“Book Cover” Communication

Before you even make a call or say a word, players will judge you on your Book Cover: the combination of your uniform, signals, engagment, body language, and visual and face cues.

Players will often see what you say with your hands arms before they ever hear what you say, so make sure your referee Book Cover doesn’t ruin your ability to communictate and engage.

All new refs and umps make 4 common body language communication mistakes that make it harder to engage with players. Walk through these 4 common mistakes to squash them from your system.

4 Body Language Bugs

Avoid these 4 body language bugs that are normal instincts for beginner refs.

Ideas to use to open your body langauge as a referee or umpire and avoid the body language bugs that will impact your "Book Cover" and close you off to players and coaches.

Book Cover Ideas: Open Body Language

Once you eliminate the Body Cue bugs, add some of these ideas to your Book Cover” to defuse and comunicate with players.

Discussion of reffing big and the "Signal Box"

Reffing Big and the “Signal Box”

Discussion of how to avoid reffing small and getting stuck inside the signal box with signaling game info.