How SFVFOA’s Karina Tovar, the NFL’s first Latina ref, became a trailblazer [ESPN]

LOS ANGELES — Karina Tovar, the NFL’s first Latina referee, nervously recalls the moment even while she tells the story years later. She is sitting in her parents’ den on an exceptionally hot Mother’s Day in Southern California, and her usually sharp and unwavering voice changes slightly in tone. It’s almost as if she realizes this was the pivotal instant, the day that put her firmly on the road to making history.

At a refereeing camp during her days as a high school official, Tovar was in the middle of calling a simulated game while under the watchful eye of Gerry Austin , best known for his 26 years as an NFL referee and officiating three Super Bowls. At that time, Austin was Conference USA’s head of officiating and one of the camp’s instructors.

Read the full article on ESPN.com here: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46246111/karina-tovar-nfl-first-latina-referee-became-trailblazer

Week 5 Bulletin

As we reach the midpoint of the regular season, it’s a good time to reflect on how you and your crew have grown from Week 0 to now. Don’t be afraid to review your game film and look for areas to improve and areas of success to replicate. 

Speed vs. Efficiency

One area we need to be intentional about is penalty administration. Our goal is not to be fast for the sake of speed, but to be efficient in getting the call right. Work together as a crew to confirm all relevant information before stepping off the enforcement. Move quickly, but not at the expense of accuracy. Efficient doesn’t mean rushed.

Start of League Play
This week marks the beginning of league play for many teams. Emotions will be higher than usual as schools looking to make a run at a league title aim to start strong. In many of these games, players on both sides may know each other personally. Be especially aware of potential sportsmanship issues – what may look like trash talk might be joking among friends, but we are going to assume it’s taunting unless proven otherwise. Warn players early. If they tell you they’re just joking around or that they’re friends with the opponent, remind them that we are not going to guess whether they’re friends or not. They need to keep that kind of banter within their own team.

Lightning Protocol
It looks like the rain will stop before our kickoffs, nonetheless it’s a good time to review NFHS lightning safety procedures. When lightning is seen or thunder is heard, suspend the game immediately and clear the field. Do not resume play until 30 minutes have passed since the last sound of thunder or visible lightning strike. Talk with game management early so you’re on the same page should delays occur. We want to make every effort to finish the game, as long as school administration is prepared to wait out the weather. Stay in communication and follow their lead. As on-field officials, we will never make the decision to go home for the night due to weather. This is a game administration decision. If this becomes a problem in real time, make every effort to get in touch with one of Danny Vargas, Dwayne Finley, Jessie Tibana or myself.

Holding
We spent a lot of time in our Tuesday meeting this week reviewing different categories and levels of holding. Let’s put that into practice. Be consistent from the opening kick to the final whistle. The holds you call early set the standard for the rest of the night, make sure that standard is one you’re confident in holding throughout the game. On the subject of holding, along with our pass interference calls, it is vital that you process the action and are able to put it into one of our categories as discussed on Tuesday. If you cannot place the action into a category, it is almost certainly not a foul for holding or pass interference.

020 Usage
The use of radios on the field has increased our efficiency as officials. They are great tools for communicating standard penalty enforcement issues and basic adjustments. However, we have become overly reliant on the 020s during atypical situations. If there are multiple fouls, an unusual ruling, or something outside the norm, get together face to face. Talk it through directly with the Referee. There is no substitute for a direct conversation when accuracy matters most.

Keep pushing yourself and your crew to get better each week. Our standard in San Fernando is high because we know every crew is capable of being great out there; our goal is to meet that standard every time we step on the field. Good luck this week – the season is flying by and will be over before we know it!