Referee Magazine - May 2020

BASEBALL

RESTRICTION TO SUSPENSION

SOFTBALL

CATCH THE INTERFERENCE

FOOTBALL

NFHS RULE CHANGES

SOCCER

DON’T KICK THE CORNER

BASKETBALL

INSTANTLY IRRITATED COACHES

VOLLEYBALL

KEEP IT MOVING

MAY 2020 // REFEREE.COM

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CONTENTS

MAY 2020 Volume 45, No. 5 Issue 522 20

FEATURES 20

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP X 2

Grady Smith has climbed high in college baseball and football.

32

ASSAULTED: NOW WHAT?

Take these steps in the event you are attacked while officiating.

50

GRADE YOUR LOCAL ASSOCIATION

Use this checklist to see how well your group is working for you.

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ABS: TBD

Be careful what you wish for with the automated ball-strike system in Major League Baseball.

SPORTS 12

ON THE COVER Joe Burleson Las Vegas Age: 62 Experience: Worked seven D-I College World Series, 16 Super Regionals, 22 Regionals and the 2008 Olympics. Minor league baseball umpire 19831993; supervisor of Triple-A umpires, 1999-2006.

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44

BASEBALL

Pick the Proper Penalty: What Results in Restriction, Ejection and Suspension?; Sweep Your Way to More Strikes

COLUMNS 4

PUBLISHER’S MEMO

6

THE GAG RULE

SOFTBALL

Don’t Take a Pass on Interference: The Courage to Make the Right Call Every Time; Bases Loaded, ExtraBase Hit; 5MW: Christie Cornwell

SOCCER

It’s Not That Simple: Deceptive Looking Throw-in Is Anything but Routine; Can We See Your ID?; Tracked Into a Corner

FOOTBALL

Time for Changes: NFHS Adjusts Rules Regarding Play Clock, Halftime; It Is a Leap Year, After All

COURTESTY GRADY SMITH, BOB MESSINA (BASEBALL)

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VOLLEYBALL

64

BASKETBALL

74

ALL SPORTS

8

18

I’m Outta Here

Letters: Man of Many Leagues, Thanks From Near … and Far; Snap Shot: Need a Whistle?; They Like Us; Survey Says …

THE NEWS

Three More MLB Umpires Retire From the Field; Referee Leaves Court Mid-Game in Fan Incident; Appeals Court Rules Against Higgins

36

PROFILES

78

FOR THE RECORD

80

LAW

81

CLASSIFIEDS

GETTING IT RIGHT

USA Softball Makes Dreams Come True; Softball Players Honor Longtime Umpire; AllFemale Crew Tackles Boys’ Basketball Game

82

She’s the Apple of Alabama’s Eyes; 51 Seasons and Still Going; The Doctor Is in the House 2020 MiLB Umpire Rosters Was That an Assault?; PostAssault Action; Spread the Word Camps/Clinics/Schools; Equipment/Apparel; Leadership Resources

LAST CALL

Put It in Drive: Similarly, umpiring, once grasped, is like driving.

BASEBALL HIGHLIGHT THIS MONTH

No Time to Waste Here: Game and Time Management Helps Keep Courts Moving; No Fan(ning) of the Flames Please A Pacifier for Early Fire: Strategies for Handling the Instantly Irritated Coach; Active ‘C’ Creates a Successful Crew; In the Official’s Face Has No Place Now Hear This: Turn a Deaf Ear to Criticism Until Your Line Is Crossed; Food for Thoughts (and Your Health); Bitter Is Definitely Not Better

The penalties that may come into play after interactions between baseball umpires and coaches are varied, and Jim Sayre, Sunland, Calif., needs to know the differences.

FOR MORE, GO TO PAGE 12

Find Referee Magazine on Facebook and follow RefereeMag on Twitter

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PUBLISHER’S MEMO Watch the video at referee.com/pubmemo

Chief Strategy Officer/Publisher Barry Mano Chief Operating Officer/Executive Editor Bill Topp

I’m Outta Here During a boys’ high school basketball game in Kansas between host Newton and Salina Central, things got ugly.

Then they got “gone.”

The first half of the game was rugged. Emotions brimming over.

Some said that was because the game had playoff-seeding implications. Both teams were itchy. During the first half alone, there were a slew of personal and technical fouls, both ways. The atmosphere was rife with profanities and epithets hurled primarily by adult fans. Newton’s head coach poured gasoline on the fire with his antics.

In the second quarter a doubletechnical was called on players. As those were being administered, the Newton coach ran onto the floor to protest the fact that no free throws were being shot. That led to a technical being assessed. The coach would not relent even though he was mistaken about the rule. Second technical on him. Ejection.

He indicated he wasn’t going to leave quietly. He made a production of his exit.

A video clip available online from the game picks up the action late in the third quarter. I see a basket made

by Newton. After the ball clears the net a Newton player chest bumps an opponent. The center referee calls the Newton player for a technical. The center official turns as if to report to the bench but then starts to gently run down the floor away from the players.

As he is running past the scorer’s table the video clearly shows an upset fan quickly leaving his seat a few rows up and rushing down and stepping onto the court. As this is going on, the center official has picked up his pace and is now angling away from that sideline and toward the far corner. He leaves the court and goes to his dressing room.

Clearly the center official did not communicate in word nor make eye contact with either of his crew members. In fact, the trail official appears to be coming over to intersect

Chief Marketing Officer Jim Arehart

him, but the center official just keeps running forward and to his left until he is “outta there.”

You have questions. Why did the official exit? Why did he leave with zero interaction with his crew? Did he see that fan and exit for his personal safety?

Was security visible and effective? There are more questions of course.

The intel I was able to pull together gave some answers. Security got to the fan and removed him but that was after the official had left. The official who exited stated afterward that the encroaching fan was not the reason he left. He left because of the profanity and verbal abuse by the fans. The fact that he did not counsel with his crew is indisputable. That he felt a sense of jeopardy is undeniable. That this official had less than three years under his officiating belt is on record. That the veteran member of the crew could have played an impact role earlier on, a reasonable position.

The A.D. from Newton went to the dressing room and tried to convince the official to finish the game. No luck. In fact, the official, for his own safety, was taken by an administrator to a different room felt to be more secure. The game finished with a crew of two. There was at least one more technical foul needed even after the sordid events above.

I have sympathy with the official who chose to exit. Outrageous fan behavior got to the point that he felt he had to leave. What the official did was not irrational. This is a harbinger of things to come if those who own the game, school administrators in this case, do not get serious about the atmosphere in which sports are played. But we do not, absent imminent physical danger, quit the game. We gather the crew and game security. We decide on the safety level and then decide if we continue or suspend and turn it over to those who own that game.

By the way, the center official had carpooled with a crewmate to the game.

It must have been an interesting ride home.

Peace,

Chief Business Development Officer Ken Koester Managing Editor Brent Killackey Assistant Managing Editor Julie Sternberg Senior Editor Jeffrey Stern Associate Editors Jason Palmer Brad Tittrington Scott Tittrington Copy Editor Jean Mano Director of Design, Digital Media and Branding Ross Bray Publication Design Manager Matt Bowen Graphic Designer Dustin Brown Video Coordinator Mike Dougherty Interactive Media Developer Michael Kielas Director of Audience Development Dan Olson Comptroller Marylou Clayton Data Analyst/Fulfillment Manager Judy Ball Account Manager Joe Jarosz Marketing and Event Coordinator Autumn Meyer Director of Administration and Sales Support Cory Ludwin Office Administrator Garrett Randall Customer Service Support Specialists Michelle Murray Lisa Burchell Editorial Contributors Jon Bible, George Demetriou, Alan Goldberger, Jerry Grunska, Judson Howard, Peter Jackel, Jay Miner, Steven L. Tietz, Tim Sloan These organizations offer ongoing assistance to Referee: Collegiate Commissioners Association, MLB, MLS, NBA, NCAA, NFHS, NISOA, NFL, NHL, Minor League Baseball Umpire Development and U.S. Soccer.

Their input is appreciated.

Contributing Photographers Ralph Echtinaw, Dale Garvey, Ken Kassens, Jack Kapenstein, Bob Messina, Bill Nichols, Ted Oppegard, Jim White Editorial Board Marcia Alterman, Mark Baltz, Ron Huffman, Wade Labecki, Cheryl McCarthy Chiari, John O’Neill, Brent Rice, George Toliver, Larry Warrenfeltz Advertising 2017 Lathrop Ave., Racine, WI 53405 Phone: 262-632-8855 advertising@referee.com REFEREE (ISSN 0733+1436) is published monthly, $46.95 per year in U.S., $81.95 in Canada, Mexico and foreign countries, by Referee Enterprises, Inc., 2017 Lathrop Ave., Racine, WI 53405. Periodical postage paid at Racine, WI and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverables to REFEREE, P.O. Box 16447, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6447. Direct subscription inquiries, other mail to REFEREE, P.O. Box 16447, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6447. (818) 487-4549. © 2019 Referee Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. (USPS Publication #107790.) Subscribers: Send address changes to REFEREE, P.O. Box 16447, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6447.

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THE GAG RULE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

LETTERS Man of Many Leagues Totally enjoyed your article on the Dicker-rod and bygone football league attempts (1/20). I worked in many of those leagues and have the shirts to prove it. I learned more about officiating mechanics from (USFL supervisor) Cal Lepore in one year than I had in my whole career. In either the first or second year, (Lepore) actually took an official off a game while that official was driving to the airport.

The particular official made the mistake of telling Cal that Cal was wrong on a particular play.

I was one of the 11 Arena officials that Carl Paganelli took with him when he took over as supervisor for the (original) XFL. Carl was one the best possible supervisors a person could ask for. We all dreaded the phone call where it started, “This is Carl T. Paganelli.” Once he was through explaining the error in your ways, it got back to friendship and camaraderie. The epitome of what one wants as a supervisor.

Then came the UFL. By the time it was starting I was off the field, but Larry Upson, supervisor of officials, called and asked me to work as an observer. I had the honor and privilege to continue to work with Larry while we were both supervisors for the Pac-12. No finer person.

I like to joke that I have shut down more leagues than most folks get to work.

Thanks for the memories.

THEY LIKE US “(Players) shouldn’t be able to talk to the refs until you’ve played in the league for at least 2-3 years, either. You should just shut up.”

— James van Riemsdyk, an 11-year NHL veteran player, on the subject of interacting with referees.

SOURCE: PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Dale Newhouse Port Orchard, Wash.

james van riemsdyk

Thanks From Near …

I want to thank Barry Mano and all the Referee magazine staff for being a welcome read for me for so many years. I’ve retired from officiating and assigning baseball and softball since 1972. I will miss Barry’s Publisher Memo and the entire publication.

I never had to use the insurance or even make a phone call for assistance. But I’m so glad to know those were available, especially in today’s environment.

I’m “only” 63 but have a heart valve situation now complicated by high blood pressure. I still run 3.5 miles three times per week but need to not have “pressure” situations.

Keep up the great publication and assisting officials.

Ken Meyer Jacksonville, Fla.

… And Far I am an umpire in the National Panel of Board of Control for Cricket in India. I am a regular follower of Referee.com and I would like to extend my gratitude to those behind this initiative for bettering my officiating skills. Keep going and all the best.

Hari Govind Kerala, India

SNAP SHOT Need a Whistle?

Rick Vryhof, an official from Holland, Mich., gives his recruiting pitch to the next generation of officials.

SURVEY SAYS …

Should sports officials be a protected class under assault laws (increased penalties for offenders)?

93% YES 7% NO

SOURCE: REFEREE POLL WITH 1,000 RESPONSES

Tell Us What You Think

Send letters to: Editor, Referee, 2017 Lathrop Ave. Racine, Wis. 53405 Opinions expressed in “The Gag Rule” are not necessarily those of Referee. Unless otherwise stated, letters sent to Referee are intended for publication and become the property of Referee.

BRIAN HAMMOND

Send email to letters@referee.com

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THE NEWS Three More MLB Umpires Retire From the Field NEW YORK — The number of longtime MLB umpires who opted to leave the ranks grew by three in February as crew chiefs Jeff Kellogg, Mike Everitt and Gary Cederstrom all announced their retirements.

They joined another MLB vet, Dana DeMuth, who previously announced his retirement during the offseason.

Kellogg, a Michigan native, was the most senior member of the trio in terms of MLB experience, having spent 27 years as an MLB umpire.

He was promoted to crew chief in 2010, and worked five World Series (2000, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2014). He was behind the plate for no-hitters

by Anibal Sanchez in 2006 and Ubaldo Jimenez in 2010. He is also the brother-in-law of current MLB umpire Bill Welke and former MLB umpire Tim Welke.

Cederstrom, a North Dakota native, spent 26 years as an MLB umpire, was promoted to crew chief in 2008 and worked four World Series (2005, 2011, 2015, 2019), including the final two as crew chief. He was behind the plate for Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, remembered for the heroics by David Freese with the St. Louis Cardinals, and he called the first no-hitter in the history of the New York Mets, by Johan Santana on June 1, 2012.

Everitt, a New Mexico native,

Cederstrom

Everitt

Kellogg

spent 21 years as an MLB umpire, was promoted to crew chief in 2017 and worked three World Series (2007, 2009, 2015). He was the left-field umpire during Game 6 of the 2003 NL Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins, and made the key ruling involving fan Steve Bartman and whether or not he interfered with Cubs outfielder Moises Alou on a foul pop up.

Both Kellogg and Everitt are transitioning into supervisor roles for MLB’s umpiring department.

The four retirements created four crew chief vacancies, and MLB made history with the umpires it selected to fill those roles. Kerwin Danley, a 23-year veteran who has worked two World Series (2008, 2018), becomes the first African-American umpire to be named an MLB crew chief, while Alfonso Marquez, 20-year veteran with three World Series to his credit (2006, 2011, 2015), becomes the first Latin-born crew chief. Marquez was also the first Mexican-born umpire to See “MLB” p.11

Referee Leaves Court Mid-Game in Fan Incident NEWTON, Kan. — The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) is investigating an incident where an official, concerned for his safety amid poor sportsmanship, left the court mid-game and did not return. It happened during the third quarter of a boys’ basketball game between Newton and Salina Central high schools on Feb. 24.

The game was completed by the two remaining officials.

During the game, the Newton team received six technical fouls, the head coach was ejected and a spectator was removed for coming onto the court.

Video showed that late in the third quarter, an official called a technical foul on a Newton player who chest-bumped a Central player. The Newton player then approached the referee, who headed to the scorer’s table.

Instead of reporting the foul, he left the court without consulting with his partners. All the while, the parents and spectators in the stands berated the officials.

As the referee started to leave, a spectator came onto the court and yelled at the officials.

See “Kansas” p.10

THE WIRE

Philadelphia police say a parent could face assault charges after he shoved a high school wrestling referee onto the mat during a match between Archbishop Ryan and St. Joe’s Prep on Feb. 15. Video of the incident shows the referee move a St. Joe’s Prep athlete off the mat and then a St. Joe’s parent shoves the referee to the ground. WTXF-TV

representatives said they spoke with the referee and he suffered a concussion, but he planned to continue officiating the rest of the season.

NBA Players Fined for Conduct

The NBA fined Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart and Portland Trail Blazers guard Mario Hezonja for their conduct related to game officials.

Smart was fined $35,000 for

confronting and verbally abusing game officials after a game. The incident occurred following a 123-120 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets on March 3.

Smart yelled at officials and was restrained from approaching them by two coaches as they left the court. Hezonja was fined $25,000 for inappropriate contact with a game official during a March 2 game against the Orlando Magic. Hezonja grabbed referee Kevin Scott’s

arm to prevent him from issuing a technical foul to teammate CJ McCollum, who had stormed over to argue a call.

XFL Reassigns Supervisor After Error

The XFL issued an apology March 7 for an officiating error between the Seattle Dragons and Houston Roughnecks that ended the contest earlier than it should. Houston quarterback P.J. Walker took a knee on a

MLB

Referee Shoved at Philly Match

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THE NEWS

Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Higgins LEXINGTON, Ky. — A federal appeals court upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by NCAA D-I men’s basketball referee John Higgins against a Kentucky radio station over harassment and death threats.

In October 2017, Higgins sued Kentucky Sports Radio and radio personalities Matthew Jones and Drew Franklin claiming that in April 2017, soon after he worked the Elite Eight game between Kentucky and North Carolina, they egged on fans to harass him and leave inaccurate, bad reviews on his roofing business on Yelp.

In writing the opinion for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Judge Stuart Sutton acknowledged Higgins suffered harm but the radio station was not liable for damages due to First Amendment protections.

“The First Amendment safeguards the radio station’s right to comment on Higgins’ performance and the fans’ reaction to it and that is so even if the station and its hosts might have exercised their First Amendment rights more responsibly,” Sutton wrote in a 14-page opinion issued on Feb. 27.

Further, the court ruled Kentucky Sports Radio did not advocate for Higgins’ harassment or incite it.

“One can hardly blame the victim of such onslaughts for wanting redress,” Sutton wrote. “Or blame him for taking aim at the only members

of the mob with faces: pundits like Jones and like Franklin who at times took too much glee in reporting on the misery of others. But a gulf lies between commenting on harassment and causing it.”

When contacted by Referee on March 10, Higgins said he was “extremely disappointed” in the ruling.

He said he never got a fair shot in court and that the judges did not take the time to see all of the evidence or hear the arguments from his attorneys.

Higgins’ lawyers originally filed the case in federal court in his home state of Nebraska, but the case was moved to Kentucky.

“I think the ruling is a bad sign for the officiating community overall going forward,” Higgins said. “We were expecting them to rule in 60 to 90 days.

They responded in 30, which says a lot about what they thought about the case in my opinion.”

Higgins said he is unlikely to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court because of the cost.

“I’ve already spent close to $200,000 out of my own pockets to get the case to this point,” he said. “If there were more people with me in the suit, then I would definitely want to push this up to the next level.”

Higgins thanked the officials who have contacted him to express appreciation for him taking a stand.

Kansas

continued from p.8

KWCH-TV reported that Newton assistant principal and athletic director Brian Becker emailed the superintendent that parents and spectators were behaving badly throughout the first half. He said he had never seen that level of behavior from a crowd in his 20-year career.

Becker said he regretted not warning the crowd about its behavior.

Additional law enforcement, including a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper, was called in for the second half. After the game, the referees were given escorts out of the school.

Lt. Scott Powell of the Newton Police Department told HarveyCountyNow.com that the spectator who came on the court was removed from the gym, but was not arrested as he was only yelling and not threatening the referee. “It was just very, very poor sportsmanship, and that isn’t a criminal matter,” Powell said.

KSHSAA executive director Bill Faflick said the correct protocol for game officials would be to stop the game and meet with building administrators to alert them of any problems interfering with the game.

(See Publisher’s Memo on pg. 4 for more on this incident.)

THE WIRE fourth-down play that should have stopped the clock with approximately two seconds left and turned the ball over to Seattle on downs. Houston was leading by nine points, but the XFL has three-point conversions, leaving the possibility for Seattle to tie the game on a touchdown.

In a statement, the XFL said it regretted the error and had “reassigned” Wes Booker, who served as officiating supervisor for the game.

Appeals Court Rejects Lawsuit

A Pennsylvania state appeals court refused to reinstate a $900 lawsuit filed by a high school basketball coach who was fired after his inappropriate conduct toward game officials.

Jon A. Galante claimed he was owed the postseason pay by the Moniteau School District since the team played in the postseason following his suspension for misconduct

during the team’s last regularseason game on Feb. 15, 2012.

The court ruled his firing did not violate his contract and he was not owed for postseason pay.

Conference Fines Officials, Coach

The Northeast Conference reprimanded Robert Morris men’s basketball coach Andy Toole for criticizing officials following his

team’s 72-71 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson on Feb. 15. The conference also reprimanded and imposed fines on two of the three officials who worked the game, but did not identify them.

NEC commissioner Noreen Morris said a call was missed near the end of the game when Fairleigh Dickinson’s Kaleb Bishop ran into Robert Morris’ John Williams with 1.2 seconds remaining. “The NEC has high standards for our officials,

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MLB Names Five Umpires to Staff NEW YORK — MLB announced the hiring of five umpires to the full-time staff for the 2020 season.

The most noteworthy hire is Ramon De Jesus, 36, who made history in 2017 when he became the first umpire born in the Dominican Republic to work an MLB game. He becomes the first Dominican to secure a spot on the MLB full-time staff and is the second graduate of MLB’s Umpire Camps to reach the big leagues, following Carlos Torres.

De Jesus has been a minor league umpire since 2009 and has worked more than 380 MLB games as a callup umpire since his 2017 debut. He has also worked Major League Spring

Training since 2006. He will wear No. 18.

Ryan Blakney, 34, has been a minor league umpire since 2006 and has worked more than 600 MLB games as a call-up umpire. He has worked Major League Spring Training since 2015. He will wear No. 36.

Nic Lentz, 30, is the youngest of the new hires and has been a minor league umpire since 2008. He has worked more than 500 MLB games as a call-up umpire and has worked Major League Spring Training since 2015. He will wear No. 59.

Chris Segal, 37, is the most seasoned of the new hires, having worked more than 650 MLB games as

a call-up umpire. He has been a minor league umpire since 2006 and has worked Major League Spring Training since 2012. He will wear No. 96.

Jansen Visconti, 32, is the least experienced of the new hires, but still has worked more than 250 MLB games as a call-up umpire. He has been a minor league umpire since 2010 and has worked Major League Spring Training since 2018. He will wear No. 52.

The openings on the full-time staff occurred with the retirement of four umpires and the death of MLB umpire Eric Cooper in October 2019.

MLB

continued from p.8

NBA Fines Cuban $500,000 NEW YORK — The NBA fined Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $500,000 for “public criticism and detrimental conduct regarding NBA officiating” following his team’s Feb. 22 loss to Atlanta, the league announced March 6.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also denied the Mavericks’ related protest of a call from the game. The protest involved a successful field goal

by Atlanta’s John Collins as a whistle was blown for goaltending (later overturned after video review) by the Mavericks late in the fourth quarter.

The NBA said the play was officiated correctly.

coaches and student-athletes, and we hold them accountable when those standards are not met,” Morris said in a statement.

“In this case, the officials did not perform up to our expectations, and the head coach’s response to their performance was unacceptable.”

Referees’ Taxi Attacked in Greece

Euroleague Basketball condemned an “unprecedented”

Once during the game and immediately after, Cuban went on the court and directed comments to officials. Following the game, Cuban spoke to reporters and tweeted comments that were “highly critical, personal and demeaning to the league and its officiating staff,” the NBA said in a news release.

“A team owner’s effort to influence refereeing decisions during and after a game creates the perception of an unfair competitive advantage and thereby undermines the integrity of the game,” the NBA said. “Demeaning league employees also creates an intimidating workplace environment.”

attack on a taxi carrying game officials after the Panathinaikos OPAP Athens-FC Barcelona game in Athens on Feb. 21.

“Two individuals performed a cowardly, criminal attack, smashing a window of the taxi that was transporting the referees from OAKA (arena) to their hotel,” the Euroleague said in a statement. “Fortunately, all three referees, the referee coach and the taxi driver are OK.” Euroleague Basketball

work in MLB and joins the late Jim McKean (Canada) as the only crew chiefs born outside the United States.

They are joined by Dan Iassogna and Jim Reynolds as the new faces heading up crews for the 2020 season. Iassogna is an 18-year MLB veteran who has worked two World Series (2012, 2017) and served as the lead presenter on umpiring at the joint MLB-MLBPA Rookie Program from 2014-19. Reynolds is a 20-year veteran who has worked two World Series (2014, 2018) and serves as the vice president of UMPS CARE, the charity of MLB umpires.

said it was communicating with Hellenic Police about the attack.

Driver Tries to Run Over Referee

Shocking video from South Africa showed a BMW X5 deliberately driven down the middle of the soccer pitch toward the referee during a late-February match in the ABC Motsepe League, the third-tier of South African soccer. The referee dodged the vehicle,

which then turned toward terrified benches before coming to a stop without hitting anyone.

The South African Football Players Union condemned the incident as “barbaric” and the league said it would hold the home team accountable for failing to provide security for teams, spectators and match officials.

SOURCES: KWCH-TV, NBC SPORTS, SI.COM, ESPN, PENNSYVANIA REAL-TIME NEWS, NBA.COM, THE CITIZEN.CO.ZA, THESOUTHAFRICAN.COM.

REFEREE May 2020 |

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BASEBALL

EDITORS: SCOTT TITTRINGTON

stittrington@referee.com | BRENT KILLACKEY

bkillackey@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

PICK THE PROPER PENALTY What Results in Restriction, Ejection and Suspension?

By George Demetriou

R

At the high school level, umpires like Jim Sayre, Sunland, Calif., have multiple options when it comes to dealing with an argumentative coach, including restriction to the dugout or ejection. Whether the coach’s behavior requires a suspension typically falls under the purview of a state association.

Illegal Player The first is when an illegal player (2-36-3) is discovered. If on offense, he is also out (3-1-1). NCAA defines an illegal sub as a withdrawn or ejected player who re-enters and provides for his ejection (5-5j). Pro rules do not address illegal substitutes, but by interpretation if a player who is not

BOB MESSINA

estriction is a penalty unique to high school baseball and only NCAA rules specifically address suspensions. NFHS rules leave suspensions to the auspices of the state association. Ejection is simply the immediate removal of a player or coach from any further participation in the ongoing game, while suspension is the prohibition from participating in subsequent games.

Restriction (an undefined term) has a different impact for players than it does for coaches.

Restriction of a player is virtually the same as an ejection, but has a less pejorative flavor and may spare the player from a suspension; almost all states have a minimum one-game suspension for any ejection.

A restricted high school coach on the other hand avoids the probation and educational follow-up many states mandate for ejected coaches while receiving what some consider to be a minor reprimand. Such a coach can do pretty much what he would normally do except make a mound visit or come out of the dugout to argue with an umpire. He may, however, leave the dugout to attend to a player who becomes ill or injured (3.2.1F) and may manage the game from within the dugout. He can still confer with the pitcher (or the entire team) as long as it is done immediately in front of the dugout.

There are several acts under NFHS rules where restriction is mandated without the option to eject.

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eligible to enter the game participates, he is ejected when discovered, but is not out and can be replaced by a proper substitute. There is no statute of limitations and the infraction can be discovered by anyone, including umpires.

Play: In the fourth inning, Green pinch runs for B8. In the fifth inning with one out, Green pinch hits for B5 with runners on second and third.

Green singles to drive in two runs.

The defense appeals immediately.

Ruling: In NFHS and NCAA, the defense will opt for the penalty, which returns R2 and R3 to their bases. Green is the second out and B5 is the next batter. In pro, the play stands and Green is replaced on first with a legal sub. In NCAA and pro, Green is ejected while in NFHS, he is restricted to the dugout.

Illegal Bat In NFHS, when a batter attempts to use (or has used) an illegal bat, in addition to the batter being declared out (7-4-1a), the head coach is restricted for the remainder of the game. On the second violation, the head coach is ejected. On any subsequent violations, the replacement head coach is ejected (4-1-3b Pen.). In NCAA play, the batter is out but no one is ejected by rule (1-12a, Pen. b). Under pro rules, the batter is declared out and ejected (6.03a-5).

Coach’s Uniform A high school coach who is not in the uniform of the team is restricted to the bench/dugout (3-2-1). The NCAA has much more detailed uniform requirements. A base coach must be in the same type and color of uniform, including the team outer (warmup) jacket, as the team’s players (3-3a). When coaching the bases, the game jersey or a jacket with the team’s official logo, and consistent with the team’s uniform color and apparel, must be worn. If both coaches opt to wear a jacket, the jackets must be uniform. At all other times, coaches are allowed to wear a team-issued jacket or wind shirt (1-14f). In pro games, base coaches must be in team uniform.

An offending coach is to be removed from the game (5.03b).

Pregame Conference For high school games, the head coach must attend the pregame conference if available and is restricted if he refuses to attend (3-2-4). In NCAA, the head coach is only required to attend the pregame conference during the first game of a weekend series or any nonconference game (4-4), but no penalty is specified. There is not a similar requirement in pro; the manager can send any representative to the conference he desires.

Unsporting Acts In all codes, acts related to sporting conduct allow the umpires great discretion.

For any of the following language or actions, the umpire may eject the offender from the game, or if the offense is judged to be of a minor nature, the umpire may warn the offender and then eject him if he repeats the offense. Additionally in NFHS, the umpire has the option to restrict the offender to the bench/ dugout for the remainder of the game (3-3-1 Pen.).

Umpire discretion is justified as there is a great variety in intent and impact of the words and acts that are spoken or occur in baseball games. The type of language noted in the rulebook includes: attempts to incite spectator demonstrations; use of profanity; intimidation or baiting tactics; remarks reflecting unfavorably upon any other person; attempts to embarrass, ridicule or demean others under circumstances including race, religion, gender or national origin; intimidation; and any remarks not in accordance with the spirit of fair play.

Other specific actions deemed to be inappropriate in NFHS include: being in live-ball territory (excluding the bullpen) during the opponent’s infield practice prior to the start of the game; entering the area behind the catcher while the opposing pitcher and catcher are in their positions; use of any object in the coach’s box other than a stopwatch, rulebook (hard copy), or scorebook; being outside the

TOOLS Guide to the DH Rule One of the biggest rule changes in recent history is taking place at the high school level this season, as the NFHS has chosen to tweak its designated hitter rule to allow for greater lineup flexibility for teams. Of course, that means an added layer of complexity for umpires.

To address those concerns, Referee has created the Guide to the DH Rule, a 12-page manual that breaks down the “straight nine,” “traditional DH” and “player/DH” lineup options. The guide also comes with a laminated card that fits into an umpire’s lineup wallet and may be used as an on-field resource for making sure any lineup moves are legal.

The manual costs $4.95 and can be ordered at store.referee. com/baseball.

SIDELINE Fundraiser Honors Cooper Recently retired MLB umpire Mike Everitt and his wife, Michelle, established a bowling tournament to raise funds for a college scholarship in memory of fellow MLB umpire Eric Cooper (at left below), who died unexpectedly in October 2019. The tournament took place March 22 in Des Moines, Iowa. Proceeds will support UMPS CARE Charities’ AllStar College Scholarship program, which is naming the 2020 recipient in Cooper’s honor. Cooper spent 20 years as a MLB umpire and was an active supporter of UMPS CARE Charities and the scholarship program.

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TEST YOURSELF In each question, decide which answer is correct for NFHS, NCAA or pro rules. Solutions: p. 81.

1. On a potential tag play between home and first, the batter-runner retreats toward home to evade a tag. a. He shall be declared out if he touches or passes home. b. He shall be declared out if he leaves the baseline. c. The ball remains live. d. All the above answers are true.

2. The head coach is upset with the plate umpire’s performance and has made repeated comments from the dugout.

The umpire has stayed calm, responded to a question, given an official warning and the coach is finally ejected. The ejecting umpire has walked away from the coach’s location, but the coach charges out of the dugout to “get his money’s worth.” What is the penalty? a. There is no additional penalty unless there is physical contact. b. One-game suspension added to the ejection. c. Two-game suspension added to the ejection. d. It depends on governing authority policy.

3. The visiting pitcher walks the first batter in the bottom of the sixth inning. There have been no previous trips/conferences. The pitching coach makes a trip to that pitcher. After the trip, the head coach of the home team puts in a pinch hitter. The visiting head coach comes out of the dugout to make a second trip and replace the pitcher. a. Warn the head coach that he cannot make a second trip. If he continues, he is ejected but the pitcher may remain in the game with no penalty. b. Allow the trip but the substitution is not necessary. c. Warn the head coach that he cannot make a second trip. If he continues, he is ejected and the pitcher will be substituted for after he completes the at-bat. d. Allow the trip and the substitution.

designated dugout (bench) or bullpen if not a batter, runner, on-deck batter, in the coach’s box or one of the nine players on defense; charging an umpire; or using amplifiers or bullhorns for coaching purposes during the course of the game. Most of the preceding offenses are not specifically mentioned in NCAA or pro rules and may not be a violation.

In cases where any member of the NFHS coaching staff who is not the head coach (or designee) leaves the vicinity of the dugout or coaching box to dispute a judgment call by an umpire, both the head coach and the offending coach shall be restricted to the dugout for the remainder of the game. If the offense is judged severe enough, the umpire may eject the offender and restrict or eject the head coach (3-3-1f6).

Automatic Ejection In NFHS, there are five acts where ejection is automatic.

These are: deliberately throwing equipment, malicious contact, enticing a balk, using tobacco and leaving a position to fight (3-3-1m-q). The other codes also have numerous acts that mandate disqualification.

Suspensions As mentioned, only NCAA rules have provisions for suspensions.

Those range from one-game for a first offense in a specified category up to five games or the remainder of the season for subsequent offenses such as fighting (2-26).

George Demetriou, Colorado Springs, Colo., is the state’s rules interpreter. *

Sweep Your Way to More Strikes

By Jon Bible

A

necessary piece of equipment for a plate umpire is a plate brush. (Interestingly, I’ve seen pictures of early 1900s umpires using full-length brooms, which they then cast aside on the field until needed again.) Its main use, of course, is to clean dirt off home plate. But they can be used for other purposes.

For one thing, I carried mine in my shirt pocket instead of in my ball bag or back pocket. The breast pocket is basically located over the heart, and I figured that if a foul ball hit there I’d have an additional layer of protection to add to that afforded by my chest protector. I also found it easier to access my brush there, because in my bag or pocket it can get mixed up with balls or in folds of clothing.

The longer I worked, the more bristles my brush lost. But I didn’t get a new one until it was down to a nub. I figured this was a way to tell

people who noticed that I’d been at this awhile. In 50 years I probably had only five brushes, if that many.

At the start of every game I used my brush to send a message to catchers. I had a generous strike zone. We learn in Umpiring 101 that a strike should be called if any part of the ball crosses any part of the plate. For me, the black border around the plate is part of it and a thread of the ball is part of it, so if a thread of a ball touched a dot of the black it was a strike. I also worked on the assumption that when a pitch left the pitcher’s hand it was a strike unless it was conclusively proven not to be, not vice versa. All of this added up to me being a “pitcher’s umpire.”

I wanted catchers to know this from the start. It’s not feasible to discuss the dimensions of my zone with them, so I used my brush to communicate non-verbally. After the pitcher had taken his warmups in the top and bottom of the first inning and the catcher had thrown

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DEAN REID

the ball to second base, I made a production of sweeping off the black border on both edges of the plate as well as the plate itself. In fact, I spent more time on the borders than I did on the plate, figuring the catcher would eventually notice and get the message that he could expect a wide zone today.

Not wanting to leave anything to chance, I often said something like, “I like the black part of the plate to be really clean,” thinking this would help them get the hint. Knowing that, early on, catchers tell their teammates what kind of zone “blue” has, I calculated that they’d go back to the dugout and tell everyone to come to the plate swinging. (Of course, I then had to follow up on my message by ringing up strikes on the black or all of this was wasted effort.) One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that the more hitters swing, the fewer pitches we have to call, meaning the fewer chances we have to screw up.

Usually it was batters who complained about calls, but once in a while a catcher did. Here again my brush occasionally came into play. If the complaining continued, I’d slowly take the brush out, walk around the plate and dust it off, all the while making it clear that if the bellyaching didn’t stop, he would be departing the premises. Just as umpires don’t want catchers to show them up by turning around to complain about calls, I found this to be a great way to tell catchers that an attitude adjustment was necessary without showing them up.

I also reasoned that if I stayed bent over for longer than average and stopped sweeping occasionally, the dugout, including the head coach, would realize that something more than dirt-cleaning was going on. If they had a clue, they’d get that I was warning the catcher to knock it off.

Once in a while a coach would bolt out of the dugout to confront me and ask what was going on, but my response was to ask if they’d rather I warn the catcher that way or get in his face to do so. That usually settled that.

Once, in an NCAA tournament, I had a team from New York with a catcher who was a converted

Using a plate brush can accomplish two tasks for Jim Urbanek, Chicago Heights, Ill. It allows him to keep the plate clean in an effort to call more strikes, and also provides an opportunity to communicate with the catcher in an inconspicuous manner.

outfielder. His mitt work was horrible and he wanted pitches called strikes that were nowhere close, and to make sure his displeasure registered with me he’d hold the pitch for a couple of seconds. I told him twice to quit, but when that didn’t work I walked around, bent over the plate with my brush and with my head down, but talking loudly, I said I knew there was a language barrier

between us, with me being a Texan, so I’d go real slowly. If he held one more pitch, I was going to shove his mitt somewhere that would require surgery to extract. During my little sermon I don’t think I brushed the plate even once but no one other than him, the hitter, and I knew what was going on. I thought the hitter was going to fall over laughing. The pitch-holding stopped.

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CASEPLAYS No Problem Play: B1 hits a high pop up directly above the plate. F2 immediately calls for the ball in foul territory as B1 steps back to avoid contact. The wind carries the ball toward the mound and F2 lunges for it. The ball falls to the ground untouched and its backspin carries it back toward the plate. After the ball passes F2, it strikes R3, who tried to score on the play, in fair territory.

Ruling: The play stands and the ball remains live (NFHS 8-4-2k; NCAA 8-2g, 8-5k; pro 5.09b7, PBUC 7.5).

Run Scores Play: With the bases loaded and two outs, B1 walks, but R2 is overzealous and overruns third base. He is tagged on a throw from F2 to F5 before R3 touches the plate. Ruling: R3’s run scores.

That is not a time play. When a run is forced home, the only requirement is the runner advance and touch home (NFHS 9-1-1, interp.; NCAA 8-5j Nt 1, interp.; pro 5.06b3 Cmt.).

Complex Switch Play: Larry is the DH, batting for Kevin, the pitcher. In the top of the sixth inning, George pinch runs for Larry. To begin the bottom of the sixth Mike is the relief pitcher for Kevin. Ruling: In NFHS and pro, both moves are legal.

George is the DH, batting for Mike the pitcher. In NCAA, it is also legal and in most cases George is the DH, batting for Mike. But if the coach prefers, when he reports that Mike will pitch he may also remove George from the game and place Mike in the batting order. Also, any time George is due to bat, Mike may hit for him (NFHS 3-1-4; NCAA 7-2d3a; pro 5.11a6).

Don’t Help, Coach Play: With one out and runners on second and third, B1 hits a line drive into the right-center field gap. The third-base coach grabs R3 and tells him to tag.

The ball hits off F9’s glove as R2 and R3 score. B1 makes it to second. Ruling: The ball remains live despite the interference. R3 is declared out. R2’s run counts and B1 remains at second (NFHS 3-2-2, 8-4-2s; NCAA 3-3e, 8-5f; pro 6.01a8).

One quick “don’t do” — don’t use your brush to sweep off bases or the pitching rubber between innings.

I’ve seen umpires do this, and I’ve heard the snickers from players that it prompts.

This looks bush league, just as it does to toss our mask on the ground during the pregame plate conference. When’s the last time you saw a major league umpire do this?

It’s hard enough to sell ourselves without doing stupid stuff that makes it look like we just took the wraps off and are working our first game ever.

Jon Bible, Austin, Texas, worked seven NCAA Division I College World Series.

He is the 2019 recipient of the National Collegiate Umpire Award from the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. *

NFHS Clarifies Use of Player/DH

By Scott Tittrington

E

very high school umpire should now be at least a few weeks — if not a few months — into the 2020 baseball season. That means there should have been ample opportunity to witness the new NFHS rule regarding the player/ designated hitter in action.

This rule (3-1-4b) received plenty of attention throughout the offseason as umpires attempted to come to grips with all of its nuances and ramifications. Amid all of those discussions, the NFHS in February came out with its Baseball Rules Interpretations for the 2020 season.

While some state associations may choose to adopt their own interpretations, those issued by the NFHS are the only official high school interpretations.

Two of the biggest areas of concerns with the new player/ DH designations involve the use of courtesy runners for designated hitters who are also listed as either the pitcher or catcher on the lineup card, and legal substitutions regarding the player/DH. Play 1: The home team coach is using Jones, his starting pitcher, as the player/DH. In the second inning, Jones comes to bat and hits a clean double. With Jones

The courtesy runner (CR) can never have any function with a designated hitter (DH). When a DH comes to bat, he is a DH (regardless of either lineup option); when at bat, he can never assume a defensive position. As a result, a CR is never legal for a DH.

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BASEBALL

Do You Have t i t a h W ? s e k a T

LEGAL BASEBALLS Another key NFHS interpretation for the 2020 season involves the use of compliant baseballs. One of the NFHS’s points of emphasis for 2020 is that, as of Jan. 1 of this year, the ball shall meet the current NOCSAE standard for baseballs and feature both the NFHS authentication mark and the NOCSAE mark.

That said, if the plate umpire notices that baseballs provided for the game have the NFHS mark, but not the NOCSAE mark, the game shall still be played, and the umpire shall provide a report to the state association. The baseballs are required to have both marks to ensure that proper testing has been done on the baseballs to ensure there is a uniform standard for high school competition and that every baseball manufactured meets the same level of quality and playability.

on second base, the coach goes to the plate umpire and requests that a courtesy runner run for Jones.

Ruling 1: A courtesy runner for Jones is not allowed. When his team is on defense, Jones is a pitcher; when Jones is at bat he is batting as a designated hitter, not as a pitcher. A courtesy runner is not allowed for a designated hitter.

This is the official NFHS interpretation regarding courtesy runners in relation to rule 3-1-4b.

More specifically, as stated in 3-1-4b2, the role of the designated hitter is terminated for the remainder of the game when the starting defensive player/DH is substituted for either as a hitter or a runner.

Using the above scenario, the home team coach may use a substitute to pinch run for Jones, and, due to the one-time re-entry rule available for members of the starting lineup, re-enter Jones as both the pitcher and in his original spot in the batting order. However, Jones no longer retains the privileges of a designated hitter, as that role has been eliminated for the remainder of the game.

Now, let’s take a look at what happens when the substitutions become a bit (or a lot) more convoluted related to the player/ DH.

Play 2: Kelly is the left fielder/ designated hitter. In the third inning, Jones substitutes for Kelly as the left fielder. In the fourth inning, Kelly returns as the left fielder.

In the fifth inning, Armstrong substitutes for Kelly in left field.

May Kelly remain as the DH? Ruling 2: No. Kelly, having been removed from the game twice, is no longer eligible to play in any capacity. Since Armstrong now must bat for himself, the role of the DH has ended.

This official NFHS interpretation states that once Kelly is removed from his defensive role a second time, he is no longer an eligible player, even though he has never left the lineup as the designated hitter. Because a substitute must now bat in the spot that was previously occupied by a designated hitter, as stated in 3-1-4b-2, the role of the designated hitter is terminated for the remainder of the game.

For the complete list of NFHS Baseball Rules Interpretations for the 2020 season, visit nfhs.org/ sports-resource-content/baseballrules-interpretations-2020.

Scott Tittrington is an associate editor at Referee. He umpires college and high school baseball, and officiates high school basketball and football. *

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GETTING IT RIGHT

INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, ELEVATION

M

ichael Potter, who has lived with hydrocephalus — a condition in which an accumulation of crebrospinal fluid occurs within the brain — and a shunt since infancy, gained a deep love for softball when he was 6 years old as he grew up watching his sister play in tournaments. The now 15-yearold Ohio resident quickly took an interest in the umpires and began picking up their every move as well as the rules of the game.

Mike Burwell (left) and Warren Jones (right) of USA Softball of Ohio named Michael Potter an honorary USA Softball umpire.

As time progressed, Potter took a step further into his love for umpiring and began setting up behind the backstop, indicator in hand, while calling his own balls and strikes.

“His love for this sport and respect for the umpires involved is really something special,” said his mother, Julie Potter. “He loves to introduce himself to the umpires before the game. … ‘Hey blue! I’m Mikey, if you need any help, I am here!’ … It’s special to watch.”

One afternoon at a tournament, Michael became very ill and was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that his shunt was failing, and he was quickly sent into an emergency surgery.

After the surgery, Michael spent a few days in the hospital but was mainly concerned with how quickly he could return to the softball fields to take back his spot behind the backstop. Following his smooth and quick recovery, Michael quickly packed up his things and headed back to the softball fields to cheer on his sister and, of course, keep an eye on the umpires.

“It was that day that his dreams came true,” said his mother.

USA Softball of Ohio umpire Mike Burwell and Commissioner Warren Jones named Michael an honorary USA Softball umpire after noticing his countless hours of admirable dedication and enjoyment for the sport.

They met Michael at the fields to honor him — making a dream a reality. He was given USA Softball umpire gear that he quickly changed into without any hesitation. With large bandages and stitches still on his head from his recent surgery, Michael ripped off his hat and quickly replaced it with his new USA Softball umpire hat, threw on his umpire gear and was ready to calls balls and strikes.

“What a moment that was for him and for all of us,” said his mother. “He slept in the gear that night, wore it to the field the next day, wore it to school and continued to get in full gear for the remainder of fall softball games.”

Michael’s love for the sport never goes unnoticed. Along with this special moment, Michael has also been given the opportunity to do the coin flip and dust off the plate at a USA Softball tournament in Cleveland.

Each experience Michael has been given will be cherished forever, but the feeling of being called “Blue,” in his USA Softball umpire gear, is a memory to last a lifetime.

Reprinted with permission from USA Softball. 

Softball Players Honor Longtime Umpire Mutual respect between players and umpires sometimes is difficult to find. However, a group of softball players in Racine, Wis., is making sure a local legend is honored.

Otisteen “Otis” Jones umpired for years at Island Park in the city before dying just after Christmas 2018. A local softball team put in a request before the Board of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services in December 2019 to have the south diamond at the park dedicated to Jones. In January 2020, the board approved the proposal and will install a plaque or bench in his honor once funds are raised.

“He loved his job,” Jones’ wife, Geraldine, told The Journal Times.

“He loved people. That was the key; he loved people. He would never turn a game down. They could depend on him.”

Geraldine said the idea of having a bench dedicated to her husband is a lovely thing.

“I could just see him smiling now,” she said. “He would love that.”

All-Female Crew Tackles Boys’ Basketball Game In January, a boys’ varsity basketball game took place in Phoenix. While that in itself wasn’t groundbreaking, the officials who worked the game were. For the first time in Canyon Athletic Association history, an all-female crew worked a boys’ varsity game and it is believed to be the first time in Arizona history as well. Mollie Mueller, Danitra Betita and London Gailey had the honor of breaking the barrier and working the game.

The three officials have more than 30 years of experience between them, but they are looking forward to the day when they don’t have to celebrate the uniqueness of this particular game. “I would hope at one point it’s not like we’re the unicorns in the bunch, like, oh it’s rare to see a woman official in a boys’ varsity game,” Betita told Fox 10. “Our job is to be anonymous, and we’re just out there and doing a job and wearing stripes, like everybody else,” Mueller said.

Have you heard an inspirational or motivational officiating story?

COURTESY OF USA SOFTBALL

USA Softball Makes Dream Come True

Send your ideas to GettingItRight@referee.com

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NATIONAL CHA

Grady Smith has climbed high in college baseball and football.

H

e was 27, two years out of college and way too overwhelmed to even contemplate his deluge of emotions on that dark Tuesday morning.

Grady Smith was holed up in the ugly gray operations center at the north end of Indianapolis International Airport for God only knows how many more hours — or days — while the world was spinning off its axis

on Sept. 11, 2001. As a pilot scheduler for American Trans Air, Smith was responsible for dealing with countless planes up in suddenly deadly skies that needed to be on the ground as soon as possible and he was deciphering a constant Niagara Falls gush of information. The pressure was white hot. From a television monitor in the operations center, Smith had seen United Airlines Flight

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HAMPIONSHIP

x2

By Peter Jackel

175 fly into the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, 650 miles to the east, underscoring that a national emergency for the ages was in progress. Laser-beam focus was essential and this was just the start of days filled with unfathomable strain for Smith. As if matters couldn’t be more ominous, Smith carried on knowing that many of his friends were on planes throughout the country at that very moment. Had any of them lost their lives that morning?

Where were they? He couldn’t pause to concern himself with that. Where were ATA’s planes?

That’s all he could be concerned about, even if it sometimes seemed as futile as solving a Rubik’s Cube in the dark. Even

after sense started to be made of the senseless events of that day, Smith worked 18-hour days for the next week. He is quick to say that what he endured in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks does not begin to compare with those directly involved with the tragedy. Nevertheless, he was stressed out like he had never been before.

“Knowing we had airplanes all over the sky in that general locale, but not knowing what airplanes were going into the buildings, I mean, it was pandemonium,” Smith said.

“We were all trying to figure out where our airplanes were, where our crews were. We were canceling flights for the next hour and you’d have to redo some of the schedule and cancel

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more flights. And then we went to a two-hour block and, after awhile, we went to a four-hour block.

It was constant work updating pilots’ schedules and, at that time, no one knew how long this would be happening. It could have ended up being days because no one had ever been through anything like that. At that time, that was the most stressful thing I had ever encountered.”

Smith’s ability to deal with that stress goes a long way in explaining how he has become one of the rarest breeds in officiating.

He doubles in football and baseball at the Division I college level and, what’s more, he’s outstanding in both. In fact, Smith has become so highly regarded that he has earned coveted national championship assignments in both sports. He

was the field judge when Alabama defeated Georgia, 26-23, on Jan. 8, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Eighteen months later, he was one of the eight umpires assigned to work the 2019 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Neb., and was positioned at third base when Vanderbilt defeated Michigan, 8-2, in the deciding game of the three-game championship series. This progression has been earned considering Smith is almost obsessed with being the best. And just as he withstood the overwhelming stress of 9/11, he has handled countless highpressure situations as an official.

Early in his umpiring career, Grady Smith (right) working a game with his dad, Michael, at Covington High School circa 1996.

Kevin Brown, one of Smith’s best friends, speaks from experience when he submits that his buddy has mastered a hell of a tough double. Brown, after all, was working as an air traffic controller at Indianapolis International Airport less than a mile to the south of Smith on 9/11. And he has been a football official himself, working some games when Smith was an ultraintense fullback and linebacker for Rensselaer Central High School in Indiana in the early 1990s and going on to become an NFL replay assistant starting last season.

“Grady excelled in his job for ATA a lot of the times because of the traits he has as a good official,” Brown said. “I always say that a lot of times, you have to make sense out of nonsense, you have to make decisions in chaotic circumstances and there’s always what I call time compression. You have to come up with a logical and correct answer and you never have very much time to think about it.

That’s true in officiating and that was true with Grady’s old job — especially on 9/11. You’re getting bombarded with information and you have to filter out what doesn’t matter and what does.

And then you have to make a rational, sensible decision in a short timeframe.”

Making his story all the more remarkable is the reputation Smith has earned in two Division I sports.

“Whenever you work a final at any level, it’s a huge accomplishment,” said longtime collegiate baseball umpire David Condon, who was co-best man with Brown at Smith’s 2012 wedding. “There’s a small percentage of us who do this who can say they ever worked a championship series. The fact that he worked two of the major sports in college athletics within 18 months is remarkable and it just shows the dedication that he has to the profession of officiating. He puts the time in

away from the field, whether it’s video review, rules study, helping out other officials … it’s top-notch.”

But then Smith, the oldest of three sons born to Michael and Margaret Smith, was ingrained with the tools to excel at officiating from an early age after he was born in 1974 in Rensselaer, which is between Chicago and Indianapolis in northwest Indiana. His father was a longtime high school official in football, basketball and baseball, and his mother worked in volleyball, swimming, basketball and track and field.

Grady was raised on a six-acre farm with 2,000 head of pigs in what he said “was 13 miles from nowhere.” There was a large field on the side of the Smiths’ house on which Grady used to mess around with a football, but organizing games with friends was a constant challenge.

“Literally our nearest neighbor who had kids our age was like a mile and a half away,” he said.

“So it wasn’t like you could run down the street and play with somebody else.” The bus ride to school was an hour, during a time when there were no smartphones or iPads to break the monotony. One of his most enduring childhood memories was tagging along with his dad to another officiating assignment, each of which would add to the foundation for the giant Grady would become in his profession.

“My dad worked some pretty high-profile games in northwest Indiana,” he said.

“At the time, basketball was really, really good up there.

So going and seeing him in that environment and the way he handled himself under the pressure … there were times there were two, three, four thousand people in the gymnasium and you’re thinking, ‘Man, this is big time!’ … It was close enough to Chicago in that area that he would always stop at the local pizza place and bring pizza home.”

COURTESY OF GRADY SMITH

XXX NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP x 2

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Grady Smith umpired the NCAA Super Regionals in 2017 at Tallahassee, Fla.

His first real taste of officiating camaraderie came when he was a senior linebacker and fullback in 1992 for a Rensselaer Central team that was seeking to make a statement after underachieving the previous two seasons. Mike Smith had stopped officiating football so he could watch his son play, but his former crew, which included Brown, was working the season opener that year against Lowell.

“We won on the last play of the game,” Grady said. “All the other team had to do was take a knee and they would have won.

However, for whatever reason, they ran the ball, I stripped it from the back coming up the middle and the other linebacker (Pat Miller) picked it up and ran 65 yards for the game-winner.

I recall coming home from the game and dad had invited the other guys to the house for dinner. They were all sitting there telling stories about the game.

That’s the first recollection of the camaraderie that would come from being an official. I didn’t realize it then, but have come to associate it with that moment now.”

Grady played football with the passion he has long had for officiating. He helped Rensselaer Central to a 10-2 record that season and did his part to enhance school spirit with a stinky, rusted Econoline Ford van that had been used to transport pigs on the family farm. Members of the team painted the old crate a base white with their team logo and the names of players painted all over it. For homecoming,

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“Run over the Eagles” (referring to their opponent) was painted on the back end. “We used that van to pull the homecoming float and the presentation blew everybody out of the water,” Smith proudly recalled. “We even had plastic goalposts on top of it.

But the judges said that the van didn’t count — only the floats were judged.”

That is the Grady Smith who is remembered to this day, pouring his heart and soul into everything he did — sometimes to an extreme. Brian Zacher, one of the teammates who helped transform that van into a homecoming showcase, remembers Smith leaving everything he had on the field.

“You know how you get taught to wrap a player up, drive him for five (yards) and take him down for a loss? Well, I think he picked a kid up and carried him back five to 10 yards and then let him down and he got flagged for that,” Zacher said. “If I would have predicted a future for him back then, I probably would have

Grady Smith worked the 2016 Big Ten Championship.

said he would be a coach. He had a good knowledge of athletics, he was tenacious and he worked hard at everything he did.”

Smith went on to play two seasons for Ohio Northern and made a similar impression on Mike Meyer, the program’s defensive coordinator at the time, even though Smith usually only appeared on special teams.

“I remember he was always enthusiastic and he had that sly smile on his face,” Meyer said.

“He was always running around and he hit people hard. Obviously, you have to have some passion and he always had passion. And I remember that he paid attention.

He was always looking at you and he was listening. He was a kid who wanted to win and he was going to do what it took to win.

He worked hard in the weight room and he did all those things that you want kids to do. He always had potential and it was a tough decision when he left.”

As passionate as Smith was in football, he kept a promise to himself to stop playing when the game was no longer fun for him.

His grades were also suffering, so he left in 1995 to transfer to Indiana State in Terre Haute, just 120 miles from home, and went on to earn a degree in business administration in December 1998. He was hired at ATA the following March, joined the Indiana Officials Association and the Indiana Umpires Association, and immersed himself in

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XXX NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP x 2

assignments. Smith had actually gotten his feet wet at the age of 13, when he attended a T-ball game for his brother, Gavin, at Mennett Elemenary School in 1987 and the umpire didn’t show up. “They asked me if I wanted to do it and I said sure,” Smith said. “I never shied away from a challenge. That morphed into working more games at the T-ball and youth levels when I wasn’t playing myself.” By 1999, Smith had earned Indiana High School Athletic Association sectional assignments in football and baseball. Basketball followed in the 2000s and Smith became the first official in Indiana to work a state championship in baseball, football, girls’ basketball and boys’ basketball. He left football in 2006, baseball in 2010 and basketball in 2012 as a high school official, having worked a combined nine state championships. Were there growing pains? Hell, yes, there were. The same man who methodically landed all those airplanes on 9/11 and has handled himself with composure on the grand stage of national championship games was lost when he worked his first scrimmage at Covington High School in 1995. His referee was Larry Nixon, who retired in early 2020 after 50 years of officiating.

“I remember that I was the line judge on the home sideline,” Smith said. “The home team ran a triple-option play. I bit visually on the fullback dive up the middle,

May_20.indb 24

Grady Smith and his groomsmen — all current or retired sports officials — on an outing to a rooftop by Wrigley Field in Chicago in July 2012: (from left) Jason Plunkett (retired from D-I baseball and high school football, basketball and baseball), Grady, Kevin Brown (NFL replay, high school football and basketball; retired from high school baseball), Matt Edwards (NFL side judge; retired from high school basketball), Lucas Howard (retired from D-I baseball and high school basketball and football), and Dave Condon (D-I baseball; retired from D-II football and high school basketball). Smith’s brother, Gavin (not pictured), was also a groomsman.

The Smith family trick-or-treating in 2018: (back row, from left) Grady; his wife, Jaime, holding Tucker; (front) Oscar (“hot dog”), Addison and Camden.

saw the pile and blew my whistle. As I started coming into the field, I noticed some action on the far side about 10 yards downfield. Much to my chagrin, the quarterback had kept the ball and ran around end and there was no one between him and the end zone. As a result of my whistle, the play was dead and no gain was allowed. The referee, Larry Nixon, stopped the play, got the ball from the quarterback and jogged over to me on the sideline. To this day, I can remember his exact words as he held the ball in front of my face: ‘Did you see this before you blew your whistle?’ I replied with a sheepish, ‘No.’ His reply was, ‘Don’t you ever (expletive) blow your whistle if you don’t see this ball!’ That statement has resonated with me since that day in 1995.”

The results speak for themselves as Smith steadily progressed during the last quarter-century. Sure, he made his share of mistakes, but he learned that to consume himself in those moments was to increase the likelihood of his missing another call. And just as he once invested himself completely into playing football, he made that same commitment to becoming the best official he could be and spreading his wealth of knowledge. Condon recalls a slow start to his friendship with Smith when they first met at a Horizon League basketball camp at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill., in July 2007. “At first, he was a little standoffish,

but that’s just Grady until you get into his inner circle,” Condon recalled. During the next several seasons, the two men established a bond and deep mutual respect.

“I’ve worked hundreds of baseball games with him and he doesn’t take plays off,” Condon said. “It’s easy to lose focus sometimes, but that guy is locked in at all times. The moment never gets too big for him. He’s never rattled and he never loses composure. I can’t remember a time when the situation became so volatile that it started to become unraveled just because of the respect he has as an official and the way that he carries himself with coaches and players.”

Smith declined to speak of specific plays that defined him over the years, citing restrictions from his supervisors. But Big Ten football referee Mike Cannon, who has worked with Smith five of the past six seasons, recalls several instances when his cool field judge made crucial calls in the heat of the moment — even when he wasn’t responsible for making the call.

“It was a pretty big game between two teams fighting it out for their division lead and we were down to the last play of the first half and one of the teams was trying to score a touchdown,” Cannon said.

“We had an incomplete pass, but our back judge had a flag for an unnecessary roughness penalty against a defensive back whose hit was on the receiver.

Grady was the field judge on

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the play and he had a different angle and he thought it was legal.

He looked at the back judge and when they made eye contact, you could tell that the back judge wasn’t 100 percent sold on the fact that it really was a foul. So the two of them did a nice job of getting together, talking it over and deciding that they should pick up the flag — that it wasn’t a penalty. They were correct in doing that. That’s just an example of Grady stepping up and helping out when he saw something different than what was called on the field.”

Cannon recalls another tense game when Smith stepped up with a crucial call that took more guts than usual.

“It was late in the game and it was within one score,” Cannon said. “The team that was trailing was marching down and trying to score the winning touchdown.

It was fourth down, inside of a minute and they threw an incomplete pass on fourth down, which would have given the ball back to the defense and it basically would have been the end of the game. But Grady had a pass interference call and what I like about Grady is he was on the sideline of the team that the call went against, but that didn’t affect his decision-making. He made a good call. It was defensive pass interference, it gave the offense an automatic first down and they went in to score a touchdown on the last few seconds of the game to win. Grady is not afraid of the

moment. He knows that coaches are going to try to intimidate and want calls to go their way, but Grady’s not afraid of that. When a call needs to be made, he’ll step up and do it.”

To say the least, this man has come a long way since that disaster at Covington High School a quarter-century ago. But then, Smith was seemingly born to produce under pressure. And he has done everything he can to be the best he can be.

“What I’ve learned from him is his work ethic and how he’s constantly reviewing film of himself and trying to find ways to get better,” said Danny Jimenez, who has worked numerous college baseball games with Smith. “When we’re on the road together, he might say, ‘Hey, last weekend’s game is on the Big Ten Network,’ and we’ll sit and watch in his hotel room or in his house.”

Lucas Howard, a former high school football official and college baseball umpire who once roomed with Smith, recalls those same attributes. This man is a perfectionist who had to learn how to relax a little, as Howard noticed.

“I’ve never seen a guy who studied film like he did,” Howard said. “He knows the rulebook frontward and backward and expected that of you, too. It was a game for us. I would pull out a page and he would say, ‘You’re a page off!’ when we were talking about a rule in baseball. We used

The 2019 College World Series umpires: (from left, front row) Greg Charles, Scott Cline, George Drouches (NCAA national coordinator of baseball umpires), Adam Dowdy and David Savage; (back row) Billy Haze, Perry Costello, Jeff Henrichs and Grady Smith.

The crew for the 2018 college football national championship: (from left) Don Willard, Patrick Holt, Matt Edwards, Mike Dolce, Dan Capron, Grady Smith, Mike Stumberg, John Hayes and Ed Feaster.

to give him so much (crap) because he looked like Mr. Roboto back there (behind the plate)! Grady really turned the page when he was able to relax between pitches because he was so on the edge about not missing anything.”

So committed is Smith that he was back on the diamond just six weeks after tearing the ACL and meniscus in his left knee while playing basketball around Christmas in 2016. And he has made officiating work even after he and his wife, Jaime, became the parents of daughter Addison, 6, and sons Camden, 3, and Tucker, 2. He has trimmed his schedule, saying, “Quality over quantity as you move forward in your career if you have a family.”

But a man who has always withstood heat even at its most intense, still has plenty of goals as an official. One is bringing his talents to the NFL, even though he’s not going to allow himself to become carried away with that.

“I do have aspirations to do it, but I said long ago that I worry about the things I control,” he said. “Assignments and going up to the next level are things I can’t control. If I get the opportunity, great. I would be most appreciative of that.

But if I don’t, I don’t worry about that phone call coming.”

He certainly has the credentials. After all, Grady Smith is a man who thrives on pressure.

“You take things at face value for how they present themselves and you don’t let yourself get emotionally too high or too low when you get into those situations,” he said. “It helps you deal with that a lot better because if you exaggerate the situation or don’t take it for as intense as it is, that’s where the mistakes come.”

Peter Jackel is an award-winning sportswriter from Racine, Wis. 

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SOFTBALL

EDITOR: BRAD TITTRINGTON

btittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

DON’T TAKE A PASS ON INTERFERENCE CALLS The Courage to Make the Right Ruling Every Time

By Joe Alfonse

H

Umpires must watch this play develop and determine if the runner interfered with the fielder’s ability to make a play on the ball and the subsequent throw.

DALE GARVEY

ow often have you heard the following called out during your softball officiating career: “Break up the double play,” or “Blue, she’s got to slide!” As an umpire, how do you react when you hear these? First off, knowing the rules regarding interference is crucial. Secondly, placing yourself in the proper position to see and make the appropriate call is just as important. Third, having a great pregame can save the crew from any unnecessary trouble from either the offense or defense when a play blows up. When interference happens, it must be called and a strong crew will stay on top of plays and have the courage to make the right call.

Let’s work through some examples. Let’s start with common calls for the base umpire.

Play 1: With runners on first and third and no outs, B3 grounds the ball up the middle with runners moving on contact. F6 fields the ball, steps on second and makes contact with the runner from first as she attempts to make the throw to first. The runner from first made no attempt to slide or get out of the way. What’s the call?

Ruling 1: If your answer includes, “Time, the runner closest to home is out,” you’re correct. Seems simple and straightforward, right? The offensive team’s coach comes running out of the dugout to argue. Are you ready?

The coach correctly states the runner can’t simply disappear. But if you use rulebook language, you can quickly explain to the coach a retired runner interfered with a fielder’s opportunity to make a play on another runner

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COURTESY OF USA SOFTBALL

(USA Softball 8-7p; NCAA 12.17.3.1; NFHS 8-6-16c; USSSA 8-18h Note 2).

Play 2: With runners on first and third and no outs, B3 hits a ground ball to the second baseman, who steps into the baseline to make the play.

The runner from first collides with the second baseman, who is in the act of fielding the ball, and the ball falls out of the second baseman’s glove and to the ground. What’s the call?

Ruling 2: However you’re going to adjudicate this play, your first action should be to raise both hands and call, “Time.” If you haven’t already decided, this momentary pause should allow you to consider how many outs you are going to declare on the play. If you deem the runner’s actions prevented a double play, you are going to call her out, call out the batter-runner and then return R3 to third base. If you deem the runner did not prevent a double play, you will rule her out, award B3 first base and place R3 back on third (USA Softball 8-7j; NCAA 12.17.2.1.5 Eff.; NFHS 8-6-10 Pen.; 8-18h Note 1).

Play 3: With R1 on first and no outs, B2 hits a ground ball to F4 who scoops it up, pivots and throws to F6 moving to cover second. F6 touches second, steps and throws to first. As F6 makes her throw one step past the bag toward the outfield grass, contact is made by R1 sliding into the base.

What’s the call and who makes the call?

Ruling 3: As mentioned in the opening paragraph, this is where teamwork comes into play. The base umpire at the outset of the play should have made the effort to get in a good position to see the force at second base. When the shortstop touched second and began her throwing motion, the base umpire should be working toward an angle for the second potential play at first base while watching preliminary contact at second base.

The plate umpire has several responsibilities on this play. Clearing the catcher and moving up the firstbase line to see the entire play is crucial. The plate umpire can watch the play at second to determine if the slide was legal. Was there intent to injure or did R1’s slide cause the

fielder to alter her actions in making the play? The plate umpire can assist with this call and if no interference is judged, the plate umpire must now focus at first base for a potential pulled foot, swipe tag or interference play there.

If the plate umpire does rule interference or an illegal slide on this particular play, time must be called, the plate umpire should point to the spot where the infraction occurred and announce, “That’s interference.”

Then point to the runner who committed the interference, verbalize the runner is out and give the out sign.

If the runner was already out by force or tag out and then she interferes with a subsequent play, point to the runner closest to home and verbalize and signal that she is out as well.

A critical point to remember in all codes is there is no requirement for a runner to slide, however the slide must be legal if she chooses to slide.

In all codes, a runner who remains on her feet and maliciously crashes into a defensive player is guilty of interference and shall be ejected (USA Softball 8-7q; NCAA 12.13.4 Eff.; NFHS 2-35, 8-6-14; USSSA 8-18d).

Runner’s lane. Another interference call that involves the umpires is determining whether a three-foot running lane violation occurred by the batter-runner. The running late starts halfway between home and first base and should be clearly marked with a white line, three feet from and parallel to the foul line and extend all the way to the base. In almost every case, the plate umpire should be the one making this call, but there are always exceptions. Once again, a good pregame is essential to getting the call right and avoiding controversy. Good eye contact prior to making any call on this infraction is key.

The determining factor is if the runner interferes with a fielder’s ability to make a play. When there’s a throw from inside the diamond or foul territory and it strikes the runner, a judgment has to be made if the runner was in the running lane or not.

To determine if the runner is in See “Interference” p.29

DID YOU KNOW? Christina Drumm, Oceanside, Calif., is the only USA umpire selected by the World Baseball Softball Confederation for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. “I’m extremely humbled and honored to represent USA Softball in the 2020 Olympics,” Drumm said.

“I can’t thank all the people that helped me get here enough, my family, friends, umpires, USAS SoCal family and USA Softball. It is surreal and exciting to be experiencing this lifetime dream.”

SOURCE: USA SOFTBALL

THEY SAID IT

Don’t leave a call you have for a call you might have.

— NCAA regional advisor and American Athletic, Big Ten and Summit conferences coordinator of umpires Sally Walker on the decisionmaking of umpires in relation to coverage areas.

TOOLS Pick a Pregame Being a high school umpire can be stressful. Take the guesswork out of your pregame by picking up a copy of Pick a Pregame.

Broken down into sections for every possible pregame you may have from opening day to postseason, from working with a new umpire to working with a seasoned veteran, this guide will give you the topics you need to cover for the game. Go to store.referee.com/softball-picka-pregame and pick up your copy today for $13.95.

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SOFTBALL

TEST YOURSELF Each of the following includes a situation and possible answer(s).

Decide which are correct for USA, NFHS, NCAA or USSSA rules and which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.

1. With R2 on second base and one out, B3 hits a ball to left field. On the swing, B3 makes contact with F2’s mitt. R2 scores on the play as B3 is thrown out at second base. a. Immediate dead ball, F2 is guilty of obstruction, B3 is awarded first base and R2 is awarded third. b. Delayed dead ball, F2 is guilty of obstruction and the offensive coach has the option of taking the result of the play or taking the penalty for the obstruction. c. Delayed dead ball, the result of the play stands and the obstruction

by F2 is ignored. d. Immediate dead ball, F2 is guilty of obstruction, B3 is awarded first and R2 stays at second.

2. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the visiting team ahead, 4-1, the bases loaded and two outs, B7 hits a long fly ball to left field. F7 throws her glove and hits the ball in the air. The ball deflects to F8, who catches the ball. In the umpire’s judgment, the ball would have cleared the fence had F7 not hit it with her detached glove. a. The out stands and no runs score, game over. b. The batter is awarded three bases, three runs score and the game is now tied, 4-4. c. The batter is awarded two bases and two runs score. d. The batter is awarded four bases, all four runs score and the game is over.

Bases Loaded, Extra-Base Hit I

n the two-umpire system with the bases loaded, there are a lot of moving pieces. This is especially true on an extra-base hit to the outfield.

Off the bat, there are four runners the umpires are responsible for and without proper positioning and angles, a lot can go unnoticed.

The base umpire (B) must get into the diamond in order to see all the touches at first and second base.

In NCAA play, B should read and process where the ball is hit and the movements of the fielders while staying outside the diamond. Besides watching all touches at first and second base, B must be prepared to take all plays at first and second and all plays on the batter-runner into third.

While B is busy with everything at first and second base, the plate umpire (P) must immediately get to the holding zone between third base and home in order to get a wide view of the entire field. P must watch R3 touch home plate and watch R2 touch

3. B1 steps to the plate in the first inning and the plate umpire notices she is wearing a necklace. The umpire doesn’t deem the necklace to be dangerous. a. B1 may wear the necklace. b. B1 must remove the necklace and a team warning is issued.

4. With the score tied, two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, B7 walks.

R3 touches home but R1 joins the celebration at home plate and does not touch second base. The defense appeals that R1 did not touch the base to which she was forced. a. R1 is declared out and R3’s run does not count. b. R1 is declared out and R3’s run counts. c. R1 is not declared out since she is awarded second base on the walk and the game is over as soon as R3 scores.

third base and the plate. P needs to be prepared to move to third base to take a potential play on R1 there or be prepared to move back to the plate for any play on any runners there. If P realizes that R2 will score without a throw to the plate and there is a possible play on R1 at third, P should commit to third base, adjust to the play and verbalize coverage to B to avoid two umpires covering the same play.

One caveat to this play is when this situation occurs with two outs.

When P commits to third base for a potential play on R1 at third, B must be prepared to help assist with a timing play. B must be able to determine if R2 scores before the third out is attained on R1 at third base. P will be focused on the play at third base and will not have the best angle to determine the timing on this particular play. B needs to step up and assist with whether or not the run counts. 

R1

R2

B

B

R3

P

P

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INTERFERENCE

continued from p.27

her lane or not, you need to be aware of where her feet are. If either foot is completely outside the runner’s lane, in contact with the ground and, in the umpire’s judgment, she interferes with the fielder taking the throw, interference should be called. In USA Softball, where the ball hits the batterrunner is also taken into consideration.

If the batter-runner is struck with the thrown ball in the arm that is over fair territory, she would be called out regardless of foot placement.

Some exceptions to this rule include the runner may run outside the runner’s lane: if she hasn’t reached the start of the runner’s lane; to avoid a fielder attempting to field a batted ball; or if she leaves the lane on her last stride in order to touch first base.

If the batter-runner is past the 30-foot mark and she’s outside the lane and prevents the fielder from making the play at first base, immediately raise both arms and call, “Time, interference,” followed by the out signal.

Two critical points to remember in making this call are a throw must be made and the runner has to actually interfere with the fielder. A throw sailing over the first baseman’s head is not interference. Neither is a throw wide of the mark if an umpire judges the runner’s actions to be inconsequential to the play. In both cases, it doesn’t matter if the runner was in the lane or not. Do not reward poor defense.

In all these examples, crewness can and often is the saving grace.

A good pregame with the crew, knowledge of the specific rulebook you’re using and the ability to prepitch all the various scenarios can make the difference between a good game and one that leaves players, coaches, parents and even you scratching your head muttering, “What just happened?”

Joe Alfonse of Woburn, Mass., is a collegiate and USA softball umpire.

He also officiates men’s and women’s collegiate volleyball and high school basketball. *

5 MINUTES WITH CHRISTIE CORNWELL SEC coordinator of umpires discusses video review.

Residence: Greensboro, N.C. Experience: Coordinator for Southeastern, Atlantic Sun, Sun Belt and Old Dominion Athletic conferences and co-coordinator of the Ohio Valley Conference. Umpired NCAA softball for 17 years, including three WCWS. Member of the USA Softball of North Carolina Hall of Honor. Co-founder of Diamond Umpire Academy.

REFEREE: The 2019 SEC Tournament was first to use video review. How did that come about?

CORNWELL: Video review has been a topic of conversation in softball and among the SEC coaches for several years now. With the SEC successfully using video review in other sports, bringing video review to softball seemed like a natural progression.

REFEREE: Was there any reservation about using it?

CORNWELL: We wanted to be sure that whatever we did would positively impact the overall experience of the student-athletes. Pace-of-play has been an issue for softball on the national level, and we were cognizant on how this new technology would impact SEC games.

REFEREE: Did the umpires have to go through any training prior to the tournament on how to use the system?

CORNWELL: Yes, we had several training sessions prior to the tournament to learn how to use the equipment and develop a paradigm for the use of replay. We watched game film together to unify the way we would look at multiple elements of reviewable plays, and we had hands-on training using the replay equipment. We also met with the television personnel to discuss how the replay process would work, the rules governing replay and the communication and signals the umpires would be using during replay.

REFEREE: How did the umpires receive being the first to use the system?

CORNWELL: Umpires work extremely hard to be in the best position to see all the elements of a play to make the correct call. Softball is a fastpaced sport, and calls can come

down to a matter of centimeters and split seconds. Umpires want to make the correct calls. The thought of being part of a review that might highlight a missed call was daunting at first. We had to change our thought process to think of video review as a tool that would help us rather than hurt us. It benefits the student-athletes and the game when umpires make the correct call. Adding video review gave the umpires the ability to take a second look at a close play to help ensure the correct call was made or to correct it, if necessary.

REFEREE: Only having one call overturned, did that emphasize the strength of the crew of umpires working the tournament?

CORNWELL: Yes. SEC softball is very competitive. The umpires respect that and train year-round to be the best they can be. We had a seasoned crew of experienced and talented umpires at the SEC Tournament, and it was validating to see how well they did. The crew initiated that review in which the one call was changed.

It was a dynamic, close play at the plate that involved multiple elements.

Thanks to ESPN Coordinating Producer Meg Aronowitz, her production crew and the replay technicians from DVSport, the umpires had the ability to review the play in slow motion and high definition to see elements of the play that were nearly impossible to see with the naked eye in real time. Using those tools to obtain additional information about the play, the crew was able to change the ruling on the field to ensure a correct call was made. It was truly a synergistic effort by all involved.

REFEREE: Where do you see video review going in the future?

CORNWELL: I think video review is an asset to softball. It is my hope that over time, replay will become a tool umpires can use more often and across more divisions of play. The NCAA Softball Rules Committee has expanded the use of video review for the 2020 season. They added two plays that are now subject to review and expanded permissions to other conferences to utilize video review.

The SEC, the Sun Belt Conference and several others will be using video review this year at their conference championships. This will allow for more data to be collected that will aid in further evaluation of the merits of video review and its growth for potential future use. *

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SOFTBALL

CASEPLAYS

Catch?

Play: B1 hits a long fly ball to left field. F7 chases the ball down and makes a catch, then immediately collides with the outfield fence, loses the ball and falls to the ground. Ruling: This is a no-catch in all codes. The fielder must maintain the catch through the contact with the outfield fence. If a fielder collides with another player, umpire or fence, or falls to the ground and drops the ball immediately after a catch, it shall be ruled a no-catch and the ball remains live (USA Softball 1 – Catch/No Catch; NCAA 9.3.2; NFHS 2-9-5b; USSSA 3 – Catch).

Bat Attachment Play: In the top of the first inning, the base umpire notices the on-deck batter has a Pow’R Wrap softball bat weight attached to her bat in the on-deck circle. Ruling: Legal in USA Softball, NFHS and USSSA play as attachments must be designed for softball, commercially manufactured, be securely attached and take the general shape and size of a bat (USA Softball 3-2e; NFHS 1-5-3, 1.5.3C; USSSA 2-12). Illegal in NCAA play as attachments are not allowed in the on-deck circle.

The piece of equipment shall be removed from the game and the on-deck batter shall be warned.

Should the previously removed object appear in the on-deck circle, the on-deck batter shall be ejected (3.5, 13.2.1).

Victor Canales, Decatur, Ind., knows he is responsible for all elements of this play once he provides coverage and must get a great angle to see whether the ball is fair or foul and if there is a catch.

Cover All Your Bases

By Brad Tittrington

B

ase umpires are tasked with making a lot of split-second decisions over the course of the game.

The biggest ones are normally safe and out calls, but they also must rule on checked swings, pulled feet, swipe tags, interference and obstruction. However, one of the most crucial tasks an umpire has is often overlooked — fly ball coverage.

Most pregame meetings gloss over this very important mechanic, especially in the two-umpire system, which is the focus of this article.

Often, the plate umpire will tell the base umpire to only chase with no runners on and only if necessary, and then to not bother chasing with runners on.

The NCAA recently replaced the terminology to more adequately describe the reason for an umpire to be in the outfield. The term chase is no longer used and is replaced by outfield ball coverage. The umpire isn’t simply chasing the ball into the outfield but has responsibility for covering all aspects of the play. The base umpire is providing coverage to get the first call right and making sure to stay with a call as opposed to ignoring a play to head to a potential

play that may or may not happen later.

The most important parts of the play are whether a catch has occurred and whether the ball is fair or foul.

Base umpires who choose to stay in the diamond because runners are on base do a disservice to the players and to their plate partners. A player may make a tremendous diving catch, or may short-hop a ball, but the home-plate umpire now has to make a very difficult decision from long distance, and perhaps not a great angle, because the base umpire decided a secondary call was more important than a primary call. If this call is judged wrong, does the rest of the play really matter? More than likely, runners are going to be put in jeopardy when the call is missed.

Umpires can avoid that chaos by covering when it is necessary.

The first question a base umpire should ask on a fly ball to the outfield within the base umpire’s coverage area is, “Is this going to be tough call for my plate partner?” If the answer is, “Yes,” the base umpire should provide coverage. Any ball that is near a foul line or near a fence — especially games played on fields with temporary fences — needs to have coverage. All umpires who have

SHANNON KAMP

Defensive Conference?

Play: Team A completes its turn at bat in the top of the first inning. As team A takes the field in the bottom of the first inning, the pitching coach stands behind the pitcher and watches her throw her warmup pitches. After the final warmup pitch, the coach heads to her dugout. Ruling: Legal in all codes. Provided the coach does not delay the game, he or she may be out on the field during warmups as conferences don’t become effective until the ball is made live or the coach delays the start of an inning (USA Softball 5-7, R/S #9; NCAA 6.12; NFHS 3-7-1; USSSA 4-8a).

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worked long enough have horror stories about a ball that landed near a temporary fence and had no idea if it should be a book-rule double or a home run because they couldn’t get an angle to tell whether the ball hit in front or behind the fence. And almost all those stories involve a plate umpire having to guess from almost 200 feet away because there was no coverage by the base umpire.

While lines and fences almost always need coverage, another situation that needs a pair of eyes on it is when two fielders are converging.

While this is typically two outfielders converging on a ball in the gap, it can also involve an infielder and outfielder converging on a Texas leaguer. With multiple fielders coming together, this is a recipe for disaster if the base umpire does not provide coverage.

Often the plate umpire’s vision is shielded by bodies and gloves and he or she is unable to properly rule on this play, especially if it is going away

from the plate. In these instances, a plate umpire is unable to distinguish a catch from a trap or if the ball happens to roll out of a fielder’s glove after hitting the ground.

One thing to remember as a base umpire when covering a ball in the outfield, never move back into the infield to make a call on an initial play. For example, if there is a ball hit to right field that the base umpire covers, if there is a throw to first base to make a play on the batter-runner, the plate umpire should always take this play. The base umpire should open up and have eyes on any play happening in the infield but should never return for the initial play.

The base umpire should be prepared to move back in and take a play at one of the bases if the plate umpire has a play at the plate and there is a subsequent play at another base. The most important thing in these situations is communication so each umpire knows where the other

is and can focus solely on the play at hand.

The days of base umpires not covering fly balls because the field is small or plate umpires wanting to not cover bases are over. Players are much quicker, faster, stronger, more athletic and make many more plays than they used to. It is important that umpires move to get angles and cut down on distances in order to get the calls right.

This can only happen if base umpires cover fly balls and take away those tough calls from their plate partners to ensure the game is called correctly.

It doesn’t matter how many runners are on or how many outs there are, the most important thing is getting the call right. And the only way to get the call right is to be on top of the play by providing coverage.

Brad Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee. He is a collegiate and USA Softball umpire. He also officiates women’s college and high school basketball as well as high school volleyball. *

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Take these steps in the event you are attacked while officiating.

By Jason Palmer

I

t was a good game, a close game, and both teams competed hard.

The home team wins by one and as you’re leaving the court, you notice one person who seems very upset approaching you in an aggressive manner. Pre-attack indicators like the balling up of fists, a crazed look in the eyes or a person looking around to see if others are watching are your first clues that something might be up. But before you can react, it happens. You’ve been physically assaulted and the person who did it is running away.

While the risk of something happening is low, knowing what to do if you are attacked is something that should become second nature for all working officials.

While more than 20 states now

:n have laws that classify sports officials as a protected class under the law, and more states have pending legislation, officials themselves must know what steps to take after they have been assaulted. There are civil and possible criminal law matters that need to be considered and your immediate actions after you've been attacked will play a critical role in future legal proceedings.

Escape the Danger Zone As soon as possible, get yourself to a place where you can gather your wits and be in a defensive position, recommends personal safety expert John Correia, owner and founder of Active Self Protection, whose self-defense videos on YouTube

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: now what? are watched by millions of people around the world every month. If the attack happens in the parking lot or outdoors, a safe place could be your car — lock the doors behind you. There also could be safety in the officials’ locker room if you can get there. You might need to run to a security post or lock yourself in a bathroom. There is also often safety in numbers, so getting to a location with other people or referees might be the best option. If you cannot get to a safe place, try to put a barrier between you and the attacker(s) and try to establish distance while making as much noise as possible to attract the attention of others who may be able to provide assistance.

“Being an official is an honorable thing," Correia said. “Unfortunately,

you get noticed when things go wrong. So, try to head off things by proactively communicating with teams and coaches throughout the game so they humanize you. Because when people don’t see you as a person, then they are much more apt to do you harm. That’s a part of de-escalation, escape and avoidance; making sure you are more than just a uniform. You’re a person.”

Because officials work in a variety of ever-changing transitional spaces, Correia said it is vital they are always aware of their surroundings. That way, if something happens, they can escape. That includes knowing where exits are in case of an emergency, where security is to deal with problem fans and who oversees the event.

Call the Police While this might seem obvious, many crimes go unreported, which means there is no official record of what took place. That includes crimes involving assaults on officials.

Reporting the crime protects you in any future litigation and allows for the authorities to conduct a proper investigation. While reporting the incident to a school district or the person in charge of the event is fine, when a crime has taken place, you need to take the initiative.

“Generally speaking, whoever calls the police first is the one who is viewed as the victim when the officer shows up on the scene,” Correia said. “So once you’re out of the ‘danger zone,’ immediately get

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: NOW WHAT? gender, race, hairstyle, color of clothes, where they were located at the time the attack took place, etc.

In today’s world, many people are recording confrontations on cellphones.

This means someone may have video of the attack. This is something prosecutors can subpoena or your personal attorney can also gather.

Also, if the attack happened in a parking lot or inside of a facility, most of these places have surveillance cameras and the police or your attorney may have access to the footage.

on the phone with 911 and tell them you have been attacked. Hopefully, if you are immobilized after an attack, someone will call on your behalf. Tell the police as much as you can about the person who attacked you.”

It is also important to note that filing a criminal complaint is a necessary first step if you plan on suing your attacker at some point.

It is also required for NASO members who are making an insurance claim on the NASO Assault Protection Program. This program provides coverage for certain legal fees, medical expenses and game fee loss resulting from an assault.

However, the opposite is also true. If someone calls the police on you after an altercation, Correia recommends the opposite approach. Tell the police as little as possible until you speak with an attorney.

“The legal system is not built for regular people to navigate,” Correia said. “Thinking that you understand the law is a great way to wind up in jail."

Find a Good Lawyer

Identify Witnesses Depending on where your assault took place, there could be zero to dozens of witnesses. Many assaults on sports officials happen in the moments after the contest ends or during the competition. In these cases, it is likely the assault was witnessed, perhaps by a fellow official. While individuals from the public at large might be reticent about talking to you after seeing what happened, they will often hang around. You should make mental notes so when the police arrive, they can ask for witnesses or approach them. Try to remember identifiable marks on prospective witnesses:

WHAT LEGALLY CONSTITUTES AN ASSAULT? SEE LAW ON PG. 80

In the realm of personal injury law, assault is defined as “a purposeful act by one person that creates a fear of imminent harmful or offensive contact in another.” When it is made the subject of a civil case, it is known in legal terminology as an intentional tort.

The findings in a criminal case (a guilty or not guilty verdict, a plea agreement, and any findings of fact) can sometimes be used as evidence in a civil case under a doctrine called collateral estoppel.

“If someone assaults you, it’s almost certainly going to be considered a crime, and chances are the assailant is going to get charged with a criminal offense, especially if you’re cooperative with law enforcement,” said attorney David Berg. “You should wait until the criminal trial is over before filing a civil lawsuit to see what happens in the criminal trial. If a motion (in the civil case) is granted for partial summary judgment to liability, then the only issue you will need to address in the civil case is your damages.

You would not need to relitigate the issue of liability, since it’s essentially been established via the criminal

conviction."

The simple fear of harmful or offensive touching is usually enough for an assault to have occurred; if the touching occurs, the physical contact is usually considered a battery in civil law, although both claims are often made together.

While you might think you have an airtight case, remember the person you are suing is going to have an attorney, too, according to Berg. And that attorney will have his or her client’s best interest in mind, not yours.

Those who are NASO members get assistance in locating an attorney in their area who can help with their case. If you are not an NASO member, check for recommendations in your area. Look for an attorney who specializes in personal injury.

Notify Others Your assigner and conference supervisor should be one of the first people you contact after the police.

Assigners can work with the appropriate bodies to make the environment safer for the next officials who will have to work at the site where your attack took place. Notifying your supervisor is also an important protocol if criminal charges are filed or there is a civil suit involved as one of the first questions that will be asked after an assault in the workplace is was your supervisor informed, according to Berg.

Go See A Doctor If you were physically assaulted — shoved, kicked, punched, etc. — seek the treatment of a medical provider as soon as possible. Your first reaction might be, “I’m OK,” but like people who have been involved in car accidents, the result of the body being traumatized might not show

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,,

WHATEVER THE SOURCE, TRAUMA LEAVES ITS IMPRINT ON THE BRAIN.

Signs that should cause you concern are things like panic attacks, nightmares, an inability to sleep, change of mood or loss of appetite.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression are also possible results of being attacked. These are serious medical conditions that can be diagnosed and treated only by a mental health professional.

Seth J. Gillihan, Ph.D., is a clinical assistant professor of psychology in the psychiatry department at the University of Pennsylvania. He said talking to someone about the event, like a family member or friend, is a good start.

“Whatever the source, trauma leaves its imprint on the brain,” Gillihan said. “If you find that you’re struggling to recover from your trauma, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.”

SETH J. GILLIHAN PH.D.

Keep a Paper Trail any initial symptoms. Going to a doctor and explaining what happened gives health care providers the information they need to start a physical examination of you, according to personal injury attorney T. J. Grimaldi of Tampa, Fla. “The first step after any form of assault is to seek medical attention,” Grimaldi said. “Even if you’re unsure about the extent of your wounds. Many problems don’t show immediate symptoms, and you could put your life at risk by avoiding medical care.”

Seek Mental Health Treatment Your mental health can also be affected after being put through an emotional situation like physical threats or attacks.

Start a journal and folder to keep all documents of the incident at hand, Grimaldi recommends. Details should include the time and place of the attack, what was said or done to you and by whom.

Include the first time you called the police and if you didn’t call 911 yourself, note who did, and be sure to get a copy of the police report, including the report number.

If you were physically assaulted, document your injuries with photographs and/or video. This will provide evidence in both your criminal and civil cases. Find someone who has a good camera and ask him or her to take the photographs for you.

This provides an additional witness to the injuries you incurred. Try to get these images as soon as possible after the attack and you can continue to take these images in the days and weeks ahead to show how long it took to heal from your attack.

“After creating written and visual documents on the assault, you can return to these notes when you meet with police and prosecutors,” Grimaldi said. “The written record reduces the likelihood that you won’t remember a key detail or convince yourself that the situation was different than you thought.”

When corresponding with your assigner or the person at the school who you first notified about the attack, do it via certified mail. Copy and keep all future corresponding material with all parties involved related to the incident.

If you were treated at a medical facility, keep all medical bills and insurance claims.

Social Media Do not talk about your case on social media. The more details you give, the more the attorneys involved in your case will use it against you. Media silence is the best policy.

Be Persistent Remember you are not only standing up for yourself, you are standing up for the entire officiating community.

You want to create a safer environment for the next woman or man who is assigned a game at the location of your attack.

You might be pressured to drop the charges or the pending litigation. That is a personal choice. However, remember the decisions you make about your case will have ramifications for other officials as well. All officials have a right to work in a safe environment.

Pursuing legal action will help ensure everyone who dons the stripes in the future does so in a safe setting.

Jason Palmer, an associate editor for Referee, officiated basketball for eight years. He is currently a high school water polo official and a USAV Regional referee. *

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PROFILES

PERSONALITIES PLUS

She’s the Apple of Alabama’s Eyes

By Steven L. Tietz

A

labama volleyball officiating legend Kittilax “Apple” Kridakorn still occasionally finds it hard to find good Thai food in the Wetumpka area where she lives.

But like most things in her life, Kridakorn, 72, whose family immigrated from Thailand to Alabama when she was 11, has proved adaptable.

“Apple” Kridakorn learned volleyball through coaching and workshops, but found her niche in officiating.

“Not as many (restaurants) as I would like, but I make do,” she chuckled with the soft Southern twang she has acquired.

Kridakorn, whose nickname comes from her mother’s pregnancy cravings, has also proved adaptable professionally.

For her much-honored 48 years of work in officiating and education, she was inducted into the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, becoming its first foreign-born member. In addition, her alma mater, the University of Montevallo, inducted her into its hall of fame in 2019.

To top things off, she became part of the inaugural class of the Alabama Sports Officials Hall of Fame in 2019.

“It’s been all so surprising and humbling,” she said of the honors. “To go into the AHSAA hall as an official was just unbelievable.”

She grew up an athlete, becoming part of the first girls’ tennis team at her high school in the mid-1960s. She graduated from Montevallo in 1970.

Kridakorn chose the education path and became the volleyball coach at Carver High in Montgomery in 1972.

“It was a crash course,” she said.

“I knew very little about the sport.

Fortunately, Montevallo had one of the few volleyball (education) programs in the state back then and I attended as many workshops as I could.”

In the early days of girls’ volleyball, coaches could also officiate when their teams weren’t competing, so Kridakorn began learning how to officiate, even working some of the first Alabama state tournaments.

“I was taking an officiating class at the time and was expected to help out (at state),” she said. “It was funny. I sort of started at the top, then I went back to the bottom and worked my way back up again.”

Kridakorn did just that as her service includes long terms as a state camp instructor, state tournament referee coordinator and the state rules interpreter for the NFHS. She has been an officer for the Central Alabama Volleyball Officials Association for close to 30 years and has also worked on the collegiate level, including the Southeastern Conference (SEC). She is also a national and regional AAU veteran.

Kridakorn’s value is noticed by a lot of people who know her. “She plays a role in helping (young people) achieve all they want to,” said SEC Assistant Commissioner Leslie Claybrook. “… (She’s) genuine, supportive and passionate.”

“You develop relationships with kids and see them grow,” Kridakorn said.

Steven L. Tietz is an award-winning journalist from Milwaukee. 

51 Seasons and Still Going Neil Gallant Age: 69 Las Vegas

Neil Gallant is finishing up his 51st season as a high school basketball official in the Southern Nevada Officials Association (SNOA) and he’s looking forward to more. At the end of his 50th season in February 2019, a gold basketball was presented to him to honor his service. He started in Adrian, Ore., more than five decades ago for $5 a game wearing Converse All-Star High Tops. He said his partner at the time told him to slow down.

He hasn’t, as Gallant has also worked the Big West and Big Sky collegiate conferences. As SNOA coordinator Marc Ratner told the Las Vegas Review Journal, “He still wants to be out there at his age when few people would be. His love for the sport really shines.”

The Doctor is in the House Dr. Robert Breedlove Age: 72 Stillwater, Okla.

In 2018, Dr. Robert Breedlove was thinking of hanging it up after 52 years as a high school football official, but now after his 53rd campaign last fall and some digging into the history books, he’s thinking he may not be done.

“I sincerely thought that would be my (final season),” Breedlove said.

“I have worked longer on-field than any other high school official in the history of our state. Simply put, I was incorrect.” He suited up last fall as a fill-in, working multiple positions, for the Greater Tulsa Officials Association. Though he has been a referee most of his career, he didn’t mind the switch, calling the situation “wonderful” and “intoxicating.” As for a 54th season, he said he’d consult his “crystal ball.”

Do you know a person or group who should be profiled?

Send info to us at profiles@referee.com

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Solve the Sportsmanship Puzzle • Defining Bad Sports • Adversity Coping Skills

Roll up your sleeves, add your voice and be part of the solution to poor sporting behavior through interactive workshops at the 2020 Sports Officiating Summit.

• Navigating Social Media • Dealing With Bias • The Impact of Social Divisions • Administration Support & Responsibilities • Empowering Officials to do Their Jobs • The Toll Bad Sports Take on Officials • Finding Middle Ground With Parents & Fans • Effective Community Outreach Efforts • Players & Coaches Sporting Behavior • Holding Officials to a Higher Standard

s p o r t s o f f i c i at i n g s u m m i t. c o m May_20.indb 37

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SOCCER

COORDINATOR: JOE BEAN

jbean@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

IT’S NOT THAT SIMPLE

Deceptive Looking Throw-in Is Anything but Routine

By Hanah Shehaiber

A

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/KEN MURRAY/ICON SPORTSWIRE (ABT), FRED KFOURY III/ICON SPORTSWIRE (MESSER), US SOCCER (GARNER), ANDY MEAD/ZUMA PRESS (SERAFINI)

One of the game’s most common restarts, the throw-in, should be discussed in every officiating crew’s pregame. The ball, held in two hands, must be delivered from over and behind the head, requiring one official to watch for proper delivery.

s one of the most frequent restarts in the game, the throw-in can seem deceptively simple. The ball appears to have touched a player on team A just before it rolled over the touchline, so a player from team B sprints to the ball, hurriedly picks it up and tosses it back onto the field to restart play. But a quick restart isn’t necessarily a correct restart.

Like so many other aspects of effective officiating, correct application of the throw-in (rule 15 under NFHS and NCAA and Law 15 under IFAB) begins with a thorough pregame discussion. One consideration is who will make the throw-in call — the official closest to the play or the official with the best angle. Some officials agree to use a subtle signal by holding the right or left forearm at the waist and parallel to the field, with the hand pointing in the direction of the throwin. Once the signal is recognized, the assistant referee and center referee can indicate direction with the raised flag and the extended arm, respectively, pointing the same way. In the rare situation where neither referee can make a decisive call, a drop ball is awarded on the field and near the spot where the ball crossed the touchline.

Another point to decide during the pregame is who will determine where along the touchline the throw-in is to be taken. Some referees will insist the throw be taken on or very near where the ball left the field; others will give the thrower some leeway. It’s also useful to verify in the pregame which referee will watch the hands and which will watch the feet, a decision subject to variation depending on who is closer or has the better angle.

Proper mechanics require the thrower to face the field of play with parts of both feet either on the touchline or behind it, and to deliver the ball with both hands from behind and over the head. An opponent must

/KEN MURRAY/ICON SPORTSWIRE (ABT), FRED KFOURY III/ICON SPORTSWIRE (MESSER), US SOCCER (GARNER), ANDY MEAD/ZUMA PRESS (SERAFINI)

be at least two yards from, and cannot distract, the thrower with any action that can be construed as interfering with or impeding the throw-in. A player impeding the throw is to be cautioned for unsportsmanlike conduct, and an indirect free kick is awarded to the throwing team if the throw-in has been taken. If the throwin has not been taken, the restart remains a throw-in.

The ball is in play when it has left the thrower’s hands and breaks the plane of the touchline. NFHS allows a player with a physical impairment to use one hand. If, under NFHS and NCAA rule 15, the throw-in does not enter the field of play, the ball is awarded to the opposing team at the spot of the infraction. Under IFAB Law 15, a throw-in that does not enter the field of play is retaken. The thrower may not touch the ball again until it has touched another player.

A player can throw the ball against an opponent’s body and play the rebound, unless the throw is done in an unsporting, reckless or violent manner, or uses excessive force, according to NCAA rule 15 and IFAB Law 15.

A player cannot be penalized for an offside offense when receiving the ball directly from a throw-in. A goal cannot be scored directly from a throw-in and it is illegal for a thrower to throw the ball directly to the hands of his/ her goalkeeper. An indirect free kick

is awarded to the opponent where the goalkeeper handled the ball inside the penalty area; if the offense occurred within the goal area, the indirect free kick is taken from a spot on the goalarea line. If the goalkeeper outside the penalty area handles the ball directly from a teammate’s throw-in, a direct free kick is awarded to the opponent at that spot.

A flip throw or somersault throw is legal under the three jurisdictions if the ball is delivered with both hands from behind and over the head, and both feet remain on the ground when the ball leaves the hands. IFAB disallows a kneeling or sitting throw-in, but both are legal under NFHS and NCAA rules if proper mechanics are followed.

There is no prohibition against the thrower putting a spin on the ball if the proper mechanics are followed or how far away from the touchline the thrower must be when the ball is released.

Making the right call on a deceptive-looking simple throw-in demands teamwork, attention to play and a thorough knowledge of the appropriate rule or law.

Hanah Shehaiber, Oak Lawn, Ill., has more than 20 years of combined officiating and coaching experience at the youth level, high school and college levels. She is an IHSA certified official and is the first female in Illinois state tournament competition to serve as the center referee in a state final championship game. *

Can We See Your ID?

By Paul Rojas

R

eferee clinics are held in our state and are identified as a refresher or entry-level clinic. Instructors are chosen by their ability and grade level to instruct at these clinics. The attendees at these clinics can range from junior high school age to senior citizens; their knowledge of the game and its laws can also range from just learned to 30 years with the whistle. It is up to the instructor to make sure all in the clinic meet the objectives and apply them on the field. Instructors must also

create a learning environment for those who just can’t keep their cell phones in their pocket to the veteran referee who might have an interesting story to tell. The next up-and-coming referee might come from one of these clinics and our job is to identify him or her and hopefully get that person on a track for advancement.

What factors or qualities are involved in identifying that next MLS or FIFA referee? One would

THEY SAID IT “We are no longer silent in the center with only a whistle. We want our kids to love the sport.

Instead of yelling and screaming and being a crazy parent, go pull your kid (off the field) if you don’t like it.”

— Soccer referee Brian Barlow, owner of the Facebook page “Offside” that highlights the bad behavior of parents and adults at youth sporting events.

SIDELINE Italian Referee Headbutts Goalkeeper Following a match between Borgo Mogliano and Montottone in Macerata, Italy, on Feb. 1, referee Antonio Martiniello head-butted a goalkeeper he had sent off during the minor league game. The pair got into an altercation outside the changing room after the game.

Goalkeeper Matteo Cicciolio was taken to the hospital to treat his injuries. Martiniello has been banned from officiating for one year as punishment for his actions.

DID YOU KNOW? U.S. Soccer announced Jan. 28 that three U.S. Soccer referees along with one assessor will represent the United States at the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship. (From left) referee Karen Abt, assistant referees Alicia Messer and Jennifer Garner, along with assessor Sandra Serafini, will work World Cup qualifying matches in the Dominican Republic.

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SOCCER

TEST YOURSELF Decide which answer or answers are correct for IFAB, NFHS or NCAA rules. Solutions: p. 81.

1. A substitute becomes a player when: a. The substitute enters the field. b. The referee signals for the substitution. c. The player being substituted exits the field. d. The substitute enters the field with the permission of the referee.

2. B6 is fouled by A8, but the referee plays advantage. Play continues until B6 takes a shot at goal and scores. A11, a teammate of A8, tells the referee she is a clown for making such a stupid call. The referee should: a. Caution A11 and restart with a direct free kick for team A from the spot where B6 was fouled. b. Caution A11 and restart with a kickoff. c. Disqualify A11 and award a direct free kick for team A from the spot where B6 was fouled. d. Disqualify A11 and restart with a kickoff.

3. When walking the artificial turf field, the referees see that none of the lines indicating the soccer boundaries on the field are painted white. The referees should: a. Not allow the game to be played. b. Inform the state association and not permit the game to be played. c. Delay the start of the game until the touchlines can be painted white. d. Allow the game to be played.

4. B11 attempts a sliding tackle, appears to have been injured, and the referee stops the clock to summon the certified athletic trainer onto the field. a. Both coaches can give instructions to their players on the field. b. Neither coach can give instructions to his or her players on the field. c. Team B’s coach can give instructions to B9, who will substitute for B11. d. Both coaches can give instructions to the captains of their respective teams.

think the attendee who answers all the questions, raises a hand and asks his or her own questions throughout the clinic, and who earns the highest score on the multiple-choice test would be the candidate for that track. Not so fast. If you are reading this article, you obviously have something going on as a referee, but think back to your school days. Were you the brightest student in your class and/or the one who got all the attention from teachers and was praised at the end of the school year?

Or were you the one who got passing grades, and once in a while aced a test?

You also knew how to stay with the class and perhaps a teacher kept you from falling through the cracks.

I am fortunate to coach both players and referees in my state and in my community club. As an assigner and assessor, I have the chance at being on the field, observing and assessing for that next referee who will get the nod to move up. I have seen a few referees in my club, assigned by our referee coaching staff for our youth games, who show a promise of getting to that next level. A good number of them score in the 90s and when I see them on the field, they meet the standards we ask of them. Let’s be fair, however. We also have club referees who just refuse to wear the proper uniform and treat the match like they are doing the players a favor by just showing up. All of these referees came from the same schoolroom in our district where our referee clinics are held each year. Why the difference?

One day while observing a referee crew at a youth match, a young woman running line got my attention right away. Every move she made on the line and her signals were textbook right out of our clinics. Her flag was held and used the right way, she stayed with the second-to-the-last defender, assisting the center referee when needed. If I were assessing this crew, she would have had a passing grade without a doubt. Every step I cover in Law 6 at my clinics was mirrored correctly by this young referee. Without getting too academic or theoretical, she utilized four critical levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy: Apply, Analyze, Evaluate and Create. She applied the

appropriate laws of the game; she was able to analyze a sequence of events, evaluate their relationships and “create” a solution by making the right call.

At halftime of this match I talked to the referee crew and asked her — she also played for one of our clubs in the area — which clinic she attended last.

She told me she attended the clinic at our community high school and I was the lead instructor. She also told me she grew up playing soccer at the rec league, then on to an average club, and now plays high school ball in our district. But what did she do in the clinic that stood out? Not a thing.

Anything special that stood out? Not a thing. I could not remember her in the classroom but I did look up her grade and it was average. Could this young referee, with only three years of experience, make it to the next level? By her skills on the field, obviously she has what is necessary to advance. If we try to identify an up-and-coming referee by grades and active participation at a clinic, this young woman probably would not get the recognition and would fall through the cracks; sadly her future as a referee might be curtailed.

After the match, I made sure the referee crew knew they did a good job. I told the assigner that evening this young woman is one of the referees we need to look at and pay attention to.

It is up to the instructor, who probably has the first opportunity, to create a positive first impression about being a soccer referee at every entrylevel clinic. The instructor must be as professional as possible.

As instructors, we have the chance at each of our clinics to be in front of a future FIFA referee. Each attendee must not be overlooked because there are no guaranteed steps to identifying them at a young age. Can you find the time to look at a few of the referees from your clinic when they officiate a youth match? Are they using the techniques you showed in the classroom? Every student in front of us could be the next one who goes the distance — and everyone deserves our continuing encouragement and attention.

Paul Rojas, Ed. D., of Morton Grove, Ill., is a USSF Assessor and Instructor and has been a referee for more than 30 years. *

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Tracked Into a Corner

By Joe Bean

P

DALE GARVEY

laying the ball into the corner — a common tactic by the team in the lead as the game clock winds down — can create unique challenges for all officials. At least seven calls are possible — goalkick, corner kick, a throw-in by the attacking or defending team, a foul or misconduct by either team with the appropriate restart or a dropped ball. Making the right call demands properly positioned officials, a focus on the ball and a decisive whistle or flag.

Each official has a unique role once either team plays the ball into the corner. The center referee needs to be close to the play, especially if it’s in the corner opposite the lead assistant referee. Because some soccer games are played on football fields, it’s possible the stadium lighting might not be as bright in the corner as it is on the field. Some referees will step off the field to get a better view; others will stay behind the contesting players to get their preferred perspective. If the attacking team has played the ball into the corner, a center referee too close to play, however, is at risk for being seriously out of position if the defending team clears the ball and launches a quick breakaway. In such a configuration, the assistant referee should be alert to fouls and misconduct behind the referee’s back or otherwise out of sight. If play is in an assistant referee’s corner, positioning is critical. The official needs to be aligned with the goalline or as near to it as possible.

A referee decision must be made and shown immediately when the ball crosses the goalline or touchline.

Determining whether all of the ball crossed over all of the line is the “easy” part of making the call.

Determining whether an attacker or a defender last touched the ball can be much more difficult, but it still demands a decision announced almost instantaneously. For the center referee, the whistle indicates the ball is out of play, as codified under NFHS rule 9: The referee “shall sound the whistle when needed to indicate that the ball

When two or more players are competing for the ball in a space as limited as the corner area, and when a correct restart determines which team has possession of the ball on the ensuing play, the referee making the call must be focused and decisive.

is out of play. …” If the ball is in the assistant’s quadrant — and depending on the pregame discussion — it is incumbent upon the assistant referee to raise the flag and indicate the decision once the ball is out of play.

The far-side referee has welldefined responsibilities in this unique situation, too. If the corner play is down the touchline, the assistant referee must continue to be in line with the second-to-last defender or at the halfway line if there is no defender in the defending half of the field. In addition, the assistant referee should be alert to fouls and misconduct behind the referee’s back or otherwise

out of sight. If the defending team initiates a quick breakaway, the farside assistant referee must be ready to assume the center referee’s duties and responsibilities as necessary.

Officials should review in the pregame how to respond to the unique challenges presented when a team takes the ball into the corner. Each official has specific responsibilities, which require an awareness of the possibilities for more physical play as three, four or more players compete for the ball in very little space.

Joe Bean is Referee magazine’s soccer coordinator. *

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SOCCER

CASEPLAYS

Heads Up On This Play!

Improper Free Kick Play: B2 is whistled for an indirect free kick foul and the ball is placed just outside the 18 yardline. After the referee sets the wall and indicates that she will restart play with a whistle, she correctly raises her hand. As she blows the whistle, A8 runs to the ball and taps it with her foot; A3, standing near the ball, then kicks it into the goal. The referee awards a goal and points toward the center line to indicate a kickoff. Ruling: Incorrect. The ball is in play when it is kicked and moved. Tapping the ball with the foot is not sufficient (NFHS 18-1g; NCAA 9.1.3; IFAB 13.2).

Goalkeeper Play Play: A9 kicks the ball to goalkeeper A1, who is outside the penalty area. A1 dribbles the ball into the penalty area, picks it up and punts the ball downfield. The assistant referee raises the flag, the referee stops play with a short whistle and goes to the sideline. She is told the goalkeeper illegally handled the ball after dribbling into the penalty area. The referee returns to the field and signals for an indirect free kick where the goalkeeper first touched the ball.

Ruling: Correct. The goalkeeper cannot play the ball with her hands if it has been kicked to her by a teammate (NFHS 12-7-3 Situation B; NCAA A.R. 12.3.3.b.; IFAB 13.3).

C

ompeting players making an attempt to head the ball create unique challenges for the officiating team. The play must be watched closely, from the moment the referee is aware of the possibility of a header to the conclusion of the play.

As the players set themselves to jump into the air, are the players’ eyes on the ball? Or is one player looking at the opponent, with no idea where the ball is located? If so, the referee with the best angle must be aware of the possibility of a foul as the player “accidentally” runs into an opponent whose eyes are fixed on the ball. When the players are in the air and competing for the ball, the referee — again with the best angle — must pay close attention to the locations of the players’ arms and hands. An elbow extended above the shoulder can become a dangerous weapon. Putting a hand on the other player’s shoulder, or tugging at the competitor’s jersey, can prevent a legitimate attempt to play the ball.

Significantly, each official must be alert to the dynamics of the play. If

the players’ heads collide, it’s possible that one or both players will fall to the ground. It’s also possible that a player’s head will hit the playing surface when the player falls. In such situations, a player whose hands instinctively go to the head, or who seems dazed or confused, must be attended to at once.

The referee crew must be aware of the NFHS concussion protocol: Stop the game immediately and summon an athletic trainer or other qualified personnel to examine the player or players affected. If the center official is unaware of the player’s or players’ unusual behavior, another official must get the referee’s attention before the game is restarted. The correct restart, when the game is stopped for an injury, is a dropped ball (NFHS 9.3) where the ball was when play was stopped.

A word of caution, however. Even if the referee did not stop the game, the officiating crew should intermittently observe the players involved in a header for any sign their bumping heads could be more serious than it appeared initially. *

DALE GARVEY

Tiebreaking Procedure Play: Before taking a kick in the first round of five kickers, a player is cautioned for dissent.

The referee allows the player to take a kick in the first round but declares the player cannot kick again until the third round.

Ruling: Incorrect under NFHS and IFAB. (NFHS Tie Breaking Procedure B-1-b states the player is not eligible to kick until the next round of five kicks and another eligible player not listed in the first round of five kickers must take the cautioned player’s turn; IFAB 10.3, states the kick is recorded as missed, the kicker is cautioned and may not kick again until all eligible players have kicked). Correct under NCAA 14.3.3, adhering to NCAA 7.1.1.1, which allows the cautioned player to take the kick.

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N AT I O N A L AS S O C I AT I O N

OF SPORTS OFFICIALS

VISION ACTION IN

better sports through officiating

T

his year – 2020 – marks the historic 40th year of existence for the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO). So what better time than now to bring NASO’s premier event, the Sports Officiating Summit, to one of the most historic destinations in the country?

Montgomery, Ala., will be the site of the 38th Summit later this summer and the beautiful city on the Alabama River was both the cradle of the Confederacy and the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement. Historic sites and museums abound in the state capital, along with some of the best BBQ joints in the nation, plenty of taverns and nightlife, and a beautiful Riverboat and riverfront walkway.

The Sports Officiating Summit — held this year July 26-28 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center — is the one place where officials and officiating industry leaders at the local, state and national levels — representing a wide variety of sports and perspectives — can mingle and make lasting friendships and partnerships.

It’s also where active working referees and umpires can discuss issues with assigners, supervisors, rulesmakers and others who influence how officials are treated and perceived.

This year’s event, with the theme “Good Sports, Bad Sports, Better Sports Through Officiating” will, in the words of NASO President Barry Mano, “bring unique focus on the skill set that sports officials need to effectively

ensure that sporting contests remain fair, safe and competitive according to rule. That is becoming a taller and taller order for all of us in officiating.

“The theme for the 2020 Summit centers on how officials themselves can make sports better – better in the sense of displaying and reinforcing the values that we as a society hold in a place of honor. The Montgomery Summit will bring many of the best and brightest onto the stage, sharing perceptions and practical advice about how we can do superlative work under more demanding conditions. And of course, we will be celebrating officiating and recognizing individuals who have contributed so much to this industry.”

Early Bird pricing for the Summit ends May 15, so to get the best registration price, you should sign-up before then. To get an even better rate, take advantage of our group pricing and register with two or more like-minded officials (making sure you’re all NASO members, of course!) and plan an officiatingfocused getaway to one of the most historic cities that have ever hosted the Summit.

If you’re not an NASO member for some reason, don’t worry. You can sign up for NASO membership before registering for the Summit and still save more than a nonNASO member.

Registration is now open atSportsOfficiatingSummit.com, or call the NASO offices at 262-632-5448 for more details at any time.

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

THESE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT OFFICIALS

ATTENTION REFEREE MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBERS It’s time to join the rest of us in the National Association of Sports Officials. Not only will you continue to receive the world’s #1 officiating publication, you’ll enjoy all of the additional benefits NASO members enjoy.

Go to naso.org/upgrade2020 to join NASO for the special introductory price of $106 and receive these two FREE books!

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FOR NASO MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION OR TO SIGN UP, GO TO NASO.ORG, CALL 262-632-5448 OR EMAIL CSERVICE@NASO.ORG

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FOOTBALL

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

If a defensive player must leave the field due to injury or an equipment-related issue, the play clock will be set to 40 seconds. That was one of the rule changes adopted in January by the NFHS Football Rules Committee at its annual meeting in Indianapolis.

TIME FOR CHANGES

By Jeffrey Stern

T

ime took center stage when the NFHS Football Rules Committee met for its annual meeting in Indianapolis from Jan. 12-14. The committee amended two rules regarding the play clock and another

regarding the halftime intermission.

The caseplays in this column are presented by Referee to explain the changes but are unofficial. Check NFHS publications for official interpretations. The changes are presented in approximate order of importance.

Play Clock 3-6-1a(1)e Excs. 2 and 3 To prevent a potential timing advantage, rules regarding the play clock were adopted. If a defensive player must leave the field due to injury or an equipment-related issue as in 3-5-7e or 3-5-10, the play clock

HESTON QUAN

NFHS Adjusts Rules Regarding Play Clock, Halftime

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will be set to 40 seconds.

“The rules committee was provided situations in which the defensive team was gaining a timing advantage late in games with a defensive injury or an equipment issue with the defense,” said Todd Tharp, assistant director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association and chair of the NFHS Football Rules Committee.

“Under the current rule, if a play ended with less than 40 seconds left in the game and a defensive player was injured which resulted in an official’s timeout, the play clock would reset to 25 seconds and another play would need to be run.

With the new rule change, another play would not need to be run.”

In the event both an offensive and defensive player are involved, the officials will determine for which player the officials’ timeout was initially taken. If the offensive player was noticed first, the play clock is set to 25 seconds; otherwise, it is set to 40 seconds.

Play 1: Third and 10 from team A’s 20 yardline. Team B trails by four points and is granted its last charged team timeout with 41 seconds remaining in the game.

When play resumes, A1 takes the snap and kneels, thinking that will end the game because 39 seconds are on the game clock, which is running. B2 appears to be injured and an officials’ timeout is declared with 36 seconds remaining on the game clock. Ruling 1: B2 must leave the game due to the apparent injury.

The play clock will be set to 40 seconds due to the injury to a team B player. The play and game clocks will begin on the ready-for-play signal. Team A will not have to snap the ball.

Also, rule 3-6-1a(1)f was amended to correct an omission. The play clock is set to 25 seconds when a new series is awarded after a legal free kick or scrimmage kick.

Play 2: Fourth and 10 from team K’s 20 yardline. K1’s punt is muffed

by R2 at team K’s 45 yardline. Prone K3 recovers at the 50 yardline.

Ruling 2: Team K is awarded a new series at the 50 yardline. The play

clock will be set to 25 seconds and will start on the ready for play. The game clock starts on the snap.

Play 3: Third and 10 from team K’s 20 yardline. K1’s punt is blocked. The ball remains behind the line and is recovered by K2 at his own 18 yardline. Ruling 3: The game clock should continue to run. It will be team K’s ball, fourth and 12 from its own 18 yardline.

The play clock should be set to 40 seconds and will start when the ball is placed on the ground and the official has stepped away from the ball.

Modified Halftime 3-1-6d If the game is interrupted due to weather during the last three minutes of the second period, and the delay is at least 30 minutes, the opposing coaches can mutually agree to shorten the halftime intermission, provided there is at least a one-minute intermission (not including the three-minute warmup period).

Play 4: With 1:02 left in the second period, a storm causes the game to be halted. After a one hour, 15-minute delay, it is safe to resume play. The remaining 1:02 is played to finish the second period. The opposing head coaches agree (a) to start the third period immediately, (b) to a 10-minute halftime intermission, or (c) a one-minute halftime intermission. Ruling 4: Incorrect in (a). A halftime of at least one minute must follow completion of the second period. Legal in (b) and (c). The third period may begin after the agreed upon halftime intermission and the mandatory three-minute warmup is concluded.

Ineligible Receivers 7-5-12 Contradictory language in the ineligible-receivers rule was eliminated. Ineligible team A players may advance into but not beyond the expanded neutral zone on a legal forward pass play before a legal forward pass that crosses the neutral zone is in flight.

The old rule indicated a team A

QUICKTIP Before the game, the umpire can ask the coaches to identify their long snappers for scoring kicks.

Find out which way they want the laces. Most, but not all, want the laces down. If you don’t get a chance to ask, stand facing team K’s huddle before the first kick.

As the huddle breaks, ask the snapper how the ball should be placed and, if applicable, where regarding lateral position between the hashes. That way you do not lock a team into a lateral spot it does not want.

DID YOU KNOW? Despite many players being called to service, the NFL played on during World War II. In 1943, the Eagles and Steelers merged to become the Steagles. The next season the Eagles returned and the Steelers merged with the Chicago Cardinals. The Cleveland Rams suspended play for the 1943 season because owner Homer Marshman was in the armed forces.

SURVEY SAYS …

After the 2018 season, a rule allowing state associations to use instant replay in postseason games was adopted. During the 2019 season, the NFHS surveyed officials, coaches and states to gauge how they’d feel about using replay in the regular season as well.

SOURCE: NFHS

yes no coaches

coaches

officials

officials

39%

24%

61%

76%

state assn. state assn.

18%

82%

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FOOTBALL

TEST YOURSELF In each of the following you are given a situation and at least two possible answers. You are to decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS and NCAA rules, which might vary. Note: In kicking situations, K is the kicking team, R the receiving team. Solutions: p. 81.

1. R1 gives a valid fair-catch signal at his 35 yardline. The ball bounces off his shoulder pad and is still in flight behind him. a. By muffing the ball, R1 no longer has protection from contact. b. R1 only has protection if the covering official rules he has a reasonable chance to catch the ball. c. R1 only has protection if the covering official rules he has a reasonable chance to recover the ball. d. If any player catches or recovers the ball, he may advance.

2. A1 and B2 are airborne in the middle of the field and grasp a legal forward pass thrown by A3. B2 touches the ground first followed by A1. Both players fall to the ground inbounds with the ball. a. It’s team A’s ball. b. It’s team B’s ball. c. Incomplete pass.

3. Fourth and goal on team R’s 12 yardline. Team K sets up to attempt a field goal. R11, thinking he is the 12th man, leaves the field just before the snap. R11 goes over the endline and immediately goes to his bench. a. Legal. b. Illegal substitution, a live-ball foul. c. Illegal substitution, a deadball foul. d. Illegal participation, a liveball foul. e. Illegal participation, a deadball foul.

4. Which of the following statements about the coin toss is true: a. The winner of the toss may always defer. b. The referee must let the coin fall to the ground. c. The maximum number of coin tosses in a game is one. d. The maximum number of coin tosses in a game is two.

5. There is no foul for which the penalty includes loss of a timeout. a. True. a. False.

ineligible was required to contact a team B lineman at the snap in order to enter the expanded neutral zone.

As before, if team B touches the pass in or behind the neutral zone, restrictions against ineligibles downfield are terminated.

Coaches Designate Team Representative for Penalty Decisions 1-4-1, 1-4-4, 2-32-5, 3-5-2, 10-1-1, 10-1-2, 10-2-4 Football penalty acceptance or declination has become more and more complex due to rule changes that continue to occur. As a result, it has become common practice for officials to obtain penalty acceptance or declination decisions from the head coach or his designated representative rather than by consulting the team captains.

Implementing the rule changes provides rule support that conforms to the practice used by nearly every game official and will allow the head coaches the opportunity to designate and identify the individual who will make decisions for the team on penalty acceptance or declination. The designation will occur during the pregame meeting with the officials.

In case of emergency or other reason that prevents the designated representative from continuing in that role, the head coach may appoint someone else to take over those duties.

The designated representative may or may not also be the coach’s designee who can request charged team timeouts as in rule 1-4-1.

‘Spiking’ a Pass 7-5-2e Exc., Table 7-5-2e Exc., Table 7-5e Exc. A player positioned directly behind the snapper who receives a snap that has neither been muffed nor has touched the ground may immediately throw the ball forward to the ground to conserve time.

That act, known as “spiking” the ball, was previously legal only if the passer took a direct hand-to-hand snap.

Play 5: Late in the fourth quarter

with the clock running, quarterback A1 is in shotgun formation. He takes the snap and surveys the defense.

Seeing linebacker B2 starting to blitz, he throws the ball forward to the ground. Ruling 5: Foul for intentional grounding. In order to legally ground the ball to conserve time, the ball must be thrown immediately after receiving the snap.

Play 6: A1 is in shotgun formation. The snap (a) flies over A1’s head and hits the ground behind him, or (b) bounces off A1’s chest. A1 recovers the errant snap, then throws the ball forward to the ground. Ruling 6: Foul for intentional grounding in (a) and (b).

The ball cannot be spiked after it has been muffed or has hit the ground.

Disconcerting Acts 7-1-9 Pen., 9-5-1d Previously, a defensive player who used words or actions in an attempt to disrupt team A’s signals was charged with a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Conversely, if team A committed any act clearly intended to cause team B to encroach, the penalty was five yards for a false start. The committee eliminated that imbalance by making a disconcerting act a separate foul with a five-yard penalty.

“Coaches and officials shared concerns that this was too harsh a penalty for this act, comparing this act to a five-yard encroachment penalty on the defense,” Tharp said.

Signal 23, one hand behind the head, formerly used for failure to wear required equipment, is to be used. That signal became moot when that penalty was eliminated in 2018.

Play 7: Linebacker B1 is in a two-point stance across from offensive tackle A2 along their respective lines of scrimmage. While the quarterback is calling signals, B1 (a) claps his hands repeatedly, (b) stomps his foot repeatedly, or (c) yells indiscernible verbiage into his opponent’s face. Ruling 7: In (a), (b) and (c), B1’s acts were designed to cause team A to commit a false start. Team B should be penalized five yards for a disconcerting act.

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It Is a Leap r e t Year,af all The action in the pits on this kick play presents some interesting situations. Offensive lineman (A) has lifted from a three-point stance. Two other team A players (B and C) are in blocking mode.

The snapper (D) still has his head down and still has protection. In NFHS, that protection exists until he has time to look up and regain his balance, blocks or otherwise moves to participate in the play (9-4-6). In NCAA, the protection lasts one second after the snap (9-1-14). Player (E) is angling toward the snapper; any contact he makes with the snapper must be monitored to see if it qualifies as roughing.

The actions of opponent (F) are indicative of hurdling, which is an attempt by a player to jump with one or both feet or knees

foremost over an opponent who is still on his feet. “On his feet” means that no part of the opponent’s body other than one or both feet is in contact with the ground. It is a foul unless, in NCAA only, it is by the ball carrier (NFHS 2-22, 9-4-3d; NCAA 2-15-1a, 9-1-13).

In an NCAA game, player (F) could also be guilty of a leaping foul (9-1-11b). It is a foul if a defensive player moves forward and tries to block a kick or apparent kick on a field goal or try by leaving his feet and leaping into the plane directly above the frame of the body of an opponent. It is not a foul if the player was aligned in a stationary position within one yard of the line of scrimmage when the ball was snapped as long as he doesn’t move forward before leaving his feet.

f e

b d

A

c

DALE GARVEY

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FOOTBALL

CASEPLAYS Penalty Enforcement Play: Second and 20 for team A from its own 10 yardline. A1 advances to team A’s 28 yardline.

B2 is flagged for grasping and twisting A3’s facemask during the run at team A’s (a) 13 yardline, or (b) 33 yardline. How is the penalty enforced? Must team A decline the penalty to keep the yardage gained by A1? Ruling: B2’s foul occurred during a running play, so enforcement is from the end of the run. Team A will likely accept the 15-yard penalty, which is enforced from the end of A1’s run. The result is first and 10 for team A from its own 43 yardline (NFHS 10-4-4; NCAA 10-2-2d1b).

Free Kick After Fair Catch Play: R1 makes a valid fair catch at team K’s 35 yardline.

Team R wishes to attempt a free kick. How are the officials in a crew of five positioned? When does the clock start? Ruling: According to NFHS mechanics, the referee and the umpire are positioned behind the uprights to rule on the kick. The umpire rules on the crossbar but both determine if the kick is between the uprights. The back judge hands the ball to the kicker and has team K’s free-kick line, the line judge has team R’s free-kick line and the linesman is downfield from the back judge. The clock does not start unless the kick is short and is touched in the field of play other than first touching by team K. Under NCAA rules, a free kick after a fair catch is not allowed (NFHS 3-4-5, 6-5-4, NFHS Officials Manual; NCAA 5-1-1a).

Catch?

Play: Third and 10 from team B’s 15 yardline. Eligible A1 is airborne and leaping toward the endline as he has his hands on the ball. B2 then shoves A1 so he lands out of bounds beyond the endline. Ruling: It’s an incomplete pass since A1 was pushed out of bounds. In order to make a catch in that situation, A1 would have to be carried rather than pushed over the endline (NFHS 2-4-1, 3.4.3C, 7.5.4H and I; NCAA 4-1-3p, AR 7-3-6 III).

That is a dead-ball foul and a penalty is assessed whether or not team A reacts.

Points of Emphasis Sportsmanship, intentional grounding, ineligible receivers downfield and offensive formations were identified as points of emphasis.

Sportsmanship When considering sportsmanship, many may first think only of the athletes and coaches. Proper sportsmanship also includes: the pregame warmup period, postgame handshake, spectator behavior (students and adults), public address announcements, and announcers and bands.

The behavior of coaches and players sets the tone for fans, game officials and others. As recognizable personalities, it is an expectation that coaches model good behavior.

Players must represent their schools and communities as ambassadors of good sporting behavior beginning with pregame activities and concluding with end-of-game activities.

Officials generally do not assume control until taking the field approximately 30 minutes prior to the scheduled kickoff.

Once the contest begins, school administrators are then responsible for the proper conduct of all spectators. That may take the form of reading a sportsmanship public address announcement prior to the contest and keen vigilance for possible issues during the contest.

Intentional Grounding One of the most misunderstood rules at the high school level is intentional grounding. It is a foul whenever a forward pass is thrown in an area not occupied by an eligible receiver, or when a pass is thrown to prevent a loss of yardage or to conserve time.

The only exception is when the passer intentionally throws the ball forward to the ground immediately after receiving the snap.

At the college and NFL level, throwing the ball away when the quarterback is outside the pocket is legal as long as the ball reaches the line of scrimmage extended. High school quarterbacks are throwing the ball away to avoid a sack when outside the pocket, thinking it is legal based on what is seen on Saturdays and Sundays. High school referees need to be aware of those situations and, with the help of the line judge and head linesman, make the correct call.

Ineligible Downfield Some clarification was gained this year in regard to identifying when an ineligible team A player is illegally downfield on a pass play. The position of the ineligible A player at the moment of the legal pass is the only factor in determining if the player is illegally downfield.

When identifying team A players who are illegally downfield, it is important to make sure that the team A player is clearly beyond the expanded neutral zone (two yards) at the moment the pass occurs. If B touches the pass in or behind the neutral zone, this restriction is terminated.

Scrimmage Formation In order for team A to have a legal scrimmage formation at the snap (assuming the numbering exception is not being used), at least five team A players numbered 50-79 must be on the line of scrimmage.

Also, no more than four team A players may be backs. Only one player may not be on the line but still penetrate the vertical plane through the waistline of his nearest teammate who is on the line. That player must be in position to receive a hand-to-hand snap but does not have to actually receive it. By rule, he is the only player allowed to be positioned in “no man’s land” at the snap. All other players not on the line must be clearly positioned as backs.

Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor.

He officiated high school and collegiate football and umpired high school baseball. 

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YOUR LOCAL ASSOCIATION

By Referee Editors

What would make the ideal local officials association?

After years of publishing articles on officiating and officials association management, and being involved in associations ourselves, we’ve compiled a list of what the perfect officials association would look like.

We’ve categorized our ultimate list of items into 12 sections: structure/ management, governing documents, communication, outreach, finances, leadership, training, programs, board administration, membership, organization and future outlook.

Are you ready to see how your local association or chapter stacks up?

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STRUCTURE/ MANAGEMENT OF 4 1. Incorporation. The properly incorporated officials association insulates its individual members from legal liability. Incorporation provides the best protection for the general membership and the officers. The association exists independent of any person.

GOVERNING DOCUMENTS OF 11 5. Governing body policies. The association understands and carries out state association, league or conference provisions.

6. Mission statement. The mission statement describes the purpose of the officials association — why it exists. The mission statement provides a common purpose to inspire the association and its members.

7. Strong bylaws. The bylaws are the rulebook for the association and the group follows them.

No organization can function effectively without solid bylaws that set forth the objectives, procedures and requirements of the group. The bylaws are reviewed and amended periodically to stay current with the times.

8. Election policies. The bylaws include policies that spell out the manner in which elections are conducted. Length of terms, restrictions on who is eligible to serve, the nomination process and when the election is annually conducted (e.g. at the annual meeting, first Monday in April, etc.) are all specified.

2. Nonprofit status. The organization benefits from not having to pay taxes on any income it receives and it can receive charitable donations.

3. Knowledge of state laws. The group understands the state legal requirements for existing and operating the association. The officers are acquainted with any special state statutes applicable to their association.

4. Insurance and affiliations. The association is a member of a federation or group that provides liability insurance for the association and its officers; knowing the legal costs involved in defending a lawsuit can break an association and its officers.

10. Discipline policy with appeals process. The policy outlines the rules for behavior and the consequences for non-compliance for members of the organization. The policy includes an appeals process that gives the official an opportunity to defend himself or herself, because it is certainly possible the official didn’t do what he or she is accused of doing.

11. Removal procedure. The procedure allows the board to remove a member or officer. With the procedure in place, it helps the board arrive at the appropriate decision for a tough situation.

12. Conflicts of interest policy. The policy is comprehensive, unambiguous and provides officials direction on when to recuse themselves from a game.

13. Contracts. The association and its members use proper contracts for services provided for state high school associations, leagues or conferences, towns, municipalities, county recreation programs or private organizations.

14. Protocol for assaults. The association has a policy for how it deals with assaults on officials in order to properly support the official and help to deter any future behavior from the league or conference.

15. Assignment policy. If the association is the assigning agent for its members, the bylaws reflect that the association is not an employer and the members are independent contractors, not employees.

The assignment policy lays out the expectations of both members and the assigner.

9. Code of conduct. The published document explicitly communicates the group’s values and guiding principles for ethical behavior for game and association activities.

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COMMUNICATION OF 3 16. Active website. The website includes elements such as a meeting schedule, contacts, how to join and start officiating, training materials and more.

Links to the state association or governing body, officiating gear suppliers and other pertinent sites are included. It’s the type of website members want to bookmark or include in their favorites.

OUTREACH

17. Social media presence. The group understands that social media platforms are another way to reach younger individuals who might be interested in officiating, so it has an active presence on multiple social media sites.

18. Timely communication. In today’s electronic world, there is no excuse for ineffective communication. The group keeps its members up to date on association happenings.

FINANCES OF 5

19. Network. Local associations share the same goals: serve and educate their members. It doesn’t have to be a solo effort. Networking or holding joint meetings with neighboring groups has benefits. Networking within the group or within another area group provides useful contacts to further advance the goals of the association.

20. Visibility. It pays to advertise, and you don’t always have to spend much money to do it. The organization has a logo and association attire.

It encourages members to wear attire to and from games or in their everyday life to spark conversations about officiating.

21. Positive public image. Public relations is important to the association because the group understands it leads to success in other areas like recruitment. If there is a community event such as a charity drive, parade or fun run, members often participate.

22. Good relationship with the state association.

The group understands that staying in the good graces of the state association is a matter of common courtesy and common sense. The association makes sure communications to the state office are professional and considers the state association a valuable partner in recruitment and training.

23. Media use. The association appoints a board member to be responsible for handling the media.

It makes itself available to the media to shed a positive light on the organization and promote members’ accomplishments.

OF 5 24. Adequate resources. For any association to operate and fund quality training, there have to be resources. The association uses member dues as well as hosts tournaments or other special events to provide funds.

25. Balanced budget. An association’s cash flow needs to be kept on a tight leash. A free-spending group will likely not last long.

Hold too tight to the purse strings, though, and you’re probably not offering your membership enough service.

There is a balance to strive for when it comes to the group’s money — and that’s where a budget keeps the group on a disciplined path.

26. Income and expense statements. Treasurers should develop income and expense statements.

Each month, those statements should be sent to board members. One of the responsibilities of a board is to oversee operations, and an area of operations that often generates issues is financial accountability.

27. Annual independent audit. The independent audit of the association’s finances ensures resources are effectively managed. The audit is a mechanism to show how well the treasurer has done his or her job. The annual audit gives everyone peace of mind.

28. Access to a certified public accountant.

CPAs act as advisers to individuals, businesses, financial institutions and nonprofit organizations on a wide range of financial matters.

The association can turn to a CPA for help with tax preparation, financial planning, auditing services and advice on developing effective accounting systems.

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LEADERSHIP OF 9 29. President. An officials association is, as a rule, required to have a president or chairperson — the highest-ranking elected officer of a board of directors. The president leads the organization forward and is the primary representative of the group.

30. Vice president. The vice president serves as the first officer on a commercial aircraft — he or she may be required to take the helm at a moment’s notice. That is the vice president’s first priority. In addition to backing up the president, the vice president may oversee the committees of the officials association and keep the committee chairs on task.

31. Treasurer. The treasurer prepares the annual budget, manages the spending, and is accountable to the board and members so the group remains financially sound and fiscally responsible. Proper monitoring of the treasurer responsibilities is critical.

32. Secretary. The secretary is responsible for meeting minutes, making sure the minutes are accurate, written in plain language with

PROGRAMS OF 6 38. Recruitment program. Recruiting identifies and reaches people who have a propensity to officiate.

It also works to increase the public’s interest in officiating. In other words, it shares the positive aspects of officiating and makes more people want to officiate.

39. Retention program. Once you get them through the door, the retention program ensures those officials not only get launched successfully through education and mentoring, but they’re given the tools to successfully navigate the waters in the months and years ahead.

40. Mentoring program. Think of mentoring as an advanced step of training, which gets to be oneon-one, instead of training in a group atmosphere.

It involves dedicated, detailed attention to one or more young officials by experienced officials in the association.

no editorializing and published in a timely manner. The secretary is also the schedule keeper and solicits and prepares topics for the meeting agenda.

33. Active board members. The president, VP, treasurer and secretary are four of the key board positions. However, the ideal association board usually consists of around seven to 12 total members who are sound leaders, run the association and orchestrate members toward becoming better officials.

34. Quality assigner. The assigner maintains a professional approach when it comes to assigning games. Perception can be reality for some members, so the assigner makes sure assignments are made through a transparent system.

35. Sergeant at arms. The sergeant at arms is the person who steps in — at the direction of the board’s president — if a member becomes disruptive or violates Robert’s Rules of Order.

36. Chief report officer. The designated chief report officer reviews game reports when that’s permitted and serves as a resource to members, making sure they know best practices for filling out game reports.

37. Training instructor. The training instructor focuses on developing a balanced training program that incorporates technology for members of all levels. The instructor gets others involved in training, including members and outside speakers.

41. Evaluation/observers’ program. The evaluation program provides written evaluations/ratings and personal contact with the officials. Observers are educated about how to offer face-to-face feedback.

They know how to use the right words so the feedback is constructive and leads to a change in behavior.

42. New member orientation program. The association takes on the responsibility of orienting new members and making them feel part of the organization from the start. By taking the time to orient new members to the association’s privileges and responsibilities, the group creates a more educated membership and a more productive organization.

43. Succession program. By succession planning, the group eases rather than pushes longtime, dedicated members into retirement. It puts an end to bitter exits from members who have done so much for the organization. There is no set formula for figuring out the right time — it’s a case-by-case basis.

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TRAINING

other members by making attendance mandatory at a set number of meetings. As a result, no one misses out on the education they need.

OF 7 44. Training program. Consistent, balanced training is vitally important, not only for the development of the inexperienced or new official, but to the growth of the association. The association has a strong training program that tells members the leaders are committed to quality training and the development of member (young and veteran) officials. Training and development are year-round processes.

45. High-caliber meetings. Meetings are an ideal place to provide educational and professional growth services to your membership. The association understands nothing will make officials want to join or remain in your group like meetings that are worth attending. The association has regular meetings with strong presenters talking about applicable topics. The meetings start on time, follow an agenda and move along smoothly.

46. Mandatory attendance. While the quality of meetings drives many officials to attend, others still need a push. The group encourages

BOARD ADMINISTRATION OF 8

51. A board policy manual. The manual answers every question that a new board member will have before it can be asked. It contains all of the rules and policies regarding conflict of interest, expectations for board members, how, when and where meetings are conducted, and quorum information.

52. Onboarding efforts. In addition to providing a policy manual/orientation packet, one or two current board members meet new board members prior to their first board meeting to let them know what to expect and answer any questions. As a result, the new board members are ready to contribute right away.

53. Board evaluation system. A solid evaluation system allows board members to recognize strengths and weaknesses, identify opportunities and threats, improve efficiency, establish a roadmap for member self-improvement and ensure that the organization achieves its goals.

47. The right venue. The group understands the importance of a proper venue for its meetings.

The meetings are held in a geographic area that is easy for members to get to and the venue provides options for technology use.

48. Video. Video is used at meetings and clinics to train officials who are visual learners. The organization understands officials can improve by seeing the mistakes and the good work of fellow officials on the big screen.

49. Safety training. The group properly trains officials to apply and enforce safety rules. It documents that the group emphasizes the importance of the role of the official in promoting safety, which minimizes the risk that the association will be held liable for negligence in its training programs.

50. Camps/clinics. Camps and clinics are the primary provider of education in the offseason.

They include thought-provoking educational sessions led by successful peers, as well as regionally and nationally recognized experts.

54. Activity in the offseason. For officers and board members, a day or two after the last game is the best time to address recognized shortfalls — while they are still fresh in everyone’s mind — to make next year even better. The association expends considerable time and talent during the offseason preparing for next year.

55. Productive board meetings. The board meetings are not forums for the expression of personal agendas, but instead are genuine, working business meetings used to decide issues affecting the association.

56. Accurate meeting minutes. Officials associations should keep accurate minutes of all board of directors and general membership meetings.

The association’s secretary should record and maintain all minutes of meetings. With iPads and other tablets or mobile devices, recording meetings is easier than ever.

57. Board job descriptions. The selection of executive and board positions should not be taken lightly. There is a clear and defined job description for each position to help the association better choose the appropriate candidate for the job.

58. Committees. Organized committees contribute to the smooth and efficient running of the association and save board members time. The committees do a lot of important work in the association.

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MEMBERSHIP

ORGANIZATION

OF 7 59. Membership benefits. New members are presented with a list of opportunities and expectations to be gained from participating in the association. In addition to the rules and mechanics reviews taught at chapter meetings, members also receive things like an NFHS rulebook and casebook, bulletins and training development materials, and a schedule of games.

60. Membership engagement. The group engages members to achieve both individual and association success. Valuing the members means committing to their engagement, satisfaction, development and well-being.

61. Youth. Today’s youth will become the leaders of the industry and association in the years ahead.

The association provides a variety of educational materials and programs to educate and keep young officials.

62. Veterans. Young officials are important to the organization, but so are veteran members. They can help to lead your organization long after their days on the field and court are over. Their experience can be a resource at training meetings, and for mentoring and evaluating officials.

63. Inclusiveness efforts. The group understands the need for diversity in officiating. The group makes efforts to recruit and retain minorities and women into officiating.

64. Unity. Members don’t feel alone in officiating when joining the association. Membership gives officials the opportunity to speak with a single voice on matters of importance to the industry.

65. Friendship. The association’s members are people who have many of the same concerns, needs and interests. They’re the kind of people you’ll enjoy meeting. And they’re the kind of people who will end up as friends during and after the officiating journey.

How did your association score?

62+ – You’re doing great. We want to join your group.

50-61 – Your group is doing pretty well. Your passion and leadership show.

40-49 – Your group has room for improvement. Consider adding some of the suggested items.

23-39 – Your group needs work. But it’s not too late to get started.

OF 4 66. Professional reputation. Members and leaders of the organization have a positive reputation for handling the business side of officiating (e.g. contracts, minimal turnbacks, etc.). As a result, the group is in demand with assigners, commissioners and athletic directors. The members treat gameday personnel such as game administrators, timers and scorers, etc., as they would like to be treated.

67. Transparency. The expectation of transparency has become ever more significant for boards in the public sector as well as the private sector.

The association offers members the ability to read, see and understand what the board is doing.

68. Risk management plan. As soon as it looks like there may be a problem, the association has a plan to get help from a reliable, competent expert in a specific field. The availability of expert advice is one of the benefits of joining or being affiliated with a federation or group, but even associations that don’t have access to that kind of help must be ready to get professional advice.

69. Advocacy. The association represents its members’ interests before the leagues and state associations. And if its officials face major threats, the association is right there, fighting for those officials.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

OF 2

70. Strategic plan. The association has a long-term plan (for at least the next few years). It includes things such as better evaluations from evaluators, recruiting additional members, taking high-caliber meetings to the next step and more.

71. Vision. It’s an important element that describes where the association is going. Your vision should incorporate elements of your strategic plan. The association also helps its members visualize the opportunities that lie ahead and to find the tools necessary to turn those opportunities into sound plans. The association’s vision offers a compelling story about the future.

22 OR FEWER – Your group might be in trouble.

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

OF SPORTS OFFICIALS

BECOME AN NASO

GAME SAVER Studies prove that the best way to get and keep officials is through one-on-one contact with other officials. Sports officials who are willing to help recruits are needed.

NASO Game Savers are established officials who are willing to help guide officiating prospects through the process of becoming a sports official in their local area and chosen sport(s) by putting them in touch with the right people, associations, leagues and assigners, and leading them through the necessary steps toward becoming a registered official.

THERE IS A NEED FOR COMMITTED GAME SAVERS IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY • ALL DIFFERENT SPORTS • ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS

VOLUNTEER TODAY! SIGN UP @

NASO.ORG/GAMESAVER

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VOLLEYBALL

COORDINATOR: MARCIA ALTERMAN

malterman@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Riaz Kanji, Bothell, Wash., (left) and Leif Andersen, Kirkland, Wash., are building team camaraderie by introducing themselves to the people who will be working at the scorer’s table before a match. The first and second referee should explain the duties for all members of the officiating team and answer any questions that may arise before the match in order to limit disruptions during play.

NO TIME TO WASTE HERE

By Roman Marushka

E

ach level of volleyball has its own time management challenges. This article will focus more toward junior club and high school matches where you will often have youth players serving as part of your officiating team and/or working at the scorer’s table. As the first referee (R1), faster arm signals won’t make the game move quicker, but what will keep the game moving is your time and court management. I like to divide the time and court management into three phases: (1) setting up the match,

(2) the match itself, and (3) after the match.

Setting Up the Match During the captains’ meeting — besides the regular protocol — emphasize to the captains that all shanked balls must be retrieved prior to their team huddles between rallies.

Be adamant that they inform their teammates to retrieve shanked balls.

Be spot on with your time for warmups. If you must use the restroom, make sure the working crew’s coach (USAV), not player, is keeping the time.

Ask your line judges to keep an eye out for any volleyballs coming from another court. Let them know they play an integral part in keeping the game moving.

Demonstrate and explain to the second referee (R2), the scorekeeper and the libero tracker their match duties. Explain the substitution process; that the R2 will blow the whistle twice and then she or he will tell the scorekeeper the number of the player substituting in for the current player on the court and for which team. Emphasize the positives of working as a team and that the flow

DALE GARVEY

Game and Time Management Help Keep Courts Moving

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of the game will move smoother with their assistance.

Inform the scoreboard operator and scorekeeper to wait and follow your signal for points before they change the score. This is important because sometimes the person operating the electronic or manual scoreboard will react as soon as the play ends and award a point to the wrong team.

Most importantly, stress no cell phones can be used at the table while the match is in play. This can seriously disrupt the flow of the match and is a near certainty that a mistake will occur.

COURTESY OF LSU

The Match As the R1, within the first five to six points of the match, you need to establish the pace of the game. As soon as the server has the ball and looks toward the court, beckon for serve. Prior to the server receiving the ball, you should have enough time to check the scoreboard, check with your R2, see if there are any substitutions or timeouts, scan the court and be ready to whistle and beckon for serve.

Once you set the pace, the players will adjust with their substitution rotations and serving patterns.

Another situation you might have is the coach will call a timeout and your R2, with a weak whistle, might indicate a timeout, and you already beckoned for serve. Use your judgment on this one. Call over the R2 to confirm she or he did call a timeout. This does happen often because the coaches, trying to strategize, will wait until the last moment to request a timeout.

Anticipate such a scenario to avoid any conflicts.

When it’s a tight game or a team is getting defeated badly early in the game, anticipate timeout requests. If the game is in the 20s for both teams, you should expect timeouts coming from both coaches.

Periodically, during a timeout, call your line judges and R2 over and let them know they are doing a good job of keeping the game moving. Such support goes a long way. However, if the line judges are not paying attention, emphasize their

responsibility and the next time they make the correct signal, give them a thumbs up. These types of interactions can keep your court moving.

Keep your timer for timeouts and between sets right on. If you must blow your whistle a couple of times to get the teams back on the court, do so. Also, if you notice a coach is consistently exceeding the time allowed during timeouts, call the captain over and explain this is a courtesy warning and, if it continues, a sanction will be assessed. The coach might give you the thumbs up acknowledging your message. Try to reply with thumbs up in return. This way there is an understanding and the game keeps moving.

Many officials like to write the substitutions on their lineup card for every sub at the high school level.

This can eat up valuable time. If the personnel at the table have a good grasp of what is taking place, this is not necessary. Trust your table workers and you will save valuable seconds during the match. As the R1, if you notice the process is not working, take an official’s timeout and remind the work crew of the process.

After the Match Once the match has concluded, check the scoresheet for accuracy.

Some coaches and players may thank you, but keep it brief so that you can move on to the next match.

Be sure to locate the game ball, have closure with the match you just finished and whistle for captains to start your next match.

You will always encounter some match delays that cannot be prevented such as injuries, equipment/court malfunctions, protests, etc. But do what you can to control what you can. So remember, check the scoreboard, check with your R2, check for substitutions, scan the court, locate the ball, recognize the server, beckon for serve and keep the game moving.

Roman Marushka, Glenview, Ill., is a USAV regional referee and an IHSA certified referee. He still plays competitive men’s volleyball in USAV sponsored tournaments around the country. *

BY THE NUMBERS When a record 2,407 fans attended the regular-season beach volleyball matches at Louisiana State University on Feb. 29, they set an all-time NCAA on-campus attendance record for college beach volleyball. That means 24 lucky officials got to take it all in as they worked on six competiton courts simultaneously. By comparison, the first ever Beach Volleyball National Championship match only drew 1,890 people.

DID YOU KNOW? Starting in the 2020 season, NCAA conferences will have the option of using a third referee, whose sole responsibility will be ruling on challenges initiated by coaches.

SIDELINE Three USA Referees Headed to 2020 Olympics Pati Rolf, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Brig Beatie, Clovis, Calif.; and Christina Fiebich, St. Paul, Minn.

They learned in early February they had earned positions at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.

Beatie has been appointed as a beach volleyball referee. Last year he was the first referee for the 2019 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship gold medal match.

Fiebich has been appointed as a sitting volleyball referee at the 2020 Paralympic games, a sport she has been officiating since 2013. Rolf has been a FIVB international referee since 1999.

This is her second Olympics appointment and she will retire from officiating at the conclusion of the 2020 Summer Games.

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VOLLEYBALL

TEST YOURSELF In each of the following, you are given a situation and possible answer(s). You are to decide which answer(s) are correct for NFHS, NCAA or USAV rules, which might vary. Solutions: p.

81.

1. The libero may not: a. Serve in one position during the match. b. Serve as the team’s floor captain. c. Complete an attack while the ball is completely higher than the top of the net. d. Wear a uniform top that contrasts in color with those of his/her opponents. e. All of the above.

2. A30 is a back-row player. B5 attacks a ball. A30 joins A2 and A10 to participate in a block.

The completed attack by B5 misses the block and lands out of bounds. The result of the play is: a. An illegal back-row block on team A. b. Out of bounds. c. Replay. d. None of the above.

3. How many dead balls/rallies must occur between libero replacements if the libero is not in the serving position? a. Three. b. None. c. One. d. Two. e. None of the above.

4. Team A’s third hit barely breaks the plane of the net when B5, a front-row player whose hands are raised completely above the height of the net, contacts the ball as it is completely above the height of the net and no longer in the opponents’ playing space. The correct call is: a. A replay is called by the first referee. b. A legal, completed block and play continues. c. Four hits by team A. Loss of rally/point awarded to team B. d. Illegal block and a loss of rally/point is awarded to team A. e. Play continues as this is the first of three allowable contacts of the ball by team B. f. None of the above.

No (Fan)ning of the Flames Please

By Marsha Goodwin North

F

an behavior is destroying the game experience for many athletes, coaches, officials and other spectators. Rules and protocols are in place, however, for officials to address poor fan behavior before a situation ignites beyond control.

Officials should consult their rulebook or support materials to be knowledgeable on the options they have when dealing with unruly fans for USA Volleyball, the NCAA or NFHS sporting contests.

NFHS 12.3 states, “When a spectator becomes unruly or interferes with the orderly progress of the set, the first referee shall suspend the set until the host management resolves the situation and the set can proceed in an orderly manner.”

A spectator disturbance can be something as mild as a person using an artificial noisemaker to a spectator(s) using abusive, vulgar language toward opponents and/ or officials. Officials should do their best to assess the situation they are given. If security is already making its way toward the situation and there is no disturbance to the game, keep the match moving. However, should you feel it necessary because of safety or the behavior has become a distraction to the game, send the teams to their respective benches until the matter is resolved.

The NCAA specifies behaviors to be controlled in the section of the rulebook titled, Event Management for Administrators, Coaches and Officials: “The responsibility for crowd control rests with the host administrator. Spectator behavior and location should be constantly monitored by event managers to present the least possible interference with the match. … The athletics director or designated representative is expected to require all spectators and fans to be good

sports.” The NCAA specifically states “rudeness, vulgar language, remarks regarding race or gender, physical intimidation and other unsporting conduct from spectators are not tolerated, and (host management) should immediately address such actions.”

USA Volleyball tasks host management to identify specific persons — who may be titled arbitrator, site director, tournament director or other personnel — to address unsporting conduct from fans. On the Southern Regional Volleyball Association website (one of the nine regions for USA Volleyball), a document is available

by Lloyd Percival, who developed 10 rules for parents of athletic children. The introduction states, “Maybe your child will become a great player someday, and maybe they won’t, but they will be a better person if you follow these rules.” USA Volleyball publishes a Spectator/Parent Code of Conduct that many clubs require its parents to sign and the document is kept on file by the club/coach.

Various states and USAV regions have developed guidelines or policies to deal with unruly fans/ parents at volleyball matches.

In Arizona, Florida and North Carolina, “purple cards” are used at USAV-sponsored events to warn/ penalize teams whose spectators are misbehaving. These are cards that can be administered by the first referee during a match to the offending team to correct fan behavior. In Massachusetts, written notices are sent to parents who violate the NFHS rules of sportsmanship. Other cities are citing parents with a $5 fine/ violation while some require parents to watch a video tutorial and sign a code of ethics pledge.

What type of issues should be addressed? Obscene words or drawings on cards or signs,

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chants, cheers or taunts that embarrass, ridicule or demean participants, especially those aimed at an official’s, player’s or coach’s race, religion, appearance or nationality should not be allowed.

Throwing anything on a playing surface should also be addressed immediately. Whistles by fans should never be allowed. NCAA and NFHS do not allow artificial

noisemakers. When applicable, officials are assisted by game administrators by expelling the individual(s) from the premises during the contest.

Sports officials have every right and can take immediate action to eject a player or coach from a game for unruly behavior. The same rights extend to unruly spectators, but host management is better

equipped to deal with unsporting behavior from fans. Athletes deserve a well-officiated, fair contest promoting physical activity, good sportsmanship and enforcement of the written rules.

Marsha Goodwin North, Cleveland, Tenn., is an NCAA official, former USAV official and state supervisor of officials for the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. *

When Speaking in Numbers, Let Your Fingers Do All the Talking

By Robert Doan

S

upervisors and evaluators look for confidence in body language and crisp signals when determining the validity of a call. When officials blow their whistle, players, coaches and fans look directly to the official to see who the call is on and which team has the violation. Officials can 100 percent get the call correct but have a hard time convincing everyone if their body language or signals appear weak. This can be especially true when using hands to communicate numbers in volleyball.

Referees lose validity when they struggle with communicating numbers with their hand signals.

This article provides the correct hand signals for presenting numbers as well as helpful tips for getting them correct.

Communicate numbers with hand gestures The following are common times officials might use their hands to communicate numbers: 1

2

• Net violation.

• Delay of service.

• New captain entering the match.

• Communicating how many substitutes or timeouts a team used.

Using your hands to communicate Officials should always start “filling up” the numbers with their right hand. All numbers 0-5 can be completed with just one hand.

When the number is 0, the official should make a zero signal with one hand (four fingers wrapped around touching the thumb leaving a hole in the middle).

Number 1 should be the pointer finger.

Number 2 should be pointer and middle.

Number 3 should be thumb, pointer and middle.

Number 4 should be all fingers (no thumb).

Number 5 should be all fingers and thumb.

When adding numbers 6-9, officials will show the five fingers 3

4

5

with their right hand and include the new numbers with the left following the same order. For example, 6 would be all five fingers in the right hand and the pointer finger in the left. Try to signal both hands at the same time.

Number 10 is shown with a closed fist with the right hand.

Numbers 11-15 will be shown with the right fist and filling the left hand with the remaining numbers.

For example, 14 would be right fist and left hand showing four fingers.

Numbers 16-19 will be shown with a fist then followed by the sequence to give numbers 6-9.

Numbers 20 and above, show first digit with the right hand and the second digit with the left or both hands successively. For example, 22 would be a two with the right hand and a two with the left and 46 would be four fingers in the right hand followed by the number 6 using both hands. With larger numbers that end with a zero, show the first digit with the right hand, and close fist with the left hand.

6

10

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VOLLEYBALL

14

16

22

40

46

50

CASEPLAYS New Ball in Play Play: Team A is the home team.

After team A serves during the third set, the volleyball becomes lodged in a rafter above the court on team B’s side of the net. Team B has used two of its allowable three contacts when the ball becomes stuck. The head coach for team B throws another ball to the server for team A. The first referee blows the whistle and calls for a replay and then beckons for serve. Ruling: Incorrect. The replacement ball is one that should be approved by the first referee and be provided by the home team in the match for NFHS. In NCAA and USAV, the first referee inspects the ball prior to the match and determines the balls to be used in the match, which must meet the set requirements for play (NFHS 3-22, 5-4-1b; NCAA 19.2.3.1; USAV 23.3.1.1).

Unsporting Conduct Play: In the first set, the assistant coach for team A verbally challenges a call that was made by the line judge. Upon hearing the assistant coach’s comments, the second referee, using preventive officiating, informs the head coach that the assistant coach’s behavior is unsporting and approaching the sanctioning level. Later in the set, a different, unidentified team member on team A’s bench rudely yells across the court about a call.

The first referee assesses a red conduct card to the head coach of team A. The head coach now loses the option to stand and coach from the libero replacement zone. Ruling: Correct for NFHS. The head coach is responsible for all team members at the team bench area. If a red conduct card is issued to the team bench, the head coach shall remain seated for the remainder of the match (NFHS 12-2-6). Incorrect for NCAA and USAV. The head coach is assessed the sanction when the person who committed the rude conduct cannot be identified. The head coach is not required to sit for the remainder of the match (NCAA 6.1.3; USAV 21.2.1).

Communication of numbers by the first referee When the second referee initiates a net violation and provides the number of the player in the net, R2 waits to see if R1 accepts the call. When R1 accepts the call, he/ she will then award the point with the second referee mimicking the awarding of the point signal. After awarding the point, the first referee will mimic the number to the scorer’s table. Many referees will be tempted to direct the numbers to the coach, but really the intent is to show the numbers to the scorer’s table.

Helpful strategies to help master numerically speaking The majority of new referees struggle with providing numbers with their hands unless they have officiated a sport like basketball that also uses hand signals to communicate numbers. Learning to communicate with your hands can be awkward and frustrating, but with a little practice can be easily mastered. The following are helpful tips: Practice hand signals at home This is the most widely practiced strategy. Many officials will practice by themselves calling out numbers or looking at pictures of the hand signals.

Practice with another official Having an official call out random numbers while sitting

around a table can be more challenging than practicing by yourself because they are choosing the number instead of you.

While watching a match on TV or in person, act as though you are officiating the match. When the official calls a net violation, give the proper sequence and number signal as R1 and R2.

In front of the mirror, have someone call out a number and side of the violation, and you give the signal. This is a great way to make sure you are providing a strong signal throughout the sequence.

Easy as riding a bicycle Learning to communicate with your hands can be difficult, awkward and hard to learn.

However, similar to riding a bike, communicating numbers with your hands can be mastered for a lifetime through practice and attention to detail. Gaining confidence in this area of officiating will build one’s confidence in making calls using hand gestures. There will be times when even the best hand signals will need to be further explained.

Sometimes a coach may miss the number you displayed. In this case an oral explanation of the number may be necessary. However, officials must be cognizant that some coaches may use the time as a delay tactic if allowed. Do not allow it.

Robert Doan Ph.D., has been a high school, college and USAV official for more than a decade. He is a resident of Berkeley County, S.C. *

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COMING SOON

NEW VOLLEYBALL OFFICIALS TRAINING

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This official NFHS rule book is updated and improved for 2020. Detailed illustrations help volleyball referees learn the rules and refresh their knowledge faster and easier than ever before.

Keep track of this complex part of the game with simplified explanations, photos and diagrams.

available in june STORE. /volleyBALL May_20.indb 63

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BASKETBALL

EDITOR: SCOTT TITTRINGTON

stittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Sometimes, coaches just want to be heard. Sometimes, they are having a bad day, and it’s evident early in a game. When an official senses that is the case, the best thing to do is lend a sympathetic ear, as Tony Capasso, Cleveland, does here, in an effort to set the tone for the remainder of the contest.

A PACIFIER FOR EARLY FIRE

By Stephen A. Mintz

T

he legendary Ed Hightower was “on loan” to the Western Athletic Conference many years ago handling the referee duties during a Fresno State game. About 30 seconds into the contest, Hightower had a foul call in front of the opposing coach. He raised his fist in the air, body slightly tilted forward from the momentum of running, and just as he blew the whistle, the coach started in. Hightower held his

position, arm straight as an arrow, frozen in time.

“Not today, coach. Not today.”

“But …”

“Not today, coach! Not today.”

“How can you …”

“Not today, coach! Not today.”

The coach relented his argument, and only then did Hightower break his statue-like position and retire to the scorer’s table to report his foul. He got his message across, and likely would have held his ground another 30 seconds until the coach

decided to take the higher road for the night.

We’ve all had this happen (or will). First minute or so of the game, and for some reason the coach is determined to get his point across loudly and often. Someone spiked coach’s Wheaties, or his shoes were too tight, or who knows what, but tonight this team leader is irritated and is going to let your crew know it, immediately. What to do? We can’t all be Ed Hightower. Heck, only Ed Hightower can pull off the school-

RALPH ECHTINAW

Strategies for Handling the Instantly Irritated Coach

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principal-meets-traffic-cop bulldozer attitude to calm a coach for the next 40 or so minutes.

For the rest of us, there actually are a series of steps we can take as an individual and as a crew to corral the coach early so the night doesn’t become a Mike Tyson boxing match times 10.

When it comes to referee/ coach communication, usually one uses a combination of practiced phrases and a dash of his or her own personality. After many years of experience, a veteran official can smooth out most issues with grace and professionalism. Younger officials are also given catch phrases, using terms like, “By rule, coach,” and “That’s enough,” with the palm facing the floor. Finally, there’s a mention of the tools provided in the rulebook: official warnings followed by technical fouls, and, if necessary, disqualification of the coach.

All of those methods earned throughout the ages are helpful during a contest, but there’s an entirely different program to follow for the early onset irritated coach.

There’s really no way a crew wants to start a game with a technical for unsportsmanlike behavior, or even an official warning. The hefty and loaded tropes of, “I heard you, coach!” and “Enough, coach!” are just going to up the stakes and create havoc before the players can work up a sweat.

Time to put on your psychology hats, kids, and start by finding out the problem.

Generally, at least one member of the crew has an idea how the opposing coaches will tend to act during the course of play and will bring up the generics of bench control during the pregame.

Ideally, none of the crew will be warning or penalizing any coaching behavior during the contest until the coach has acted completely out of character, above and beyond his or her consistent activities. If you know a coach is loud and animated throughout a game, you can deal with it when said coach steps out of that mold and/or personally attacks the crew.

But in that first minute, when a

coach is instantly out of character, stop what you’re doing. It’s time to talk to that coach as a human being, using a quiet tone and empathy. Ask what’s going on. Use the old, “Hand me a towel so I can wipe off the ball” or “Let me tie my shoe here” to get close to the coach at the first opportunity. If you can, stand with your back to the coach and your mouth covered by your fist, so no one thinks you’re confronting or about to show up the coach.

Then ask a simple question: “Coach, is everything OK? What’s going on, Bill?”

I know, some referees don’t advocate using the coach’s first name.

This one time, this early in the game, do it.

“This isn’t like you, Sue. Seriously, what’s going on? Can I help?” And mean it when you ask. You don’t have all day, of course, but you have to make a little time for this. If the coach blows you off or waves you off, ignore the action and move on.

During the first timeout, try to sidle up to an assistant and ask similar questions, because something is causing this coach pain today.

More often than not, you’ll find out the answer from the sheepish coach. He or she was looking for a confrontation. You gave a heartfelt ear of concern instead. Nine times out of 10 it’s going to relate to a past game’s officials, or a tournament snub, or a short-handed roster. That other time there actually will be a personal conflict where the coach feels he or she was wronged by one of the crew members the last time and isn’t going to let it happen today.

For the first nine times, remind the coach quietly that this is a new day, you’re a new crew, and promise you’re going to work your tail off.

“Sorry to hear about that last game, coach. I can’t imagine what that’s like, but I can tell you we talked earlier and we’re gonna give you 100 percent on this one. If you have any questions about a call, find one of us at the right time and just ask. We’re here for you.”

On that 10th time, you’ll have to be more direct. “Hey, I hear ya. But this is the crew you’ve got today,

DID YOU KNOW? Not happy with an NFHS rule? Want to propose that it’s changed in the future?

A rule change proposal form is available at nfhs.org/ rulechangeproposal.

However, it’s not as simple as stating, “I don’t like the rule about ----” and leaving it at that.

For a proposal to receive consideration, it must have a “change type” (rule, editorial or other), the current rule must be cited chapter and verse from the NFHS rulebook, and there must be an explanation of the suggested change and rationale behind the change.

The NFHS Basketball Rules Committee meets each April in Indianapolis and considers a select number of rule change proposals during its three-day gathering.

QUICKTIP Now that your 2019-20 campaign has come to a close, take a well-deserved physical and mental break, but don’t sleep on preparations for the next season.

Take a mental inventory of any gear you may need come October.

Line up camps for the summer.

It’s a good time to lock in offseason opportunities to work on your game.

It’s also the offseason for coaches and support personnel, who may have some extra time to help you track down game film for offseason study.

THEY SAID IT “It’s rare I call that one because I’ve gotta touch my hair.”

— NCAA men’s basketball official Roger Ayers, to courtside fans at the Feb. 17 game between Iowa State and Kansas, following a shot-clock violation.

SOURCE: MATT TAIT, LAWRENCE (KAN.) JOURNALWORLD

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TEST YOURSELF In each of the following, decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA men’s and NCAA women’s rules, which might vary.

Solutions: p. 81.

1. All of the following result in a throw-in violation, except which? a. A2 replaces thrower-in A1 on a designated-spot throw-in. b. A2 replaces thrower-in A1 on a non-designated-spot throw-in. c. A2 steps out of bounds while thrower-in A1 is still holding the ball on a designated-spot throw-in. d. Thrower-in A1 hands the ball to A2, who is on the playing court.

2. A1 may dribble a second time after recovering the ball in all of the following situations, except which? a. B2 slaps the ball away from A1. b. A1 fumbles the ball, and then B2 touches it. c. The ball gets away from A1 after an interrupted dribble. d. A1 shoots an airball and is the first to touch the ball.

3. If A1 and B2 simultaneously control the game’s opening jump ball, and the official calls a held ball, who shall participate in the subsequent jump ball? a. A1 and B2. b. The original jumpers. c. Any player from each team. d. Players designated by the referee.

4. Which of following can result in a correctable error? a. An inadvertent whistle. b. An error in judgment. c. An error in counting a score. d. Setting aside a rule.

5. When the ball touches which of these individuals is it the same as touching the floor at that individual’s location? a. An offensive player. b. A defensive player. c. An official. d. All of the above.

6. Team control does not exist in which of the following? a. During an interrupted dribble. b. While the ball is in flight during a try. c. When a live ball is being passed among teammates. d. All of the above.

and if you give us a chance, I think you’ll see we’re gonna give our best effort out there. I understand if you’re going to be angry about a few calls, just keep it short and contained and we’ll work with you.”

Even if the coach grumbles a bit, it’s guaranteed you worked some magic, just by breaking that animosity between what the coach believes are warring factions. Let the coach know you’re human, and if it was you the coach is upset about, own it. “Hey, Stacy, that was a rough night for me, I had a lot going on. I’m with a great crew today, though, and I feel really good about this game. If you can forgive me that last game, I promise to bust my butt today for you. Are you good with that?”

Yes, this conversation could delay the game for a bit, but it has to happen, or the coach will give you no choice but to prove his or her suspicions correct, that you’re the kind of crew that’ll throw said coach under the bus and give a technical without hesitation. If it’s the first minute or two of the contest, hesitate.

Find out what’s wrong, then

communicate with your crew as soon as you can about what you found out.

Then? It’s back to business as usual. You’ve got a game to call, rules to enforce and situations to control. If the coach doesn’t accept your goodwill, it’s time to return to warnings, stern reminders, and finally, technical fouls. From that first minute’s conversation onward, the onus is on the coach to act like the professional he or she is supposed to be, the example for the athletes, and the solid representative of that school or organization.

If it happens in that first few moments, remember — somebody hurt that coach. Find out what happened, and like any good human being, reassure that you’re there for all of the players and both coaches, you’ll work your heart out, and for as long as they’ll let you, you’ll work with them to resolve any confusion during the game.

If it happens after that?

“Not today, coach! Not today!”

Stephen A. Mintz, Fresno, Calif., is an award-winning writer. He officiated basketball for 30 years and now is a collegiate evaluator and instructor. 

Active ‘C’ Creates a Successful Crew

By Tim Sloan

T

he center official on a threeperson crew is the straw that stirs the drink. When “C” is active, things go more smoothly and games are apt to be better controlled and officiated; without that effort, more bad things can happen because coverage tends to lapse into a sort of hybrid, substandard two-person mechanic.

Here’s a little history to illustrate what I mean.

Probably half of Referee readers aren’t old enough to remember the days when college and professional basketball was worked with only two officials. Games were fast then, too, and the best officials were the whippet-

quick souls who could keep ahead of the action. They moved frequently within their coverage areas to get the best look possible, wherever the ball was located. One was focusing on the point of attack, while the other surveyed the rest. The problem developed, as the game became more physical, that two sets of eyes couldn’t see it all; physicality became roughness, with the threat of more injuries. The advent of the three-point shot made it even tougher. It begat more perimeter play, spreading the area of activity to be observed even more. The net result was play becoming more chaotic, which negated athleticism.

In response, three-person mechanics were devised to have

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CARIN GOODALL-GOSNELL

the new center position monitor the activity off-ball, while two officials controlled things better on-ball. Some constituencies — like stingy owners and athletic directors — resisted the three-person trend but eventually acquiesced. I wrote an article in the early 2000s statistically demonstrating that adding an official did have an effect in reducing foul counts by reducing out-of-control play. I also predicted it would extend the careers of officials by reducing their physical demands. It would also allow them to bring along newer officials more proactively, working with two veterans instead of one.

What I see today, as I look around, is those prophecies coming true — but with consequences. We have too many badly out-of-shape officials working, regardless of age. They take advantage of the three-person system to wait up near the top of the arc like a taxi at the airport, hopelessly out of position to oversee play. The center never gets down below the free-throw line, while the trail strays only inches over the division line. They use these “head starts” to compensate for their lack of mobility; in transition, they can’t keep ahead of a fast break, causing even more problems.

Second, from these vantage points, they often have less ability to cover player-to-player interactions than they could in two-person mechanics — they have less onus to work around the play.

Third, if watching the tip of their nose is any indication, they still watch the ball more than they observe the four to six players on the weak side of the floor. The net result is games taking a turn for the worse in terms of physicality. The expectation in three-person mechanics is an official will have less distance to cover to get in correct position to monitor play; what we see instead is some officials moving even less.

The center’s job, done properly, is to facilitate the lead and trail getting to the thick of the action and then enabling the freedom of motion the rules committees are demanding we permit. Clinicians I’ve heard will tell you that about 60 percent of foul calls should come from the

e c a f s ’ l a i c i f f in the o

Has No Place

There’s no question what T.C. Bond, New Bern, N.C., is ruling on this play.

His strong, assertive signal with his right fist in the air makes it clear to everyone in the gym that he has a foul.

The question is whether a second foul ruling will immediately follow.

Emotional players are a part of the game, from third-graders to professionals and at every level in between. However, when that emotion is no longer channeled into playing the game, but instead directed at the two or three people in charge of officiating it, those who are wearing the stripes need to be prepared to take care of business.

It’s perfectly acceptable for this player to not be happy with Bond’s ruling. It is in no way acceptable for her to get in an official’s face and express those sentiments. This is a clear example of disrespectfully addressing an official, and is immediate grounds for a player technical foul at the NFHS level (10-4-6), a Class A unsporting technical in NCAAM (10-3.1.a) or a player/substitute technical in NCAAW (10-12.3.a.1).

Often when officials issue a technical foul against players, the first thing out of the coach’s mouth for the offending team is, “What did he/she say?” As this photo illustrates, it’s not just a matter of what’s being said, but how it’s being said.

If a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, four of those words are pretty easy in this case: “Technical foul on white.”

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CASEPLAYS

Throw-in Into Backcourt Play: A1 is holding the ball for a throw-in along the sideline in team A’s frontcourt. A1 passes the ball to A2, who jumps from team A’s frontcourt, catches the ball while airborne, and lands (a) with both feet in team A’s backcourt, (b) simultaneously on both feet with one foot in team A’s frontcourt and the other in team A’s backcourt, or (c) with one foot in team A’s frontcourt, followed immediately by the other foot in team A’s backcourt. Has a backcourt violation occurred? Ruling: During a throw-in, a player in his or her frontcourt, who makes the initial touch on the ball while both feet are off the playing court, may be the first to secure control of the ball and land with one or both feet in the backcourt. It makes no difference if the first foot down was in the frontcourt or backcourt.

Therefore, no violation has occurred in any of these scenarios (NFHS 9-9-3; NCAAM/W 9-12.10).

When working as the center official, Randall Wells, Matteson, Ill., needs to handle a variety of responsibilities, including weakside drives to the lane, to help his three-person crew have success.

center. That will happen when “C” is monitoring secondary defenders, helping out on presses, engaged in weakside rebounding and managing weakside drives to the bucket. If the center’s percentage is noticeably less than that, night in and night out, the position is probably too much of a passenger and the crew is suffering.

Let’s look at the four areas just mentioned and illustrate how an active “C” makes things better: Monitoring secondary defenders.

If the ball position has been established on the left wing, for example, with a guard, shooter and post player on that side, the trail and lead should be over there, too. That leaves a second guard and another forward on the right side of the rim line. The center must move down to somewhere below the free-throw line in this case for best result. If a shot comes from the strong side, the center has the weakside rebounding.

If a screen is set through the lane, the center has it. If the ball is quickly switched to the weakside guard, “C” is well-positioned to cover the

one-on-one matchup that results. If a weakside defender moves over to help on-ball, the lead/trail might have trouble officiating that and the center must help. A good crew calls the center’s actions “help”; a weak one sees it as “poaching.” Which crew is yours?

Helping on presses. Once a basket is made, the active center’s first breath will be taken watching the second-tolast defender head up the court — or not. The new trail can handle one defender applying pressure to the inbounds pass. The second-to-last defender hanging around tells one and all that a press may be on and where the best place to cover it will be. In any press, the center’s role is crucial.

If this defender stays roughly at or below the arc, then “C” is watching for freedom of motion fouls on either team during the inbounds pass. The center is also ready to help out on-ball if it comes to his or her side. If more of a half-court press is set up, it’s unreasonable to expect the new trail to catch a backcourt violation if also covering ball pressure; “C” should

TH

Ch

DEAN REID

Timing of Fouls Play: As A1 releases a successful shot from beyond the three-point arc, A2 is called for an illegal screen against B2 on the opposite side of the court.

The illegal contact occurs before A1 releases the shot, but the whistle sounds after the ball is already in the air. Ruling: In NFHS, the ball becomes dead when a team-control foul occurs. It is a team-control foul on A2, the shot attempt is nullified, and team B will have the ball for a designatedspot throw-in nearest where the foul occurred (4-19-7, 6-7-4, 7-45, 7-5-4a). In NCAAM/W, the ball becomes dead when an official blows a whistle, except when the try is in flight. In that case, the ball does not become dead until the try-in-flight ends. The three-point attempt is counted. In NCAAM, it is a common foul on A2, and team B will have a designated-spot throw-in nearest where the foul occurred. The officials may use a monitor review to determine when the foul occurred in relation to the shot (4-15.2.a, 6-5.1.d, 6-5.1.f, 6-6.2, 7-3.2, 7-4.4, 11-2.1.b.5).

In NCAAW, it is a personal foul on A2, and team B will have a designated-spot throw-in nearest where the foul occurred (6-5.1.d, 7-3.2.b, 10-5.3).

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move toward the division line and help. Then, as the ball finds its way up the court, “C” should move with the ball until able to settle into frontcourt coverage. Even if there’s no press and everyone just sets off to the other end, the active center will look in toward the court for any transition antics.

The antithesis to all these healthy behaviors by “C” is an official simply dropping his or her head and heading to the other end to wait for whatever is happening.

Engaging in weakside rebounding. On any try for goal, the center and trail will be sharing responsibility for signaling a threepointer (or not). Unfortunately, for the passive center, this morphs into watching the flight of the ball if the shot comes from trail. In my experience, more rebounding fouls come from the side of the lane opposite the shot, possibly because rebounders figure no one is watching them — and the ball-watching center

seems to prove it. Having said this, the first time an active center ignores the ball, watches the players and bangs the first one plowing over an opponent underneath the rim, life changes. The episode will become a topic of conversation in both huddles during the first timeout.

Managing weakside drives to the hole. We touched on it above, but often enough the offense loads the strong side as a ruse. They want to isolate a weakside player to take a quick reverse pass and drive against a favorable matchup. There’s no time for the crew to rotate strongside, but that doesn’t matter. In this case, it’s the center’s (or trail’s) job to follow the ball all the way into a potential crash and be prepared to make the call on the defender. Done properly, the center pinches in on the play for a better look and helps sell it. Done passively, “C” stays put, a crash ensues and is followed by some hostility but no whistle.

These four examples aren’t an all-encompassing list of things to do; they simply illustrate the underlying point: Some officials treat what we have the center doing as a form of interference or meddling with the game. They believe their mutual focus should be on-ball and that they needlessly add to the foul count if the center butts in like this. The paradox is that an active center actually helps reduce the foul count if the pattern is established early that there are no hiding places. Try it some time.

Teams more often adjust better to a tightly called game, helped by an active center, than a loosely called one. The “C” is usually the lynchpin of an effective three-person crew. Insinuate the “C” into your management of the game and things typically go better for everyone.

Tim Sloan, Davenport, Iowa, is a high school football, basketball and volleyball official, and former college football and soccer official. *

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AUTOMATED BALL-STRIKE SYSTEM — be careful what you wish for …

T

he Law of Unintended Consequences is a concept in the social sciences that notes interfering with complex systems often results in outcomes that can be undesirable or undermine the very initiative being undertaken.

One classic example from history involves the British government’s creation of a cobra bounty in colonial India. Many dead snakes were turned in for the bounty — but the size of the award led to people breeding snakes to turn in for the cash. Realizing that, the government ended the program, but people released their nowworthless cobras in the wild. Instead of reducing the cobra population, the bounty in all likelihood increased it.

MLB needs to be careful not to get

By Referee Editors

bitten by a proverbial snake with its possible adoption of the automated strike zone. As was discovered with the advent of video replay, changes to the game can have unintended consequences.

With replay, MLB had to wrestle with matters and create rules to address things not previously covered, such as whether a dangling lace from a glove matters during a tag play or defining when exactly, in slow motion, does the first baseman secure possession of the ball during a force play. Beyond that, there is the dugout dance that managers do, lingering on the top step and delaying what otherwise would have been the natural flow of the game while they wait to hear from team personnel in the clubhouse whether they should challenge the call.

What about the upper and lower parts of the strike zone?

H

ome plate is a fixed spot on the field and whether a pitch crosses it or is inside or outside will be consistent from hitter to hitter. That part of the zone is always the same. But determining whether a pitch is too high or too low is another matter.

Pro rules spell out the strike zone’s upper limit as “a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants” and the lower level as a “line at the hollow beneath the kneecap.” Therefore,

the top and bottom of the zone will be at a different location for each batter, dependent on his physical characteristics.

Additionally, the strike zone is “determined from the batter’s stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball.”

That changes with each batter — and even the same batter might not have the same strike zone throughout the season if he makes some modifications to his stance and swing. How are adjustments from stance-to-stance going to be made?

On the surface, the automated strike zone seems a much simpler matter: mount the TrackMan Doppler radar system in the stadium and have the data relayed to the homeplate umpire via an earpiece. Replace the human being’s judgment with a tool that should be able to more consistently and more precisely measure whether a pitch crossed — or didn’t cross — through the strike zone.

But for what’s gained, there may be changes to the game — and not all of them may be desirable.

As MLB dips its proverbial toes into the automated strike zone waters — including behind-the-scenes testing and data collection during this year’s spring training — there are more questions than answers.

Here are some things that will need to be considered:

WILL THE STRIKE ZONE DEFINITION NEED TO CHANGE?

A

s last year’s experiment with an automated strike zone in the Atlantic League showed, some pitches that would never be called a strike based on the optics of how they were received by the catcher, either in the dirt or at the upper edge of the zone, now are measured to have nicked some portion of the zone. Does this shift the advantage to the pitcher? If so, how is that going to impact the game — will there be some need to tweak the rulebook definition so the advantage doesn’t shift too far?

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ABS:TBD What will there be to argue about?

W

ith replay, the dramatic arguments between umpires and managers or players over calls on the bases have all but disappeared. Replay did not lead to a reduction in ejections — heave-ho’s related to arguing balls and strikes calls have helped fill the void. Since it’s hard to argue with technology — although former Twins, Mets and Red Sox pitcher Frank Viola, now on the coaching staff of an Atlantic League team, did just that and got ejected this past season — what is there left to argue about?

How does the plate umpire’s role change?

T

he plate umpire will still be needed for checked swings; hit by pitches; pitches that bounce in the dirt and then through the strike zone, fooling the electronic system; interference; balks; and many other calls. But if balls and strikes are no longer a major concern, does the plate umpire need to stand in the slot anymore?

With our increased understanding of the health risks associated with concussions, more umpires have been benched in recent years to recover from foul balls taken off masks. If the plate umpire’s role no longer requires assessing balls and strikes, do we need to position umpires behind the plate?

How does this impact the catcher?

I

t has long been known that a good catcher can earn a few borderline pitches based on how well they “frame” the pitch. An electronic strike zone makes framing skills moot. A team just needs a hockey

What happens when the system breaks down on a given day?

W

e’ve all worked with computers. We all know that sometimes we need to call in the IT department to get something working. What happens when it’s game time and the automated system is not working? Stuff happens. If you’re unexpectedly thrusting the plate umpires back into a full ball-strike judgment role, how’s that going to go? Sure, MLB umpires are the best in the world at what they do. But if they haven’t had to judge pitches all season, and

How do you protect the technology?

A

s the Houston Astros signstealing scandal showed, teams will go to great lengths to get an edge. How is MLB going to make sure the electronic strike zone system stays absolutely secure?

Otherwise, will this be an easy target for sophisticated hackers? Teams are looking for every edge — if they can give their hitters a slightly smaller zone and the opponents a bigger one, will they all be able to resist?

How will the upper and lower portion of the strike zone be measured?

S

omeone will have to “calibrate” the zone. Who will be doing that?

Will it be done at the MLB level or by personnel at each respective stadium? Will it be done based on the batter’s last three at-bats? Or does this lead to someone doing it live?

goalie who can stop the pitch from getting by. That could lead to changes in rosters — a major shift in what teams look for in a catcher. And the interactions between catchers and umpires are likely to change too.

What happens when a player is called up to the big club from the minor leagues during the season and there are no measurements in the system — does that batter get some generic top and bottom of the zone that’s just an average for all players?

now they do, will they have the same edge as if they’ve been doing it all along? How quickly do unused skills start to fade?

Does this change umpire recruitment?

I

t has always been said that an umpire’s platework is what sets him or her apart and gets attention from supervisors. You can be the best base umpire in the world, but if you’re not good at balls and strikes, you’re not going to advance. When your ball-strike accuracy is no longer a factor, what does professional baseball look for in its next crop of umpires?

WHAT'S NEXT?

T

here’s still much to work out before an automated ball-strike system is ready for deployment at the major league level. But with a commissioner keen to see it happen, it now appears if the technological challenges can be overcome, it’s going to be hard to stop.

Could an automated strike zone lead to a more consistent zone? If the technology is there, the answer is almost certainly, yes. But will it also result in changes to the game as it exists now? The answer also is almost certainly, yes.

And at the end of the day, the end of ball-strike disputes might be good for the game. Just don’t expect the game to stay the same. *

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ALL SPORTS

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

FOR ALL SPORTS, ALL LEVELS

Tim Stern, Bellevue, Wash., carries on a calm, measured conversation with a coach. Maintaining such an attitude with coaches isn’t always easy but taking an adversarial approach usually doesn’t prove fruitful.

NOW HEAR THIS

By Referee Editors

T

he best way to answer criticism may be not to answer at all.

Ignoring the remark denies it credence. No smart person is going to indulge in such accusations anyway.

Don’t go there.

But an issue every official must face is: Where do I draw the line?

What is my breaking point? Going into a game with a pretty good notion of how you’ll respond (and playing several scenarios in your head as a form of “dress rehearsal”) is a sensible way to arm yourself for combat.

Decide for yourself whether or not you’re going to allow a coach to slip into an adversarial mode. Be resolute.

Then make a conscious choice of how adversarial you want to be.

It’s possible to persuade a coach, to deflect his or her irritation and deal with anger by refusing to fall into anger yourself.

A key — as obvious as it may be — is to avoid making the situation worse by extending the argument.

Such phrases as, “I just call the rules;

DALE GARVEY

Turn a Deaf Ear to Criticism Until Your Line Is Crossed

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I don’t write ‘em,” or, “Coach your team and let me officiate,” will get you nowhere. Empathy in the way of, “I hear you, coach,” or even a simple, “I see your point,” may not get the coach off your back, but it won’t throw gas on the fire. That’s not to suggest words will always mollify a person bent on aiming a tirade at you.

But a steadfast refusal to erupt can help you employ charm instead of retaliation.

Here is a hint: Try addressing upset individuals as though they were real persons. That is, adopt a conversational tone and deliver your response in soft, measured cadences.

Let’s say you’ve pulled the trigger and attempts to reduce or eliminate the harangue haven’t worked. What should you do when a person losing control has to have the last word and won’t submit to your authority peaceably?

There is value in letting the coach have the final say. It affords a measure of “saving face.” How is the other coach dealing with the opponent’s hostility? Are fans in an uproar? Do circumstances warrant an ejection, technical foul or other sanction?

One philosophical stance is that coaches and players, behaving irrationally, basically penalize or eject themselves. In your own case, consider the kind of language you’ll tolerate, and decide for yourself in advance where you’ll draw the line and how you’ll announce it. “Coach, that’s enough. You’ve made your point. I’m going to end the discussion right now.” And then move away as far as possible to prevent any further dialogue. If the angry person must shout the criticism, the situation is not likely to last long.

Two things you can say to yourself are helpful. One is that you don’t want to build a reputation as being belligerent, intolerant or quick-tempered. It’s not a way to gain respect. The second thing is to tack on the second penalty (ejection) without a display of emotion.

Try to curtail any flamboyant demonstration. If you can do it with a touch of understatement, that in itself will demonstrate your poise and

underscore your dignity. It’s not easy to do, but such behavior is worth striving for.

The other side of the coin. When should you initiate a conversation?

There are several times during a game when it can be a good time to have some positive communication with the coach and use the interaction to improve your credibility. Recognizing those times and knowing just what to say, however, can be an art form.

During the heat of battle, coaches are mentally juggling a lot of issues, so listening to what you have to say usually ranks far down the list.

Still, the mechanics of some sports require you to pass along important information to a coach (e.g. “Coach, that was your last timeout,” or, “You have one mound visit left”). Even if their mind is elsewhere and they don’t process the information, you’ve done your duty.

You may issue an official or unofficial warning. In football, for instance, a warning is the first step if the area between the sideline and the team area is not vacant when the ball is live. Officials may let the coach know he or she may want to handle a problem player before a penalty is levied.

Don’t be eager to stand over coaches and force information on them whenever you think you might have some. Instead, wait to be spoken to and, if the coach really wants to know, be ready to supply a concise explanation of what went on. If you utter 50 words when 25 will do, you’ve said too much. Often, they already know and sometimes they don’t care what happened. But when it’s your turn, offer an explanation, not an opinion, and you should be off to a good start.

If dealing with coaches was easy, anyone could do the job. We start earning our pay when our authority begins to be challenged. That isn’t the end of the world, merely the way of the world, and we need not take it personally.

Always take the high road when dealing with coaches and develop a good formula for saying and doing the right things to keep differences from escalating into something worse. *

QUICKTIP “Every coach is different. Some want you to talk to them; some want you to let them scream at you; others want to talk with you at timeouts. Once a coach gets to know the officials, then he will do exactly what he can get away with.”

— Former NFL referee Ben Dreith

SIDELINE You Look Familiar Ben Carson, captain of the Irvine Meadow soccer team in Scotland, couldn’t believe his eyes in January when he realized the doctor preparing to perform his ankle surgery was William Wilson, a well-known referee.

“We recognized each other pretty much straight away and I just remember thinking, ‘Thank god I’ve never given him dog’s abuse before,’” Carson said. “He came back round to see how I was doing after the operation and then, as luck would have it, he was the ref (for Irvine Meadow) on Saturday,” Carson said.

SOURCE: THE DAILY MAIL (U.K.)

TOOLS The Official’s Journal Chad Young, an official from Kansas, developed The Official’s Journal, a record that can be used in any sport to chronicle information regarding player/ coach demeanor, lessons learned and help keep track of expenses and officiating income.

The journals cost $10 each or a three pack for $25. Bulk pricing is also available. Log on to officialsjournal.com to purchase or for more information.

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ALL SPORTS

Food for Thought (and Your Health)

By Kenny Guess

H

ave you ever noticed how you feel after eating a big meal, especially if it includes a large portion of animal protein like cheese, chicken, beef or pork, and bleached white bread, pasta and rice? Then you have a large, sugary dessert to finish off the meal and you wash it all down with a sweet soft drink.

Holy moly, now the only thing that you have on your mind is, “Boy, would I like to have a place to lay down and take a nap!”

Your liver is trying to process the excess sugar you forced into it and it’s calling in the insulin army for backup. Your stomach is so full of all the protein that takes more energy to digest and absorb, you are now running at about 3/4 speed at best.

You also know how your thinking is affected when you are lethargic; it’s not clear.

Doing your job as a referee is hard enough because you must be able to move and think clearly from the start to the finish of a game. The last thing you need is to be less than 100 percent.

If you are consuming fast foods, overly processed foods and foods that are more man-made than natural, you may be hampering your ability to do your best on the field or court. Not to mention, your health over the long haul will suffer as well.

Our food has changed more in the last 40 years than it has in the last 40,000. Regardless of how you feel about eating animal protein, we have been convinced that more protein is better. Could certain powerful industries influence our thinking? I’ll let you decide that question. Because of the processing of so many food items in the grocery store and restaurants, many of the nutrients have been stripped.

Flavorings and preservatives have been added, some to hit the “bliss point” so that our brains keep us coming back for more. Of course everyone knows that fast food of any kind is not there to improve our health but when it’s cheap, fast and rings our bliss bell, well, it’s hard to resist.

If you have a meal before an event, try eating a hearty salad with very little dressing. For your entrée,

try something like a grilled piece of fish with a vegetable of your liking and a side order of sweet potatoes, or a hummus pita with a salad or a bean burrito. If you are doing a morning game, a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, raisins and peanut butter is a great energy-boosting breakfast.

Those are just a small sampling of what can help you be at the peak for your game. Consider real food low in calories and unprocessed by man. Remember, eating is a habit and bad ones take about two weeks to break.

If you want to really be in the zone while you are officiating, pay attention to what you eat prior to your next game. Stay away from the bad things mentioned above and I assure you, by the end of the event, you won’t be as exhausted. You may even feel energized like that bunny with the bass drum.

Kenny Guess, Diamonhead, Miss., is a retired physical education teacher and wellness instructor. He is also a former bodybuilder, who was named the physique champion in Mr. Louisiana, Mr. New Orleans and Mr. Gulf Coast competitions. *

Bitter Is Definitely Not Better

By Jeffrey Stern

A

cartoon that appeared in another publication depicted a young boy on the department-store Santa’s lap. The youngster says to Kris Kringle, “I don’t care if I don’t get what I want. I just don’t want the other kids to get what they want.”

Sadly, that’s an attitude many officials have. When passed over for a televised game or postseason assignment, they salve their wounds by rooting against colleagues.

Instead of examining their own shortcomings or having an appreciation for another official’s

hard work, they hope the other official fails.

Officiating is a competitive field of endeavor. Although there are shortages of officials across the country, there often are more officials than there are plum assignments. No matter how many are called, there are always fewer chosen.

What many officials fail to realize is that when one official fails, we all fail. Like it or not, we’re one big family. When, in your dealings with coaches or administrators, you talk negatively about another official’s abilities or success, or criticize his or her

performance in a particular game, you’re casting a negative light on yourself as well. You may reap a short-term emotional benefit from bad-mouthing another official, but in the long run what’s going to be remembered is that you made the comments and not the comments themselves. Even if what you’re saying is absolutely accurate, you’ll still come off as a blowhard.

Since playoff assignments often come out while the regular season is still underway, the names of postseason officials will be public.

The grapevine being what it is, officials and coaches will know who is working the big games.

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A coach may mention he or she heard one of your colleagues got the big call and add some commentary. “I can’t believe so-and-so is going to state. How come you didn’t get an assignment?

We always know we’re going to get a fair shake from you. Not like when we had so-and-so last week.”

To which you reply, “Oh, yeah.

He (or she) is awful. You’ve got the A-team tonight.”

Way to go, genius. You just fell into the trap. Is the coach trying to curry favor tonight? You think that comment won’t come back to haunt during the game? “Hey, I thought you were supposed to be good!”

Keeping negative comments to yourself is only one thing you can do to help the avocation.

If you know an official has an important game coming up, an encouraging word from you can send that official into the game

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with confidence. All it takes is a brief email or verbal conversation.

Comments such as, “You’ve worked hard and really deserve that assignment,” or, “I know you’ll do a great job,” can help curb any nervousness the official may feel.

If there is enough time before the game, offer to join him or her for a rules-study session or volunteer to watch film of a previous game worked by that official. A second set of eyes can often see bad habits or coverage lapses that we can’t (or don’t want to) recognize.

If the official is from your association, you can show you’re the bigger person by giving your peer public recognition. Encourage the other members to watch the game on TV or to be there in person to lend moral support. Instead of grousing, “Why can’t I get a game like that?” you can give the

fortunate official a scouting report to better prepare for the game. “I had them earlier in the season.

They’re running a different offense than they have in the past,” gives the official a leg up on mental preparation.

Moreover, if a coach speaks ill about another official, do you honestly think he or she would hesitate to say nasty things about you to another official (including so-and-so)?

Finally, when the big game is over, a follow-up conversation is in order. If the game was a stinker or the official had some problems, let a few days pass. But a heartfelt congratulations or a “hang in there” will be appreciated and remembered.

Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor.

He officiated high school and collegiate football and umpired high school baseball. *

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FOR THE RECORD AWARDS, ROSTERS, NOTABLES

POSTSEASON ASSIGNMENTS

HIGH SCHOOL • The following officials were selected to work the 2019 North Dakota High School Activities Association state football championships: Class AAA — Jim Harty (referee), Andrew Workman (umpire), Casey Henderson (head linesman), Brad Nold (line judge), Tom Harty (back judge). Class AA — Brent Engebretson (referee), Jim Olson (umpire), Perry Olson (head linesman), Brian Aufforth (line judge), Matt Yale (back judge). Class A — Jeremy Carney (referee), Tim Couchman (umpire), Ryan Gellner (head linesman), Preston Bronaugh (line judge), Marshall Kaldor (back judge).

9-man — Scott Privratsky (referee), David Kerlin (umpire), Joe Knowski (head linesman), Bob Kennedy (line judge), Jay Hagen (back judge).

• The following officials were selected to work the 2019 Ohio High School Athletic Association fall sports championships: Cross country — Mike Althoff, John Austin, Andrew Babula, Andris Baltputnis, Timothy Barrett, Michael Beam, Bruce Benedict, Jamie Bialecki, Louis Brown, Steve Bruns, Rick Campbell, Stephen Canby, Joseph Chester, Renay Choma, Larry Cogan, Larry Dellosa, William Duckworth, Kelley DunkleDetillion, Wayne Ferne, James Fox, Julie Gauvreau, John Gibbons, Douglas Gilbert,

Joseph Graf, Harold Grice, Donald Groubert, Thomas Halbedel, E.C. Harrell, David Hershey, Sharon Hikade, Robert Hodgson, Roger Hosler, Barbara Hunter, Steven Hurley, Margie Iagulli, Robert Jones, Ed Katman, Jim Keyser, Kip Kinn, Amy Kramer, Jackie Krieger, Kent Lamberson, Troy Lewis, Tony Longino-Thomas, David Madaras, Karen McKeehan, David Meuleman, Ed Miller, Tony Mollica, Nick Molnar, Deb Molnar, Gary Muckenthaler, Danny Neely, Mike Nissenbaum, David Pearce, Kenneth Prince, Dave Richards, Rodney Russell, Dennis Sabo, Thomas Sapp, Marylou Scherer, Robert Smalling, Glen Smith, William Swank, Terri Tutt, Thomas Weaver, Ronald Weaver, Sharon Wiegand, Lois Wright, Penny Zuber. Field hockey — Travis Burwell, Mike Burwell, TJ Harris. Football — Roger Smith, Brian Samborsky, Kristopher Estes, Daniel Palmer, Matthew Ferdinand, Robert Juliano Jr., Matthew Orin, Peter Tamborello, Wayne Horsley, Aaron Wahl, Cory Miller, Mark Riley, Derek Krueger, Bruce Bame, Dexter Krueger, Bret Roberson, Derek Diller, Jeff Klaus, John Tulk, Kris Lowdermilk, Bobby Starks, Matthew Kendeigh, Scott Scrivens, Anthony Jordan, Justin Bradford, William Smith, Jason Edler, Paul Maragos, Cary Allion, Dalon Myricks, Rich Fisher, Adrian Johnson, Matthew Despoth, Marcus Thompson, Scott Bunting, Eric Mauk, Bradford Huntley, Chuck Caskey, Jeffrey Csank, Rick Macer, Matt Clark, Gregory Bartemes, Charles Anderson, Brandon Strain, Michael Filkins, Steve Gerber, Randy Roseberry, John Whitson, Todd Rini, Daniel Loy, Will

Designate NASO as a beneficiary of your retirement plan or life insurance policy.

L E A R N M O R E AT N A S O . O R G / L E G A C Y O R C A L L 8 0 0 - 7 3 3 - 6 1 0 0

Sumlin, Jeffrey Rase, Stephen Rippeth, Frank Grubb, Michael Dame, Richard Neale, Tim Maddocks, William Pelka, Joshua Jameyson, Lawrence Bass III, Rick Merb, Rick Mielcarek, Phil Porter, Tim Bower, Justin McCulla, Marcus Wright, Michael Reinhart, James Epperly, Ryan Bowers, Jim Borgia, Damon Koverman, Zac Metzger, James Johnson, Chris Burns, Jamie Harding, Vinny Carozza, A. Korry Frizzell, Shawn Isaac, Kevin Sulecki, Ronald Bate, John Mandula, Timothy Costello, Bobby Bolin, Jeffrey Davis.

Boys’ soccer — Tre Gaither, Mark Kleman, Robert Hope, Glenn Nicol, Slobodan Ilibasic, Ron Stuver, Robert Krauss, Mark Martin, Ryan Slack, Michael Schuler, Steve Wootton, Eric Saterfield.

Girls’ soccer — Maggie Short, Dale Anderson, Mike Althoff, Clemente Adducchio, Cynthia Miko, Randy Clark, Mark Wiley, Christopher Hedrick, Courtney Hayworth, Dave Davidson, Bob Sherman, James Duling. Girls’ volleyball — Kevin McKinstry, Guido Bucci, Theresa Rice, Joseph Polack, Sterling Kaimimoku, Mary Black, Anthony Hines, Michael Luth, Lori Francescon, Rick Brown, Michael Chandler, Shane White, John Dornick, Katie Roesch, Jane Allison, Catherine Masin, Rick Puckrin, Elizabeth Zicha, Greg Chesonis, Drew Puckrin, Jeff Kline, Janelle Wyant, Tim Hallauer, Denise Dilsaver, Lovell McKee, Mark Prince, David McCray, Marc Rosen, Kris McConahy, David Barnes, Martin Eck, Dean Roble.

• The following officials were selected to work the 2019 South Dakota High School Activities Association fall sports championships: Football — Jim Ricketts Jr., Todd Landsman, Scott Jansen, Mike Mudder, Ryan Sage (Class 11AAA); Marty Miller, Mark Heirigs, Steve Connell, Curt Roth, Greg Hunhoff (Class 11AA); Tim Steinwnadt,

Marty Weismantel, Jay Kusler, Scott Witlock, Eric Donat (Class 11A); Ed Fiegen, Jimmy Materese, David Hunsley, Tim Dockendorf, Craig Falor (Class 11B); James Harvey, Jared Karsky, Tim Slama, Eric Lowe, Dave Dahl (Class 9AA); Gar Duffy, Todd Foster, Terry Duffy, Pete Entringer, Adam Fritz (Class 9A); Kent Plimpton, John Kirchner, Koby Plimpton, Chad Nelson, Kyle Johnston (Class 9B). Boys’ soccer — Jason Brunson, Benjamin Merritt, Jacob Milbrandt, Jason Wear (Class AA); Derek Brenner, Tony Harrison, Doug Lutz, Joe Masek (Class A). Girls’ soccer — Jered Dawnne Gee, Megan Glenn, Nicole Hovdestad, Chad Landi (Class AA); Luke Achor, Sara Callaway, Savanna Williams, Andrew Wubben (Class A). Girls’ volleyball — Julie Bjerke, Angie Kinsley, Daniel Krier, Lori Krier (Class B); Robin Hartley, Nicole Osborne, Stephanie Kjetland, Lynell Martin (Class A), Janelle Vis, Julie Ortman, Tami Hosman, Brian Kringen (Class AA).

AWARDS & HONORS • Lori Bish and Jack Floyd were inducted Jan. 25 into the USA Softball Northwest Mountain Region 9 Hall of Fame in Clackamas, Ore. Bish is a longtime NCAA Division I umpire who also worked the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Floyd has umpired various levels of fast-pitch and slowpitch softball since 1972 and has contributed to the game as a clinician, event coordinator and mentor.

• Joe Tonelli, executive staff member with the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, has been named one of 12 recipients of the 2020 NFHS Citation Award for his work as part of the NFHS Officials Association. The 12 winners will receive their awards June 30 at the annual NFHS Summer Meeting in Denver.

Do you have any rosters, assignments or awards that warrant mention?

Send info to us at ForTheRecord@referee.com

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ROSTERS 2020 Minor League Baseball Rosters Here are the umpire rosters for the full-season minor leagues, as provided by Minor League Baseball.

Triple A International League Ryan Additon, Davie, Fla. Erich Bacchus, Germantown, Md. John Bacon, Kent, Ohio Sean Barber, Lakeland, Fla. Adam Beck, Oviedo, Fla. William Clark, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Travis Godec, Roanoke, Va. Richard Grassa, Lindenhurst, N.Y. Shane Livensparger, Jacksonville Beach, Fla. John Mang, Youngstown, Ohio Christopher Marco, Waterdown, Ontario Takahito Matsuda, Hamilton, Ontario Daniel Merzel, Durham, N.C. Brennan Miller, Fairfax Station, Va. Jose Navas, Barquisimeto, Venezuela Charles Ramos, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jeremie Rehak, Mars, Pa. Jeremy Riggs, Suffolk, Va. Richard Riley, Alexandria, Va. Justin Robinson, St. Louis Randy Rosenberg, Alexandria, Va. Michael Savakinas II, Fairborn, Ohio Benjamin Sonntag, Vero Beach, Fla. Derek Thomas, Cape Coral, Fla. Alexander Tosi, Imperial, Mo. Ryan Wills, Williamsburg, Va. Michael Wiseman, White Lake, Mich.

Pacific Coast League Sean Allen, Fresno, Calif.

Brock Ballou, Mount Juliet, Tenn.

Matthew Bates, Harrison, Tenn.

Nestor Ceja, Arleta, Calif.

Paul Clemons, Oxford, Kan. Derek Eaton, Elk Grove, Calif.

Reid Gibbs, Glendale, Ariz.

Clayton Hamm, Spicewood, Texas David Jimenez, Maracaibo, Venezuela John Libka, Port Huron, Mich.

Alexander Mackay, Evergreen, Colo.

Nicholas Mahrley, Phoenix Benjamin May, Milwaukee Kyle McCrady, Longview, Wash.

Jacob Metz, Edmonds, Wash.

Malachi Moore, Compton, Calif.

Edwin Moscoso, Palo Negro Aragua, Venezuela Cody Oakes, Oelwein, Iowa Tyler Olson, Overland Park, Kan. Roberto Ortiz, Kissimmie, Fla. Jonathan Parra, Valencia, Venezuela Sean Ryan, Waunakee, Wis. Jason Starkovich, San Tan Valley, Ariz.

Nathan Tomlinson, Douglas, Wyo. Junior Valentine, Maryville, Tenn.

Clinton Vondrak, Reno, Nev. Brian Walsh, San Pedro, Calif.

Lewis Williams III, Lodi, Calif.

Matthew Winter, Mankato, Minn.

Thomas Woodring, Las Vegas

Double A Eastern League Marcelo Alfonzo, Los Guayos, Venezuela Donald Carlyon, Drums, Pa.

Trevor Dannegger, Ballwin, Mo. Joseph Gonzalez, El Monte, Calif.

Thomas Hanahan, Mentor, Ohio Aaron Higgins, Elk Grove, Calif.

Steven Hodgins, Bowling Green, Ky. Steven Jaschinski, Burlington, Ontario Jude Koury, Youngstown, Ohio Lucas Krupa, Sault St. Marie, Mich.

David Martinez, Bayonne, N.J. Kyle Nichol, Henrico, Va. Benjamin Phillips, Cary, N.C. Dane Poncsak, Columbus, Ohio Sean Shafer-Markle, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Harrison Silverman, Dublin, Calif.

Michael Snover, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Derek Thomas, Cape Coral, Fla. Kelvis Velez, Ensenada, Puerto Rico Thomas West, Scarborough, Australia

Southern League Alan Basner, Lawrenceville, Ga. Mark Bass, Madisonville, La. Jhonatan Biarreta, Barquisimeto, Venezuela Matthew Brown, Conway, S.C. Samuel Burch, Seminole, Fla. Emil Jimenez, Coro Falcon, Venezuela Austin Jones, Fayetteville, N.C. Tyler Jones, Charleston, S.C. Garry Kelley, Fayetteville, Ga. Ty Krauss, Glendale, Ariz.

Robert Nunez, Largo, Fla. Anthony Perez, Murrells Inlet, S.C. Mark Stewart Jr., Royal Palm Beach, Fla. Justin Whiddon, Richmond Hill, Ga. Dillon Wilson, Clopton, Ala.

Texas League Hardlen Acosta, Sanchez, Dominican Republic Isaias Barba, Hawthorne, Calif.

Andrew Barrett, San Tan Valley, Ariz.

Jacob Bruner, Gretna, Neb. Michael Carroll, The Woodlands, Texas Zachary Dobson, Littleton, Colo.

Darius Ghani, San Jose, Calif.

Luis Hernandez, Lennox, Calif.

Jose Matamoros, Waupun, Wis. Raul Moreno, Villa De Cura, Venezuela Alex Nash, Atascadero, Calif.

Michael Rains, Plano, Texas

Single A California League Thomas Burrell Jr., Southfield, Mich.

Nolan Earley, Kennewick, Wash.

Matthew Herrera, Katy, Texas Jaeyoung Kim, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea Kevin Mandzuk, Regina, Saskatchewan Raymond Patchen, Carlsbad, Calif.

Christopher Presley-Murphy, Modesto, Calif.

Ernesto Rios Jr., El Paso, Texas

Carolina League Sean Cassidy, Arlington, Va. Emma Charlesworth-Seiler, Golden Valley, Minn.

Benjamin Engstrand, Cumming, Iowa Thomas Fornarola, Webster, N.Y. Joshua Gilreath, Buford, Ga.

Evin Johnson, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Mitchell Leikam, Fort Belvoir, Va. Benjamin Rosen, Thornhill, Ontario Drew Saluga, Boardman, Ohio Robert Tassone, Somonauk, Ill.

Florida State League Jonathon Benken, Lilburn, Ga. Dylan Bradley, Pace, Fla. Anthony Choc, St. Louis Benjamin Fernandez, Cape Coral, Fla. Jeffrey Hamann, Fargo, N.D. James Jean, Lake Park, Fla. Edwin Jimenez, Coro Falcon, Venezuela Tanner Moore, Omaha, Neb. Thomas O’Neil, Lexington, Ky. Jen Pawol, Decatur, Ill. Taylor Payne, Platte City, Mo. Clay Williams, Springfield, Tenn.

Midwest League Luis Avalos, Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico Hector Cuellar Jr., Camarillo, Calif.

Nathaniel Diederich, Victorville, Calif.

Larry Dillman Jr., Lakeside, Calif.

Kenneth Jackson, Macomb, Mich.

Justin Juska, Chicago Kevin Levine, Sawyer, Mich.

Kellen Martin, Moscow, Idaho Trevor Mathews, Venice, Fla. Glen Meyerhofer, Kaukauna, Wis. Jon-Tyler Shaw, Phoenix Kyle Stutz, Leander, Texas Pete Talkington, Bellevue, Neb. William Traynor, Newark, Calif.

Mitchell Trzeciak, Lansing, Mich.

Zdenek Zidek, Zruc-Senec, Czech Republic

South Atlantic League Joseph Belangia III, Greenville, S.C. Jesse Bush, Ballston Spa, N.Y. Adam Clark, Toney, Ala. Kenneth Cullipher, Chocowinity, N.C. Kaleb Devier, Newton, Ala. Chandler Durham, Midland, Ga. Chris Ford, Dillon, S.C. Ethan Gorsak, Toms River, N.J. Jose Lozada, Las Piedra, Puerto Rico Adam Pierce, Ayden, N.C. Cliburn Rondon, Guatire Miranda, Venezuela Rainiero Valero, Puerto Cabello, Venezuela Bryan Van Vranken, Sarasota, Fla. Tyler Witte, Pearl River, N.Y.

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LAW

ISSUES AFFECTING OFFICIALS

Was That an Assault?

By Patrick Rosenow It’s unfortunate, but as poor sportsmanship grows more common, it all too frequently morphs into anger.

That anger sometimes expresses itself physically. It is a more significant problem for officials working at the high school level and below, since we don’t have the security common at college and professional venues.

Moreover, we are closer to the spectators and the fans, who are likely to include a high percentage of close friends and family of the players.

Motivated to take action on behalf of their son or daughter, who they perceive was unfairly treated, they can end up physically confronting the officials. We may go to an association meeting and find out that Steve or Sue was assaulted last week at the Central game. Of course, the word “assaulted” gets the general idea across, but from a legal point of view it is imprecise.

It is a more significant problem for officials working at the high school level and below, since we don’t have the security common at college and professional venues.

Technically speaking, being assaulted and being physically attacked are two different things.

We’ve all heard the common legal phrase assault and battery. For our purposes, we could say that a battery happens when a fan, coach or player intentionally and offensively touches us without our permission. It’s pretty easy to figure out whether or not the touching was intentional and without our permission. The offensive part is slightly more ambiguous, but the law generally states that a touching is offensive if it would offend a

reasonable person in the same circumstance. So, it might be a stretch to claim that you were a victim of a battery if a coach put his arm around you, even if you didn’t consent to that touching. On the other hand, the fan who comes up and shoves you as you try to leave the floor for halftime is clearly engaging in battery.

There are two types of assault, neither of which requires actual physical contact. The first kind of assault occurs when someone threatens to commit a battery against you and puts you in immediate fear of being offensively touched.

Obviously, you have to be aware of the threat and the law again looks to see whether a reasonable individual would have been afraid in the same circumstances to decide if there has been an assault. A good example would be the player who comes after you with a raised fist, but is pulled back by his teammate at the last second. If you were reasonably placed in fear that you would be punched, you are a victim of an assault. On the other hand, a fan at the top of the bleachers shaking his fist at you would not cause you to fear an immediate battery and would not be an assault, although it might constitute some other wrongful act, like communicating a threat.

The other type of assault occurs when someone attempts to commit a battery against you. You don’t necessarily have to be aware of the attempt. For example, if the player approached you from behind, took a swing, but missed because you moved at the last second, he or she would’ve committed an assault by attempt and is certainly criminally liable. However, since you weren’t aware of the attempted assault, it would be difficult for you to claim damages.

Patrick Rosenow, Mandeville, La., is a retired Air Force judge who now sits as a federal labor administrative law judge.

He officiated basketball at the high school, college and international levels. This article is for informational purposes and not legal advice. *

Post-Assault Action Officials who are attacked and seriously hurt will normally have little problem convincing authorities to prosecute the case criminally or finding an attorney to take the case and sue for damages. However, to the extent that there is any good news about this subject, it might be that most of the attacks on officials don’t result in significant physical or psychological injuries.

In those instances, it may be a bit of an uphill battle to get a district attorney interested in spending much time on a case.

For many, it can be tough to find a lawyer to sue, since there is not likely to be much in the way of damages. NASO members have access to the Assault Protection Program, which includes providing up to $4,500 reimbursement of reasonable non-contingent attorney fees in bringing a non-frivolous claim against the perpetrator. Certain legal fees, reimbursement for travel expenses, lost wages and other reasonable expenses may also be available and are included in the $4,500. Reimbursement will be made upon conclusion of the matter and is based on a verified fee agreement and attorney invoice. It will be made on a 60/40 percent co-pay basis with the member paying 40 percent.

Further expenses incurred are the sole responsibility of the member.

Spread the Word Even if a case isn’t being prosecuted, officials should make sure the school districts, recreation districts or state athletic associations are aware of what happened and take appropriate administrative action. In the long run, that may end up doing as much good in fixing the problem in general as a misdemeanor prosecution and suspended sentence or long civil court case.

After all, if principals and athletic directors would go “all in for sportsmanship,” we’d have far less of the conduct in the stands and on the benches that fosters the anger that leads to assaults.

PRESENTED BY

Go to www.naso.org and click on member benefits for more on MICP.

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CLASSIFIEDS CAMPS/CLINICS/ SCHOOLS * ATTENTION ASSOCIATION LEADERS! — Are you holding a camp or a clinic? Do you know of a camp or a clinic coming up?

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LEADERSHIP RESOURCES * Association Advantage Membership to Association Advantage provides officials, associations and their leaders the tools to conduct well-run meetings, education resources for officiating training and access to years of association management articles.

Member associations also receive 12 issues of Referee magazine,

monthly Advisor newsletters, Click e-newsletters, massive discounts on training materials and optional insurance coverage exclusive to membership. For additional membership information, contact Ken Koester at 262-632-5448 or visit the Association Advantage website at nasoadvantage.com.

TRAINING RESOURCES * Referee Training Center — The largest library of officiating training materials in the world.

Rules study, mechanics updates and materials on important topics can all be found in one location 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with sample chapters and video samples. Discover it all at refereetrainingcenter.com.

MISCELLANEOUS * Follow Referee magazine on Facebook and Twitter Get officiating-related news from around the country, participate in conversations with Referee staff and fellow officials, and find out about new products and special offers from us and our partners.

QUIZ ANSWERS BASKETBALL 1 — All – b (NFHS 9-2-2, 9-2-9, 9-2-11; NCAAM/W 9-4.1.e, 9-4.2.a) 2 — All – c (NFHS 4-15-5, 9-5; NCAAM 4-13.5, 9-7.1; NCAAW 4-12.5, 9-7.1) 3 — NFHS – a (6-4-3 Note); NCAAM/W – c (6-3.5) 4 — All – c (NFHS 2-10-1e; NCAAM/W 2-12.1.e) 5 — All – d (NFHS 4-4-4; NCAAM 4-23.3; NCAAW 4-18.3) 6 — All – b (NFHS 4-12-2, 4-12-3; NCAAM 4-9.2, 4-9.3, 4-9.4; NCAAW 4-8.2, 4-8.3, 4-8.4) BASEBALL 1 — All – d (NFHS 8.1.1A; NCAA 7-11p Nt. 3; pro PBUC 7.30 Play 1 Nt.) 2 — NFHS, pro – d (NFHS 3-3-1f6 Pen.; pro 8.04c); NCAA – c (5-15b) 3 — All – d (NFHS 3-4-1; NCAA 9-4; pro 5.10L)

FOOTBALL 1 — NFHS – a (6-2-4, 6-5-5, 6-5-6, 6.5.6 E); NCAA – b (6-3-6a, 6-51a, b) 2 — NFHS – a (2-4-3, 7.5.4A); NCAA – b (2-2-8, AR 7-3-6 I-II) 3 — Both – c (NFHS 3-7-2; NCAA 3-5-2c) 4 — Both – d (NFHS 3-2-1 through 3, “Resolving Tied Games” 3-2-1; NCAA 3-1-1c, 3-1-3b, c) 5 — NFHS – a (No coverage); NCAA – b (3-3-6, 9-2-2e) SOCCER 1 — IFAB – d (3.3); NFHS, NCAA – b (NFHS 3.3.3.6; NCAA A.R. 3.7.1.c except in the last five minutes of the last period of play.)

2 — All – d (NFHS 12-8-2-f; NCAA 12.7.4.7; IFAB 12.3) 3 — All – d (NFHS 1-2-1; NCAA 1.2; IFAB 2.2) 4 — NFHS – a (3-3-2 Situation H); NCAA, IFAB – b (NCAA 1.12.3 (2); IFAB 1.9)

SOFTBALL 1 — All – c (USA Softball 8-1d; NCAA 9.5.2 Eff.; NFHS 8-1-1d Eff.; USSSA 8-4e) 2 — All – d (USA Softball 8-5f-4; NCAA 12.12.5.3 Note; NFHS 8-4-3d Pen.; USSSA 8-14a-5) 3 — USA Softball, NCAA, USSSA – a (USA Softball 3-6f; NCAA no rules coverage; USSSA 2-5); NFHS – b (3-2-12) 4 — All – a (USA Softball 8-7g; NCAA 6.2.3.1; 12.12.2.1, A.R. 12-28; NFHS 8-6-7; USSSA 8-18t) VOLLEYBALL 1 — All – c (NFHS 9-5-6a; NCAA 12.1.2.1; USAV 19.3.1.2) 2 — All – b (NFHS 9-5-1c3; NCAA 14.6.1.3; USAV 14.1.4) 3 — All – c (NFHS 10-4-1c; NCAA 12.2.1.2; USAV 19.3.2.1) 4 — All – b (NFHS 9-5-1c2; NCAA 14.6.1.2; USAV 14.1.3)

MISSION Referee is a magazine written from an officiating perspective, blending editorial credibility and business viability. It educates, challenges and inspires officials at the youth, recreational, high school, collegiate and professional levels in all sports, with an emphasis on baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball and volleyball. Referee is the journal of record for officiating and takes informed positions on selected issues. The magazine provides a forum for its readers, facilitates the flow of information, raises public consciousness about officials’ roles and serves as a catalyst for improved officiating worldwide.

MAY

FLASHBACK 40 YEARS AGO …

1980

• The 50th annual National Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest is held in Madison, Wis. The officials for the event consisted of government, meat industry and university representatives. The officials judged exhibits set up in a meat cooler. They examined beef, lamb and pork carcasses in 40-degree temperatures for two hours without timeouts or a halftime.

30 YEARS AGO …

1990

• The Continental Basketball Association and the NBA agree to terms on a three-year program, which includes the development of both referees and players. The two leagues had a working agreement since the 1979-80 season. During that time, 18 CBA referees had gone on to work in the NBA.

20 YEARS AGO …

2000

• Game assigners and officiating evaluators in Pennsylvania are ordered to abide by a new set of rules instituted by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The rules prohibited persons from basing assessments or game assignments on gender, race, age or other discriminatory criteria.

10 YEARS AGO …

2010

• The union representing professional minor league baseball umpires votes to affiliate with the Office of Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), one of the larger unions of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. The 215 members voted 91 percent in favor of affiliation with OPEIU.

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LAST CALL

A PERSONAL STORY BY MICHAEL TURMAN

Put It in Drive I don’t recall where I gained this thought on developing proficiency as an umpire. I just recall sitting in a pregame with a new umpire many years ago, and as we spoke this thought came into my head.

Of course, we were discussing the typical mechanics prescribed for the upcoming game (two-person crew) and I saw a look on his face that conveyed a sense of being overwhelmed. To calm him down, I harkened back to my driver-ed course

... (U)mpiring, once grasped, is like driving. in high school, and since then I have come to use this frequently for new umpires. It’s something they can immediately grasp both mentally and emotionally, while trusting that their own level of proficiency will rise as they keep it in mind.

I recall how I felt when I entered the vehicle for the first time. There was so much to consider and so much that required my attention. My mind was in overload and I felt panic rising in me. My first time out was not anything worth sharing.

Sitting behind the wheel of an automobile presents so much to consider you can be left wondering

how in the world anyone can ever learn this. Steering wheel, left turn signal, right turn signal, speedometer, rearview mirror, left and right mirrors, gas pedal, brake pedal, lights, etc. How in the world can this all come together with any level of competency?

Being an umpire is directly relatable to that experience. No runners on, runner on first, runner on second, runner on third, multiple runners on, infield fly, dropped third strike, obstruction, interference, one-base awards, two bases, lineup management, rule sets, etc.

Stepping onto the field as a new umpire who, at this point, only has the desire to learn, but no experience, is a lot like sitting behind the wheel for the first time. Your movement around the diamond becomes herky-jerky. Where should I be? Am I in the right position?

Is that my call or yours? Was that a balk I just saw? Am I applying the correct rule? I am overwhelmed.

As I told that new umpire, trust in yourself. Those of us who know the game will help you succeed if you really want to. You just must want to. Learn a little bit each game you umpire. Don’t try to learn it all at once.

It’s impossible. Combine book smarts with practical onfield experience and before you know it, you can step onto the field and “drive.”

As so many of us have come to learn, when you sit behind the wheel of your car or truck, you just drive. You don’t actually think about the processes and details. They just happen as part of the overall aspect of driving. When a task is required, you just do it as part of the whole. Your mind doesn’t break the steps down any longer because those steps have become integrated into the ability to just drive the vehicle.

Similarly, umpiring, once grasped, is like driving. You have learned the mechanics. You have learned the rules.

You know the game. There comes a moment in your career when you step onto the field, hopefully still with butterflies as part of the desire to excel,

and you just umpire the game … you just drive.

You don’t break each pitch down.

When the ball is put into play you don’t process what to do, where to go, etc. Your body has learned how to umpire and the process happens nearly automatically.

Yes, accidents happen. On the road and on the field. We will immediately process what we did that may have led us to the accident but in nearly all instances, we will eventually get back behind the wheel, or on the field.

Most of us drive out of necessity.

Getting to and from work, etc. Most of us umpire for some inner necessity as well. A desire to be a part of the greatest game ever, or something equally sincere. Most of us don’t do it for the money because we know there isn’t a lot of money involved in amateur umpiring. Still, there is a need to fill that being an umpire meets. So, when accidents happen, we get back up and trust that whatever contributed to the accident, won’t happen again.

So, if you are a new umpire, the day will come when you can step onto the field and be able to umpire. Don’t become overly concerned about the minutiae to the point you are frozen.

If you are a veteran, you know as well as I do, those accidents can happen. They will happen. In many ways they are unavoidable, because they are accidents after all. But, we can do everything within our own control to avoid them. Testing, reading, clinics, etc., all contribute to our ability.

Just have fun on the diamond and remember, the best drives are those that are taken for the pure joy of the drive itself. The best games are those officiated for the love of the game.

Step onto the field, shut up and drive.

Michael Turman is from Wahiawa, Hawaii, and is a member of the Pacific Rim Baseball Umpires and an NCAA D-II umpire.  Do you have a personal officiating story to tell?

Send your story or queries to lastcall@referee.com

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