It seems like such an easy thing to do, watching a football game — unless you're there to learn something (officiating-wise, that is). Pick a game with little personal interest so you can concentrate on the officiating and remember your paper and pencils or the digital recorder if you wish. Find a good viewing spot away from the crowd. Those were my tips from Part I. In Part II, we looked at keying on positions and/or keying on the type of play, and so on. I conclude the series here with some notes on what not to watch, some other tips, and a reminder that no two games are alike.
What not to watch
After years of watching football games in person and on the tube, I found that the hardest thing for me to overcome as a new official was a tendency to watch the ball — always. Even when the ball is in your area, you still need to pay attention to the other action around the ball.
If this — watching the ball — is a problem for you, then spend a good share of the game exclusively focusing on action away from the ball.
Continued...
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