Ep 16: Discussing NFL Replay with NFL VP Mark Butterworth

Okay.

Uh, so I love your answer there, and one thing that really stuck out, stood out for me is, um, you're there to correct errors on the field.

So, and, and this, I'm making a point here, trying to get into th- we're kind of in the direction of youth sports, but it's already built in that you know there's gonna be errors on the field.

Yes.

And I think that's, it's a healthy perspective.

Uh, it doesn't always, people at maybe youth or grassroots levels don't always have that perspective, or not everybody has that perspective.

Um, so that it, at the NFL level, probably even venture to say the college level, too, I mean, there's so much more support and separation for the officials.

Um, I- do you have any sense on, like, what different traits would make a good official that could be applied at the lower levels, youth, high school, maybe some college levels? Like, I'm trying to connect, we, there's a big issue in youth sports right now where there's just a shortage of officials, and, and I'm sure-

Agreed

... that impacts your pipeline as well.

So, like, take it back to that level.

I mean, what, how can these officials learn or be guided by some of the advancements or some of the things that are happening at the NFL at the pro level?

Sure.

I, I love the question because I'm, I'm trying to tell as many young people as possible, just go to your local association.

Go work the eight-year-old flag football game, because you're gonna fall in love with it, and the key with that, too, is f- find an official there and talk to them, typically a more experienced, a, a, an older official that, that will mentor you, and that- that's one of the first keys.

The other thing is h- if you have the passion for football, passion for the game, you get to see the game from such a different perspective, and you're g- again, you're go- not only are you gonna fall in love with it, you're gonna figure out, how do I get better? And being able to build those relationships with other officials, that's really going to help you.

Th- uh, one of my first experiences officiating, I did a, a, a third and fourth grade girls basketball game, and they were out of, uh, offi- the officials didn't show up.

They're like, "Hey, Butter, would you come do this?" So I did it, and I couldn't believe not only how tough it was, but how fun it was, and it gives, uh, it gave me, as a parent, a very different perspective of what officials have to do.

Uh, parents were still jabbing me a little bit.

I knew most of them, but still, um, for, especially for a young person, they just need to understand they're not going to be perfect, but if you chase that perfection, you will be excellent.

And as, when they understand that, and, and when they make those errors, just don't make the same ones again.

Learn from them.

My best learnings, and I, we don't wanna cover them today, believe me, but I've had a few errors in my officiating career at the NFL level, and they hurt.

I, I can name you the year, week, uh, time of the game, everything.

I, I, you know, one thing that we're doing at Pop Warner is we have a set of rules that, Pop Warner rule book usually mo- for the most part, um, takes or borrows from, uh, National Federation of High Schools.