Regardless of the sport we officiate, our partners are usually our only true friends during that contest. Save for the occasional neutral-site administrator or certain media involvement, nearly everyone else has an agenda; and that agenda includes winning.

In their attempts to secure victory, players, coaches, and fans often react to our decisions with great passion. Amidst all of the "reacting," officials constantly deal with a complicated, and potentially volatile, mixture of athletic energy and emotion. With that in mind, hopefully we are always managing the games (and the personalities) as well as officiating them.

During the competition, the only people whom we can truly count on are our co-officials. Not only are they the only ones who really care about us, but they, more than the others involved, often know why we do what we do. That basic idea makes it imperative that we develop as strong a relationship as is possible with our partners given the limited time available.

When that solid relationship exists among crew members, virtually any situation can be handled with confidence and poise. Without question, the most fundamental building block in that relationship is communication.

Continued...