Ask the ref: Officials anxious, excited about start of season

Q: How will officials be approaching their first games this season differently because of COVID-19? – GHSF Daily staff

A: “I believe that officials are anxious and excited about finally kicking off the season. Officials, as well as players and coaches, have been working in the offseason to get ready for the games. This year is different as we normally have a few scrimmages under our belts before the season opener. We all have had additional meetings mostly via video conference, and we are all ready to kick off. Our preparations for games are different this year from traveling to and from the games, pre-game conferences, meeting with coaches prior to kickoff, and then the coin toss. We have protocols to follow for safety. We all plan to have our own source of hydration during timeouts, such as our own cooler on the sidelines with individual water bottles. I truly believe that once we have the kickoff we will relax and the worries of the virus will somewhat disappear and it will then become a football game. I am sure that all officials throughout the state are ready to get started.” – Chip Huffman, the secretary assigner of the Augusta Association of Football Officials

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