How hard is it to become a college football referee? Find out how smart you are.
Umpires are often the target of fan frustration, especially after questionable or missed calls. But when they do make the right call, it goes unnoticed. Most of the time, this happens.
To give you a feel for what types of decisions referees know and need to make immediately, let’s take a real referee quiz.
Earlier this summer, I attended the Mountain West/Conference USA referee clinic outside of Dallas. The clinic was led by former Big 12 referee Mike Defee, who is the referee coordinator for both conferences. The clinic focused on standards, new rules, training tips, and game logistics. It also included a multiple-choice quiz for referees, asking questions about various game situations. Other conferences hold similar clinics.
“The exam is structured as a comprehensive examination of the rulebook to ensure that they have invested time into having a good working knowledge of the rulebook,” Defee said. “They have to pass or they won’t get a schedule.”
The passing score is 70%, and the crew head judge is expected to score higher. Defee said all of the Mountain West and CUSA core executives passed this year, but several development executives did not.
I got a 48% on the quiz at the hospital, so I’m humbled, so you won’t see me on the field. The original quiz had 27 questions, but I shortened it to 15. I also clarified some of the language to make it easier to understand the game situation. Let’s see if you’re smart enough to be a college football referee.
(Note: Readers using the app on an Android device may need to use two fingers to scroll through the quiz. Still not able to take the survey? Try this direct link.)
(Photo: Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
