The expectation of a perfectly called game is the same for the NFL, NCAA or your local high school game. But there are big differences on how officials in each league try and accomplish that goal. Both the NFL and NCAA use seven officials to watch 22 players, while your local high school officiating crew has a crew of five to watch that same amount of players.

Both the NFL and NCAA have some form of replay using some of the best TV technology on the planet to ultimately get what happened on the field right. Your local high school official no such luck…they have one split second to get it right, no coaches challenge, no replay official, no “after further review”. Whatever call is made on the field by a High School official in that split second decision is final, so getting it right becomes crucial.

Do we get them all right? Probably not, But I think we get more right than most people give us credit for.

Keep in mind while the games on Friday night (High School) and Saturday (NCAA) look the same, There are well over 200 rule differences between them, and even more differences between the NFL and the High School game.

So the next time you are at a High School football game keep in mind there is a third team of five officials on the field just trying to get it right the first time.