4. calls made while the attitude and conduct of players is positive need not be maintained when the same players switch to a less desirable attitude
5. mechanics in unique or unusual situations
Aspects where we would like to achieve consistency but accept that we cannot reasonably expect it with our current resources include:
1. decision making by officials of differing experience
2. all officials working in different countries or different parts of the same country interpreting the rules exactly the same way

5.6 - Mental preparation

Acknowledgement: This section is based on material produced by The Football Association for its match officials.

Top officials are those who (among their other skills) can overcome the mental pressures of a tough game. They can ignore the crowd or the importance of the occasion, or even feed off them to improve their performance. For most people, the mental pressure comes from within: it is their own reading of the situation which causes pressure, and because it is from within it can be controlled. The winners are not necessarily born this way but have trained themselves both mentally and physically.
Consistency comes from the ability to focus on the game and ignore internal and external distractions and apply the rules correctly in each and every situation.
The ideal official is:
1. calm under pressure
2. in control of their emotions
3. confident
4. mentally alert
5. positive
The good official does not try to avoid pressure, rather they accept that it is part of the game at all levels. Be confident that you have the skills to deal with the situation. Pressure is not a threat but a challenge to be welcomed.
1. Do not get upset by the challenge of the players to your decisions; they are not directing their anger at you, they don't know you! Their frustration is directed at the uniform - the authoritative role you represent.
2. Do not get upset by mistakes or under-performance by your fellow officials. Remember, you were inexperienced once and even now you still make mistakes from time to time. Calmly put right those mistakes that can be corrected by rule. Gently inform colleagues who practise incorrect mechanics.
3. Show no anger, no fear, no negative emotions. The only emotion allowed to show itself is enjoyment, and remember, that is what we are there for!
4. Be strong in your decision making, take responsibility and manage the consequences whether your decisions are right or wrong.
5. Be confident, assertive but not arrogant, have a determined belief in your own ability that you can perform well. This means you will not be intimidated by the pressures of the occasion or by the antics of the players.
6. Be able to maintain concentration on the things that matter in the game, and have the ability to "switch off" no matter what the pressure.
How do you learn to officiate under pressure? The answer is: you don't. Nobody performs well "under pressure" - the reason why our top officials at all levels of the game "shine" when the stakes are highest, the competition the fiercest and the game the toughest is not because they can do it under pressure, but because they eliminate the pressure and officiate in an "ideal mental state".
When you are officiating at the ideal mental state:
1. you feel relaxed although the adrenaline level is high;
2. you feel a little nervousness but with a sense of calmness and confidence;
3. your decisions will be made spontaneously without conscious thought process as you will have a strong belief in your ability;
4. you will always feel as if you are in the right place at the right time;
5. you will maintain concentration and have an awareness of what is happening around you;
6. you will maintain control over your emotions and not become tense, therefore remain in total control of yourself.

If you manage the above, you will eliminate the excess of "pressure" which would otherwise prevent you from performing at your best.

Preparing mentally for a game:
1. Don't change your physical preparation, i.e. continue any physical training at your usual level, and do not change your pattern of relaxation as this is equally as important as your physical preparation.
2. Do prepare yourself mentally for anything which might happen.
3. Don't try to make changes to your refereeing technique. What you have done so far has been good enough to give you the opportunities you are receiving. Only make changes to your identified areas of development.
4. Do a little mental rehearsal every day; see yourself refereeing in an ideal mental state.
5. Don't become anxious about your nerves, you will need an adrenaline flow for the game, so look forward to the 'buzz'.
6. Do anticipate that you will enjoy the game. You are going to perform well; you are going to be in control; you are going to handle any situation that arises.

5.7 - Pivotal plays

In any game, there are likely to be a number of plays which are pivotal - i.e. they are important because they may make a significant difference to the game, perhaps by giving one team an advantage. You must learn to recognise pivotal plays so you can respond appropriately. Most plays are "routine", involving small gains or losses, but even a routine play may be pivotal to the conduct of the game if it sparks a confrontation between players, involves an injury, or comes at a critical time.
Plays that are often pivotal include:
1. all types of scoring play
2. changes of possession
3. fourth down plays where Team A go for it
4. third down plays that end close to the line to gain
5. all plays in a close game when time is short
6. trick plays
Recognising a pivotal play may occur before the snap, for example:
1. Team A's substitutions or formation indicate that something unusual is likely to happen
2. Team B's substitutions or confusion indicate that they may not react normally to the play
3. Team A take an unusually long time to call the play and/or the coach is more involved than usual
Recognising a pivotal play may occur during the play, for example:
1. the play ends near to the goal line
2. the play ends near to the line to gain
3. a fumble occurs during the play or the ball becomes loose from a backward pass
4. it is difficult to tell whether the pass was complete or incomplete
5. it is difficult to tell who first touched a kick
6. one or more players become very emotional during it
A play may become pivotal because of a foul called during it. This is especially the case when the penalty negates a score, a change of possession, a long gain or a big loss.
You need to respond differently to a pivotal play. This might include:
1. getting closer to the action
2. selling the call conspicuously and decisively
3. taking time to cool frayed tempers
4. communicating more clearly both verbally and by signals
5. repeating communications
Conversely, you should try not to oversell routine plays. If you do that, you will lose your ability to sell pivotal plays.
A play that pivots the game towards one team may turn out to actually pivot it towards the other, once a penalty is taken into account. This is likely to generate especially strong emotions.

5.8 - Dealing with uncertainty

Uncertainty (or doubt) is a common and normal part of officiating. You perhaps only see a glimpse of some action, because it is obscured by other players, because the action happens so fast, or because it had started to happen before your gaze was focused on it. It is not something normally to worry about, because we have tools that we can use to resolve uncertainty, the primary ones being communication and principles.
Uncertainty should trigger an attempt to gain more information, either by adjusting your position and view, or by communicating with another official. Sometimes the actions of the players convey information about what they believe happened during the play, giving you additional evidence to help you make the call.
It helps to be able to quantify uncertainty. The following scale (used by the UK Government during the COVID pandemic) defines the words to use according to how certain/uncertain you are when communicating with colleagues (ranging from "remote chance" to "almsot certainly"):

5.9 - Points to ponder

Always remember:

player safety is your number one concern after your own;
make the tough call;
don't get emotionally involved;
a pre-game conference is a must;
if you look like an official you'll perform like one;
count the players;
correct obvious errors;
see leather;
know the down and distance;
sell the call but don't over-officiate;
call what you see but see what you call;
don't guess - know;
if two officials are marking a spot, one could be doing something else;
let the mind digest what the eye has seen;
what effect does it have on the play?;
it's what you learn after you know it all that counts;
on the wings, don't get trapped inside;
in the defensive backfield, don't get beat deep;
after throwing your flag, continue to officiate;
4th down, kill the clock;
take a second to take a look;
the three virtues of a good official are attitude, consistency and competence;
the only part of officiating to emphasize is your signalling;
be decisive - indecision (or is it indecisiveness?) gives the impression of uncertainty;
never stand still during an entire down - people will think you are lazy;
if officials are close enough to touch each other there is generally something wrong;
don't get mad and don't get even;
if the fans and coaches don't know your name or who worked the game, you've had a great game;
it is more important to get it right than to look good;
don't dillydally - if you are going to get it wrong it is better to get it wrong quickly than it is to get it wrong slowly, but it's still better to get it right;
false pride has no place in officiating;
there are probably 5 "big" calls per game - make sure you get them right;
officials can influence people (affect their behaviour) because they have power (the ability to influence someone), and authority (the right to exercise power), but there can be no authority without respect for that authority, and respect has to be earned - it does not come automatically with the stripes;
if you are not sure it's a foul, it isn't, except against the QB;
if they get beat, they cheat!
there is no such thing as a late flag, only a considered flag;
ignorance can be corrected, but stubbornness and stupidity might be permanent;
getting the job done is better than doing it perfectly;
don't officiate at 100mph - you will see more if your head is steady;
it doesn't matter how fast you are moving, light will still reach your eyes at the same speed;
you spend far more time officiating when the ball is dead than when it is live; §
if you don't deal with inappropriate behaviour, someone else will have to do it later and by then it might be worse; §
you're only as good as your next call.

5.10 - Principles of effective officiating

You must:

be helpful (preventive officiating);
have a thorough pre-game conference;
be prepared to compromise;
make yourself available to other officials;
help fellow crew members as much as possible;
encourage less experienced officials to ask questions;
give advice when needed;
be on time;
know your position;
know that uniformity and consistency are § important;
act in a professional manner at all times;
be aware of primary and secondary responsibilities;
be people watchers not ball watchers;
be clock conscious;
never miss a down;
recognise pivotal plays; §
give good signals;
not allow participants to trash talk to opponents;
be in the position to make the call;
not turn your back to the ball;
blow your whistle like you mean it;
take your time in retrieving a ball after a play - other more important things must be dealt with first
keep your mouth closed around the goal line;
keep up-to-date with the mechanics of crews smaller than you normally work - you never know when injury or delay will force you to work that way;
be able to control your sideline;
be able to cover situations far downfield;
be aware of tempo;
know penalty enforcements;
never alienate a member of your crew;
"make it be there" - no phantom calls;
"get the play right";
communicate with colleagues when in doubt.

5.11 - Ten tips from Sports Officials UK

Know the rules and rules applications and apply them accurately. That way you will achieve the consistency that competitors need.
Be decisive and strong in your decision making. Competitors will trust decisions made confidently and assertively but not aggressively.
Make sure the players understand your decisions. Then you will reduce their reasons to challenge them.
Don't take challenges personally. Questioning your decision is not an attack on your integrity.
Watch for flashpoints. If you see what might cause an outburst you can prevent it.
If you get a decision wrong, acknowledge it. Players accept you are human - they don't trust perfection.
Don't try to redress injustices. Apply the rules, and let justice take care of itself.
Be friendly and approachable. Players will relate to a person more than they do to an official.
Give every event your best effort. For some competitors this is the highlight of their season.
Enjoy your officiating. If you don't enjoy being there, the competitors will know.

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Editor: Jim Briggs, Editor, IAFOA Manual of Football Officiating
jim.briggs.football@gmail.com

Generated: 13/1/2026, 2055