Mental Aspects of Officiating

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Mental Aspects of Officiating
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Mental Aspects

• RESPONSE TIME
• consistency in timing of call is most important
• sudden changes in signals or timing indicate
  something is wrong
• tendency is to establish a rhythm based on events
  with greatest frequency
• result is a rhythm that is inappropriate for less
  obvious events
• quick calls become questionable
• slow calls are unconvincing
• better officials allow the uncertain events to
  establish the rhythm of response
• allows for greater consistency in response time

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Mental Aspects

• OFFICIATING SLUMPS
• officials can have slumps just like players
• self-doubt becomes more prevalent and confidence
  is questionable
• not easy to get up for every game
• impossible to permanently avoid, best to minimize
  duration and severity
• revitalization break or a big game are
  effective ways to break out

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Mental Aspects

• PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS
• Imagery-- the skill of re-creating in your mind
  the experiences you have had or the experiences
  you would like to have
• having the ability to control your images to make
  them do what you want
• imagery cannot replace conditioning and physical
  practice
• Attributions--the need to explain why we succeed
  or fail to ourselves
• Internal-- I have ability or I have put
  forth effort
• External-- That was a lucky call or My
  partner wasnt very good
• Attributions are better when they are internal
  and the official accepts responsibility
• External Attributions adversely effects
  self-confidence.

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Mental Aspects

• SUCCESSFUL OFFICIATING
• concentration and focus on the events that are
  occurring
• identifying the important calls of the game and
  reacting accordingly
• ability to anticipate the sequence of events as
  they are likely to occur
• recognize the different potential range of events
  that occur at different levels
• the ability to wait for everything that might
  happen to happen, then react
• judge an event not on its occurrence, but on its
  relevance
• allow the uncertain events to establish the
  rhythm of response
• a certain amount of arrogance, but not
  overconfident
• overconfidence leads to mistakes
• takes away pre-game anxiety
• a mild case of pre-game jitters promotes
  preparedness and psyches you up