elcome back.  It's the dead of winter for us North American types, and while the weather down south may still be delightful, the current conditions outside my house make it an opportune time to hunker down inside for some serious rules study — and watching football, of course.

In Part IV, I stressed the importance of continuing your officiating journal in your off-season.  Off-season entries should note what rules and mechanics study you're doing, your physical fitness routine, and so on. By doing that, you will be able to look back at that off-season preparation and evaluate how effective it was in preparing you for the next season.  Do that each year, and you'll be able to see how various tweaks to your routine impact your overall preparedness.

Continued...