​​iCanReferee is a brand new way to run an Officials organization and will take the commitment of everyone to continue to change the way officials are treated, paid and appreciated.  I want to thank each of you who attended last nights meeting as we had a great turnout of officials.  I will be recapping what we talked about, including expectations for each official, official gear, my role as FNL Head Official, the rules & mechanics we will be using, the tiered pay scale structure & the incentive/recognition program.  

1. Expectations - You need to show up on time for every game, dress in the appropriate gear, read the rules every week, have a positive attitude & give full attention while officiating games.  This organization is designed to benefit those officials that put in the effort, commitment & performance.  What that means is the ball is in your court as to how far you can go in this organization/league and whether you are assigned more games, advance through the paid tier structure & have an overall successful and enjoyable seasons.  Remember we are the only ones that receive pay for being on the field, so we need to be mindful to respect everyone including coaches, players & fans regardless of their actions.  Attitude and Communication is everything and like its been said before Players=Play, Coaches=Coach & Referees=Officiate. 

2.  To be able to officiate you must have at a minimum a whistle, flag, watch and writing instruments by the first game of the season.  You are expected to wear Official approved attire, however we will give everyone plenty of time to be able to earn enough money to purchase the appropriate gear, so don't worry if you don't have all the gear by week#1 of the season.  You can find links to starter packages by clicking on the 2018 Fall Season tab under the links section at the bottom of page.  The following is the approved list of iCanReferee gear you will need to ref the Temecula & Murrieta FNL leagues this season.

1. Collared Football Referee shirt either 1" or 2-1/4 stripe & either long or short sleeve(No basketball or other sporting ref shirts will be acceptable)
2. Black Official's Shorts or Pants with the white stripe down the side(no sweats, basket breakaways, black shorts/pants or anything else is acceptable)
3. Black Official's Hat with white piping only(No white hats or any other hats will be acceptable)
4. Must have a whistle(fox40 is standard but not req. any whistle will work)
5. Yellow Penalty Flags(no towels, rags, bandanas, or different color flags are acceptable)
6. 2 bean bag markers(markers can be any color you choose)
7. Watch or some device to keep time(do not use your phone it is not acceptable)
8. Pen & Paper to write down, scores, timeouts, etc(must have a way other than your phone to keep track of game scores, time and timeouts)

3. My Role - It is my job to support the Officials and the FNL league.  I will do my best to make sure the games run as smoothly as possible.  I will accomplish this by doing on-the-field training with all officials & by addressing any major issues with coaches, fans, players as well as aiding anyone else that needs assistance.  I will never change any call no matter if it is right or wrong because it challenges your authority and judgement capacities, which we are all developing, sharpening and getting better at making together.  This means you can come get me anytime you need clarification or interpretation on rules, need assistance with coaches, fans or players that are unruly or have questions with field assignments & teams, etc.  I am here to help you grow and foster a good relationship between us and the coaches, fans, players & league.

4. Rules & Mechanics - On the website under the 2018 Fall Season tab you will find information and links to the both the rules, rules breakdown, penalty card & mechanics.  Please make sure you are reviewing the rules each week and checking the blog for interpretations or rules changes & print out a penalty card for yourself to help aid you during the game.  The mechanics we will use this year whether single man or 2-man will be as follows, please check out the field mechanics visual aid in the links section. 

• Single Man - The Ref should be positioned on the offensive side of the ball behind the quarterback on the center-left or center-right of the field(not on the sideline).  You are responsible for setting both the LOS marker & the Blitz marker prior to the ready for play signal, following up any sideline plays & signaling/enforcing all penalties.  This ref is also responsible for the 30 sec play clock, 7 sec passing clock and management of timeouts, quarters, halftime, etc.  You need to announce the downs before each play, no run zones, keep score & run the game clock.  This ref will typically be a Vet or Seasoned ref. as they have all the game responsibilities.
• 2-Man - The Offensive Ref should be positioned on the offensive side of the ball behind the quarterback on the center-right of the field(not on the sideline).  You are responsible for setting both the LOS marker, the ready for play signal, following up any sideline plays towards your side of the ball & signaling/enforcing all penalties.  This ref is also responsible for the 30 sec play clock, 7 sec passing clock, calling out the No Run zones & announcing the down before each play. The Defensive Ref should be positioned on the defensive side of the ball behind the blitz marker, on the opposite side of the ball as the offensive ref in the center of the field(not on the sideline).   You are responsible for setting the Blitz marker prior to ready for play signal, following up any sideline plays towards your side of the ball, communicating with offensive ref in regards to spot of ball, penalties, no rush zones, etc.  Both Refs are responsible for calling penalties, managing timeouts, quarters, halftime, keeping score & running the game clock.

5. Tiered Pay Scale - It is an incentive based structure & your pay will be determined by your yrs experience, your performance on the field & your commitment to the league.  The simplified breakdown is a generalized structure and is as follows, but can be adjusted to account for officials growth and performance on the field.  Which means you can control whether you move up or down the ranks based on the incentive program standards.

• Rookies - $15 per game(1st season, no exp)
• Regulars - $20 per game(req. 2-4 seasons exp)
• Seasoned Refs - $25 per game(req. 5-8 seasons exp)
• Vets - $30 per game(req. 9+ seasons exp)

6. Incentive/Recognition Program - This program is designed to foster growth, excellence and commitment.  As listed above you have control whether you move up levels due to your on-the-field performance, attitude, attire, knowledge, etc.  I've designed this program to reward those who do all the right things to make this league and organization the best it can be.  However, I will mention that those that feel they are entitled and do not make the effort, show up on time for games, wear the appropriate gear, cannot follow directions, etc. and expect that they will make top dollar will find themselves possibly disappointed to be moved down the pay scale structure.  This structure is setup so that there isn't any favoritism, but everyone is on an equal playing field and will be rewarded for their service to the organization and the league.  Also we will be recognizing people for outstanding achievements & performance during the season which may include Best 2 Man Crew, Rookie of the Year, etc.  All incentive and recognition placements/awards will be decided by people within the organization and the league combined.

I want to thank you all in advance as I am sure we are going to have an awesome season filled with both ups and downs but most of all filled with the Love for the Game.  

Tony

This is the one and only mandatory Official's Meeting which will be held Friday August 24rd, 6:30pm @ Los Alamos Sports Park.  The meeting will last approximately 1 to 1-1/2hrs and we will be discussing what to expect for this upcoming season including:

• Official expectations
• FNL rules & interpretations
• Proper field mechanics
• Paid Training Day
• Tiered pay scale structure
• Incentive program
• and more... 

This meeting is for everyone to gather information and get ready for the upcoming season.  I look forward to meeting you all and will be happy to stick around and answer any additional questions after the meeting is over.  Thanks and see you there!