As we move through the 2011 football season I would like to direct your attention to one of the participants at each game that are expected to make the right call, the ”right play” every time and that is our football officials. While the focus of our game is on the performances of our student athletes, as it should be, there is a crew of officials at each game that perform the all-important job of making sure the game is played by the rules and also who guard the integrity of the game. It is not an easy job and their importance to our game is often taken for granted and overlooked
The SCFA relies on the Southern California Collegiate Football Officials Association (SCCFOA) to provide crews of seven officials for each of our 180 regular season games, as well as for our seven bowl games and our SCFA championship game. This organization also provides officials to the SCIAC (NCAA DIV III), and NAIA football games here in Southern California.
The SCCFOA consists of over 250 officials who have dedicated part of their lives to the sport of football so that our student athletes can participate in games that are supervised and played according to the NCAA rule book. The SCCFOA demands that their officials continually train and prepare, not only during the season, but in the off-season. Officials attend a number of clinics and workshops, conducted by experienced NFL and NCAA officials in the off-season, as they keep up on the ever-changing rule book and mechanics. Their exam scores are scrutinized and they are expected to meet certain qualifications in order to be eligible to work our college games.
Additionally, their performances at each game are continually evaluated. Not only does the head referee submit performance evaluation reports on each of his crew after each game, but the SCFA has worked with SCCFOA to provide game observers who evaluate each official, as well as game management criteria, and send in weekly reports. These reports are reviewed by the SCFA Commissioner and the SCFA Director of Football Operations.
Controversial game situations, penalties called and plays with non-calls are reviewed, as well as, any ejections are noted. Coaches and game managers are encouraged to send in video clips of any controversial play to be reviewed by Rich Kollen, our SCFA Director of Football Operations and to the SCFA commissioner. The purpose of this review process, among other things, is help our officials get better.
As the skill and performances of our gifted community college student athletes continues to increase and the level and excellence of play evolves, so too must the performance of our football officials. They realize that and are conscientiously working toward that goal. We owe a lot to the professionalism of our officials and to the SCCFOA’s leadership and organization.
So as we watch our student athletes perform on the field please remember to appreciate the performance of our football officials. While they might not get every call right, they probably get 99% of them correct. But more importantly they stand for authority, order and integrity. They deserve to be treated with respect for what they stand for.
Our officials are there to give every student athlete a fair chance to perform at their highest level, while enforcing proper decorum and sportsmanship. I believe it is incumbent on our coaches to emphasis the respect that is due to our officials to their athletes and to be good examples by how they talk to and treat our game officials.
Hopefully players, coaches, administrators and fans will remember that our football officials are important participants in our great game and, whenever they get a chance, to say “thank you” for their efforts to keep the game “fair and square.”
