When I started writing “It’s Official” eight years ago, I vowed to avoid repeating myself.

However, as Southern colleges get into serious play, I came across one of my early columns that seems to be timely again.

In July of 2002, I wrote a two-part series about game day activities of a typical SEC officiating crew. Starting at five minutes to kick-off, the following is a typical sequence of events.

At five minutes prior to kick-off, the side judge and back judge will go to the home team locker room. They will contact the head coach, advising him of the time remaining until kick-off.

The side judge brings the home team captains to the 50-yard line, and gets them ready to go out for the coin toss.

The back judge remains with the home team until they are directed to come on the field. The field judge and line judge perform the same duties with the visiting team. There used to be a requirement that in case neither team wanted to be the first to enter the field, then the home team was required to enter first. Because of television, that is likely now moot.

Three minutes before the scheduled kick-off, the referee and umpire will go to the center of the field and will signal the captains from both teams to go to the center of the field at the 50-yard line. The officials on either side of the field will lead the captains out as far as the hash mark, then instruct them to go out to the referee and umpire.

The referee will then introduce himself and the umpire to the captains, and the captains to each other. He will explain the choices for the toss winner, then will toss the coin.

The toss winner will make his choice (either to kick, receive, defend either goal or defer his choice to the second half). The toss loser has the remaining choice.

The officials then gather at the center of the field, making sure each understands the kick-off situation. Then, together all will break and move briskly to their assigned kick-off positions.

Failure to completely understand that assignment proved costly to an official several years ago.

I was assigned to officiate the Peach Bowl when the game was still being played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where the Atlanta Braves also played baseball.

That stadium was perfectly round and it was therefore difficult to determine exactly where the press box was located.

The field judge was supposed to line up for the kick-off on the side of the field opposite the press box, but he instead went to the press box side of the field.

He lined up between the 10-yard line and the goal line, but on the wrong side of the field. The back judge, acceding to the field judge’s seniority, simply went across the field from his normal position.

As luck would have it, the opening kick-off went directly into the area occupied by the field judge, and he was rolled into, suffering a broken ankle.

I am reasonably sure that SEC officials still dress at their hotels rather than at the stadiums. That being the case, as soon as the game is over, the officials run to the waiting transportation, and are whisked back to the hotel.

A post-game meeting is held, and the game report is filled out, with all officials having input.

If many fans are at the same hotel, the officials will probably dress out of their uniforms quickly in order to attract as little attention as possible. I know all officials do a perfect job so fans would all like to congratulate them.

And, that’s official.

Al Graning writes a weekly column for The Democrat.