Referee - After the Meet

Once the meet is over, you may have other responsibilities such as entering information into the Officials Tracking System (OTS). Later, consider evaluating your performance as a Referee. Honesty is vital here. You can learn a great deal from reflecting on the meet. Celebrate any well-executed plans and decisions. Recognize errors and the situations surrounding them so you might avoid them moving forward.

The session or meet is over. Whew! You might be tired of standing on your feet, but excited to fulfill this new role as a leader of the officiating team. You and all the other officials worked together to ensure the competition was fair and the athletes got the best experience possible. Nice job!

What now? 

If you didn’t have a chance to debrief with others and give feedback, let them know. In particular, a Meet Director would want to know what could improve if they host meets often. Read through the meet announcement again.

• Was there information missing that could help a future Referee?

• Were there issues with the event order or timing to correct for the next time the meet is conducted?

Give the meet director this feedback now while it is fresh in your memory. Take some time to send an email and wrap up any loose ends.

You may have the task of entering information into the Officials Tracking System, or OTS, or ensuring it is completed. Officials will not get credit for their time at the meet until it is entered. This should be done in a timely manner - within 24 hours of the end of the meet is recommended. Consider sending a “thank you” email to all officials and let them know OTS is updated.

There may be post-meet reporting required. If there was anything extenuating that came up at the meet, or a questionable situation you handled, let your division or EFSL head official know. You may also be required to complete incident or injury reports, if something happened at the meet regarding Safe Sport or if an accident insurance claim is involved. Communicate with the Meet Director and/or facility staff to determine who is responsible for filling out any required forms. 

Reflect on Your Performance

Consider taking a moment to self-evaluate your performance. Honesty is vital here. And go deeper than just a feeling of “I had a good meet” or “That didn’t go well for me today.” Ask yourself “Why?” You can learn a great deal from reviewing your officiating. Take time to recognize recent errors and the situations surrounding them. This may help you to avoid them moving forward. 

Use these questions to reflect after the meet. Take time to learn about your own officiating. Recognize any errors to avoid them moving forward.

Team Performance

As you complete your reflection on your officiating, take a moment to consider your overall performance as part of your officiating team. 

Ask yourself these questions. Did I:

• Arrive at the meet site on time?  

• Dress appropriately?  

• Complete all preparations that are my responsibility?  

• Communicate well with coaches, officials, and facility staff?

• Develop and maintain genuine teamwork with the other officials?

It helps to think about your own performance as an official, and then reflect on how you performed as part of the overall team.

Wrap Up

Once the meet is over, you may have other responsibilities such as entering information into the Officials Tracking System. Take some time to review your performance. Reflect and find ways to improve. On that note, be open to mentoring that happens along the way, not just within your apprenticeship prior to certification. Continued feedback from other officials with more experience can be crucial to building your knowledge and understanding of this role.

Finally, keep it up! The more experience you gain, the more comfortable you will be within this role.

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