POST-GAME DISCUSSIONS THE RIGHT WAY

by Referee

It was a tough game and not much went as planned. Now it’s time to break down where it all went wrong. It‘s a stressful situation and one that many people avoid. Whether as a sideline observer or as one of the officials who worked the game, I learned early on the most comfortable way to start productive postgame discussions is with open‑ended questions.

Some examples:

“How did you feel out there?”

“What did you think about (insert tough or unusual call)?”

“How would you describe the tenor of that game?”

“Tell me what you saw on the play on which (e.g. the card was issued, player ejected, etc.)?”

Those questions confirm the mantra we are all in this together, we need to work as a team to figure out what went wrong and how it can be fixed or avoided next time.

I am often surprised and enlightened by the answers. If I put myself in the other official’s shoes, I can understand why he or she made the call he or she did. With that input, I can provide additional information that may have changed their response. Many times, an observer may not have the best view of the play, or does not have information the official had. But the observer does have a wider view and is taking in the whole field, the coaches, the clock and other facets of the game that can be a challenge for officials to notice in the heat of the moment.

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