Pregame card
Football · 3 officials
- 1Referee
- 2Linesman / down judge
- 3Line judge
Common labels, offered as a start. Change them to match your manual.
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T-45 min
Arrival
- Where and when do we meet before we go in (lot, entrance, locker room)?
- Who checks in with the site manager, and who asks where we dress, sit at the break and leave from?
- Who checks the playing area and the equipment the game needs before the start?
- Who walks the field for markings, holes, lights and anything left on it?
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T-15 min
Before the start
- Who meets the captains or coaches, and what is the one thing we say to them?
- Who checks the scorer, timer or book, and how will they tell us they need us?
- Who instructs the line-to-gain crew and the ball persons?
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Every play
Coverage
- Where is each of us at the start, and who has the first restart?
- A play happens between two of us: who takes it, and how do we show "mine" or "yours"?
- Two of us see a play differently: when do we get together, and who gives the decision?
- Run or pass to a sideline: who has the out-of-bounds spot on each side?
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Every stoppage
Signals between us
- What signal means "check the clock / time remaining"?
- What signal means "watch that player" or "talk at the next break"?
- How do I ask you for help on a call, and how do you give it without a show?
- Who counts players for each team, and how do we signal the count before the snap?
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When it heats up
Game management
- A coach keeps talking: what is our step-by-step, and who handles the bench nearest each of us?
- A player is hurt: who stays with the play and who goes to the player and the bench?
- A fight or a crowd problem: who separates, who records numbers and times, who talks to site management?
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When it happens
Special situations
- Weather or lightning: who decides to stop play, where does everyone go, and who tracks the wait?
- A flag is down: who reports the foul, who gets the spot, and who tells the coaches?
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Final minutes
End of the game
- Who owns the clock in the final minute of each period or half?
- How do we confirm the final score and leave together?
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T+15 min
After the game
- Where do we debrief (five minutes, before anyone drives off)?
- Who files any report the league or association needs, and by when?