Role of officials often overlooked in high school football

Posted 9/4/19

Friday nights on the football field here in Lexington, the focus is on the teams, the marching bands and the cheerleaders.

That is, until something goes wrong during a game.

Nobody thinks …

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Role of officials often overlooked in high school football

Posted

Friday nights on the football field here in Lexington, the focus is on the teams, the marching bands and the cheerleaders.
That is, until something goes wrong during a game.
Nobody thinks about the officials and what they have to go through to be an essential part of the process.
“In a perfect game, we’d be unnoticed, if everything goes well,” said Joe Cashman,  local official and member of the District 5 Board of Directors for the S.C. Football Officials Association. “We keep up the integrity of the game by making sure everyone is playing by the rules.”
Just to be considered as an official for local games requires complete rigorous off-season training. This includes a minimum of 12 hours of classroom sessions, 2 field training sessions and at least 2 local scrimmages.
Rookies also take the National Federation of High Schools Association’s mandatory exam and the S.C. High School League Football Officials exam.
 In Lexington-Richland District 5, there are 98 registered officials and, on any given Friday, there are usually at least 82 of them on the field in local games.
“We’ll have 5 working at varsity games, with 4 at a middle school game,” Cashman says. “We get good candidates from former players and coaches and we have others who are law enforcement, doctors, lawyers, and construction guys. They’ll come to us usually expressing interest during a game before applying formally.”
Rookie officials typically work the weeknight games at junior varsity, B and C-team matchups and get varsity experience at scrimmages.  It’s all in preparation to be able to make the split-second decisions that happen in real time every Friday night under the lights. 
“We are looking for those illegal hits, like blindside blocks and others that increase the likelihood of injuries,” Cashman said. “We’re an extra pair of eyes on the field watching for things like concussions, too. The main thing we’re there to enforce is sportsmanship. We play a role in helping these young men learn how to compete at a high level, while maintaining sportsmanship and keeping their emotions in check.”
Ever wondered if you had what it takes to officiate a football game? Cashman says they’re always on the lookout for good officials. Check its website at www.scfoa5.com . 

Cashman, officials, football

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