[Windsprint]

Most officials in the 14th never even played the game ( Hutton, Napier, Campbell are exceptions and it shows because year in and year out they are the best officials). A lot of what are calling now were "wanna-be's" back in their day and they have little knowledge of the game. The training sequence is pretty lame also. Pay a fee--take a test (open book) and you are an official. I might suggest that referrees go in front of a panel , view a video-taped game and make the calls. The committee could rate them and at least you have a test that is live. Or have the prospective officials officiate scrimmage games and have the committee grade them. It would be easy for each region to set up it's own screening committee and have the people who want to ref, call summer games.That way the committee could grade them and we might actually get rid of the "good ol' boy anarchy that exists with the assigning secretaries of each region. The mountains is notorious for this. in the 14th --the assigning secretary actually works for one of the school systems. You can bet your bottom dollar that the school coach gets who he wants calling his games. Backfires ocassionally though---like this past year