Official Peter Buchanan talks about how he deals with the criticism he hears in both football and lacrosse games.

Q.  How long have you been an official?

A.  I have been an official for about 14 years so far.

Q. How do you react when you hear coaches, parents and/or fans screaming at you from the stands?

A. The fans are a great part of the game.  It’s always great to have a large crowd on hand and a great student section.  If the fans/parents dislike a call, we certainly hear them “booing”, but we must block that out and get ready for the next play. Coaches are very passionate throughout the game.  We want to work with them during the game to communicate what we see, sometimes they like what we say and other times they don’t.  As officials we must remain professional no matter the situation.

Q. Does it effect you at all?

A. The outside influences (fans, parents, and coaches) can not effect you as an official.  It is very difficult though, unfortunately there are no substitutes for us officials.  If we mess up, we

need to focus on the next play and can not dwell on the past.

 Q. Which sports do you ref/officiate?

 A. I officiate college and high school football

as well as college and high school lacrosse.

 Q. What is the worst thing you’ve heard coming from the stands?

 A. It’s tough to hear exact things from the stands. Its mostly either boos or cheers