1. “What does it take to become a Successful Flank Official?”

2.  Mentors / Mentoring / Leadership  Mechanics  Rules Knowledge, including proper enforcement of all penalties  Physical Appearance  Physical Fitness  Communication Skills  Confidence / Presence  Pre-Snap  “Money Plays”

3.  Mentors ◦ Finding a mentor ◦ Accepting feedback, both positive and negative  Mentoring ◦ Time to give back ◦ Looking for opportunities to mentor  Leadership ◦ Taking active roles in local associations

4.  Purpose of Mechanics ◦ Puts us in the right place to make the right call. ◦ Proper mechanics portray confidence that you are in the game.  Pre-snap Routine  Communicating with Partner, with Referee, Umpire, and Back Judge

5.  Flank officials are the communicator with the head coach regarding penalties and enforcements.  Flank officials must know the enforcements and available options to be able to communicate with the coach.  Study one rule per week.  Rules study is year round.

6.  What does your physical appearance say about you? ◦ Confident, takes pride in appearance or lazy, lacks confidence. ◦ Coaches, AD’s, fans get less than a minute to size you up. How do you appear to them?  Updated and clean uniform ◦ New Hat – Each year ◦ Shirt – clean, not wrinkled, stripes are white and not gray ◦ Knickers / Black Pants – clean, white, not yellow, pressed ◦ Socks – new each year if striped, are you wearing black socks with black pants ◦ Shoes – polished, cleaned, not covered with mud

7.  Are you in shape?  Are you overweight or could stand to lose a few pounds?  Can you keep up with the players for 48 minutes?  Can you cover your sideline from goal line to goal line and be in the right position to make the difficult call?

8.  Sideline  Crew  Chain Crew  AD

9.  Are you confident in your abilities? Do you portray that or come across cocky and arrogant?  Do you command respect?  Are you in control at all times?

10.  Do you have one?  Is it written down?  Is it consistent or does it change week to week?

11.  Line to Gain  Goal Line  Close sideline plays  DPI / OPI