Why Do We Have Mandatory Scrimmages?

This year, in response to the increasing demand from the schools and to provide additional on-field opportunities for our instructional program, we are asking every official to work two pre-season scrimmages.

The main reason returning officials are expected to work scrimmages the week before the non-league games begin is to help ready their minds and bodies for officiating.  It helps us brush off the “rust” that may accumulate during the off-season.  It also is an excellent opportunity to update officials, players and coaches on the new rules and any changes in the rules from the previous season.   Our services are provided to the schools free of charge and helps foster goodwill with the coaches and their programs. Our Association Vice-Chair coordinates scrimmages. A scrimmage schedule and sign-up forms will be available on this Website prior to August 15, 2007  Returning officials are assigned to scrimmages based upon their preferences in order of group rating within our Association.

The “new” officials will all work two mandatory scrimmages.  The scrimmages will be held on at four different locations on August 24th and 25th.  Further details will be available during your classroom training sessions.  These scrimmages expose the new official to a variety of offenses and defensive schemes. New officials are also encouraged to attend other scrimmages in order to gain as much experience on the field as they can before the start of the season.

These scrimmages provide the first opportunity for us as an association to observe the new officials under game-like conditions at the pace at which high school games are played.  Members of the Rating Committee and other veteran officials will observe, evaluate and rate new officials on their readiness to receive high school assignments.

It is mandatory for all first year officials as well as officials new to our Association to participate in these scrimmages.  As a general rule,  if a first year or new official to our Association can not make the scrimmage, that official is placed on the “supplemental” list of officials and can not be assigned games until an alternate form of evaluation is arranged with either the Group Leader or the Rating Committee.

For more information about scrimmages contact Vice-Chair Bill Terrell.

Thanks you, Bill Terrell

Please help out on other scrimmages if you are available.


 

Updated as of Monday, July 20, 2009