2024
SELF-EVALUATION IS CRITICAL
Referee.com
Having both the ability and willingness to self‑evaluate is
critical to becoming a better referee. Whether you do youth, school or amateur games, you must be able to critique yourself and be critiqued by others.
No matter how good you are in your profession (lawyer, police officer, office worker, etc.), you are not at the top of your officiating profession. You might be the best in your local area, but as you travel to youth competitions, college showcases or top tournaments, you are going to run into a speed of play and a level of intensity that is above your ability.
Being able to handle, and then get comfortable, at those new levels takes self‑evaluation.
Look at yourself. Recognize your shortcomings. Understand what you could do better.
Overweight? Don’t study the rules enough? Quick temper? Too technical? Once you know what you need to work on, you can start to improve. Wanting to improve is a sign of having a good attitude. You must want to improve before you can improve.
In a past interview interview with Referee, NFL great Ed Hochuli said, “If you believe there is no room for improvement, get out of officiating because the next step is an obvious decline. That is embarrassing to you and your fellow officials. Every year, I am less content with my own abilities. I see so many great officials and I realize how many things I have
to work on.”
