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Seven Qualities of a Great Sports Official by Dave Libbey

INTEGRITY

A great sports official is the last guardian of honesty in athletics. He must maintain a complete absence of bias. An official holds a position in the world of sports not unlike a judge in a court of law. If you aspire to be a great official, you must never put yourself in a position where your integrity could be questioned. Simple advice: If there is any possibility of a conflict of interest, don't work the game.

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HUSTLE

Since officiating is a game of angles and positioning, officiating hustle describes movement and court position. There is no connection to speed and meaningless motion. Every great official moves efficiently to be in the right place at the right time. It's the only way to see the entire play and make the correct call.

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JUDGEMENT

Great judgement is a byproduct of effort and experience. It goes beyond the rule book and includes an almost instinctive ability to apply the critical principal of "advantage/disadvantage." When you see a play, in virtually every circumstance, if there is no advantage gained and if no player has been put at a disadvantage there should be no call. Simply put: No harm, no foul.

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COMMUNICATION

Basically, communication means, "Can you deal with people?" Can you deal with coaches and players during the game? Communication can be accomplished in many ways and in most cases the situation will dictate your appropriate response. Sometimes a simple response to the question, a one-word answer or a look can communicate what is needed at a particular time. Saying the right thing to the right person at the right time can help one avoid potential problems in a game. Communication is also the knowledge of when it's best not to say anything. 

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CONSISTENCY

Young officials have more difficulty with consistency than any other quality, mainly because they lack the experience to realize when their decisions are inconsistent. The key is to make the same call on the same kind of play whether it's the first minute of the game or the score is tied with one-minute left to play. If they believe an official is consistent, coaches and players will adjust accordingly. Inconsistent decisions on similar plays trigger negative behavior and poor sportsmanship among players and invite criticism from coaches.

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COURAGE

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