By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

ELK POINT — There’s been a referee shortage in recent years and one class is encouraging a younger generation to get involved in officiating. 

Elk Point-Jefferson High School offered a Fundamentals of Officiating class this fall to teach students the skills, fundamentals and techniques of officiating multiple sports. The goal of the class was to educate, promote and encourage students to be involved with officiating, said teacher Tyler Nolz. 

“We need more officials and we need younger officials,” Nolz said. “We need to give kids the training on how to officiate before we just throw them in the deep end and tell them to tread water for a while until you figure it out.”

The class was for Elk Point-Jefferson seniors and juniors. It has 21 total students — 18 males and three females. They’ve learned the intricacies of officiating baseball, softball, football, volleyball, basketball and wrestling. 

This week in class we worked on false starts/ offsides, how to properly kill the clock, throw the flag and report the penalty to the Ref. We also learned the proper sequence and signals to use to report penalties pic.twitter.com/54pWD4XbGT

�" EPJ Officials (@EPJRefs) November 3, 2022

Nolz and the EPJ administration brainstormed about what they can offer students that’s both beneficial and fun as well. Nolz, who has experience officiating a number of sports, thought about the shortage of referees in the state and how to help promote the profession. 

“We always talk about the state trying to recruit more and more officials,” Nolz said. “But how do kids learn how to officiate? If you truly want to officiate you have to go out on your own and figure it out. So why don’t we give these kids these basic skills and fundamentals and techniques of how to officiate volleyball or a football game or wrestling. It just kind of went from there and it’s been a pretty fun class so far.” 

The class offered hands-on instructions, situational drills and closely observing officials, while also gaining appreciation for the profession. 

“My whole goal in this is to create new officials and if they are not going to officiate, the second part is that they appreciate officials,” Nolz said. “They realize it’s something these people don’t show up on Friday nights at the football game or Thursday night at volleyball and figure it out. These officials really work on their craft.” 

Elk Point-Jefferson students get a closer look at the replay booth at the DakotaDome on Nov. 10. (Courtesy photo)

The class took a field trip to the DakotaDome in Vermillion on Nov. 10 to observe and critique officials on the state’s biggest stage. Nolz, who has been officiating football for 15 years, happened to be refereeing the Class 9B state championship game the same day. 

“Our principal brought them over and they critiqued my officiating, which was kind of nerve-racking a little bit,” Nolz said. 

The South Dakota High School Activities Association statewide officials coordinator Justin Ingalls spoke with the class and they got a closer look at the replay process from the booth. 

Nolz hopes to bring in other guest speakers and he’s gotten positive feedback from all parties, most importantly by the students. 

“I have been amazed at how deep they want to get in on some of these things and not just the bare level,” Nolz said. “But actually dig into it and the whys and what are you doing here.”

The SDHSAA has supported it and assisted by providing rule books for the sports. The class has updated its progress on Twitter (@EPJRefs) this semester. 

Nolz hopes to offer it again next year and that other schools also jump on board with promoting a younger generation of officiating in South Dakota. 

“Hopefully this is something that might be able to take off, either just in Elk Point or statewide,” Nolz said.