A first-year umpire walks off after a game and says, “I think I went pretty well.” A few months later, the same umpire walks off after a better game and says, “I reckon I missed a lot today.”
Both assessments can make sense. Early in the season, they were relieved to get through a game and make the calls they recognised. Now they can see when they were late to move, when a player blocked their view and when they guessed at a decision they could have got a better look at.
They’re getting better at seeing the game. For a while, that can make it harder to feel good about how they’re going.
Early confidence comes from getting through a game
For a new official, getting the first call out clearly can feel like a big deal. So can getting through a quarter without looking to a mentor for help. These are small moments to an experienced coach, but they give a beginner something to build on.
That’s where specific feedback helps. “Good game” is nice to hear. “You got to the next contest early and had a clear view of the contact” tells them what to do again next week. It also gives them a reason to trust a decision even if a player disagrees.
The dip can come when they start seeing more
Once an official understands what good positioning looks like, they start noticing all the times they’re out of position. Once they’ve learnt how to manage a frustrated player, they start replaying the conversations they could have handled better.
A coach can hear that sharper self-criticism and assume the official is struggling. The official might assume the same thing. Before drawing that conclusion, ask, “What are you picking up now that you wouldn’t have noticed six weeks ago?”
Then help them sort through what they saw. If they’ve come off the ground with five things they want to fix, agree on the one that will help most next week. It might be as simple as moving a couple of steps earlier when play changes direction. When you see them do it, tell them exactly when it worked.
There’s also a difference between an official who’s frustrated by a missed call and one who’s dreading Saturday because of how they were treated last week. If abuse is behind the loss of confidence, the group needs to act on it and check in with the official. A coaching cue won’t address what happened.
A tougher appointment can bring the doubts back
An umpire who looks comfortable at one level can feel like a beginner again when the game gets quicker. A referee who usually handles players well can find that the same approach lands differently in a heated senior match. Confidence can shift with the appointment, even when the official has made real progress.
Before a step up, give them a picture of what will feel different and agree on one thing they can control. After the match, ask where they felt rushed and where they felt they had time. That gives you more to work with than a verdict on whether they’re “ready” based on one game.
Confidence becomes steadier when they know how to recover
One of the clearest signs of progress can come just after a mistake. An official misses a call, recognises they were caught behind play and moves earlier at the next contest. A few months ago, they might have spent the rest of the quarter replaying the decision.
That’s a moment worth bringing up in the debrief. An official will usually remember the call they missed. They may need you to point out what they did next.
If you’ve coached someone across a season, look back at an early observation with them. You might find that the thing they were worried about in April is something they now do without thinking. Then ask what they want to get better at next.
For the official who walks off thinking they missed everything, that conversation can put one hard afternoon back in the context of a whole season. It gives them something specific to work on next Saturday, and a reason to look forward to getting out there again.