How Officials Operate A Football Game

By Jim Henderson Sportswriter

High school football officiating is an expensive, but necessary proposition. Every certified official costs $90 per game. A registered official's rate is $65. Then add another $15 to the fee of a referee, who serves as the chief (the white cap).

That's not counting a clock operator and a play clock operator. So it's quite common that an athletic director will ask for a five-man, on-field crew rather than the full complement of seven officials.

But while cutting out two officials off the crew may save a few dollars means less coverage of the field.

Every official wearing vertical stripes has an area of responsibility. And not everyone has his eyes on the football. Once the play begins, the officials follow a four-part sequence: snap, tackle, key and zone. But before the play gets under way the officials have a presnap routine.

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