MHSAA-Referee-Magazine-January-2025

SOFTBALL

FINAL JEOPARDY

FOOTBALL

UNS IS NOT PERSONAL

SOCCER

30 MINUTES BEFORE

BASEBALL

NOT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

VOLLEYBALL

YOU ARE A TEAM

ALL SPORTS

HARD FEELINGS?

JANUARY 2025 // REFEREE.COM

FIND FEED FULFILL

BASKETBALL

FOUL REPORT

LET’S GET PERSONAL

WOMEN IN OFFICIATING

P.58

WE GOT THIS

P.42

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THEY’RE CALLED LEGENDS FOR A REASON

P. 78

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CONTENTS

JANUARY 2025 Volume 50, No. 1 Issue 579 78

FEATURES 26

FIND, FEED, FULFILL NASO Summit presenters offered advice on finding and retaining new officials.

42

‘WE’RE NOT YOUR BRO’ It’s time to allow female officials to embrace their unique identity.

58

IT’S MY LIFE The 2023 National Officiating Survey provides insights on officials’ careers outside the avocation.

78

ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS Great officials have much they can teach us, and deserve as much recognition as legendary coaches and players.

SPORTS 18

ON THE COVER Sarita Stamps Diamond Bar, Calif.

30

Age: 36 Occupation: Technical benefits coordinator

36

Officiating experience: Officiates high school, women’s college and men’s college basketball. Has worked women’s JUCO and NCAA Division III playoffs.

BASKETBALL

Table Pleasers: Find a Way to Fix Your Foul Reporting; Extra, Extra — Read All About It; Tipping Etiquette

COLUMNS 4

PUBLISHER’S MEMO

12

THE GAG RULE

SOCCER

Inspection Detection: What to Look for When Walking the Field Before a Game; Tactical Fouls; Wall Support

14

FOOTBALL

Always Never the Same: Personal and Unsportsmanlike Foul Differences; Make Anticipation Part of Your Participation; Be a Try-Hard; Change of Possession Has a Price

HESTON QUAN (COVER), DALE GARVEY (FOOTBALL), COURTESY OF DANA PAPPAS (ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS)

50

SOFTBALL

62

BASEBALL

70

VOLLEYBALL

80

ALL SPORTS

Lost on Jeopardy? Get Together and Fix It; Right of Way; Two by Two No Warmups for Umpires: Be in Midseason Form

by First Pitch; Game Changers; Stay on Track for Plays at the Plate; Force Play or Time Play?

The Supremes

Letters: Combating Ignorance; Snap Shot: Pete the Referee; Say What?

84

FOR THE RECORD

86

LAW

87

CLASSIFIEDS

THE NEWS

Soccer Referee, School District Named in Lawsuit; Pa. Man Sentenced for Assaulting Official; Second Umpire Joins MLB Lawsuit

48 GETTING IT RIGHT

PenSRA Paves Way; Officials Helping Officials Amid Hurricanes; Spirit of the SEC

56

PROFILES

She’s a Quick Learner, a Fast Developer; She Wears Many Hats; Tied to the Tide

88

WNBA Playoff Officials; MLB Playoff Umpires; NBA Officiating Roster Yup, It’s Tax Time (... Again); Missing or Incorrect 1099?

IRS Offers This Advice; By the Numbers Camps/Clinics/Schools; Equipment/Apparel; Leadership Resources; Training Resources

LAST CALL

Child’s Play: “... There is also something to be said for the simplicity of youth games.

It’s refreshing at times to see the game through the lenses of the unpolluted eyes of an innocent child.”

FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHT THIS MONTH

Lone Rangers Need Not Apply: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work; A Bit of a Reach; Over the Line Keep a Lid On It: Understanding Player Intensity Helps Game Control; Defeat the Winter Blahs; Put Hard Feelings Aside When Others Succeed

If this play is flagged as a late hit out of bounds, the guilty player will be charged with a personal foul. It cannot be unsportsmanlike conduct because contact is involved.

FOR MORE, GO TO PAGE 36

Find Referee Magazine on Facebook and follow RefereeMag on X

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

Chief Strategy Officer/Publisher Barry Mano

The Supremes Well, who would have thought that publishing a magazine for sports officials would provide an opportunity to sit in chambers, listening to arguments being presented on appeal to the seven justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court?

I had that opportunity recently and it was fascinating on a number of levels. First and foremost, the appeal being heard had as its core origination two unsportsmanlike conduct foul calls made by Mike Arendt, a highly respected wrestling referee in our state. Second, it was clearly stated by both sides involved in the appeal, from a legal standpoint, Mike’s calls were no longer at issue, though they certainly were at the start of this case back in 2019. What was at issue was whether the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) wrongly imposed its disqualification rules on the wrestler, which took him out of the regional round of the state tournament.

We assembled at the appointed time. The room was packed. The wrestler’s parents, the Halters, who were driving the case forward, were on hand. Five or six representatives of the WIAA were on hand. Attorneys were on hand. Also in the room were students from two schools, who just happened to be touring the state capitol that day. There was not an extra seat available. My wife, Jean, and I sat in the back row. Because of the smallish size of the room, we were not that far from the justices. An interesting, though inconsequential, sidenote: Six of the seven justices were female.

Before the justices entered the chambers, a law enforcement officer sternly gave all of us in the audience the ground rules: no talking, no phones, no eating, no recording, no noise, etc. When she was done, the justices entered. The chief justice then addressed the room and the attorney from each side. Only those two

individuals would have the podium to address the Court. Each side got 30 minutes to present its brief.

The first to speak from the floor was the attorney for the WIAA. Within the first minute of his remarks one of the justices interrupted him with a question. Quickly I understood this type of hearing gives the justices their opportunity to ask questions of the plaintiffs and the defense.

Throughout the next hour there was serious and thoughtful questioning and answering, and numerous calls for clarifications.

As all of this was transpiring, I felt a sense of gravitas. The people present that morning were on hand fundamentally because of something a sports official had done. Mike had ruled (correctly) two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls on wrestler Hayden Halter. By rule, Halter was then DQ’ed from the next event, which took him out of the postseason tournament. His parents and his coach were not accepting of Mike’s calls nor of the WIAA’s enforcement.

Off the matter went to Trial Court, which sided with the WIAA. Then to the Appeals Court, which regretfully sided with the wrestler. And then, today, to the Supreme Court, with the WIAA pressing its case on behalf of its regulations.

Even though it was stated that Mike’s calls were not at issue, from where I sat, they still were. The appeal filed by the wrestler’s legal team referenced those calls nine times. At the core, what the referee did in 2019 was now being referred to as a “distant ivory tower.” Let’s hope the judicial system doesn’t mire itself in such journeys. Our Supreme Court’s decision could come as late as next June. We will let you know.

Chief Operating Officer/Executive Editor Bill Topp Chief Marketing Officer Jim Arehart Chief Business Development Officer Ken Koester Editor Brent Killackey Assistant Managing Editor Julie Sternberg Senior Editor Jeffrey Stern Associate Editors Joe Jarosz Brad Tittrington Scott Tittrington Assistant Editor Brad Star Director of Design, Digital Media and Branding Ross Bray Publication Design Manager Matt Bowen Creative Designer Dustin Brown Creative Designer Rob VanKammen Video Coordinator Mike Dougherty Comptroller Marylou Clayton Data Analyst/Fulfillment Manager Judy Ball Director of Administration and Sales Support Cory Ludwin Office Administrator Garrett Randall Client Services Support Specialists Lisa Burchell Trina Cotton Bryce Killackey Editorial Contributors Jon Bible, Mark Bradley, George Demetriou, Alan Goldberger, Judson Howard, Peter Jackel, Dan Ronan, Tim Sloan, Steven L. Tietz, Rick Woelfel 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, Carin Goodall-Gosnell, Bill Greenblatt, Jann Hendry, Keith Johnston, Jack Kapenstein, Ken Kassens, Bob Messina, Bill Nichols, Ted Oppegard, Heston Quan, Dean Reid, VIP Editorial Board Mark Baltz, Jeff Cluff, Ben Glass, Mike Graf, Reggie Greenwood, John O’Neill, George Toliver, Ellen Townsend Advertising 2017 Lathrop Ave., Racine, WI 53405 Phone: 262-632-8855 advertising@referee.com

Founded in 1976 by Barry and Jean Mano.

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Coaches disputing calls will forever be a part of sports. Lavon Brown, Detroit, must remember the coach’s barbs aren’t directed at him personally, but at his judgment. Con-tinue to do your job in-game, as evidenced by the tip signal communication to part-ners/ participants. Dwelling on the negative incidents after the game will ruin your en-joyment of officiating.

Forget Regret Learn to Put the Bad Stuff Behind You

S

ometimes you can do everything in your power to get a call right and still blow it. That’s a tough regret to live with, but it’s even tougher to live with the regrets you could have avoided. You can do things while the action unfolds in front of you to minimize your regrets and you can do things away from the game for your career that will have you looking in life’s rearview mirror a lot less.

Be aware, put yourself in position and be prepared, not just to make the right call in a contest, but to make the right career moves.

Officiating requires dealing with difficult people who are often at their worst, especial-ly under the stress of a close contest. Letting their behavior get to you personally can take you away from the game, but ignoring it brings its own issues. There’s a

6 | REFEREE / MHSAA January 2025

delicate balance to keeping control of the game and yourself but, like it or not, sometimes you have to face it head on.

Loss of focus.

Noisy coaches take away your concentration. You wind up concentrating on them instead of paying attention to what’s most important. You must regain control of the situation. You don’t have to act like a Wild West gunslinger, handing out ejec-tions or penalties like candy.

But you will likely regret not doing your job and allowing outside forces to take you out of your game.

Officiating is not about garnering attention. Surely you’ve heard someone in the crowd holler, “Hey ref!

No one paid to watch you officiate!”

That may be true, but there are times you will be front and center anyway.

You are often called upon to make difficult and unpopular calls at crucial times. But sometimes officials won’t make them because they want to stay in the background. That is a mistake and one that can linger.

The big call at the key moment in the game is why they pay us. When you know a game is on the line, you want to be sure you’re in position and in the right place so you can slow the game down in your mind and judge the action accordingly.

Keep in mind the players are responsible for their actions. Officials are there to enforce the rules and manage the contest. It is not your fault or responsibility when a player screws up at a crucial time. And you can’t feel badly you had to point it out.

Avoid feeling responsible for how the contest will ultimately be decided.

Make the calls you need to make

based on what the players do while in front of you. Let the chips fall where they may and go to your next assignment without regret.

Paper chase.

A good part of any endeavor, in or out of officiating, is taken up with what can seem to be an excruciating amount of minutiae. It’s a necessary evil. Adopt that atti-tude and you won’t get a lot of assignments. The reporting requirements to conference and association leaders are there for a reason. You may get all the calls right, but you’ll live to regret not taking care of business after the score is final.

Not doing reports correctly can harm your career. Like it or not, it’s part of the job and a requirement. Not doing them puts a strain on those who hire you.

Coordinators and assigners want to support you (and cover themselves) because their reputations are on the line as well. Information is power and organized documentation can help you, your supervisor and

your organization come out with your respect intact.

Remember to state the facts without hyperbole. Leave your emotions out and don’t recommend discipline for the wrongdoers.

Staying back.

It is common for officials to feel their careers have grown stagnant. If you’ve been stuck at the same level, doing the same games in the same conference for years and you want to break out, you have to ask yourself: Am I doing everything I can to advance?

You can build your career or you can choose to not take those steps because they cost money, involve travel or are inconvenient. Make the latter choice and you may find yourself living with the regret.

One of the simplest ways to open up doors is to attend camps and clinics. That’s where you hone your game skills and stay on top of rule changes and approaches. But the networking and face-to-face contact is just as important as the education.

That doesn’t mean brown-nosing or pestering those in the higher tiers of officiating. But making connections, developing camaraderie and letting the industry know who you are key facets of camp attendance.

People have to know who you are to assign you. Word of mouth isn’t efficient and it is only natural for those doing the assigning to go with officials with whom they are fa-miliar.

Instead of getting resentful of those who seem to have an “in,” you can take the necessary steps to promote yourself. Those in high places have to be able to put a face to a name.

You could make the next step in your career. It might mean joining a new association, paying the dues and traveling to camps and clinics across the country. Sure, it’ll take some cash out of your pocket, some time off from work and a few days away from the family, but the rewards are likely to mean a step up in your officiating career.

Failing to make the move to put yourself into that position will certainly be a tough re-gret to live with.

If You’re On Time, You’re Late I n some occupations, there’s no such thing as being “on time.”

In those circles it is said, “If you’re early, you are on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.” Such seeming double-talk is good policy for officials.

Officials who arrive at their game site moments before the scheduled start with their “hair on fire” are not only putting the participants and fans in a bad spot, they are hurt-ing their own reputations.

Not to mention they are depriving themselves of the benefit of a meaningful pregame conference with their partner and the advantage of starting a contest with relaxed and focused minds.

Everyone encounters the occasional tie-up or work-related delay. But if you’re habitual-ly arriving too close to game time, there are ways to improve your before-thegame habits to give you extra time.

Late for an important date.

Let’s face it: As often as not, when you’re late to a game, it is due to poor planning, perhaps even negligence on your part.

You may decide to run an errand on the way to a game. Perhaps you are so comfortable with your route that you know “exactly” how long it will take to arrive. Maybe you ac-tually did have car trouble. In any event, showing up too close to game time gives your hosts and your partners fits.

An ounce of prevention.

We all think about the game before we ever get in the car to go to the game site. Call the school a day or two in advance and speak to the athletic department. While you’re on the phone, confirm details such as start-time, partners’ names, game site and directions.

Many schools have “home” games in locations away from the school.

During your call, confirm essential details like that and find out, if you are unsure, how to get where you need to be. You can also confirm where you should park, what entrance to use and who will be there to meet you.

It’s also a good idea to let the school know what time you plan to arrive, and to ex-change cell phone numbers just in case the unforeseen occurs. During the call, you might ask if the school is aware of any road construction or other factors that might de-lay your arrival.

Of course, the ultimate way to put your partner at ease about where you are is to travel together when possible. Schools always like to know if their officials will be arriving together or separately.

Common sense and simple planning allow you to do your job better and more profes-sionally. Getting to the game on time and relaxed helps you focus … and gives every-one else one less thing to yell about.

REFEREE / MHSAA January 2025 |

7

From the Desk of Sam Davis …

Fairness in Youth Sports The poet John Lyly wrote, "The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war." As officials, the rules of fair play must exist to preserve the "games" for our student-athletes.

The other day, I heard a couple of spectators at a high school game say, “We like that official because she is always fair.” This comment gave me pause, and as I listened to them more, I compiled ten reasons why officials should be perceived as fair.

3. Encourages Respect for Authority: Fairness and its perception foster re-spect for officials, helping maintain order and discipline on the field.

Fairness and the Perception of Fairness:

6. Improves Sportsmanship: Perceived fairness encourages good sports-manship among participants, promoting mutual respect and camaraderie.

1. Maintains Integrity of the Game: Perceived fairness ensures that players, coaches, and spectators respect the game and preserve its integrity.

2. Promotes Player Development: When officials are seen as impartial, players focus on improving their skills rather than blaming external factors for their performance.

4. Reduces Conflict: Perceived fairness minimizes disputes, confrontations, and complaints from players, coaches, and spectators, creating a positive game environment.

5. Builds Trust: When players, coaches, and fans trust the process and deci-sions of impartial officials, the sport gains credibility.

7. Enhances Audience Experience: When spectators perceive the game as officiating fairly, they are more engaged and supportive, boosting enthusi-asm for high school sports.

8. Protects Officials’ Credibility: Officials perceived as fair are less likely to face personal attacks or accusations,

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Those are my ten; I am sure that you can produce more. Keep this in mind: be-ing perceived as fair is not enough; it is critical to the game and the integrity of sports for us to be fair.

Sam L. Davis MHSAA Director of Official Services

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10. Sets a Positive Example: High school sports often serve as a learning platform for life skills. Fair and impartial officiating teaches young athletes and the broader community the importance of justice, integrity, and equal-ity.

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9. Promotes a Safe Environment: Fair and unbiased officiating creates a safer physical and emotional environment for players, reducing aggressive behavior and risky play.

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

MHSAA members can access benefits from NASO, including a digital Referee magazine, officiating resources like tax guides, safety tips, interactive quizzes, and newsletters. Members also receive officiating techniques through email and free recruitment tools. You can find these resources at naso.org/mhsaamagazine.

ensuring their professional reputa-tion remains intact.

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Little League Latest to Say ‘Yes’ to ‘Say Yes’ P.44

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A

s part of its telecast of the Little League World Series in August, ESPN brought former MLB umpire Gerry Davis into the press box for a chat.

Davis, who put the wraps on a 40-year onfield career following the 2021 season, joined Little League Baseball and Softball in a new role as senior umpire consultant in February. As part of a press release announcing the move, Little League revealed Davis’ responsibilities: “Analyze Little League’s current umpire education resources, create a curriculum to further train and support umpires, review the selection process for tournament umpires, assist in creating training opportunities, develop umpire retention practices, and more.”

So, it should come as no surprise that when he was asked during the broadcast about how Little League goes about some of those initiatives, especially in the wake of some of the barriers to umpire recruitment and retention such as abusive behavior and poor sportsmanship, Davis put the spotlight squarely on the world’s foremost umpire advocacy and education organization.

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“Fortunately, Little League International is going to be at the forefront of trying to address that,” Davis said. “We’re hoping to partner with the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) and also with the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) to deal with that and start some programs that make people more aware of it.”

One of the resources Davis and the Little League team have committed to using is the “Say Yes to Officiating” website that was first launched in 2018 to house a bevy of free resources for organizations to develop recruitment and retention strategies, and to provide comprehensive information and direction to people interested in becoming sports officials.

Three years later, as part of the 2021 NASO Summit@ Home, an accompanying public relations effort was launched that includes the “Say Yes to Officiating Documentary,” a professionally produced 13-minute film that delves into the officiating lives of five different sports officials from all walks of life. It prominently features former NFL referee and NCAA Division I men’s basketball official Gene Steratore, who now serves

10/18/2023 1:40:33 PM

an officiating analyst for CBS Sports.

That documentary, and well as customized commercial-length public service announcements videos can be locally branded in an effort to recruit sports officials.

They are now available free of charge to national officiating organizations, state associations and local groups.

As of Sept. 1, more than 70 organizations have indeed customized the videos and PSAs, while hundreds more have downloaded additional non-customized versions for their use. Those numbers don’t even account for the thousands of downloads of additional resources such as “how-to” guides, presentations and other videos.

“We continue to receive requests from all over the country, and in a few cases, the world, from sports

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Tipping Points

Great Advice Never Gets Old By the Referee editors

I

n its 47-year history, Referee has been devoted to helping officials improve their per-formance. One of the most popular methods of accomplishing that has been passing along tips we’ve collected from officials representing all sports and all levels.

We could write a book on the subject (Oh, wait. We have! Several, in fact!). But we di-gress. Here in short form are some of the best tips. They appear in no particular order and they are by no means all of the great advice we can offer.

1. Call what must be called.

There is a difference between preventive officiating and failing to penalize when in possession of knowledge that a violation or foul occurred. Officials who cannot or will not penalize taunting, unnecessary roughness, illegal and dangerous tactics and equipment and uniform violations cannot practice effective risk management.

2. Move on from mistakes.

Remember, you only have control of the present moment. The call you made five minutes ago is beyond your control and the future is always out of your reach. Keep an active mind and stop yourself whenever your mind wants to shift back to a “mistake” or worries about what’s going to happen.

3. Watch ’em warm up.

Make use of that dead time before the game. Does the point guard carry the ball? What range does the fieldgoal kicker have? Which outfielder has the strongest arm? Those things and more provide info that might come in handy.

4. Be a great dead-ball official.

It’s amazing how a game that progressed smoothly and without incident can go to pot if officials miss something that happens away from the play or after the ball is dead.

Dead-ball officiating is one of the factors that separates average officials from great ones.

5. Head off trouble.

Make a casual visual inspection of players before a game and you may avoid a future headache. If you see a player whose uniform or equipment is ille-gal, point it out to the coach.

That will give the player time to make an adjustment or change out the illegal item.

6. Set the pace.

Games go more smoothly when you set an even tempo. In such a game, players usually don’t commit an inordinate number of fouls or violations. In turn, your mechanics become second nature. You can help set the pace by hustling, encouraging teams to return to the field or court after timeouts and by being ready to resume play when the players are.

7. Pick up your presence.

Physical appearance is part of it, but it goes further. How you stand before the start of the game — shoulders upright with head held high, never fold-ing the arms in front of the body — gives an air of confidence and approachability that is noticed. Look people in the eye while communicating 8. Become the rules guru.

Every association has that individual who is known as the rules guy or gal. He or she is well-versed in the rules and is the go-to person in meet-ings and on the field or court.

That individual is respected and for good reason. Make it your goal to be the most educated official in your area.

Then dig into the numerous re-sources available to help you reach your goal.

9. Get the game moving again.

When the game is stopped because of a call — one that results in controversy — the best way to turn down the heat is to get play started again as soon as possible. If the coaches, players and fans have something else to watch or think about, they’ll turn their attention to the play and won’t have as much time to bark about the last one. Don’t resume the action if it puts another official or either team at a disadvantage.

But you’ll often find the noise will dissipate if a new play develops.

10. Adjust your attitude.

Your attitude affects those around you. A positive attitude helps you perform difficult tasks. If you’ve had a bad day on your job or a driver cuts you off on your way to a game, set aside minor frustrations and strive to develop a pos-itive attitude toward the game.

11. Focus throughout.

Focus and keep your attention on the task at hand — the game you are working. Whether it is a blowout or tight ballgame, keep your concentration. If you feel yourself becoming distracted, focus on specific mechanics during a game. Tell-ing yourself you need to improve a specific part of your game will help you avoid be-ing distracted.

12. Know everyone is ready.

After a stoppage, ensure your partners are ready before putting the ball back into play and/or resuming the game. There doesn’t need to be any extended communication; just eye contact, a nod of the head or a thumbs-up so that you know everyone is ready to go.

13. Get noticed or go home.

Has anyone ever told you that the best-officiated games are the ones in which you don’t know the officials are there? They’re wrong. You want game participants and fans to notice you positively for your appearance, your hustle, proper mechanics and great calls. Officials who aren’t noticed aren’t doing something right.

14. Impartial is imperative.

Great officials know the difference between perception and reality and act accordingly. Don’t be extra friendly with one of the coaches before a game, just because you’ve seen his or her team more often than the other coach’s team. Be upfront with conflicts of interest to your assigner, even if you know you can be im-partial no matter what.

REFEREE / MHSAA January 2025 |

9

FOR THE RECORD

Fall Sports Championship Officials The following officials worked Fall state tournaments for the MHSAA. We want to take a quick moment to recognize and thank the officials assigned to those contests. Your efforts are appreciated, and we understand that without your commitment and sacrifices, we could not host such tremendous events for our member schools and studentathletes.

Congratulations.

BOYS SOCCER Luis Aguirre-Rivera Matt Carlson Elvir Celovic Brian Chan Christopher Dalida Alia Frederik Ashley Fromson Tyler Gregory Justin Harnden Larry Morrell Tim Reed Chris Rein Chad Szymczak Ron Thomas Jared Wilson-Santos Brent Zin

10 | REFEREE / MHSAA January 2025

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Dennis Betts John DuBois Timothy Eastman Hilary Fisher Brian Foust James Hartwell Dana Kirk Charles Krochmal Susan Kurzyna-Young David Nykanen Donna Prieskorn Tom Richards Linda Schmidt Paul Schroeder Maynard Timm Steve VandeWege Glynis Wilkins Jeffrey Wilkins GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

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11

THE GAG RULE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

LETTERS

Combating Ignorance As a 25-year soccer referee, it has become apparent that spectators yelling at referees mostly comes from a place of ignorance of the Laws of the Game. The obvious solution is education. However, I have yet to see any attempt to utilize the large screens at every professional sporting event to explain the least understood, most contentious Laws of the Game when the game is not in progress. These Laws include handling/handball, offside and misconducts (yellow and red cards) in soccer. I am confident most sports also have just a few rules that create the most controversy. All the major sports leagues and their sponsors are missing a huge opportunity to make it better for everyone!

Jonny Joseph Los Angeles

SNAP SHOT

PETE THE REFEREE As if we don’t catch enough grief from players, coaches, fans and media, now collectable card games are even taking shots at the officiating avocation.

Pete, Mickey Mouse’s villainous archnemesis, is seen here wearing stripes and blowing a whistle as the quote reads, “It ain’t cheatin’ if you’re the one makin’ the rules.” The character is from Disney Lorcana, a game overseen by Ravensburger. It begs the question: Where do we go anymore to escape?

SAY WHAT?

“It seems south Louisiana always ruins it for everybody. That’s why there are new tighter safety measures from fights down south last year.”

— Joey Martin, for the Concordia Sentinel in an article called “LHSAA Makes It Tougher on Officials” about high school football celebrations and taunting leading to an increase in fights during contests.

GIVE US A BREAK You may think Conor Orr would have a little more tact and discretion as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. Instead of research and deep analysis, he went down the road of sweeping generalities and unfounded criticism of officiating decisions following the Buffalo Bills’ defeat of the New York Jets on Monday Night Football on Oct. 14, 2024. Without a shred of information from the NFL’s Officiating Department, nor any signs of an officiating background himself, Orr penned the article titled, “Bills-Jets ‘MNF’ Matchup Marred by Embarrassing Showing From Officials.”

SOURCE: SI.COM

13

BY THE NUMBERS

F-bombs dropped on chair umpire Jimmy Pinoargote

by Frances Tiafoe after a third-round upset to Roman Safiullin at the 2024 ATP Shanghai Masters event.

SOURCE: ESPN.COM

SURVEY SAYS Do you continue to feel the effects of officiating shortages in your area?

96% YES 4% NO SOURCE: SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEY OF 152 FOLLOWERS

Tell Us What You Think Send email to letters@referee.com 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.

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THE NEWS Soccer Referee, School District Named in Lawsuit CONCORD, N.H. — A soccer referee in New Hampshire finds himself embroiled in a First Amendment lawsuit stemming from the removal of a group of spectators who were protesting against a transgender player from the opposing school.

The group of parents and a grandparent, who were wearing pink wristbands marked with “XX” — a reference to the chromosomes typically associated with biological females — filed suit in federal court after a Bow High School official required them to leave a Sept. 17 game between Bow High School and Plymouth Regional High School.

Two of those parents were also told they could not attend future games.

The ban on one parent was lifted after four days. The other ban was lifted by Judge Steven McAuliffe, who lifted the school’s restriction but only if the parent agreed to comply with his order to refrain from protesting or speaking with coaches or referees during games.

In the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire, the parents allege school administrators asked them to leave because of the protest. The lawsuit also stated referee Steve Rossetti stopped play amid the dispute. It alleges he threatened to forfeit the game if the wristbands were not removed. “… Defendant Rossetti used his

authority as referee to threaten to abandon the game, which would have caused the Bow team to forfeit their playoff spot, unless Defendants removed their wristbands,” the lawsuit stated. “After Plaintiff (Eldon) Rash removed his wristband, Rossetti conferred with (school officials) before allowing the game to resume. This is evidence that Rossetti participated in the agreement to stop Plaintiffs from wearing the pink wristbands as a social and political statement.”

The lawsuit also alleges Rossetti made a derogatory comment to one of the parents as they left school property.

The lawsuit seeks to allow the parents to attend games and continue with their protest. It also seeks court costs, attorney’s fees, unspecified compensatory damages for the “extra costs and inconvenience” incurred complying with no-trespass orders, and nominal damages from each defendant named in the amount of $17.91.

The last item is likely a symbolic reference to the year 1791, when the Bill of Rights was ratified.

Arguments in the lawsuit were expected to be heard later in November.

Referee reached out to Rossetti for comment, but had not heard back as of press time.

Pa. Man Sentenced for Assaulting Sports Official HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania man who assaulted a referee during a basketball game over two years ago was sentenced Aug. 5 in Dauphin County Court to a year of probation and to pay $400.

Jerome Stanford, of New Cumberland, Pa., was found guilty of a charge of assault of a sports official. During an AAU basketball game on April 30, 2022, in Steelton, Pa., Stanford shoved a referee to the ground after one of his players was injured.

Scott Henry, a 12-year Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) official who also works football and softball, said his head bounced off the floor at least twice. He was left with a significant contusion along his lower back, upper femur and hip on the right side of his body.

Henry went to a hospital in Gettysburg, Pa., where he resides, and doctors confirmed he was severely concussed. As a result, he was unable to accept assignments in any of his sports until July 2022, and it took nearly a year until he was no longer feeling the aftereffects of the See “Sentenced” p.16

THE WIRE Executive Facing Prison Time

NBA Referee Holtkamp-Sterling Retires Just as the 2024-25 NBA season began, the league lost one of

its veteran officials, as Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling announced her retirement. HoltkampSterling, who was just the third full-time female official when she was hired in 2014, has stepped away from her on-court career due to chronic knee issues. She has dealt with knee injuries — including three ACL tears, one of them as an NBA official — for years, including last season

when she worked just 15 games.

Before Holtkamp-Sterling joined the staff, Violet Palmer and Dee Kantner were the only women to officiate games in league history; last year, there were eight women on the NBA’s officiating roster.

Big Sky Replay Official Suspended

A call that was incorrectly overturned during a football

JAVIER ROJAS/ZUMAPRESS/NEWSCOM

A public prosecutor has called for 13 years in prison for former MKE Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca, who assaulted referee Halil Umut Meler in December 2023. The incident, which took place during a Turkish Super Lig match between Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor, landed Meler in the hospital and led to Koca resigning as president of the club.

The Turkish Football Federation banned Koca for life and fined Ankaragucu 2 million lira ($58,318). Koca faces charges of threatening and assaulting a sports official.

14 | REFEREE January 2025

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THE NEWS

Second Umpire Joins Lawsuit Against MLB NEW YORK — A second former Minor League Baseball umpire has added his name to a lawsuit against MLB that claims the two were retaliated against after reporting they had been sexually harassed or assaulted by a female colleague.

The original lawsuit was filed in April by Brandon Cooper in federal court in Manhattan, where MLB is headquartered. Cooper, who worked in the Arizona Complex League (ACL) in 2023, sued MLB and one of its affiliated entities, PDL Blue Inc., claiming that fellow umpire Gina Quartararo used anti-gay slurs and other crude remarks directed toward him because he is bisexual.

In October, another former minor league umpire, Alexander Lawrie, joined the lawsuit, alleging he was sexually assaulted by Quartararo in March following a charity event.

Lawrie worked in the minor leagues from 2019 until April, when he says MLB fired him for “performance issues.” Lawrie believes he was terminated by MLB in retaliation for reporting his allegations against Quartararo to the Association of Minor League Umpires union, of which he was a member.

In the original complaint, Cooper alleged a hostile work environment

and wrongful termination because of gender and sexual orientation in violation of New York state and city law. He also claims in the suit that multiple MLB umpiring supervisors told him female and minority umpires had to receive preferential treatment for advancement through the professional umpiring ranks.

“Historically the MLB has had a homogenous roster of umpires working in both the minor and major leagues,” the suit claimed.

“Specifically, to date there has never been a woman who has worked in a (regular) season game played in the majors, and most umpires are still Caucasian men. To try to fix its gender and racial diversity issue, defendants have implemented an illegal diversity quota requiring that women be promoted regardless of merit.”

Cooper alleges that in 2023 while working in the ACL, Quartararo learned he was bisexual and began deriding him and another umpire with homophobic slurs and other remarks, and made statements indicating that because of her gender, she would not face any consequences for doing so.

The lawsuit alleges that

Sentenced

continued from p.14

concussion. “(The concussion) caused me to be under a strict regimen relative to screen time,” Henry said. “There were many times that when I had time to relax and listen to a game, I did so, but I could not watch any more than 20 minutes at a time. And then it became 30, then 40, and so forth. It took almost a year before I could watch a game without getting a headache and blurring of my vision.”

Henry, 72, is back officiating basketball, but solely at subvarsity levels.

“I’ve basically resigned myself to JV and sub-varsity games,” he said. “Which I realize might sound like giving up, but it actually isn’t. Now that I’m 72, it might have been time to do that anyway whether I had this incident or not.”

As with most cases involving the assault of a sports official, Stanford’s sentencing seemed light, but Henry still hopes it will send a message to coaches and officials in the Gettysburg area and beyond. “I’m hopeful that (the decision) creates better protection for our brothers and sisters in stripes,” he said.

See “Lawsuit” p.17

THE WIRE have remained a missed attempt,” a statement from the Big Sky read. “The Big Sky acknowledges and regrets this error in officiating, and as a result has suspended an official for one game.”

FIFA Names Head of Women’s Refereeing FIFA announced Oct. 7 it has named Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb as its new head of women’s refereeing.

Steinhaus-

Webb’s officiating career began in 1995, and she became a FIFA referee 10 years later. She was the first woman to serve as head referee at both the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.

Steinhaus-Webb retired from her onfield career in 2020 to become the first director of the women’s group at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

She is the wife of fellow former international soccer referee Howard Webb.

Police Chief Retires to Pursue Officiating

Pittsburgh police chief Larry Scirotto told city leaders Oct. 25 of his plans to retire amid criticism over his decision to start refereeing college basketball games again. Scirotto, Pittsburgh’s police chief since May 2023, initially hoped to referee about 60 games a year while retaining his position with the police department, but the police union and city leaders worried that his attention would be divided and he could be

OLE SPATA/DPA/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/NEWSCOM

game between Northern Arizona and Idaho State Oct. 19 led to the Big Sky Conference suspending a replay official. With 8:01 left in the second quarter, Northern Arizona attempted an extra point after scoring a touchdown. The attempt was initially called “no good” on the field, but after a lengthy review was reversed to a made extra point. The Big Sky, however, determined after the game that the initial call was correct.

“It is evident that the call was incorrectly overturned and should

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Wimbledon to Replace Line Judges LONDON — Starting in 2025, line judges will be absent from the Wimbledon Championships. All England Club, which hosts the tennis tournament, announced Oct. 9 it will replace its line judges with electronic line-calling.

The technology will be used to give “out” and “fault” calls, according to All England Club. The decision to adopt live electronic line-calling was made following extensive testing at the 2024 tournament and “builds on existing ball-tracking and line-calling technology that has been in place for many years.”

“We consider the technology to be sufficiently robust and the time is right to take this important step in seeking maximum accuracy in our officiating,” All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said. “For the players, it will offer them the same conditions they have played under at a number of other events on tour.”

The move leaves the French Open as the only Grand Slam tournament without some form of electronic linecalling. The Australian Open and U.S. Open have already eliminated line judges and only have chair umpires on the court.

At 147 years, Wimbledon is the oldest Grand Slam tournament, and its line judges were known for dressing in regal attire on the court.

Wimbledon has a responsibility to

unavailable during a major crisis.

Upon being hired as police chief, Scirotto and Pittsburgh mayor Ed Gainey agreed that he would not officiate during his time as police chief. Scirotto previously worked as an NCAA Division I referee in the Big Ten Conference while he was chief of police in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

COURTESY NCAA

Banfield Named LAX Officials Coordinator

Mara Banfield, who has officiated collegiate women’s lacrosse for more than two decades,

“balance tradition and innovation,” according to Bolton.

“Line umpires have played a central role in our officiating setup at the championships for many decades and we recognize their valuable contribution and thank them for their commitment and service,” she said.

Electronic line-calling will also be used at all Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour events starting in 2025. The ATP believes it will “optimize accuracy and consistency across tournaments,” with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) moving in the same direction.

Around 300 line judges are set to lose their jobs, according to a report.

This will likely impact tennis’ ability to produce quality chair umpires in the future, as most chair umpires start their careers as line judges.

Lawsuit

continued from p.16

Quartararo told her fellow umpires, “I’m a woman and can get away with anything,” that “MLB has to hire females, they won’t get rid of me unless I quit,” “I can have sex with any of you and nothing would happen,” and that “I’m going to be in the Hall of Fame as the first female in the MLB.” Cooper also claims to have videos,

was named the NCAA national coordinator of women’s lacrosse officials in October. Banfield worked the NCAA national championship games in Division II (2019) and Division III (2023). She played Division I lacrosse at Ohio State.

SOURCES: AP, BESOCCER.COM, BIG SKY CONFERENCE, CBS, INSIDE FIFA, MLB.COM, NCAA

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the national governing body for tennis in Great Britain, says it aims to retain existing officials while also hiring new officials.

“We understand the reasons behind the decision to introduce live electronic line-calling and we recognize the ongoing changes to officiating around the world,” a statement from LTA read. “With this in mind we are already working with the Association of British Tennis Officials to understand the impact on the pathway for British officials, and develop a new joint strategy with them that will ensure officials can be retained within the sport, new officials can be recruited and the officiating community will be supported through the changes.”

SOURCE: FIRSTPOST

texts and emails to support his claims.

He said that once he informed supervisors, he was ordered to undergo sensitivity training and was later accused of violating Minor League Baseball’s anti-discrimination and harassment policy. In October 2023, he was released, claiming he was the only one from a group of 26 ACL umpires who was let go.

Both MLB and Quartararo have declined to comment on the lawsuit.

SOURCES: ESPN.COM, OUTSPORTS.COM

Referee Hiring for Editorial Team Referee is hiring an associate editor. If you’ve got experience in both officiating and writing/editing/ publishing — and want to join the company at the epicenter of the officiating industry — we want to hear from you! For information on this opportunity, visit referee.com/careers.

REFEREE January 2025 |

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BASKETBALL

EDITOR: SCOTT TITTRINGTON

stittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

TABLE PLEASERS

By Scott Tittrington

S

ince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what has now been approximately a four-year recovery, there has been all manner of slippage across the sports officiating landscape.

In many areas of the officiating sphere, our adherence to certain standards that were once sacrosanct has been replaced by a “good enough” approach. It shows up in some officials’ dress and grooming standards, their willingness to arrive at a game site whenever and worst of all, their actual officiating mechanics.

Yes, they still arrive at the gym and

do their job. But there’s a noticeable aura of laissez faire in many areas that was not quite so present prior to 2020.

One area of increased mechanical breakdown is proper foul reporting.

Our interactions with the scorer’s table are such an important facet of basketball officiating, yet it’s a part of our game where we’ve allowed the knife to become a little (and in some cases, a lot) too dull. So let’s take a refreshed look at what we should be doing and where we should be doing it based on the rule code in which we are working.

• The initial signal. Strong foul reporting mechanics begin before

we even think about having any direct interaction with the scorer’s table. They start with using proper signaling as soon as the whistle is blown so that everyone in the gym — players, coaches, our officiating partners and spectators — know our initial ruling.

At the NFHS and NCAAM levels, every blast of the whistle should be accompanied by one of two strong stop-clock signals — a raised arm with a closed fist for any foul ruling, and an open hand for all other stoppages including a held ball. In NCAAW, there is no stop-clock signal prior to an out-of-bounds ruling, five-second violation or 10-second violation.

HESTON QUAN

Find a Way to Fix Your Foul Reporting

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Making strong eye contact with the official scorer, while visually using crisp, clear signals will allow Jim Rice, Long Beach, Calif., to maintain accurate communication with the table crew.

Following the stop-clock signal, another strong visual signal should be used to indicate why the clock has been stopped. Whether a foul, violation or held ball, using crisp, accurate signaling ensures two things: It allows us to communicate effectively with all necessary parties and it instills a sense of confidence and credibility in our work.

• Move to the reporting area.

Former UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden, among his many oft-quoted axioms, would tell his charges, “Be quick but don’t hurry.” Such are wise words for how an official should also move on the basketball court. Too often, officials

blow their whistles to make foul rulings and then are languid about what’s next — moving to the proper spot on the floor from which to report the illegal behavior.

Again, both NFHS and NCAAM mechanics require the ruling official to “clear traffic” on the floor and move to the reporting area near the division line (see MechaniGram on the next page). While there is a sizeable chunk of real estate to work with in achieving this aim, many officials have started to lazily walk and report from wherever they are on the floor when they blow their whistle. Not only does this send the wrong message about hustle and professionalism, it’s also a recipe for disaster and asking for inaccurate information to make its way to the scorer’s table.

NCAAW mechanics do offer some additional latitude for reporting fouls from other positions on the playing court. However, two basic tenets still remain in play: The ruling official should clear all players and create a clear line of sight with the scorer, and should establish solid eye contact with the scorer before verbally and visually reporting the foul.

• Accurate number reporting.

The most important part of reporting any foul to the table is the jersey number of the player who is being penalized. While we should resolve ourselves to use accurate signals at the table for the type of foul that has been committed when it is a common (NFHS, NCAAM) or personal (NCAAW) foul — and while proper signals are a must to convey additional necessary information for intentional/technical/flagrant/ disqualifying fouls — the reality is the official scorer does not need to differentiate between a push, hold or trip. As the saying goes, there’s no room for pictures in the scorebook.

However, the scorer absolutely must know which player has committed a foul. For years, NFHS officials complained about not having an accepted mechanic for using two hands to report numbers to the table.

That excuse vanished prior to the 2017-18 season, meaning officials at all levels have now had almost

BY THE NUMBERS The number of NBA referees with 30 or more years of experience at the start of the 2024-25 season:

Tom Washington – 34 Michael Smith – 32 Tony Brothers – 31 Scott Foster – 31 James Capers – 30 Sean Corbin – 30 Scott Wall – 30

QUICKTIP Forget vanity. A floor-length mirror should be a part of every official’s toolkit. Step in front of one and work through every signal in the NFHS/ NCAA signal chart. Take note of any areas where you need improvement. Is your arm extended fully above your head at shoulder’s width when you stop the clock? Does your travel signal look wobbly? Are your numbers easy to read when reporting a foul? Such instant feedback can help you immediately sharpen your appearance and add credibility to your game.

THEY SAID IT “I have two passions in law enforcement and officiating that I love doing. And they’ve always co-existed with each other. And I don’t think it’s fair for someone to arbitrarily make me decide between the two.”

– Larry Scirotto, about his decision to return to NCAA men’s basketball officiating this season and retire as Pittsburgh’s police chief.

SOURCE: KDKA-TV, PITTSBURGH

REFEREE

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BASKETBALL

TEST YOURSELF

L L

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.

FOUL

3. All of following logos are allowed on a player’s socks, except which? a. A manufacturer’s logo. b. The school’s logo. c. A professional sports entity’s logo. d. All of the above logos are allowed on socks.

5. All of the following are required to set a legal screen, except which? a. The screener must face the opponent. b. The screener must stay within his or her vertical plane. c. The screener must be inbounds. d. The screener’s feet must be no wider than shoulder width apart.

6. What is the length of the coaching box? a. Six feet. b. 14 feet. c. 28 feet. d. 38 feet. e. The coaching box extends from the division line to the endline on each team’s respective side of the court.

5

4 4 2

2

1

C C

1

T FOUL REPORTING AREA

Both the NFHS and NCAAM have a foul reporting area from where officials should share information with the official scorer.

a decade to report player numbers using two hands. Yet still, we often rush through or get sloppy with that aspect of the reporting process.

Remember, the first digit should be shown with the official’s right hand, followed by the left, allowing the scorer to read from left to right.

Show the numbers within the frame of your body at shoulder height, keep them there long enough for the scorer to read them and record them in the scorebook, and make sure to verbally report the number as well. That way, if you do make a mistake and have one part of the process reversed — i.e., your hands show “24” but you say “42,” the scorer will have the opportunity to ask for and receive clarification.

• Don’t bail too quickly. With the recent change in NCAAM mechanics to have the reporting official remain tableside, the only reason for an official to need to move away from the table is when there is a need to switch following a foul ruling. Even when that is the prescribed mechanic, ruling officials need to remain in the

reporting area long enough to address any concerns the official scorer may have before allowing play to resume.

Despite the many safeguards put in place to ensure effective communication between the on-floor officials and the table crew, breakdowns still happen. If they did not, there would be no need for rule 2-10 (NFHS) or 2-12 (NCAAM/W) regarding correctable errors. We should all be doing our part as officials to eliminate the opportunities for these types of errors to slip into our games.

To use another well-worn piece of advice, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Resolve to work hard and use strong mechanics with the table to make sure you are avoiding trouble in the first place, rather than having to resort to rulebook mastery of the correctable error rule to clean up the mess after the fact.

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

VISITOR

4. What is the result when bench personnel enter the playing court before player activity is terminated that prevents the ball from becoming live or prevents continuous action? a. Delay warning only. b. Bench technical foul. c. Technical foul on the head coach. d. Team technical foul.

5

SCORER & TIMER

2. All of the following are true of the school’s name on the front of a game jersey, except which? a. The lettering can be vertical. b. The lettering can be horizontal and above the number. c. The lettering can be horizontal and below the number. d. The lettering shall not be placed closer than 1 inch to the uniform number.

3 3

HOME

1. All of the following are a type of foul, except which? a. Common foul. b. Personal foul. c. Intentional foul. d. Technical foul. e. All of the above are types of fouls.

20 | REFEREE January 2025

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HandPicked Articles 100+ Caseplays and Test Q&As Full Color Photos & Diagrams

Latest NFHS Rules & Mechanics Changes

This is the comprehensive guide you need to be ready to work High School basketball this season. All new and recent rule changes broken down, Points of Emphasis clarified and tough situations made simple - all in a full-color, magazine-sized annual guide. Includes hundreds of caseplays and quiz questions!

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BASKETBALL

CASEPLAYS Rebound Tipped Into Backcourt Play: A1 shoots the ball, the ball strikes the ring, but the try is unsuccessful. While attempting to grab the rebound, (a) A2, or (b) B3 tips the ball into team A’s backcourt. A4 is the first to reach the ball in team A’s backcourt and secures control of the ball. Has a backcourt violation occurred? To what shall the shot clock be set? Ruling: When A1 released the ball on the try, team A’s team control ended.

When A2 or B3 tipped the ball into the backcourt, that tipping action does not constitute the player gaining player control, and thus no team control gained.

Therefore, A4 can be the first to gain control of the ball in the backcourt without penalty since team A did not have team control in the frontcourt prior to the ball going into the backcourt. In NFHS, the shot clock shall be set to 35 seconds when A4 gains control (4-12-1, 4-12-2a, 4-12-3a, 9-9-1, Shot Clock guidelines – Shot Clock Operator shall 6.b.iv).

In NCAAM/W, the shot clock shall be set to 30 seconds when A4 gains control (NCAAM 2-11.6.b.2, 4-9.1.a, 4-9.2.a, 4-9.3, 9-12.4; NCAAW 2-11.6.b.2, 4-8.1.a, 4-8.2.a, 4-8.3, 9-12.4).

Throw-in Off the Wall Play: The game is being played in an arena that has walls behind the baskets that are 10 feet from the end line. A1 is holding the ball for a designated-spot throw-in in team A’s backcourt along the end line. A1 turns around and throws the ball against the back wall. The ball bounces onto the court and is caught by A2. Is this a legal throw-in? Ruling: It is a throw-in violation if the thrower-in fails to pass the ball directly into the playing court so that after it crosses the boundary line, it touches an inbounds player or is touched by a player who is on the playing court and causes the ball to be out of bounds. Furthermore, the ball cannot touch the floor or any object that is out of bounds prior to entering the playing court. Since A’s pass off the wall violates both of these provisions, A1 has committed a throw-in violation (NFHS 9-2-2; NCAAM/W 9-4.1.b, 9-4.1.g).

Extra, Extra — Read All About It

By Tim Sloan

I

know you don’t want to think about this, but here goes. It’s something many officials only whisper about in dark corners, but it could happen to you or me: overtime.

But seriously folks, it’s not all that complicated. At least, it doesn’t have to be: In NFHS contests, 32 minutes left the teams tied, so we’ll play another four minutes to determine a winner. It will be like continuing the fourth quarter, including team foul counts and remaining timeouts.

The teams will get another 60-second timeout and play will begin with a jump ball, resetting the possession arrow. They’ll repeat this procedure as many times as necessary until someone wins.

Simple, right? What complicates it and frightens some of us is how several rules involving the end of a period spawn exceptions when it

comes to starting overtime. Most of this has to do with fouls occurring at the end of regulation time and even deciding if overtime will be played at all. Let’s walk through some plausible scenarios.

The fourth quarter ends when all activities associated with play during the quarter are completed (5-6-2 Excs.). So, if a foul occurs so close to the end of a quarter that time expires, any free throws will be taken as part of the quarter, even though the clock reads 0:00.

Play 1: The score is tied, 60-60, with seconds remaining. A1 is fouled in the act of shooting and the horn sounds as A1 returns to the floor.

Ruling 1: Even though the clock reads 0:00, the foul occurred during the fourth quarter. The quarter is not over until the two free throws are taken, and the outcome will determine if overtime is played (5-6-2 Exc. 3). If A1 makes either free throw,

If the score is tied at the end of regulation and a team is ruled to have committed a technical foul while going to its bench, overtime will be played and begin with the opposing team shooting two free throws followed by a throw-in at the division line opposite the table.

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HOME

QUARTER

VISITOR

TIME

team A wins, 61-60, and the game is over. If A1 scores on the first try, the second is not attempted. An overtime period is played if A1 misses both.

But wait! The jurisdiction of the officials is terminated, and the final score is approved, when the officials leave the visual confines of the playing area (2-2-4). If you think that means put your head down and get out of there as soon as you hear swish, just know sometimes you won’t be that fortunate.

Play 2: After Play 1 is complete, team A’s coach takes the opportunity to pursue you and point out your lack of visual acuity despite the thrilling 61-60 conclusion in his team’s favor.

How will his technical foul be handled?

Ruling 2: Two issues apply. 1) Free throws for technical fouls occurring after a quarter ends will be taken to begin the next period; this includes if the score is tied at the end of regulation or an extra period. 2) The exception is if the free throws can create a tie or a lead change by being taken immediately

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If a team commits a technical foul at the end of regulation before the officials have left the confines of the playing court and if the two free throws could tie the score or give the offended team the lead, the free throws will be shot as a continuation of the fourth quarter.

RESPOND RIGHT IN ANY SITUATION When a coach or player talks to you, there’s no time for hesitation. Study these proven strategies for communicating in common basketball officiating specific situations so you’re always ready to respond right.

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(5-6-2 Exc. 4). Had the score been tied, the free throws would have been taken to start overtime. Since team B trails by one, however, B1 will attempt the free throws until the outcome is certain. If B1 makes one, the game is tied, 61-61, and overtime will be played, starting with a jump ball (5-6-2 Exc. 3). If B1 misses both, team A wins. If B1 makes both, team B wins and team A’s coach has a long chat with the AD the next morning.

Let’s see how to conduct the start of overtime. Once the ball becomes live in an overtime period, it will be played even though a correction in the fourth-quarter score is made (5-74). The ball becomes live when the tossed ball leaves the official’s hands (6-1-2a).

Play 3: At the start of overtime, team A has no timeouts left after regulation. As the referee prepares to toss the ball, A1 shoves B2 and is charged with a technical foul. Team A’s coach demands a timeout to settle A1 down and the officials grant the request. Ruling 3: The period begins with four free throws by team B; two for A1’s foul and two for team A requesting and being granted a timeout when it had none available.

A team is not granted the extra timeout until the ball becomes live in overtime (5-11-5); the referee had not tossed the ball yet.

When B1 is handed the ball to begin the four free throws, the ball becomes live in the overtime period. It’s at this point that team A now receives its additional timeout.

However, the possession arrow is not set in favor of team A until the ball is at the disposal of team B at the division line for the ensuing throw-in.

You’ll notice we mentioned the overtime period being played even if a correction is made to the fourth-period score. This might seem farfetched but try this one: Play 4: With seconds remaining in regulation, team A trails, 63-60. A1 is intentionally fouled in the act of making a layup, scoring the basket as time expires. A1 is awarded one free throw and makes it, tying the game and sending it to overtime. After the jump ball, team A’s coach approaches the bench and requests a conference

with the referee. It has been brought to his attention that A1 should have received two free throws (Rule 10 Pen. Summary 4). Ruling 4: The coach is correct and this is a correctable error (2-10-1a): It has been identified within the correctable period — no later than the first dead ball after the clock has properly started (2-10-2). A1 will go back and attempt the second free throw. Play will continue even though the free throw should have been taken at the end of regulation and might have won the game.

The lane will be cleared and, following the one free throw, play will resume at the point of interruption (2-10-6). If neither team had possession of the ball at the time of the stoppage, there will be another jump ball, because the alternnatingpossession arrow has not been established. If either team had control at the time of the stoppage, that team will receive the ensuing throw-in.

Life is simpler if overtime starts without any of the intrigue described in these four plays. Then it’s a matter

of knowing what to do about the A-P arrow and the team foul count to start the period. If fouls do occur near the end of a quarter affecting overtime, determine whether they occurred during the quarter or after the quarter. If technical foul free throws are to be awarded (the only kind of fouls between quarters), take them to start the next period if the game is tied, or take them immediately if they can affect the outcome. As for events like those in plays 3 and 4, know your definitions (the most important rule in the book) cold. If you’re dealing with a correctable error, know how to deal with it since you probably helped cause it through deficient game management.

Overtime should be, as ESPN calls it, “free basketball.” Know the requirements and the consequences of incidents at the buzzer, and it should be just another night at the office.

Tim Sloan, Davenport, Iowa, is a high school football, basketball and volleyball official, and former college football and soccer official. 

Tipping Etiquette W hen should the trail official use a physical “tipped ball” signal?

It’s a simple question that, given the discussion during a classroom training session regarding backcourt violation scenarios and rulings, proves to not have a one-size-fits-all answer.

First, let’s get this element of the discussion out of the way. There are only two situations in a game when officials should be using this signal — when the ball has been tipped or deflected before going out of bounds, and when the ball has been tipped or deflected by the defense before going from the frontcourt to the backcourt.

It should not be used by an official to relay information that a shot attempt has been partially blocked or as a means of passing on a foul ruling (i.e. indicating it was a tip of the ball, not contact on the arm, that resulted

in a wayward try attempt).

With that mechanical instruction out of the way, the question of when exactly to use this signal when the ball moves from the frontcourt to the backcourt now becomes a matter of philosophical consideration, as the NFHS Basketball Officials Manual does not address the situation.

Many believe the trail official should physically indicate the ball has been tipped as soon as it crosses the division line. However, doing so raises two questions in its own right: • Officials typically do not give teams information during liveball situations to help them make decisions that could influence game play. Why would the trail official do so in this situation?

• Is the tipped ball signal even necessary at this particular point in the action? If the defensive team is

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Officials typically do not give teams information during live-ball situations to help them make decisions that could influence game play. the first to touch the ball once it is in the backcourt, the tipped ball signal is irrelevant. We only need that signal if the offensive team is the first to touch the ball in the backcourt, to inform players, coaches, spectators and our partners that a tip or deflection by the defense did occur, and therefore this is not a backcourt violation.

That last point feeds into the

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argument that trail officials should not be using the tipped ball signal until and only if the first touch of the ball in the backcourt is by the offense. Again, that is the moment in the game action when the information becomes necessary.

The counter argument to that philosophy is when this type of play occurs: A1 is trapped in the frontcourt corner near the division line in front of the center official. A1 attempts to make a pass to a teammate who is also near the division line, the ball is slightly tipped by B2 and goes into the backcourt, bouncing toward the trail official. The center official has indisputable knowledge the ball has been tipped. However, the trail official — who is responsible for the division line and backcourt violations — did not see B2 tip the ball.

If the center official does not help the crew by immediately signaling the ball has been tipped, there is a very good chance the trail official will rule a backcourt violation if another team A player is the first to touch the ball in the backcourt. In this type of situation, the center official, by physically sharing information as soon as the ball moves into the backcourt, can possibly save the crew from having to stop play, discuss what happened and rule an inadvertent whistle.

As with most philosophical elements of officiating, the important takeaway on how a crew should handle tipped-ball signaling is that there should be informative pregame discussion between the officials about how they are going to handle such plays. Come to a crew agreement and then remain committed to putting that philosophy into play on the court. 

11/14/2024 1:50:21 PM

Find, Feed NASO Summit Presenters Offered Advice on Finding, Teaching and Retaining New Officials Create A Quality Training Program

HELP NEW OFFICIALS BUILD A FIRM FOUNDATION. Create a training/ introductory program for new officials.

This program should cover rules and mechanics but also things like the best places to purchase uniforms and equipment, travel tips and suggestions on how to deal with complaints from players and coaches.

Treat Every Member as an Asset

Julie Goupille creates training materials for the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO).

“Sometimes, some of those intangibles get left by the wayside,” she says. “They get forgotten.”

Carmelina Infante, Long Beach, Calif., balances her personal life with officiating, making her an asset to her association.

HESTON QUAN

EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY. Some members’ availability is limited because of job requirements or other considerations. Those offi cials are still valuable to your association. Find games for them to work and they’ll be valuable allies when you need them.

Fred may only occasionally be working varsity baseball games. But his work schedule frees him up on weekday afternoons and Saturdays.

Consequently, he’s available wherever and whenever his assigner needs him.

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ed, Fulfill

BY RICK WOELFEL

Provide a Comfort Zone

Get New Officials on the Field

HESTON QUAN

Jason Rosen, Sherman Oaks, Calif., can help grow the next generation of officials by working with rookies and less-experienced prospects.

CREATE A SPACE WHERE OFFICIALS CAN ADDRESS CONCERNS WITHOUT BEING JUDGED. This includes opportunities for newbies to ask questions in a setting that is comfortable for them.

Newcomers need a place to turn when they encounter rough seas, as they invariably will. The phrase

GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT THEY CAN DO. Find or create opportunities for new officials to work games. If they’re not ready for high school assignments just yet, or not fully certified to do so, seek out opportunities for them in local rec leagues, etc. To state the obvious, new officials want to get out there and gain experience.

“There’s no such thing as a dumb question” sounds good but not all rookies will believe it.

It’s natural for them to feel uncomfortable asking questions in front of a room full of veterans. For their part, veterans should never forget what it’s like to be a rookie.

For Assigners: Give Everyone a Seat at the Table THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO KEEP YOUR MEMBERS INTERESTED IS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH WORK. If you’re an assigner, spread out the elite assignments rather than reserving them for a small circle of friends. If someone has demonstrated the ability to handle a higher-level assignment than they may be accustomed to, they deserve the opportunity.

Al Winters of the California Basketball Officials Association talked about identifying readiness.

“It’s important to recognize and have good people around you who are observing our officials,” he said, “and saying, ‘Hey, this guy is ready,’ or ‘This gal is ready.’”

Know the veterans in your group who work well with young officials and don’t hesitate to pair a veteran with a neophyte. This on-the-job training will give the newer official a big confidence boost.

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Find, Feed, Fulfill

Make Your Association Part of the Larger Community

HELP YOUR MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BACK. Promote your association, and the officiating industry as a whole, through traditional and social media. Connect your association to the community around you. That’s a means of giving back.

Danny Hernandez, Ontario, Calif., can give feedback to new officials through mentoring programs.

with mentees with whom they would be a good fit.

Jessica Chatto of USA Cheer notes the importance of the right blend of personalities.

“You can have mentors where the personalities don’t match,” she said, “and then really we’re not sustaining and retaining those officials, because there’s no one for them to go back to, or are comfortable going back to.”

Know Where to Search for New Prospects

THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF FERTILE FIELDS WHERE PROSPECTS ABOUND. There are multiple pools in which to search for potential officiating talent. High school and college athletes who are looking to stay in sports often make good prospects. And they don’t have to be star athletes. Don’t overlook the high school senior who never got off the varsity bench, but loves the game and has the right demeanor to be an official.

Other options include reaching out to athletic directors and coaches at the schools serviced by your association. Offer to meet with their students who may be curious about officiating. And many coaches turn to officiating at some point.

“Where do we find officials?” asked Lewie Curtis of the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

“Who do we talk to about people becoming officials? Parks and rec, college and universities, intramurals, local associations, those sorts of things that are already out there trying to help recruit. High schools, athletic directors, coaches, boys’ and girls’ clubs, church leagues, first responders, military groups. There’s just so many places and people that we need to look for to try to find who these people are.”

HESTON QUAN

Build a Corps of Mentors

SOONER OR LATER, EVERYONE WILL NEED A BOOST. An in-house mentoring program offers significant benefits. It allows members of all abilities and experience levels to obtain useful feedback from peers they respect, formally or informally.

Take note of the members who would make good mentors (those with a background in education often match that description) and try to pair them

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Consider Retirement is a New Beginning STEPPING OFF THE FIELD DOESN’T MEAN “GOING AWAY.” Officials approaching the end of their careers may experience a sense of trepidation. That’s only natural. The decision to leave the field or court may be the toughest call an official has to make.

But retirement as an active official does not have to mean stepping away from the community. Retired veterans have a valuable role to play as mentors, trainers and observers to assist the next generation of officials.

Understand That Sportsmanship Matters

ENFORCE THE RULES PERTAINING TO SPORTSMANSHIP AND SUPPORT OFFICIALS WHO DO. Emphasize sportsmanship issues.

One contributing factor in the decline in sportsmanship is that officials sometimes feel they are on an island when it comes to those issues. If they enforce incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct, they risk being redlined by a coach or assigner.

This mindset results in inconsistency or uncertainty if different crews take varying approaches to sportsmanship issues. Ideally, officials should hear a consistent message and receive support from their local association, their assigner and their state governing body as well.

By enforcing rules regarding sportsmanship, Alexis Magston, Seattle, can serve as a role model for newer officials.

For Veterans: Remember Someone is Always Watching

THE MORE SUCCESSFUL YOU ARE AS AN OFFICIAL, THE MORE EYES ARE ON YOU. If you’re an established veteran, be aware your peers are looking at you and how you do things, on the field and off. This is particularly true if you’ve reached the elite level of your sport. Don’t put yourself above your peers who have not reached that level. Remain approachable.

That mindset is contagious; lessexperienced or less-accomplished officials will take notice and tell themselves, “This is how it’s done.”

Celebrate Those Who Serve

DALE GARVEY

RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF MEMBERS WHO HAVE REACHED SIGNIFICANT CAREER MILESTONES. This might include anything from saluting members who received state playoff assignments to acknowledging members who complete their rookie seasons.

“It’s important for us to be recognized for what we’ve done,” said Sam Davis, director of officials for the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

“I keep on saying ‘us’ because we’re officials, and we all feel this way.

“When (officials) reach that milestone — their first year, their fifth year, their 10th year — at least (send) an email recognizing, ‘Hey, you’ve made it another year. Congratulations.

Thank you for what you’re doing for kids, for sports, for the schools, for the community.’”  REFEREE January 2025 |

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SOCCER

COORDINATOR: JOHN VAN DE VAARST

jvandevaarst@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Walking the field before the game is a crucial step in managing a safe match. From left, California officials Scott Hogate, Orange; Tim Wrubel, Costa Mesa; and Justin Rose, Irvine, closely inspect the netting and goal frames for holes, location and stability.

INSPECTION DETECTION

By Robert Kaufmann

T

here is a reason why officials need to get to the field at least 30 minutes before the game starts. Yes, they need to meet to talk over the game and game responsibilities. But more important is a major job to be done that many officials do not take as seriously as they should — a full inspection of the field. Officials need to take time to look for problems

and violations that can cause serious issues if they are not identified before the game begins.

The most important problems officials must look for are those that can affect the safety of the participants. These problems can only be discovered by making a detailed inspection of the whole field and its surroundings. Are there any objects on the field? Are there rocks, holes or dangerous divots on the field?

Turf fields are no exception.

Turf fields often come with inserts, field or drain covers which, if not there, can create a very dangerous situation. Most turf and manufactured fields are used for many sports. Other sports may have their own field requirements that create hazardous situations for soccer if all the parts of the field have not been properly put back together. Games have been started

HESTON QUAN

What to Look for When Walking the Field Before a Game

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where there is lacrosse, field hockey or other soccer goals, cones or benches located on the field. The officiating team shouldn’t assume the field is in proper condition because another soccer match has already been played on it. It is the officiating team’s job to inspect the field before every game. Remember, the game official assigned is responsible for the safety on the field.

In similar fashion, carefully inspect the areas around the outside of the field, including any fencing or equipment near the field of play.

Players need a safe area to run or fall out of bounds going for a ball without running into benches, goals or anything else.

If the field has lights, where are the light standards? Are they within a yard of the touchline? A player can easily run into one when chasing a ball going into touch. Spectators must be kept back a safe distance from the field of play, in accordance with league rules. Team members and coaches must also remain away from the touchline. This includes not impeding the assistant referee during the match. Spectators must also be kept a safe distance away from the goallines and goal area so they don’t interfere with play.

The officials must also inspect the field to look for conditions created by weather and nature. Is the field too wet for safe play? Is there standing water? Is the footing secure enough to play the game safely?

Sometimes wet areas or holes can be identified during the inspection and corrected by adding dirt or other drying substances to firm up and even out the field. If rain continues during the game, the officials must continually be alert for unplayable conditions. Once the game begins, it is the referee who decides if and when the field has become too dangerous and unplayable.

Two vital pieces of equipment that must always be checked are the goals. The goals, if portable, must be properly secured to the ground by weights or attachments that make it impossible for the goal to fall over.

There is no exception to this rule.

The official must not play the game if the goalposts are not properly secured. If the goal is a movable model, the referee must make sure the wheels have been pointed upward, and are not in contact with the ground, which would enable the goal to move during play.

The officials must also carefully check the netting to make sure it is attached to the posts and has no holes. Secure netting ensures the referee can tell whether or not a ball went into the goal and then passed through the netting. Some referees bring clips, attachments or even rope to make repairs, but this is the job of the home team. Inform the coach or field manager what repairs need to be made, and they will usually comply. If the netting cannot be repaired, note this in your game report, but play the game. Do your best to watch for any balls that go into the goal and pass through any netting defect. Soccer balls have an amazing ability to find these holes and escape after a score.

You should also check to see if the goals are properly centered, and on the goalline. You can make a slight adjustment to put the goal in line with the end line on your own, but if the goals are very heavy and must be moved a significant distance along the end line, ask the home team coach and his players to do this job for you. Do not put yourself at risk of injury, which could knock you out of the game before it even starts.

It is the obligation of the official to inspect, identify and work to get any problems corrected that may occur before or during the game. If there is a problem, inform the home team’s coach or field manager, and make sure they make the needed corrections. A failure to identify and correct these safety issues falls squarely on the officials. Besides creating a stain on their reputations, referees may also find themselves in legal trouble if their failure to properly inspect the field leads to a serious injury.

Robert Kaufmann, Glen Rock, N.J., is a lawyer who has been a high school, youth and senior amateur referee for 18 years. 

SURVEY SAYS ...

According to the 2023 NASO National Officiating Survey powered by Referee.com, 76% of soccer officials who responded agreed mentorship programs should focus on ensuring higher retention rates within underrepresented groups by making sure as many as possible within the group have a mentor.

N AT I O N A L O F F I C I AT I N G

QUICKTIP Only allow a quick free kick if: The kick is taken from the correct position.

The ball is stationary (not moving).

No player is injured.

The referee has not distracted the offending team.

THEY SAID IT “We don’t want to see mobbing of officials. We don’t want to see some of the behavior that we do see on a regular basis. But it also has a trickle down effect into the grassroots game. When you look at the number of officials who we’re losing in U.S. Soccer at the youth level because of the behavior of coaches and players — it’s coming from what they see on TV.” — Mark Geiger, PRO general manager

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SOCCER

In each of the following, decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA or IFAB rules/Laws. Solutions: p. 81.

1. Team A is wearing dark blue shorts and light blue garments under the shorts. A1 is wearing a white garment under the shorts. a. Illegal, since the garments must be the same in color for all teammates. b. Legal. c. Illegal and caution A1 for the improper equipment.

2. Team A is taking a free kick.

A1, not near the ball, asks for 10 yards. The referee stops play and sets the wall at 10 yards from the free kick. a. Correct decision. b. The referee should have allowed play to continue because only the kicker or a teammate close to the kicker can request 10 yards. c. Caution A1 for unsporting behavior since this was an attempt to confuse team B. 3. A1 and B2 are challenging for the ball. A1’s hand comes up in a natural motion and strikes B2 in the face in a nonviolent manner. a. Allow play to continue since the act was inadvertent. b. Stop play and award a direct free kick for team B. c. Stop play, eject A1 for striking and restart with a direct free kick.

4. Team A is awarded an indirect free kick just inside the attacking penalty area. A1 steps on the ball and A2 runs up, kicks the ball and scores. a. Goal. A2 was the second player to touch the ball. b. No goal and caution A1 for the trickery. c. No goal. A1 did not properly put the ball into play.

5. A1 shoots at goal. The ball deflects off the referee and enters the goal. a. No goal and restart with a drop ball by the goalkeeper. b. Goal. c. No goal and restart with a goal kick.

Tactical Fouls

By Gibby Reynolds

I

n soccer, a foul in its most basic sense is an unfair act. While governing bodies may have their own unique rules or Laws, they all enumerate a similar set of actions that are not allowed to be committed against an opponent. These include kicking, tripping, striking, pushing, etc. When challenges involve physical contact, referees are required to judge several aspects of the players’ actions to determine if a foul was committed, and if any disciplinary action is required. One key aspect referees must evaluate is the severity of the foul, which can range from “careless” to “reckless” to involving “excessive force.” These classifications help determine the appropriate disciplinary action, such as a yellow or red card, based on the nature of the contact.

Equally important is the foul’s impact on the phase of play. Impact consideration can elevate a normally careless foul up to the level of misconduct. Referees must be able to recognize and penalize accordingly if a foul is committed to tactically stop a promising attack (SPA) or deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO). Tactical fouls, while not necessarily severe or endangering an opponent’s safety, are aimed at unfairly gaining an advantage or disrupting the opponent’s attack. These types of fouls are often subtle and require keen observation from referees. They include actions like shirt pulling, impeding an opponent with the body or last-ditch tackles.

Last year, the NFHS soccer rulebook included the definition and criteria for DOGSO. While a tactical foul may stop an attack, it might not necessarily deny an obvious goalscoring opportunity. This year, the NFHS expanded what was defined as a tactical foul and now includes considerations for SPA. SPA offenses might occur in the attacking end of the field and be committed by a defender to change a numerical advantage or to regroup. These types of fouls prevent the ball or player from advancing into

dangerous scoring areas. Offenders might commit a tactical foul knowing they’ve been beaten and use slight, unfair contact to slow down or prevent further progress.

Play: A1 has the ball approximately 30 yards from the goal. B2 is moving on a diagonal toward A1 and steps in front and almost completely stops. This is done to simply impede progress of A1. There is one other team B player and the goalkeeper closer to the goal.

Ruling: B2 clearly committed a tactical SPA foul.

An offense might not include all four of the required elements for DOGSO, but the presence of any DOGSO consideration may indicate the foul stopped a promising attack. As a reminder the considerations for DOGSO are distance between the offense and the goal, general direction of play, likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball and location and number of defenders.

In the play described above, a DOGSO offense could have occurred if it was only the goalkeeper left as a defender. This would be a clear attempt to deny the opportunity.

DOGSO offenses usually occur closer to the goal while SPA can occur anywhere on the field, more than likely in the attacking half. If an offense is judged to be a DOGSO foul, the offender is shown the red card and ejected. A player who commits a SPA offense is cautioned and shown the yellow card.

While both DOGSO and SPA can lead to disciplinary action, they are distinct in their nature and implications. Understanding the distinctions is crucial for referees as they shed light on the complexity and strategic elements of fouls in soccer. Referees must accurately assess situations beyond just the severity of a foul and recognize the nuances of tactical fouls to better appreciate the intricacies of the beautiful game.

Gibby Reynolds, Wilsonville, Ore., is the chair of the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee and officiates all levels. He is the Director of Instruction AYSO for Oregon, Washington and Alaska. 

DALE GARVEY

TEST YOURSELF

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ON THE BALL Action around the goal escalates quickly. In this situation the goalkeeper has possession of the ball and must not be interfered with (NFHS 12-3-2; NCAA 12.3.2.3; IFAB 12.2). The referee must be close enough to the play to react to many possible scenarios. This could easily be a highly emotional moment for the players involved and the coaches.

Game management is critical. The referee must process what type of game it has been up to this point.

Has it been a game with multiple fouls and if this is ignored will there be retaliation or addition hard fouls?

Would stopping play provide better game control? If the decision is made to allow the game to continue, will there be better game flow? A lot of questions need answering in a matter of seconds.

2

5 3 4

1

1 Does attacker black 29 make contact with the goalkeeper? If so, was the contact incidental or an attempt to injure? If it was incidental, should the referee allow play to continue so that the goalkeeper can clear the ball with a punt or throw? If defender white 18 makes contact with the attacker, is it serious enough to warrant the awarding of a penalty kick, caution or ejection?

2 Will the defender take it upon herself to “protect the keeper” and foul the attacker or possibly strike the attacker? Could this action cause a serious altercation or retaliation?

3 The other two opponents are close to the play and each other. What are their actions? Are there fouls off the

ball? The referee must be aware of these actions as well as the goalkeeper, the attacker near the goalkeeper and the defender.

4 In all scenarios, be prepared for any level of foul from either team. Is it careless, reckless or violent? If so, who should receive a caution or ejection?

5 The referee must quickly move in close to the play and observe several possibilities. Good preventive officiating would include the referee saying something such as, “Keeper has it!” “Stay off the keeper!” “I’ll protect the keeper.” That last statement should prevent the defensive player from fouling the attacker.

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SOCCER

CASEPLAYS Pinball Penalty Play: A1 is moving forward outside the penalty area. B2 intercepts the ball and plays it back to goalkeeper B3, who attempts to clear it with the feet. A1 intercepts the clearance inside the penalty area. B4 and B5 are moving back toward the goal to defend. B2 fouls A1 inside the penalty area. Ruling: Penalty kick. Although this was a SPA incident since a penalty kick was awarded, a caution is not issued (NFHS 12-7-3; NCAA 12.4.10; IFAB 12.3).

Offside Corner Kick Play: A1 takes a corner kick, which is landing just beyond the edge of the goal area. Goalkeeper B2 comes out and punches the ball clear. Momentum takes B2 approximately eight yards from the goalline. B3 is still on the goalline. A4 heads the punched ball back toward goal. A1 receives the ball on the edge of the goalline, shoots and scores. Ruling: Offside. The assistant referee must never assume the goalkeeper is one of the defenders when judging offside. In this instance the goalkeeper came off the line (NFHS 11-1-4; NCAA 11.1.3; IFAB 11.1).

Wall Support When and When Not to Get Involved

By George Wilhelmsen

T

he referee calls a foul. The event occurred in a dangerous area for the defense. The offense is setting up for a kick, while the goalkeeper is managing the wall setup. If the game worked as it is supposed to, the referee would just be there to observe, but sometimes players and their nefarious schemes require referee intervention to keep the game safe and equitable.

Looking at the rules, they are pretty much the same for the NFHS, NCAA and IFAB — the wall must be set up at least 10 yards from the ball. It is important to note the Laws and rules require at least, not exactly, 10 yards. Also, if the referee must intervene, the restart becomes formal and requires a whistle. Inform both teams to wait for the whistle to avoid confusion. A good mechanic is to hold up the whistle and point to it to let everyone know a second whistle will restart the game.

If there are three or more defensive players in the wall, the Laws explain any offensive player must be at least a yard from the wall until the ball is in play. If the offensive player moves before the kick and the goal is scored, the general instruction is not to penalize it. However, if the offensive player’s movement influences play, NCAA and IFAB require an indirect free kick to be awarded to the offended team.

While NFHS has no stated sanction, the common practice is to utilize the same sanction and restart with the indirect free kick.

There is no stated setup time given in any of the Laws, but a good rule of thumb is if the setup is running toward 20 seconds or more, a few words to help the defending team understand it needs to hurry up a bit are warranted. Do not allow the lack of wall creation to dictate the play. The setting of a wall can be used as a time-wasting tactic by players when they either need to run

T S O M

Premature Flag Play: The ball is rolling along the goalline between the goalposts. The assistant referee anticipates the ball crossing the goalline and raises the flag. Just before the ball wholly crosses the goalline, B1 clears it away. The referee observes the raised flag, sounds the whistle and points to the center circle, indicating a goal. The assistant referee advises the referee the ball did not completely cross the goalline and the flag should not have been raised. Ruling: Since the game has not restarted, the referee has the authority to reverse the decision. The goal is disallowed and the game is restarted with a drop ball for the goalkeeper (NFHS 5-3-2a; NCAA 5.6.2; IFAB 5.2).

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down the clock to win or just to catch their breath. As noted above, there is nothing in the Laws about how long the defending team can take to set up a wall. If it is taking too long and the referee’s earlier words didn’t accelerate the process, it may be necessary to caution a defensive player in the wall so the others clearly understand they must organize more quickly.

For direct free kicks, the referee won’t run into a wall situation inside the penalty area unless the offense commits the foul. Generally, the challenge is with indirect free kicks, for example impeding, dangerous play or a goalkeeper violation where the referee must use some care. While all the Laws require at least 10 yards distance, if the restart occurs closer to the goalline than 10 yards, the defenders can legally line up on the goalline, between the goalposts, and still be closer than 10 yards, as the Laws all allow for this somewhat rare situation.

Deal with the infractions when they occur, and watch the game take off again, knowing that the wall, time and players have been managed properly.

When any wall is set up incorrectly, the referee will have to intervene and set the proper distance. The referee should practice and know how many steps comprise the minimum 10-yard distance. If vanishing spray is permitted, it can be a helpful tool to make sure the wall doesn’t move closer. If the referee does not have the vanishing spray or it isn’t allowed by the rules of the competition, after the wall is set, quickly back away, while maintaining an eye on the players.

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The state director of instruction in Illinois notes, “Always keep your eyes on the felons,” and that is the case here — if you look away, the restart will move.

While retreating to the best position to watch the wall and free kick, it’s time to give the whistle a strong, short blast and restart play.

Watch how the wall reacts. Look for any arm movements that might warrant a handling call if players make themselves bigger. Watch for anyone who might be pushing or shoving as part of the effort. Deal with the infractions when they occur, and watch the game take off again, knowing that the wall, time and players have been managed properly.

George Wilhelmsen, Rochelle, Ill., is a 20-year NFHS, USSF and NISOA official. He is the secretary for the Greater Chicago Chapter of NISOA, and publishes The Weekly Soccer Referee Blog at theweeklysoccerreferee. wordpress.com.

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FOOTBALL

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

If Patrick Howard, Lynnwood, Wash., flags this as a late hit out of bounds, the guilty player will be charged with a personal foul. It cannot be unsportsmanlike conduct because contact is involved.

ALWAYS NEVER THE SAME

By Jeff Conrad

E

very year it seems there is confusion regarding the difference between personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct. In some cases, the confusion results in players being incorrectly removed from games. NFHS uses disqualification to denote a player “kicked out” of the game. NCAA uses both disqualification and ejection. For

simplicity, ejection will be used from this point on.

Ejection is a harsh penalty. At a minimum, the player is removed for the remainder of the game, and many states impose a suspension of one or more additional games. As a result, it is imperative officiating crews apply the rules and ejection criteria correctly.

Personal (illegal personal contact) fouls involve physical contact and

most often occur between opponents.

Unsportsmanlike conduct fouls are noncontact fouls, except for some cases in NCAA, and may be committed by players or nonplayers.

In NFHS, some personal fouls — fighting, leaving the team box during a fight, intentionally contacting a game official, striking an opponent with a fist, locked hands, forearm or elbow, and kicking or kneeing an opponent — result in automatic

DALE GARVEY

Personal and Unsportsmanlike Foul Differences

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ejection. In NCAA, add targeting and playing with cleats longer than 1/2 inch long to the list. In either code, any foul deemed to be flagrant warrants ejection.

In addition, two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls results in the offender being ejected. That is where confusion sets in. A player is not automatically ejected after two (or more) nonflagrant personal fouls, or any combination of non-flagrant personal fouls and only one unsportsmanlike conduct foul.

Another misunderstanding involves open-hand contact to an opponent’s helmet — the “head slap.” There have been instances of players being ejected for that action because officials believed that contact constituted fighting or striking an opponent. NFHS casebook 9.2.3B notes a head slap is a personal foul for illegal helmet contact but not fighting or striking an opponent.

Punching with a closed fist as noted in 9.4.1B is an offense meriting ejection, however.

Flagrant fouls. As noted above, a player may be ejected for any personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct foul deemed to be flagrant.

The wording in both codes for flagrant fouls is approximately the same: a foul so severe or extreme that it places an opponent in danger of serious injury (NFHS 2-16-2; NCAA 2-10-3).

Officials have extremely broad discretion in determining what constitutes a flagrant act. To elevate a personal foul to flagrant, there needs to be at least one escalating circumstance. Such factors include but are not limited to extensive time and yardage before the contact, intentionally accelerating during approach to contact, launching into the opponent and leading with the helmet.

In order to deem a foul flagrant, it is important to see the entire play. NFHS players are sometimes automatically ejected for helmet-tohelmet contact. However, a review of the entire play shows a defender lowering the target zone to initiate legal contact only to have the runner duck or lower his helmet, a defender

not moving or nearly stationary while the opponent is running at full speed and initiating contact, or a defender not realizing an opponent is approaching and being contacted with insufficient time to alter point of contact. In such situations, the defender may not be solely responsible for initiating the contact and there may not even be a foul.

Airborne receivers present another challenging situation from a personal foul perspective. A receiver needs to be protected from a defender who purposely undercuts the receiver’s legs while he is airborne.

On the other hand, it is unfair to penalize a defender when a receiver jumps into the air and lands on the defender.

Who should call a flagrant foul?

An issue that has been debated is what should be done if only one official sees a flagrant foul and wants to eject a player. Or how to react if multiple officials see the same foul but disagree regarding ejection. Certainly, there are circumstances in which only one official will see all aspects of a play that qualifies as a flagrant foul. In that case, if the official is absolutely certain an ejection is warranted, the crew should proceed with the flagrant foul and ejection.

Ideally, more than one official will see the entire play. In that case, the officials should come together and discuss the foul. If the foul is deemed flagrant, the officials should also agree on the escalating factors. If the officials cannot agree with respect to the flagrant aspect of foul and escalating factors, the crew always has the option to penalize the foul without ejecting the player.

Separating personal fouls from unsportsmanlike conduct fouls is a relatively easy matter if you remember the former requires contact for NFHS. And while two unsportsmanlike fouls require ejection, it is possible a player may accumulate any number of personal fouls and remain in the game as long as none of them is flagrant.

Jeff Conrad, Bartlett, Ill., has officiated high school football for more than 35 years. He is an Illinois High School Association clinician and was the 2023 Illinois Football Official of the Year. 

QUICKTIP What line-of-scrimmage official hasn’t forgotten a chain clip at some point? The end-ofgame responsibilities are often numerous and require our full attention. Making sure no crewmate is left behind as we exit the field is a main concern. Next time you take the field and meet with the chain gain, empower one of those individuals with reminding you to take the chain clip once the game is over. It will make them feel more a part of the officiating team and lessen your chance of that lost clip feeling.

SURVEY SAYS ...

High school football officials, does your state office mandate specific uniform shirts or logo patches be worn on your game attire?

Yes 80% No 20%

SOURCE: REFEREE SURVEY OF 146 SUBSCRIBERS

DID YOU KNOW? On Oct. 17, 1954, Philadelphia quarterback Adrian Burk tied an NFL record by throwing seven touchdown passes in a game against Washington.

On Sept. 28, 1969, Burk was officiating a game between Minnesota and Baltimore when Vikings quarterback Joe Kapp tied Burk’s record by tossing seven touchdown passes. Burk was a part of the officiating crew that worked the 1972 game between Pittsburgh and Oakland known as the “Immaculate Reception” game, and the longest recorded playoff game in NFL history between Kansas City and Miami on Christmas Day in 1971.

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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. Right guard A1 false starts. B2, lined up opposite A1, reacts to A1’s movement by charging across the line and barreling into A1. A3 curses B2. a. All of the penalties cancel. b. Only the penalty for the false start is enforced. c. The false start is enforced, the other penalties cancel. d. All of the penalties are enforced in the order in which they occurred.

2. Fourth and 15 at team K’s 20 yardline. The snap flies over punter K1’s head and is grounded at team K’s five yardline when R2 intentionally kicks the ball into and out of team K’s end zone. a. If the penalty is accepted, it will be first and 10 from team K’s 30 yardline. b. If the penalty is accepted, it will be fourth and 10 from team K’s 20 yardline. c. If the penalty is accepted, it will be fourth and five from team K’s 30 yardline. d. If the penalty is declined, it will be first and 10 for team K at its own 20 yardline.

3. First and goal at team B’s 10 yardline. Quarterback A1 runs to team B’s eight yardline, then retreats to team B’s 15 yardline and throws a forward pass to A2, who is in team B’s end zone. A2 makes the catch. At no time are there team A ineligibles downfield. a. Illegal forward pass; it will be second and goal from team B’s 15 yardline. b. Illegal forward pass; it will be second and goal from team B’s 20 yardline. c. Illegal forward pass; it will be first and goal from team B’s 15 yardline. d. Legal pass; team A touchdown.

4. Late in the game with the score tied, team K lines up to free kick.

Kicker K1 places the ball at the right hash for an apparent onside kick.

After the referee’s ready-for-play signal, K2 picks up the ball, runs to the left hash at team K’s 35 yardline, places the ball there and kicks it. a. No problem. b. No problem as long as team K abides by all formation rules. c. Foul. Once the ball has been placed, it may not be relocated unless there is a charged timeout.

Make Anticipation Part of Your Participation

By Jay Rowan

O

ne of the best skills we can have is the ability to anticipate a play.

We never want to be surprised by what might happen. We can’t just wait for the snap and then react. If we have anticipated what may occur, we can put ourselves in better position.

Treat every free kick as if it will be an onside kick. If you are not thinking about an onside kick, you will be surprised and not have a beanbag ready for a first/illegal touching situation. When there is a normal kickoff, officials should be more lenient regarding encroachment/ offside because the team has not gained an advantage by being a few inches into the neutral zone. But on an onside kick, the kickers must be completely behind their free-kick line.

Invariably if a team K player is a few inches over the line, he will be the one to recover the kick. We cannot let that unfair advantage occur.

Are you ready to throw the flag for a foul by the kickers if they block before they can legally recover the ball? Are we ready for a pop-up kick?

If the kickers try a pooch kick, are we ready to flag them for possible kick-catching interference? If we have thought about those situations before the play, we will be in good position and looking in the proper place to make the call.

Are we ready to start the clock when we are supposed to, or have we not even thought about it? We don’t start it on first touching by the kickers but we do start it if the receivers touch the ball anywhere on the field.

All officials must know their keys before the play starts. Remind yourself to stay with our keys. Don’t go zone too quickly. Your key may not enter another official’s coverage area immediately or at all.

Wing officials. The line-ofscrimmage officials have numerous presnap duties. They must know the uniform numbers of eligible receivers

on their side of the ball. Make sure the flankers, split ends and slot backs are in legal positions. If they are not, it will be a live-ball foul for an illegal formation. Make sure the play begins legally — anticipate what may happen before it happens.

After the ready signal, we must be anticipating what will happen if a dead-ball foul occurs. Signal the clock (if it’s running), then throw the flag.

What if there is a live-ball foul at the snap? In that case, throw your flag high enough so it’s apparent there is a foul. On the other hand, don’t throw it so high you draw attention to yourself or just drop it to the ground so it appears you’re unsure of yourself.

Once the ball is snapped, you have to think about how you will cover the play. If it is a run, watch the tight end or tackle on your side for illegal blocks or illegal contact. On a run to your side, watch the blockers leading the play and move off the sideline and toward the offensive backfield to widen your view and protect yourself from stampeding players. Once the runner goes by you, watch the action behind the runner.

If the runner goes out of bounds on your sideline, give the stop the clock signal. If there are players in the opponent’s team area, be prepared to enter the team area to escort them back onto the field. Your priority is the players, not obtaining a game ball from the ball assistant. If the run is to the other sideline, move in and watch the action behind the play. Be prepared to give a crossfield spot if necessary.

Always relay a signal to the referee that the game clock will be restarted on the ready signal or on the snap if the ball was near the sideline or out of bounds, respectively.

Referee’s duties. If the offense is in a passing situation, the referee must anticipate what could possibly happen. The referee has got to be See “Anticipation” p.34

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Seeing is Believing?

Think angles aren’t important in officiating?

This series of photos may be the Zapruder film of evidence that what you see may not be what you get.

a b c

a

The defender has reached over and around the runner’s head and has grabbed … what? The helmet opening? The facemask? The collar?

If you’re the wing official or umpire with this

view, you may be reaching for your flag about now. If you’re the referee with the same look, you may also. But you may be blocked out by other players and unable to see the action.

The defender’s grip hasn’t loosened and it still looks for all the world like some sort of foul is in progress.

Now all has become clear. It wasn’t the helmet, facemask, jersey collar or nameplate area being grabbed after all. It was the part of the jersey covering the shoulder pad. By now, if the wing official and/or umpire has dropped

b

a marker, they will be wishing they’d waited an extra second or two. The referee likely has no angle.

c

KEN KASSENS

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FOOTBALL

Anticipation

CASEPLAYS Goalline Plane Play: Runner A1 is running down the left sideline. He is met just short of the goalline

by B1. A1’s body never gets to the plane of the goalline but (a) with the ball in his right hand, he breaks the plane of the goalline in the field of play, or (b) with the ball in his left hand, he breaks the plane of the goalline extended outside the sideline plane. Ruling: In NFHS, that’s a touchdown in both (a) and (b).

As long as the runner is touching the ground inbounds when the ball breaks the plane of the goalline or the goalline extended, a touchdown results. In NCAA, it is a touchdown in (a) because the ball broke the goalline plane between the pylons. In (b), the covering official must determine the spot of forward progress. The goalline plane extends beyond the sideline only for a runner who touches a pylon or touches the ground in the end zone (NFHS 2-26-3, 8-2-1a; NCAA 8-2-1a).

Timeout Play: During a charged team timeout, the coach of team A meets with his team on the sideline. All uniformed personnel are involved in the conference.

Ruling: If the conference is held in front of the team box, there are no restrictions on who may be included. Under NCAA rules, there are no restrictions (NFHS 2-6-2, 9-8-1f; NCAA 9-2-1b-1).

Free Kick After Fair Catch Play: R1 makes a fair catch of a scrimmage kick at team K’s 33 yardline. Team R chooses to attempt a free kick and a potential field goal. Is the ball snapped? Can the opponent rush the kicker and attempt to block the kick? Ruling: In NFHS rules, the teams line up as they would for a kickoff. The free kick lines are 10 yards apart. There is no snap. The opponent of the kicking team may not break the plane of its free kick line until the ball is kicked. The team attempting the kick may use a drop kick or a place kick, not a punt. NCAA rules do not allow a free kick following a fair catch (NFHS 6-1-1, 6-5-4, 8-4-1; NCAA 6-5-1e).

continued from p.32

thinking, “I’ve got the quarterback all the way.” With today’s relaxed intentional grounding rules, the referee must determine if the passer is outside the prescribed zone necessary to legally ground the ball.

If you have not anticipated a pass, you could be caught off guard and may not be ready to make a decision on the pass being forward or backward. That play could lead to a turnover and a change of possession.

If the appropriate officials anticipate a screen pass, they will be ready to rule if the pass crosses the line of scrimmage. That will be important in determining if there are ineligibles downfield and possibly illegal touching and pass interference.

Scrimmage kicks. When a team is attempting a field goal, we must

be thinking the ball is live unless it scores or it goes into the end zone with no chance of scoring. Otherwise, a field goal is just like a punt in NFHS and must be treated as such.

Reminding each other helps avoid inadvertent whistles.

When a foul occurs with less than two minutes remaining in each half, anticipate that the team behind will want to start the clock on the snap. Be alert for a coach wanting a timeout if a play ends with the clock running.

Those are just a few of the myriad situations that require us to be thinking ahead. They are the difference between being in the right place to make the correct decision and being caught flatfooted at a pivotal moment. Anticipate the play, not the call.

Jay Rowan is a veteran high school football official from Pittston, Pa. 

Be a Try-Hard

By Robert Weich

O

fficials can get caught developing habits for routine try downs, only to be alarmed when it breaks down.

Here are some examples that may cause some confusion for high school crews of five officials using NFHS rules.

Scenario 1: The snap on an attempted kick try goes awry. The holder bobbles the snap.

Coverage 1: The referee is in the best position to observe the action.

Although dropping a beanbag is not crucial for possible subsequent penalty enforcement, it can serve as a good non-verbal communication tool for crewmates and the sidelines.

It is important for the wing officials to crash in from the sidelines to get a better view of the recovery and for the umpire to monitor actions in and around the pile. The back judge will be on the endline and can observe action around the pile.

Scenario 2: Team A is lining up for a try without a kicker and appears to be lined up in the swinging gate formation.

Coverage 2: Line-of-scrimmage officials need to make sure team A

has no more than four players in the backfield and the umpire needs to confirm there are five team A players on the line numbered 50-79.

Since a scrimmage kick is not obvious, the officials should be prepared to work the play from their normal positions. If the offense shifts into a scrimmage kick formation, officials should quickly adjust with the referee facing the holder and the wing official on that side of the field joining the back judge behind the goalposts.

Scenario 3: Team A is lining up for a try with a holder and kicker in a legal scrimmage kick formation. The snap is clean and the kick is a low line drive.

The ball hits R1’s helmet and deflects directly between the uprights.

Coverage 3: Officials should consider giving the tip signal to communicate with crewmates, and everyone should be aware who touched the ball and where. As long as it was not a team K player beyond the expanded neutral zone, the kick try scores (8-4-1b).

Robert Weich is a journalist from Mequon, Wis. He officiates high school football and baseball. 

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Change of Possession Has a Price C ommitting a foul before it gains final possession usually means team B walks away from a fumble recovery or interception without a new series. But if the foul occurs after the change of possession, the “clean hands” provision in the rules allows enforcement of team B’s foul but does not negate the turnover.

The MechaniGram illustrates a play in which team A commits a foul (ineligible downfield) before its pass is intercepted. During team B’s advance, a team B player fouls (clipping). Because the team B foul occurred during the run following the change, it may keep the ball after the penalty for the clip is enforced.

Team B will also have to decline the penalty for team A’s foul. Accepting that penalty would result in a replay of the down. 

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‘WE’RE NOT

January_2025.indb 36

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BY LEAH BERARD

It’s time to replace “bro” and allow female officials to embrace their unique identity. To have an effective officiating program that includes women, their needs must be considered.

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n a world where people believe unequivocally what they see and read on social media is truth, and in an industry where officials are often under attack, it’s commendable that anyone would want to pick up a whistle. Well, women are picking them up at increased rates every year, and there is no reason they can’t have an equal space in the officiating arena.

With the shortage of officials, the question becomes, “Is there a different way to recruit and retain this growing segment of the officiating industry in comparison to male officials?”

As a female official in male-dominant sports for two decades, I have been asked the question about how to best recruit and retain more females in the officiating ranks. Although I do not know the golden answer, I have seen women get more opportunities and garner more respect from the moment they arrive at sporting contests. However, there are still strides to be made and obstacles to get through or over as females face unique challenges compared to their male counterparts. It’s time to listen to the female officials and understand what different needs they may have, in either recruiting or on game day.

The NASO Sports Officiating Summit brought together a panel of female trailblazers and role models July 30 in Atlanta to hear their views on the topic. The session was titled, “Women in Officiating.” The panel was comprised of four women representing different sports and roles, from administration to onfield officiating. Dana Pappas, NFHS director of officiating services, was the moderator for the inspiring panel of Kari Seitz, retired FIFA World Cup referee and

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‘WE’RE NOT YOUR BRO!’

WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE CREW (NOT YOUR BRO, THOUGH) The panel had varying opinions on the unique challenges and needs for females. However, they agreed they want to be an equal contributor to the crew while also being their own female person.

Female officials are doing it for the love of the game just like their colleagues. “We’re doing this for the same reasons,” Thomas said. “It’s not because we wanted to bust up the good old boys’ club.”

Women are carving paths in historically male-dominated spaces, and they should be able to have their own identity without feeling uncomfortable on and off the field or court.

Traveling together and sharing locker rooms are part of the business. The camaraderie must extend to those spaces to build rapport and trust. Females are also just trying to make sure they have everything they need to perform their best on the day. As the number of female officials is increasing, it means males will need to understand females have different needs at times within the locker room space.

And women build relationships differently than men do. “We’re not a guy,” McLarty said. “We’re not your bro. We appreciate that you have your bros — we love that for you — but that’s not us.”

Everyone involved with officiating creates one big

Female officials like Ingrid Yan, Woodinville, Wash., play the important position of a role model. It is powerful for young female athletes to see firsthand that officiating is an option for them as well.

family, and that means every individual should be embraced for who they are and what they bring to the table. Growth and acceptance happen after the discomfort; discomfort exists on both sides, so that is already a bond that ties officials, and humanity, together. There is no need to feel threatened as the landscape is changing, and females are asking for equal space within the arena.

“From my perspective, you go out on the court or the field, half the people hate you half the time,” Seitz said.

“We’re all match officials; this is a fact.”

The goal is to grow together, regardless of gender. It’s a growth opportunity. “Get to know me,” Jones said. “Get to know the women who may be on your crew, and especially if they’re the only one, know that they may also have a little bit of concern or nervousness.”

As crewmates may change from week to week, pregame is a great place to make everyone feel welcome.

Be engaged and open to the small talk in the room. There may be a different energy in the room; however, with that comes life experiences that add strength and another dimension to the officiating space.

WE NEED ADVOCATES AND MENTORS (AND GENDER DOESN’T MATTER) When Thomas first joined the officiating ranks, it was because she didn’t have a space to go to as a basketball player post-college. She got kicked out of the local men’s church league, then ended up going to a football officials meeting with her brother.

“I did not know that there weren’t any women (officiating), and he didn’t exclude me,” Thomas said. “So, just be our champions.”

There is no need to use kid gloves when approaching female officials. Women are in this space because they want to be and have chosen to overcome the hurdles that come with it.

“They’ve taken a chance to go into something that’s not the norm,” Thomas said. “At least have the (respect) for them like you would anybody else.”

It all goes back to feeling welcome and establishing a sense of belonging among the crew.

Women want mentors, and some of their best mentors are men.

The little nuggets of wisdom that men can offer women in this space, as the arena is now more inclusive, is priceless.

“Having men who are in your corner as females is so important,” Pappas said.

Females in the officiating avocation have most likely been exposed to athletics growing up

DALE GARVEY

U.S. Soccer vice president of refereeing; Lisa Jones, NCAA women’s basketball official and NASO board chair; Sarah Thomas, NFL down judge and recipient of the 2024 NASO Inspire Award; and Devonie McLarty, NCAA volleyball official and Professional Volleyball Federation director of officials.

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in some capacity. Although they have had to prepare themselves differently than their male counterparts, they are not afraid to get dirty in the trenches either. It’s all about having an open mind, and a change of mindset all begins from within the community and starting a dialogue.

“It’s finding that advocate, and there are several, because they’re out there,” Thomas said. “If it weren’t for the men that have our backs, I don’t know that I would be sitting here.”

It is even more vital today to have empathy for the circumstances and experiences all officials bring. We must grow together as a unified front if we want to keep the officiating pipeline alive and thriving in an ever-changing world that demands less direct social interaction daily.

WE NEED A SUPPORT SYSTEM (AND WE NEED TO UPLIFT OTHERS)

HESTON QUAN

Power in numbers is the female officials’ motto, and females need to build each other up. It all starts within the smaller group to be able to affect change to the larger group, who hasn’t experienced the same things, through no fault of their own.

“Sometimes as women we’re harder on the next woman because of what we went through,” Jones said.

“We can have compassion for the people coming behind us.

Maybe we made it easier for them, but they’re still going to experience some things along the way that they may need your support on.”

It is important for the women in the visible positions in officiating to embrace that space and be a positive role model for those little girls who want to see someone they can envision aspiring to be when they turn on the television.

Shannon King, Anaheim, Calif., and her crewmates should strive to grow together as a team regardless of gender.

All should be embraced for who they are and the skills they bring.

“You have role models here — they’re women — other women are seeing them on television, and they have such a power,” Seitz said. “The power to transform people’s interest in the sport. The power of just being on the court or on the field in these big matches is incredible, and sometimes I think we underestimate that.”

When it comes to different needs for females, one of them is the ability to give birth.

Those who become mothers want to be welcomed back to the officiating family with open arms. They must work their way back up to the standards of performing (officials are all about standards, after all).

And biologically speaking, there is only a certain timeframe for women to give birth. The prime time for that also often aligns with the years women are officiating. It is hoped we are past the days of women feeling they must hide a pregnancy until they are physically showing in fear of not getting their “spot” back when they return.

“A lot of times people fall off the radar because they go have kids, they go mom,” McLarty said. “But we have to make it easier to come back. We were good when we stepped away, and we’re not going to

always want to come back if we don’t feel like we’re going to still have the same tools, or that we’re constantly trying to play catch up because we got leapfrogged.”

WE WANT A SENSE OF BELONGING (AND A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE) Feeling a sense of belonging starts with words, which means having inclusive, gender-neutral language can only help the cause. Female officials don’t necessarily lack confidence when walking into the officiating arena, but they do lack a sense of belonging when language doesn’t include them from the get-go.

There are common colloquialisms, such as calling a group of people “guys,” that aren’t meant as disrespect; however, they are gender specific to males. Some terms in sports and officiating are being updated to be more inclusive.

For example, a head linesman in football is now a down judge in the NFL or a head line-judge in college and some high school associations.

It does take time to change the language we’re used to using, and what females would like to hear is, “I’m sorry, I’ll correct myself.” We’re all

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‘WE’RE NOT YOUR BRO!’

WE ARE ALL HUMANS (AND WANT TO BE TREATED AS SUCH) It’s as simple as this: The common denominator is we are all human with the same human conditions and struggles.

Neither love nor tragedy cares about gender, so why should one human treat another so differently just because they have a second X chromosome?

“We need to be able to establish space for females where it’s safe to make mistakes. We also need to understand that it is not fair to expect them to fit into a box that looks this way — 5-foot-10, 150 pounds, perfect hair, perfect skin,” McLarty said.

“That’s not real life, so we need

Female officials want the same opportunities as their peers.

They are looking for the same chance to rise in the ranks as male officials.

Karen Preato, Greensboro, N.C.

to accept the humanity and what they’re bringing to the table, just like we want coaches to accept the humanity that we bring to the table as a referee on their games.”

Being a good referee starts with being an admirable and authentic person. That translates onto the court or field, and when teams keep seeing females show up to officiate and do as good of a job as the males, they will continue to be part of the changing discourse that opens doors to females and welcomes them with open arms and an open space for relationships to grow on and off the field or court.

“I think that allyship concept is so big,” Pappas said.

“You’ve got to get your arms around them and let them know, ‘Hey, we’re here for you, you’re one of us now and part of the family.’”

How Do We Recruit and Retain More FEMALE OFFICIALS? There is that question again.

Female officials essentially have the same need as any new official when stepping into an unknown and, at times, hostile terrain. It goes beyond, or runs parallel to, the sense of belonging. Just as

females don’t want any gifts when it comes to appointing or advancing them, they also want to know someone is investing in them, and that starts at a grassroots level. They want the same opportunities without a preconceived bias. They want to have the same ability to get to the top as male officials.

“We need more match officials — race, gender, it shouldn’t matter … the best referees on the field,” Seitz said. “But we have to create the opportunities at the lower and grassroots level to ensure we’re bringing women match officials in and making that investment.”

Because women will be on an island looking for more people that look like them with more shared life experience if they don’t bring along their own as part of the ride.

“We have more opportunities than we’ve ever had before because whatever sport you’re in, there’s more sport, and we need everyone,” Seitz said. “If you stick to it and love it and put that kind of effort in, you can go far.

“Today is the best day ever to become a female referee.”

Leah Berard, St. Paul, Minn., officiated international rugby and now officiates high school and college football.

BILL STRAUS

humans and going to make mistakes in this unchartered territory of time.

“We’re living in this society where things are changing so fast with how people want to be identified, how they want to be included, how they want to be seen or heard,” Jones said.

“Recognize and be open to changing what you’re bringing to the table to meet them with what they’re bringing to the table.”

Jones parallels her experience as a firefighter and as an official, being around men much of her time in those jobs. In both areas, she knew coming in she was prepared and could do the job.

She knew she put in the time and knew she had the right mentorship and advocacy.

“It just took me to step through the door and to keep stepping through the door (as a firefighter),” Jones said. “In the same way with officiating, I found the camaraderie there, and I found the belonging there, so it was very easy for me to stay.”

She says without the sense of belonging, officials drop off after the first three years, and that’s a big reason why she wants to stay and be a part of the communities she loves.

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GETTING IT RIGHT

INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, ELEVATION

Officials Helping Officials Amid Hurricanes

PenSRA Paves Way A

perfect storm: The volume of youth soccer matches seeking referees now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, but the number of licensed referees still trails 2019 levels. The youngest players demonstrate advanced skills and tactics due to professional coaching. Team staff and parents expect flawless referees.

There are not enough “safe” low-level matches for new teenage referees to learn the craft. At least that is the situation on the San Francisco Peninsula.

Locally, new referees take about six hours of online training and a three-hour field session to get a United States Soccer Federation (USSF) license. The Peninsula Soccer Referee Association (PenSRA) wondered what could be done to train more confident and competent entry-level teenaged referees.

In 2019, PenSRA, in conjunction with San Francisco Youth Soccer (SFYS), started one-week referee summer camps for referees ages 13-15. The camps emphasize “doing” — practicing mechanics and play acting in scenarios. No soccer player learns to shoot on goal by watching a video or reading a textbook — players go on the field and practice and get feedback.

A camp concept for entry-level youth referees was the brainchild of SFYS program manager David Reardon and PenSRA founder John Shield. Both are USSF Referee Mentors.

Initially taking place in both the classroom and on the field, the camp became an outdoor-only activity

during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Moving to all day on the soccer pitch has been great,” Reardon said.

“We have developed lots of drills to keep each referee active practicing mechanics and making decisions for the entire week.”

The camp has a five-to-one referee-to-instructor ratio, according to Shield. Visiting instructors have included a current FIFA referee, a current FIFA referee instructor and a USSF National referee coach, among others.

The camp addresses another barrier facing new referees — obtaining a referee “kit.” Over the course of the week, referee campers are given a uniform, whistles, watch and other equipment.

To keep the camp affordable, PenSRA partnered with SAY Soccer in Cincinnati to win a grant from the USSF Foundation’s “Innovate to Grow” program.

“One goal of the grant is to share the program,” Shield said. “We provide the entire curriculum to other leagues, clubs and referee chapters to adopt or adapt as they wish.”

Compared to other new youth referees, camp attendees average working 50% more games in their first year of refereeing and have a 50% higher rate of re-registering as referees for their second year.

“Our program fits a need — a way to develop confident and competent youth referees,” Shield said. “We estimate that the camp gives the campers the equivalent of 10 matches of experience before they work their first match.” 

SOURCE: UMP-ATTIRE

Spirit of the SEC The Southeastern Conference (SEC) introduced a new award last fall. The Reggie Cofer SEC Spirit Award honors an SEC men’s basketball referee, past or present, or an individual associated with the SEC men’s basketball consortium. The recipient is someone who models Cofer — a former SEC referee who died in November 2023 — and his qualities of leadership, teamwork, putting the game and his partners before himself and always representing the SEC with positivity and professionalism.

The Cofer family was presented the award, as was the first of the annual award recipients, Tony Greene, at the SEC men’s basketball preseason clinic in September.

Cofer was also posthumously honored with the 2024 Naismith Men’s College Official of the Year award last fall. He officiated Division I basketball from 19912005, working in the SEC as well as the Atlantic Coast, Big South, Colonial and Southern conferences.

Have you heard an inspirational or motivational officiating story?

SUBMITTED BY JOHN SHIELD

Campers and instructors at the 2024 Peninsula Soccer Referee Association camp in San Francisco. David Reardon (in pink) and John Shield (in white) are centered in the back row.

Much of the southeastern portion of the U.S. was devastated last fall by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Sports officials across the Southeast are facing dire straits, but officials from other parts of the country have stepped up to help.

As of October, officiating gear and apparel retailer Ump-Attire had raised $7,550 in gear/apparel relief.

“By teaming up with us, we can help officials who have lost their gear and apparel get back in the game as quickly as possible,” a statement from Ump-Attire read.

Officials can purchase an e-gift card from Ump-Attire for any amount and Ump-Attire will match that amount to help replace gear and/or apparel for officials in need.

Gift cards can be purchased at ump-attire.com/Products/GC/GiftCard. Select the amount you wish to donate and enter office@umpattire.com as the recipient’s email.

Send your ideas to GettingItRight@referee.com

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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

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id you know that Referee magazine comes in a digital version that you can read on your phone or tablet?

It does. And the only way to access it is through membership in the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO). It’s one of the many exclusive benefits of NASO membership and its one of the many great free resources you can access through the NASO Members app.

The app is completely free to NASO members and is available through a special arrangement between NASO and the publishers of Referee.

The magazine appears on the NASO app every month – and it actually appears several days before anyone receives it in their mailboxes. So any member looking for a sneak peek at the latest issue only has to fire up the app and download the magazine.

Not only is the magazine available every month, but the app delivers vital information important to NASO members, such the Strong Safety Guide and the NASO Member Benefits Handbook.

One of the best resources is the annual Sports Officials Tax

Guide which is fully updated every year with the new tax codes and regulations. The Tax Guide is produced specifically for sports officials and takes you through the best ways to handle your officiating income and expenditures on your tax returns.

And it’s only available through the app to NASO members.

Anyone can download the app, but only NASO members will be able to view and download the materials using their unique NASO membership numbers.

The app is readily available on iTunes and Google Play. And if you are a member, make sure you either check back often or turn on your “push notification” permissions to be aware when new exclusive guides, articles and other digital publications become available.

If you’re a Referee magazine subscriber but haven’t yet joined NASO, what are you waiting for?

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January_2025.indb 43

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SOFTBALL

EDITOR: BRAD TITTRINGTON

btittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

LOST ON JEOPARDY? Get Together and Fix It!

By Brad Tittrington

U

When umpires place runners in jeopardy, they generally need to get together to right the wrong. Here, California umpires (from left) Brian Ward, Simi Valley; Tim Drew, Oak View; and Chris Knapp, Santa Barbara, come together to discuss the situation before rendering a decision.

HESTON QUAN

mpires can do everything right and still potentially be wrong.

While these situations are thankfully rare, they do happen enough that umpires need to understand what to do when they arise.

The situations I am referring to involve an umpire putting a player or team at jeopardy because of a delayed call or a reversal of an umpire’s call. All four major rule codes give the umpires the authority to rectify any situation in which an umpire’s delayed call or overturned call places a runner or a team in jeopardy (NFHS 10-2-3m; NCAA 7.3.5; USA Softball 10-3C; USSSA 14-12R). In these situations, umpires must put ego aside, get together with partners and decide what the fair and proper ruling should be, regardless of which team may get upset by the change.

Let’s take a look at some common plays that often lead to umpires having to get together to “fix” a call and how umpires should rule.

Play 1: With R1 on first base and a 3-2 count on B2, R1 attempts to steal second base on the next pitch, which is ball four. F2 throws the ball to F4, who tags R1 before R1 reaches second base. The base umpire, not realizing the umpire ruled ball four, calls R1 out. R1 begins jogging off the field and is tagged again by F4 while off the base. Ruling 1: In this situation, the base umpire’s call caused R1 to leave the base, incorrectly believing she had been tagged out. The base umpire’s ruling placed R1 at jeopardy.

The umpires should call time and place R1 back on second base.

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Play 2: With a 3-2 count on B2 and R1 on first base, B2 takes what appears to be a half-swing. The plate umpire calls ball four and R1, upon hearing the plate umpire say ball, trots toward second base. The catcher throws the ball to F4, who tags R1 before R1 reaches second base. The catcher then asks the plate umpire to check with the base umpire to see if B2 swung at the pitch. The base umpire rules B2 did swing at the pitch. Ruling 2: In this situation, the reversal of the plate umpire’s call from ball four to a swinging third strike put R1 at jeopardy. The umpires should get together and rule B2 is out for swinging and missing at strike three. The only reason R1 went to second base was because of the perceived base-on-balls call by the plate umpire and R1 should be returned to first base.

Those two situations happen at least a few times a season and are relatively easy to rectify. Now, here are a couple of situations that don’t happen quite as often and are a little bit trickier.

The first one actually happened in an MLB game a few years ago and could potentially happen in a softball game held at a field or stadium with difficult ground rules along an outfield fence.

Play 3: With the bases loaded and one out, B5 hits a fly ball to deep right field. The ball hits off the wall in right field. The base umpire rules the ball is live and in play and did not leave the playing field. The runners believed the ball did clear the home run fence and hit a wall behind the home run fence and initially started trotting around the bases. F9 picks up the ball and throws it into the infield. The runners realize the base umpire did not rule a home run and instead ruled the ball still in play. B5 had rounded first and gone halfway to second and then realized R1 was standing on second base. B5 tries to retreat to first and is tagged out by F4. After this confusion, the offensive coach approaches the umpires and wants to have them get together and talk about whether the ball cleared the home run fence. Ruling 3: Depending on the level of the game and the information

available to the umpires, the ruling on this play could vary. First, let’s assume this is not a collegiate game and there is no video review. In that instance, the only way to overturn this call would be if an umpire has definitive knowledge the ball cleared the home run fence. If an umpire does not have that knowledge, the original ruling of the ball not being a home run and B5 being tagged out would stand. If an umpire did have knowledge it cleared the home run wall, the call would be overturned and the batter awarded a home run, which would require all runners to finish their baserunning duties by touching all bases in order. In an NCAA game using video review, the umpires would go to the monitor (assuming the challenging team had a challenge remaining or using a crew chief review if applicable) and see if the ball did in fact clear the home run fence and award a home run, requiring all runners to complete their baserunning duties. Where things could get interesting is if a runner happened to pass another runner during the confusion of the initial ruling of the ball being live and not a home run. Take the case of a runner passing another runner who was retreating because of the umpire’s incorrect ruling. If the batter-runner passed R1 because R1 didn’t attempt to advance because the ball was not ruled a home run, the umpires could determine the only reason the batterrunner overran R1 was because they put the runners in jeopardy. They could ignore the passing and have the runners re-run the bases in order, starting with the last base legally touched.

This next play actually happened in a fall ball game this past season and involved two NCAA D-I teams.

Play 4: With one out and a runner on second, B3 hits a deep fly ball to left-center field. No base umpire chases and F8 leaps and attempts to catch the ball near the wall. The wall is fully padded and obstructs any view of anything behind the wall. F8 leaps and comes down and it appears to the plate umpire that F8 caught the ball. The plate umpire signals catch, without seeing F8 actually show the

QUICKTIP No one ever said umpiring wasn’t a dangerous job.

Getting hit in the head with a pitch or a foul ball is part of the job.

However, you can help prevent major injury by investing in a good mask to protect your head.

Invest in a mask that not only will last multiple seasons, but will protect you in case you get hit. Concussions are no joke, and you want to avoid them as much as possible.

SIDELINE Wolf Inducted Into HOF Mike Wolf, Bismarck, N.D., was inducted into the USA Softball Hall of Fame on Oct. 27, 2024, at the 43rd annual hall of fame induction ceremony at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. Wolf, who umpired at the highest levels of slow pitch softball for ASA/USA Softball, worked the Men’s Major and Men’s Super National Championships during his career.

He was selected to umpire seven national championships. Since 2004, Wolf has served as the UIC for the USA Softball of North Dakota and has spent 30-plus years as the tournament director and UIC for the annual McQuade Charity Softball Tournament. He becomes the 55th umpire to be selected into the hall of fame.

SURVEY SAYS …

Softball umpires, do you think pace of play is an issue at the high school level?

Yes 62% No 38%

SOURCE: SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEY OF 126 FOLLOWERS

REFEREE January 2025 |

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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 R3 on third and one out, F1 throws an inside pitch to B3. The ball ricochets off the catcher’s mitt and lands inside the plate umpire’s ball bag. What’s the ruling? a. The ball remains live and R3 may advance at her own risk with liability to be put out. b. The ball is dead and R3 is automatically awarded home. c. The ball is dead and R3 is only awarded home plate if the plate umpire judges she would have advanced to home plate if the ball had not become lodged.

2. R2 is on second base with two outs when B4 hits a single to center.

R2 touches third and home. R2’s coach, thinking R2 missed third base, tells her to return to third to touch it. The defense tags R2 between third and home. a. R2’s run counts, but she is out for the third out of the inning. b. R2’s run counts and no out is recorded. c. R2’s run does not count and she is ruled out for the third out of the inning.

3. R1 is on first base and off on the pitch. B2 hits a ground ball to short.

F6 fields the ball and throws it to F4 at second base. R1 is ruled safe at second base. F4 then throws the ball to first and the ball sails over F3’s head and out of play. B2 had not reached first base at the time of the throw but had touched first when the ball went out of play. a. R1 is awarded third and B2 is awarded second. b. R1 is awarded home and B2 is awarded third. c. R1 is awarded home and B2 is awarded second.

4. The bases are loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning with no outs and the score tied, 4-4. B5 hits a ball to shallow right field that is caught by F9. The third-base coach for the offensive team stands next to R3 on third base and gives her a shove toward home as F9 catches the ball. R3 slides into home safely, just before F2 tags her. a. Legal play, run scores, game is over. b. R3 is out, ball remains live. c. R3 is out, ball is dead, and runners return to the last base touched at the time of interference. d. R3 is out, ball is dead, and the third-base coach is warned.

ball. The batter, thinking the ball had been caught because of the ruling by the plate umpire, jogs off the field and enters the dugout. After a few moments, it becomes apparent that F8 did not actually catch the ball and the ball landed behind the wall. Ruling 4: In this situation, the umpires should get together and determine the ball was not caught and the correct ruling should have been a home run. Now, the batterrunner has crossed into dead-ball territory and clearly “abandoned” the base. However, the only reason for doing so was because of the plate umpire’s incorrect ruling of a catch. As a result, the abandonment should be ignored, the batter-runner should be credited with a home run and both the batter-runner and R2 should be required to finish their baserunning duties, starting at the base last legally touched and then touching each base in order.

One final play to look at gets a little bit trickier.

Play 5: With R3 on third base, R1 on first base and one out, the batter hits a high fly ball on the infield between short and third. As the ball reaches its apex, the base umpire erroneously calls, “Infield fly, the batter is out.” The shortstop, who was underneath the ball, misplays the ball and it drops to the ground.

After F6 misplays the ball, R3 runs home and crosses the plate. F6 picks up the ball and throws it to F4 at second base, well ahead of R1, who tried to advance once the ball hit the ground. After F4 catches the ball at second, she realizes the batter-runner is walking toward her dugout and never went to first base. F4 throws the ball to F3, who steps on the bag.

Ruling 5: In this situation, even though the umpire erroneously invoked the infield fly rule when it wasn’t in effect, R1 would be ruled out at second base on the force out there and the batter-runner would be ruled out at first base. The teams have a responsibility to know when conditions exist for an infield fly.

Since there was no runner starting on second base on the play and there were only runners on the corners, the conditions for an infield fly did

not exist. And even though the base umpire invoked the infield fly rule, the teams should know that is an incorrect ruling and runners would be required to advance, if forced, if the ball is not caught. It would also be the batter-runner’s responsibility to try to run to first base in this scenario. Because the third out of the inning was made on the batterrunner before the batter-runner safely reached third base, R3’s run would not count as well.

This last scenario illustrates the importance of pre-pitch preparation and knowing when an infield fly situation exists and when it does not. Incorrectly ruling an infield fly when it does not exist can cause chaos. And even though it can cause confusion, the players need to understand the call was made in error and that incorrect call does not place them in jeopardy. More than likely in this scenario, the head coach of the offensive team is going to be extremely upset — and rightfully so. Not only will the umpires need to try to explain the incorrect ruling does not place the offensive team in jeopardy, they will most likely end up ejecting the coach as well who will not take too kindly to this mixup.

For umpires, it is important to see a play all the way through and make sure you have all the pieces of information before making a call.

While most of the five caseplay examples could be avoided, there are times when things happen beyond our control (the main one being the late checked-swing request) and our delayed call or the reversal of a call causes us to place a team in jeopardy.

Understand the importance of getting together with your partner(s), determining the appropriate and fair outcome, fix the error and then calmly explain the decision to a coach. While these plays don’t happen every game, failure to understand them can cause severe headaches when they do.

Brad Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee. He umpires D-I softball and officiates high school basketball, college and high school volleyball and high school football. 

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T O C M M

T s y m c t

Two by Two C

A

overing all the bases in the twoumpire system can be tricky. This is especially true with a runner on second and a ball hit on the infield.

The movement of the umpires in all four codes are relatively similar, with some slight variance.

In NFHS and USA Softball, if the initial play is at first base, the base umpire should hustle inside the diamond about halfway between second base and first base (as shown in MechaniGram A) being mindful of R2’s running path and avoiding R2. The base umpire should continue to alternate looking at the ball and glancing at the runners, keeping all the elements of the play in front of him or her. The base umpire must be prepared to move parallel to the baseline to stay ahead of the runner.

The base umpire is responsible for any play at first base, second base and the last runner into third base. If the initial

R1

B

B

B

B

P P P

P

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SOFTBALL

CASEPLAYS Runners Switch Bases Play: With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh inning, the home team has R1 on first base and R2 on second base with no outs. The home head coach requests time and holds an offensive conference with the batter and baserunners. After the conference, R1 and R2 switch places to put the fastest runner on second base so the team has a better chance to score from second base. The ball is made live and the defensive coach notices the changes and tells the plate umpire. Ruling: In all codes, both runners would be declared out and the head coach ejected. In NFHS, NCAA and USSSA, the runners would also be ejected (NFHS 3-6-13c and Pen., 10-2-3f, 8.6.4D; NCAA 12.8.3 Eff., 13.2.1.2; USA Softball 8-7Y Eff.; USSSA 11-2N).

Assisting the Runner Play: With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh inning, the home team has R1 on first base, R2 on second base and R3 on third base. B4 comes to bat with two outs and hits a deep fly ball to center field. R3 crossed home plate, but jumps over it.

The on-deck batter pushes R3 back toward home plate to touch it. Ruling: In all codes, R3 would be ruled out due to the on-deck batter assisting her. Since R3 is the third out, no runs can score and the game will move to the top of the eighth inning (NFHS 8-6-5; NCAA 12.4.4 Eff.; USA Softball 8-7E Eff.; USSSA 8-18Y).

Spectator Interference Play: R2 is on second base and B2 hits a fair ball down the right-field line. A fan down the right-field line, thinking the ball is foul, reaches over the fence and grabs the bounding ball and tosses it to F9. Ruling: In all codes, the ball is dead and all runners and the batter-runner are awarded the bases they would have received, in the judgment of the umpires, had interference not occurred (NFHS 8-4-3j; NCAA 6.9.4, 12.12.6.2 Eff.; USA Softball 8-5L Eff.; USSSA 8-14E-1).

throw goes to third base for a play on R2, the base umpire is responsible for that play as well.

The plate umpire, in the meantime, must move out from behind home plate toward the holding zone halfway between third base and home plate and read the play. If the initial throw goes to first, the plate umpire should be prepared to assist with a swipe tag or pulled foot. The plate umpire must be prepared to take any subsequent plays on R2 at third base and all plays at the plate.

NCAA and USSSA mechanics are similar, with a slight difference in base umpire movement. If the initial play is to first, the base umpire should move as far inside the diamond as possible to get the best angle and distance for the force play at first base, staying out of throwing lanes (as shown in MechaniGram B). If there is no initial play at first base, the base umpire is responsible for an initial throw to second or third base and is responsible for making a ruling at second or third

base on this initial play. Movement in this scenario will keep the base umpire outside the diamond and moving parallel to the baseline.

The plate umpire’s movement is very similar to the other two codes as the plate umpire initially moves to the holding area between third and home and reads the play. The plate umpire is then responsible for any secondary and subsequent plays at third base on R2 and all plays at the plate. The plate umpire should stay inside the diamond when coming back toward home plate to avoid crossing paths with the runner.

The biggest thing to remember in this scenario is if the initial play goes to third base, the base umpire has that call at third as the plate umpire has no opportunity to get in position to see that play. However, all secondary and subsequent plays on R2 at third base belong to the plate umpire as the base umpire is responsible for the batter-runner and the plate umpire is responsible for R2. 

B

R2 B

B

B

B

P

P P

P

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RIGHT

OF WAY

Imagine, if you will, being an umpire and having this collision take place during your game.

What do you have? Who is at fault? What is the penalty, if any?

It is impossible to answer those questions from a single still photo. Instead, we’d need to see the entire sequence in order to know what truly happened on this play. Every time there is a collision, there is not a onesize-fits-all answer to fall back on. So, let’s break this down to help come to a conclusion.

The first thing we must figure out is whether this happened during a batted ball or a thrown ball. We can see a ball on the ground, but we don’t know how it got there. If it is a batted ball and the fielder is making an initial play on the ball, the fielder generally has the right of way. This is assuming the fielder had an opportunity to make a play on this ball. Angles are hard to tell from a single still photo, but let’s assume No. 25 had a chance to make a play on this ball.

In that scenario, the baserunner would be guilty of interference. The ball is dead, the runner is out, the batter-runner is placed on first base and other runners must return to the last base touched at the time of interference, unless forced to advance. If we judge the fielder did not have an opportunity to make a play on the ball, the fielder would be guilty of obstruction, as she clearly is impeding the progress of the runner.

Let’s next think about what would happen if this is a batted ball. The fielder misplayed the ball, is now trying to go after it and this contact occurs. What do we have then? Well it depends on your judgment. If you deemed the ball is within a step and a reach (NFHS/USSSA), in front of the fielder (NCAA) or the fielder still had a chance to make an out on the deflected ball (USA Softball), it is still interference on the runner.

Otherwise, the fielder would be guilty of obstruction on this play.

Now, let’s assume this is a thrown ball and the fielder is moving to get it. In that instance, the runner has the right of way, assuming the runner does not intentionally interfere. On a thrown ball, the onus is on the fielder to avoid contacting the runner until possessing the ball. Here, the fielder clearly does not have the ball and would be guilty of interference.

When in doubt on interference and obstruction, remember on a batted ball, the fielder (with some exceptions) has the right of way and on a thrown ball, the runner does.

HESTON QUAN

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PROFILES

PERSONALITIES PLUS

By Brad Star

T

here are currently seven women on the NBA’s officiating roster, comprising about 9% of the league’s officials. There were eight female officials in the NBA last year, the most the league has ever had at one time.

Kastine Evans is looking to join that elite group.

Kastine Evans officiates an NBA Summer League game in 2023.

Evans, a former four-year basketball captain at Kentucky, started officiating high school basketball in 2017, a few years after returning from playing professionally in Europe. She has quickly risen through the officiating ranks, having worked the G League and NBA Summer League each of the past two years.

“Because I’ve moved so fast, (if I hadn’t had) mentors that really guided me, it would be a lot harder,” Evans said. “A lot of it had to do with trusting the different mentors that have been part of my journey over the last six years at different levels and how they’ve shaped and molded me into what I’m doing now.”

Those mentors include former men’s college basketball officials Scott

Bach-Hansen and Steve Gordon, both of whom are high-ranking officials with the Cardinal Basketball Officials Association (CBOA) in northern Virginia. Evans, a Connecticut native who now lives in greater Washington, got her start working boys’ and girls’ basketball at the recreational and high school levels with CBOA. “What we found from her was a different work ethic than we would see in others,” Bach-Hansen said. “She’s a quick learner, a fast developer.”

During her third year with CBOA, Evans joined the women’s college ranks. She’s worked in NCAA Division I conferences including the Northeast Conference, Patriot League, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), America East and Sun Belt.

She’s also working men’s basketball at the Division I level for the first time this year, having been hired into the Patriot League, Big South and MEAC for the 2024-25 season.

From a young age, Evans had a respect for sports officials that most athletes probably don’t. Her parents emphasized treating officials fairly and never blaming them for struggles in a game.

“I always had a different perspective because that was just never something that (my parents) would allow me or the teams that I was on to do,” Evans said.

Evans’ ultimate goal is to officiate in the NBA while also attracting more former student-athletes to the avocation. “(Officiating) doesn’t have to be your career,” Evans said. “It can be a side hustle, because we all love to have other streams of income. But if it is something that you love and enjoy and you work hard at it, it can be your career. And I think that is something that can pull former student-athletes to look at being part of that career.”

Brad Star is an assistant editor for Referee. 

She Wears Many Hats Lucy Bell Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

Lucy Bell’s career in sports has led her to work, in her words, “three very non-traditional vocations.”

Her primary gig is as a college soccer referee. She officiates from the NCAA Division I level down to NAIA. Bell is also a league coordinator for Mid State (Nashville) Sports Leagues and a statistics scout for NCAA basketball.

“Higher-level refereeing involves a lot of unseen, year-round work: clinics and classroom sessions, workouts, fitness tests, rulebook study, etc.,” Bell told The Chronicle of Mt. Juliet. “A lot of pressure (for me at least) is actually self-imposed. People don’t realize that most referees genuinely care and want to get decisions right.”

SOURCE: THE CHRONICLE OF MT. JULIET

Tied to the Tide Eddie Conyers Tuscaloosa, Ala.

When Eddie Conyers worked his first University of Alabama football practice in 1962, he probably never imagined it was the beginning of a 62-year career. At the age of 96, Conyers is still officiating Crimson Tide practices and scrimmages, and has seen many football legends pass through during his time with the Tide.

“I was worried that my time as a practice official would come to an end when Coach (Nick) Saban retired,” Conyers said. “Coach (Kalen) DeBoer welcomed me with open arms.”

Among the players Conyers has worked with over the years include Ozzie Newsome, Kenny Stabler, Derrick Thomas, Shaun Alexander, Derrick Henry, Mark Ingram, Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith and Bryce Young.

SOURCE: AL.COM

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

SUBMITTED BY KASTINE EVANS

She’s a Quick Learner, a Fast Developer

Send info to us at profiles@referee.com

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N AT I O N A L O F F I C I AT I N G

POWERED BY

NATIONAL OFFICIATING SURVEY

’ IT S MY LIFE V

ery few officiate as a full-time job. Most sports officials must balance their officiating careers with their day jobs and personal lives. The 2023 National Officiating Survey — conducted by the National Association of Sports Officials and powered by Referee.com — included several questions about officials’ lives off the field.

What follows are data highlights gleaned from the responses of the more than 35,000 sports officials who participated in the survey. Survey respondents officiated a range of professional, college, high school, youth, amateur and recreational events in more than 20 different sports.

Additional results can be found at naso.org/survey.

OFFICIATING: A FAMILY AFFAIR HAS OFFICIATING HURT YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY MEMBERS? OFFICIATING HELPED MY SOCIAL NETWORK, DID NOT HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

NOT SURE IF IT HELPED MY SOCIAL NETWORK, HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

NO IMPACT ON MY SOCIAL NETWORK, HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

NOT SURE IF IT HELPED MY SOCIAL NETWORK, DID NOT HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

NOT SURE IF IT HELPED MY SOCIAL NETWORK, NOT SURE IF IT HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

NO IMPACT ON MY SOCIAL NETWORK, NOT SURE IF IT HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

OFFICIATING HELPED MY SOCIAL NETWORK, HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

OFFICIATING HURT MY SOCIAL NETWORK, HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

HELPED MY SOCIAL NETWORK, NOT SURE IF IT HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

OFFICIATING HURT MY SOCIAL NETWORK, DID NOT HURT MY PERSONAL FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

52.5% 18.8% 12.8% 5.5%

4.3% 2.4% 1.6%

1.1%

0.1%

0.01%

27.5%

OF OFFICIALS STRUGGLE WITH THE DILEMMA OF SHARING TIME BETWEEN OFFICIATING AND FAMILY

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IN 2023, 67.76% OF PARENTS SAID THEY WOULD WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BECOME OFFICIALS, DOWN FROM 72.02% IN 2017, PERHAPS REFLECTING THAT PARENTS DON’T WANT THEIR KIDS TO BE SUBJECTED TO ABUSE FROM COACHES AND FANS.

WHAT IS YOUR MARITAL STATUS AND AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME? $0-$24,999

Separated

Divorced

Widowed

Married

Single, never married

$25,000-$49,999 $50,000-$74,999 $75,000-$99,999 $100,000-$124,999 $125,000-$149,999 $150,000-$174,999 $175,000-$199,999 $200,000 and up

TOP 9 MOST POPULAR INDUSTRIES FOR OFFICIALS 11.48%

EDUCATION - PRIMARY/SECONDARY (K-12)

8.74%

OTHER

6.62%

GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

6.12%

FINANCE AND INSURANCE

5.32%

MANUFACTURING - OTHER

4.92%

HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

4.16%

CONSTRUCTION

2.91%

EDUCATION - COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OR ADULT

2.88%

TRANSPORTATION AND WAREHOUSING

WHICH EMPLOYMENT CATEGORY APPLIES TO YOU?

STUDENT EMPLOYED FOR WAGES

RETIRED

SELFEMPLOYED

55.39% 29.25% 12.28%

1.15%

OTHER

0.68%

OUT OF WORK AND LOOKING FOR WORK

0.47%

HOMEMAKER

0.41%

OUT OF WORK AND NOT LOOKING FOR WORK

0.25%

UNABLE TO WORK

0.12%

REFEREE January 2025 |

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IT’S MY LIFE WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN YOUR INDUSTRY? TRAINED PROFESSIONAL

SUPPORT STAFF

CONSULTANT

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

STUDENT

UPPER MANAGEMENT

SKILLED LABORER

TEMPORARY EMPLOYEE

OTHER

JUNIOR MANAGEMENT

RESEARCHER

22.7%

5.1%

20.0%

4.9%

16.4%

4.8%

9.3%

2.7%

3.4%

SELF-EMPLOYED

9.2%

DUE TO YOUR ROLE AS AN OFFICIAL, WHEN YOU ARE WATCHING SPORTS AS A PARENT, YOU ARE PUBLICLY ...

LESS CRITICAL OF THE OFFICIALS NO IMPACT ON MY OPINION OF OFFICIALS MORE CRITICAL OF THE OFFICIALS

66.2% 26.1% 7.7%

76.42%

2.6% 1.1%

0.6% 0.6%

OF RESPONDENTS WORK FOR A NOT-FOR-PROFIT

AS A SPECTATOR, ARE YOU HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD OF BEHAVIOR THAN PARENTS WHO DO NOT OFFICIATE?

76.4%

YES

NOT SURE

12.4%

NO

11.2%

OF RESPONDENTS BELIEVE THEY COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH PARENTS WHILE OFFICIATING BECAUSE OF THIER OWN EXPERIENCE AS A PARENT

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BASEBALL

EDITOR: SCOTT TITTRINGTON stittrington@referee.com COORDINATOR: PATRICK FAERBER pfaerber@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

NO WARMUPS FOR UMPIRES Be in Midseason Form by the First Pitch

By Patrick Faerber

There’s no downtime for umpires once they walk through the gate and onto the field. Just like Art Augustine, Anaheim, Calif., we need to be focused and alert at all times. The best time to call a balk is the first time it happens, not the second.

ongratulations! You’re a veteran umpire, regularly working varsity assignments and playoff games. Your confidence is growing and your games run smoothly.

One night, you’re covering a JV game with the training director. It seems like an easy night, and you and your partner joke that you’ll be “the best crew they see all season.”

In the third inning, a wild pitch knocks off the catcher’s mask.

Everything seems fine, but then you realize something odd — the catcher is wearing a skull cap and mask, violating the NFHS rules.

After the inning, you inform the coach, “Your catcher isn’t allowed to wear a skull cap. He needs a legal helmet covering the ears.”

The coach, disappointed but not surprised, says, “Yeah, he knows he’s not supposed to. But he usually goes out in it to see if the umpires will catch it.”

Congratulations! You just got tested by a JV catcher … and you failed. The catcher and coach learned they could get something past “the best crew they’ve seen all season,” and they did.

You tell yourself it’s not a big deal — your partner should have caught it since he’s on the plate.

Fast forward two weeks and you’re on the bases for a varsity game. That’s much more exciting.

In the top of the first, B1 singles, steals second and then advances to third base when B2 grounds out to the second baseman.

Then the pitcher engages the rubber and you notice his pivot foot is parallel to the rubber, just like the two pitches prior. Of course, he then steps to the side with his free foot, brings his knee up and strides home with the pitch.

“Time! That’s a balk!”

You score the runner from third and aren’t surprised when the coach comes out to ask about the call. You

HESTON QUAN

C

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SCOTT WINTERS/ICON SPORTSWIRE/NEWSCOM

explain the NFHS rule, emphasizing the recent rule change. The coach complains that the pitcher has done it all season, but you tell him you’re getting it right now.

You go back to your position at first and think about the call. You pat yourself on the back for knowing the rule and knowing that you made the right call and one that must be made.

Then, you focus on the next pitch.

The pitcher engages the rubber with his pivot foot parallel. He gets the sign from his catcher and, again, steps to the side with his free foot, raises his knee and strides home with the pitch. “Ugh. That was the same illegal delivery,” you think.

At this point, you realize this pitcher started the game using a hybrid delivery, and you did miss it. In fact, you missed it when the penalty would have been significantly less impactful with no runners on base versus scoring the runner from third on a balk.

Later that week, you’re behind the plate. After a quick first inning, the starting pitcher returns for the top of the second. After a few warmup pitches, the head coach of the visiting team asks you about the pitcher wearing a glove with white lacing on it, asking, “Isn’t that illegal?”

And then, you’re stuck on an island again, realizing you got caught sleeping and missed something that, in hindsight, should have been obvious.

The reality for umpires and sports officials in general is we don’t get to warm up to the pace of things during the game. We don’t get to have a second or third at-bat to redeem striking out our first time up. We’re the only ones on the field expected to start perfect, and get better from there.

To do that, we must be operating at 100%, not just for the first pitch but when entering the field before the game. We can’t wait for midseason to be in midseason form. All of us, especially those with more experience and tenure, need to be in midseason form for the first pitch of the preseason.

In the three examples given, we get caught sleeping or slacking, and it can be embarrassing when, later in the game, we get called out for not doing our job. Even if we get the call right

later, it’s tough to realize we missed the same violation earlier in the game because we were caught off-guard. We could have looked more engaged and in charge had we enforced the rules the first time they were violated.

And, of course, the goal for any association should be to catch any of these violations from the very beginning of the season. Consistent and early enforcement from each umpire in the preseason will remove the need to enforce these rules later in the season when the impact could be more significant.

When we enforce the rules from the first pitch of the preseason, we set the tone for the rest of the season. This consistency demonstrates unity across our umpiring staff, showing that we’re all on the same page.

Running a quick mental checklist every time a team takes the field can help catch violations before or on the first pitch. By doing this, we shift from being reactive to proactive.

Here’s the checklist we should run through every inning: • Ensure the catcher is legally equipped.

• Check that the pitcher isn’t wearing distracting jewelry or clothing.

• Confirm the pitcher’s glove has no white or gray lacing.

• Verify the pitcher’s delivery is legal based on the pivot foot’s position relative to the rubber.

Then, once a runner reaches base, shift focus to the pitcher’s mechanics for deliveries, pickoffs and holding runners on.

So, this year, let’s focus on being in midseason form by first pitch. The first pitch is not just the beginning of the game — it’s the first test of your mental preparation and preparedness to run it. By having a clear mind and a checklist of rules, you set the tone for the game early.

If you enforce the rules consistently from the first pitch of the preseason, you’ll create a clear standard for your game and the season. Be proactive, stay focused and treat every pitch like it matters — because it does.

Patrick Faerber, Alpharetta, Ga., is a former professional umpire who now works high school baseball and football. He is Referee’s baseball coordinator. 

SIDELINE Live Ball Balks Coming to High School?

The Georgia High School Association and Arizona Interscholastic Association have been approved by the NFHS Rules Review Committee to conduct an experiment modifying NFHS balk rules.

For the 2025 season, both states will have balks changed from an immediate dead ball to a delayed dead ball. The proposed change will be focused inside rule 6-2-4, adding that a balk is a delayed dead ball.

After that, the penalty for a balk will use the exact same wording and notes as given in the NCAA’s balk rule penalty (9-3 Pen.).

QUICKTIP A new year means a new you. Make a commitment to practicing your mechanics and footwork at least once a day.

You can practice anytime and anywhere, and especially in front of a mirror. Practice safe/out and ball/strike calls, to see if they look good. This can include looking at how your less-exciting plays could have a strong but relaxed mechanic, while your whackers could use an aggressive but controlled mechanic.

Also, practice footwork, specifically getting into the slot with a good heel-to-toe alignment on the plate for both left-handed and right-handed batters.

THEY SAID IT “I think he has wrongly been the poster child to be a punching bag for officiating.”

— New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone after the announcement that longtime MLB umpire Angel Hernandez had made the decision to retire in the midst of the 2024 season.

SOURCE: WWW. MSN.COM

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BASEBALL

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

1. Before stepping into the box, the umpire detects B1 is using a bat with pine tar at least 19 inches from the base of the knob. Otherwise, the bat would be legal. This is the first instance of a potentially illegal bat being used in the game. a. This is illegal. The batter is out and ejected. The bat is removed from the game. b. This is illegal. The batter is out. The bat is removed from the game. c. This is illegal. The bat is removed from the game. d. This is legal.

2. After stepping into the box, the umpire detects B1 is using a bat with pine tar at least 19 inches from the base of the knob. Otherwise, the bat would be legal. This is the first instance of a potentially illegal bat being used in the game. a. This is illegal. The batter is out and ejected. The bat is removed from the game. b. This is illegal. The batter is out. The bat is removed from the game. c. This is illegal. The bat is removed from the game. d. This is legal.

3. The visiting team coach is ejected for violating the rules. He exits the field, changes into street clothes and stands next to the fence down the right-field line, far away from his bench and bullpen. a. This is legal so long as he does not communicate with his team or the umpires. b. This is illegal. The game is forfeited if the resumption of play is delayed. c. This is illegal. The umpires should resume the game and report the violation to the state association after the game is completed.

Game Changers: A Half-Decade of Rules Changes in NFHS Baseball E very year, umpires focus on the new rules for the upcoming season, but it’s easy for recent changes from previous seasons to slip our minds, especially at the NFHS level. High school umpires often juggle multiple rule sets during the course of a year, making it essential to revisit the most impactful changes from recent seasons. Let’s review the critical changes from the last five years and the keys to enforcing these rules correctly.

Adoption of the Player/DH In 2020, the NFHS changed rule 3-1-4 to create a second way for teams to use a designated hitter. The change allows one of the starting defensive players to also serve as the designated hitter (DH). In this scenario, the player has two roles: one as an offensive player and one as a defensive player. This flexibility lets the starting defensive player remain in the game as a hitter, even after being substituted out defensively.

The player/DH is one of the more confusing rules for umpires to study, and many coaches will rely

on the umpires to know the rule and help them understand if they or their opponent are using it properly.

The easiest way to understand the rule is to think of it as enabling a standout offensive player to continue batting, even after exiting the game defensively. A great example of a player that currently benefits from this rule is Shohei Ohtani.

The MLB created a similar rule for the DH that was designed for players like Ohtani. In games where he starts as the pitcher, he can be in the lineup as a batter. Then, after being substituted out from pitching, he can remain in the game as the designated hitter.

Now, a big difference between the NFHS rules and the NCAA and pro rules is the NFHS rule allows for any of the nine defensive starters to be the player/DH, while the NCAA and pro rules only allow for the pitcher to be the DH. They’ll often refer to it as the “pitcher/DH.” Additionally, umpires working in leagues that utilize the courtesy runner rule should note a player/ DH is not eligible for a courtesy runner, even if he is the pitcher or

4. With a runner on base, the pitcher wants to throw from the windup but is starting in a position that looks very similar to the set position, with his pivot foot parallel to the rubber. He tells the umpire he will be throwing from the windup. Is this legal? a. Yes, a pitcher can declare they are throwing from the windup or stretch. b. No.

T s y m c t

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catcher. The roles of the defensive and offensive players should be thought of separately, just like how a traditional DH batting for a pitcher would not be eligible to be a courtesy runner.

Clarification on the Windup and Set Positions NFHS rule 6-1-1 was changed in 2023 to specify that the pitcher’s pivot foot will determine if the pitcher is using the windup or set position. If the pivot foot is parallel to the rubber, the pitcher is in the set position.

Any position other than parallel to the rubber places the pitcher in the windup.

This change removed the need for umpires to evaluate the positioning of the pitcher’s free foot and simplified the rule for players, coaches and umpires. With the rule being simplified, umpires are expected to enforce this rule consistently, calling violations from the very first

pitch of the preseason. Consistent enforcement helps establish our commitment to enforcing the rules as written. It gives players an understanding of what a legal delivery must be as they move into bigger games later in the season.

Simplified Jewelry Rules For years, jewelry restrictions caused frustration, but the deletion of NFHS rule 1-5-12 has greatly simplified things. Most jewelry is now legal, provided it is not deemed “unreasonably dangerous” by the umpire (1-5-9). Wristbands, earrings and necklaces, which were once required to be removed, are now allowed on the field.

This change will bring the rules more in line with what is seen on players at the NCAA and professional levels. The NFHS also cited that studies show no increase in injuries when players are allowed to wear reasonable jewelry.

Umpires do need to know that some restrictions remain.

Wristbands (specifically play-card wristbands) must be worn as the manufacturer intended — on the wrist, not the belt. Also, pitchers are still restricted under rules 6-21f-i, including that the pitcher cannot “wear any items on the hands, wrists or arms that may be distracting to the batter.” Umpires should be on the lookout for any items, especially white or reflective wristbands, which could be a distraction.

It’s important to note that while jewelry rules have been relaxed, other equipment regulations still apply. For example, catchers must continue to wear NOCSAEapproved headgear that covers both ears and eye shields that are attached to the helmet must be clear, not tinted. Catchers are, however, allowed to wear tinted sunglasses under their helmets.

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BASEBALL

CASEPLAYS The George Brett Rule Play: In the top of the last inning, the visiting team trails by one run.

They have a runner on first base and two outs. B4 hits a two-run home run. After R1 and B4 score, the home-team head coach asks the home plate umpire to inspect the bat. The umpire holds the bat next to home plate and sees that pine tar is applied at least 19 inches above the handle. Ruling: In NFHS, the batter is declared out.

The illegal bat is removed from the game and all baserunners return to their base occupied at the time of the hit. The coach is restricted to the dugout. In NCAA and pro, the bat is removed from the game.

There are no other penalties and the result of the play stands (NFHS 1.3.2F; NCAA 1-12e-f Cmt.; pro 3.02c Cmt.).

Talking Isn’t Cheap Play: Between innings, team A’s coach walks from the thirdbase coach’s box to the pitcher’s mound and proceeds to visit with F1 while F1 delivers his warmup pitches. The conference does not delay the start of the inning. After the coach walks off the field, the coach of the opposing team asks if that was a defensive conference/ visit. Ruling: In NFHS, this is not a defensive conference. The NFHS rules on conferences are focused heavily on delays of the game. A discussion between innings on the mound would not be a delay so long as the time between innings is not delayed (3.4.1H). In NCAA and pro, a passing comment would be excusable, but a prolonged conversation, even if not delaying the start of the inning, would count as a visit/conference (NCAA 9-4a; pro 5.10l).

Almost Right Play: During the pregame conference, the visiting coach wants to review batting out of order rules. He tells the plate umpire that if a runner advances on a stolen base, balk, walk, wild pitch or passed ball, the advance would be legal, even if the defense successfully appeals batting out of order after the at-bat. Ruling: False.

That is all correct except a walk by the improper batter that would force a runner to advance would be nullified if the batting out of turn was properly appealed (NFHS 7-11; NCAA 7-11a2; pro 6.03b5).

Electronic Communication Equipment One of the more significant changes in 2024 came with the introduction of rule 1-6, which permits the use of one-way electronic communication from the dugout to the catcher. This rule is designed to speed up the game and reduce the likelihood of teams stealing signals.

While this change aligns NFHS baseball with trends in higher levels of play, it is important to note the differences. At the high school level, communication can only be oneway from the dugout to the catcher;

the pitcher and other defensive players cannot wear electronic communication devices.

The type of equipment teams use may vary, and the rules do not give specifics. Some teams might equip the catcher with a wristband, a pager-like device, or a radio and earpiece. Umpires need to remember that the NFHS works to maintain equity between schools with different levels of resources. As long as the equipment a team chooses does not pose unreasonable danger, umpires should not concern themselves with the setup a team uses. 

Stay on Track for Plays at the Plate T

he wedge is a concept that has swept the baseball umpiring world for the past decade, but what does it mean? It was created to perfect how umpires see plays, not just at home plate but at all bases.

When an instructor at a camp or a supervisor after a game tells you that you need to get into the wedge to take that play, it means putting your body and head in a position to see the tag applied to the runner. Now, many concepts come into play amid the wedge that allows us to position ourselves appropriately and not act prematurely.

Taking plays at the plate properly is critical to making the right call.

Knowing where the ball is at all times and where the runners are on the field is just as important. We must be scanning the field from the point of the plate — or your position roughly one step back from where you took the pitch behind the plate — as soon as the ball is hit to the outfield to find the baseball’s location, all while glancing to see where the runners are. Make sure to always have your head on a swivel so you can see what they are doing.

This allows you to always know the location of the ball while watching the runners.

Then you will be able to answer the following questions to yourself during the play. Did the runner who originally started at second base, for example, get obstructed by the third baseman while rounding third base in an attempt to score? At the time of the throw, where are the runners in case the ball goes out of play? Once you have recognized that everything is good on the bases while the ball is in the outfield, you will then recognize the runner is rounding third base while the outfielder throws the ball toward home plate.

Things are moving quickly, and as soon as you recognize that there will be a play at the plate, you can begin taking “quiet steps” to your right. Why, you may ask? Usually, the catcher will prepare for a play at the plate by setting himself up directly in front of home plate to receive the throw and apply a quick tag on the runner. Therefore, you want to be on the same side of the foul line as the catcher.

We call these “train tracks.” There is a fair-side train track and a foulside train track. Going back to the catcher, if he sets himself up in front of the plate to receive the throw, he is in fair territory and, therefore, on the fair train track. Picture this: You

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BASEBALL

A

B

C

BAD THROW

THROW

BAD THROW

PU F2

PU

R2 F2

F2

R2

R2 F2

PU

are the caboose train car. The catcher is the engine. We must always keep the train together. So, if the catcher is directly in front of home plate to receive the throw (MechaniGram A), you, as the caboose, must take quiet steps to get onto the fair train track with the engine. The catcher will receive the throw, and the swipe tag will move, in most cases, toward the left to be applied to the runner, who will be sliding to the left of the catcher.

Therefore, if you are on the train track with the catcher, you will see the tag being applied to the runner. What if the catcher has to move up the line to receive an errant throw but remains on the fair train track (MechaniGram B)? Go with him! A new phrase being taught is, “Don’t let the caboose get loose.”

We cannot let the caboose detach from the engine or catcher while on the track, right? So, if the catcher moves up the line to receive the throw and remains in fair territory, you move up

PU

F2

PU

F2

PU

with him in fair territory. We must now be less worried about the plate and more concerned about the tag itself. See the play happen, and if there is no tag, then you can look back at the plate and signal safe once he touches it. Here is where it gets tricky; what if the catcher goes in foul territory, to his left, to receive an errant throw (MechaniGram C)?

Let’s make it easy. Go to the foul train track first, and then if he goes up the foul train track, go with him. There are also instances where the throw is so bad that it takes the catcher off the train track altogether. In those cases, do not leave the train track. If a train engine derails, let it derail; it will come back. The caboose always stays on track. We do not want to run with the catcher off the rails just to watch him catch the throw and then run back to home plate. Stay on the train track because where will the tag be applied? Home.

The wedge is a near-perfect

F2

PU

F2 PU

craft that umpires worldwide have been trained on and added to their repertoire. Umpires working in the three- or four-umpire systems can apply the same philosophy to plays at all bases. Utilize this method of taking plays and focus on perfecting it throughout the upcoming season.

MLB umpire Will Little is one of the originators of this terminology, which has evolved over time. A few years back, Little instructed at the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate/United Collegiate Umpires 4-Umpire camp in Wilmington, Del. During his time there, he shared a great deal of information on how to take plays using the wedge and perfecting the wedge using the train tracks.

In closing, remember these key terms. The wedge is the perfect point to see the tag applied to the runner.

The catcher, or fielder at other bases, is the train engine. You, as the umpire, are the caboose. Do not let the caboose get loose! *

Force Play or Time Play?

By George Demetriou

A

time play is not formally defined in any of the codes, but for scoring purposes, we can divide all plays into force plays and time plays.

The latter is generally understood to occur when the runner crosses the plate at approximately the same time as the third out is made at another base. Said another way, if it’s not a force play, it’s a time play.

The sequence of events determines whether the run scores. Thus, it’s crucial to understand the distinction between the two types of plays.

Unless otherwise noted, the material applies equally to NFHS, NCAA and pro rules.

A force play occurs when a runner loses his right to the base he occupies because the batter becomes a batterrunner (NFHS 2-29-3; NCAA 2-33; pro Force Play Definition). If the batter-

runner is retired before he reaches first base, it has the same effect on scoring as a force play, but by definition, is not a force out. A run cannot score when the third out is a force out or is made by the batter-runner before reaching first base. While umpires generally understand this concept, coaches sometimes need help understanding.

More than one coach has called for a suicide squeeze with two out and argued the run should count.

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Understanding the distinction between the two types of plays can be critical to the outcome of a game. Especially when it comes to late recognition of some time plays. Recognizing the potential for a runner to cross the plate at approximately the same time the third out is made at another base is essential, especially for the plate umpire, who must observe the sequence of events. Umpires should use the signal in the PlayPic as a reminder a time play is possible.

The following is a typical time play, which is sometimes mistaken for a force play.

Play 1: With R1 on first and R3 on third and one out, B4 hits a line drive into the gap. R3 holds and R1 runs. The ball is caught; R3 tags and R1 attempts to return to first. The ball is returned to first before R1 can return and (a) before, or (b) after R3 scores. Ruling 1: In (a), the run does not score, but it does in (b).

The key to understanding (b) is this third out is not a force out because the runner is not forced to go anywhere due to the batter becoming a runner. This play is a time play and an appeal play by the defense.

Here is another common play.

Play 2: With R2 on second and two out, B4 singles and is out at second trying to stretch the base hit; R2 scores. B1’s out occurs (a) before, or (b) after R2 touches the plate.

Ruling 2: In (a), the run does not score, but it does in (b).

As mentioned, an umpire challenge is recognizing the force play. There is no way to count a run if any runner is forced out (NFHS 9-1-1 Exc. b; NCAA 5-6c Exc. 2, 8-5j Note 1; pro 5.08a2).

Play 3: With the bases loaded and two out, B6 grounds to F5, who boots the ball. The ball rolls toward second base. R2 sees F5 approach and decides to retreat. Recognizing the futility of his retreat, R2 changes his mind and continues his advance. F5 recovers the ball and attempts to tag R2, who is called out for leaving the baseline. R3 touches home before R2 is called out. Ruling 3: R2 is the third out on the force play and the run does not score.

Regardless of any “time play,” a run cannot be scored if a runner advances to home during a play on which the third out is made by the batter-runner before he touches first base (NFHS 9-1-1 Exc. a; NCAA 5-6c Exc. 1, 8-5j Note 1; pro 5.08a1). Here is an actual play.

Play 4: With R3 on third, R1 on first and two out, B5 swings halfway at an 0-2 pitch, which is called ball one. F2 throws to second to catch R1 stealing. R1 stops and gets in a rundown as B5 watches. R3 scores before R1 is tagged out. The half swing is then appealed and the base umpire says B5 swung. B5 is declared out, but the run is counted. Ruling 4: Incorrect ruling. Although R3 scored on what then appeared to be a time play, the batter-runner made the third out before reaching first base. Thus, the appeal and subsequent strike out for the third out negates the run.

Additionally, a run cannot be scored if a preceding runner is declared out on appeal for missing a base or leaving too soon (NFHS 9-1-1 Exc. c; NCAA 5-6c Exc. 3, 8-1d; pro 5.08a3). When such a preceding runner is appealed, the out is considered to have occurred at the time of the infraction. Thus, when two are out, the status of a following runner is affected by a preceding runner’s failure to touch or retouch a base.

Play 5: With R2 on second and R3 on third and one out, B4 flies out.

R3 leaves early on the tag and R2 scores on an overthrow to the plate.

An appeal is made on R3 and the appeal is upheld. Ruling 5: No runs score.

For purposes of baserunning infractions, NCAA has a subtle rules difference. A force at the time of the pitch remains in effect throughout the play. In NFHS and pro, a missed base is not a force out if it occurs after the force is removed. That distinction has no impact on the following play but makes a difference in play 7.

Play 6: With the bases loaded and one out, B5 hits into the gap but is thrown out trying for second. On appeal, R2 is called out for missing third. Ruling 6: R3’s run does not count. The running error occurred when R2 was forced to touch third.

Play 7: With the bases loaded and no one out, B5 hits into a 6-4-3 double play. R2 scores but misses third after the out on R1 at second is made. On appeal, R2 is called out for missing third. Ruling 7: In NFHS and pro, the run counts because the missed base occurred after the out at second removed the force. In NCAA, the run does not count. Although the force on R2 was removed when B5 was thrown out, R2 was forced at the time of the pitch, so it is considered a force out.

Finally, here is a very rare nuance. If a runner is forced to advance without liability to be put out while the ball is live, advances past the awarded base and then is put out for the third out before a preceding runner, also forced to advance, touches home, the run counts. That is not a time play.

When a run is forced home, the only requirement is the runner advance and touch home (NFHS 2008 interp. #4; NCAA 8-3a Note; pro 5.06b3B Cmt.).

Play 8: With bases loaded and two out, B6 walks, but R2 is overzealous and overruns third base.

R2 is tagged on a throw from F2 before R3 touches the plate. Ruling 8: R3’s run scores.

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

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VOLLEYBALL

EDITOR: BRAD TITTRINGTON

btittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

LONE RANGERS NEED NOT APPLY Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

By Rick Brown

The entire crew must work together during a match to ensure everything runs smoothly.

One such instance is when the crew must come together to exchange information in order to get the call right. Here, first referee Giovanni Ponciano, Torrance, Calif., shows the result of the play after conferring with (from left) line judge Harvey Rodriguez, Corona, Calif., second referee Denise Sitton, Lake Elsinore, Calif., and line judge Jennifer Lias, South Gate, Calif.

he Greek philosopher Aristotle once famously said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

This applies directly to volleyball officiating. Everyone — including the support staff — must commit to working together and being on the same page in order to ensure success.

Lone rangers detract from synergy and team performance, calling unnecessary attention to themselves.

The crew is typically judged by its weakest link and failure to perform at the level of professionalism demanded by the match from any team member is considered a failure, even if everyone else has a quality performance. There are multiple leaders on a volleyball crew, and partnering is required for things to go smoothly.

Quality communication at every level is necessary — and mandatory — for a successful match. Prematch contacts avoid surprises, such as untimely arrival or mismatched shirts. Initial coordination sets the stage for effective partnering between first and second referees, including possible use of headsets and how the Challenge Review System (CRS) works at various college venues. A prematch discussion of expectations and preferences frames how the crew will work together and what the responsibilities of the line judges entail. Communication is the mechanism that drives this process.

For teamwork to perform its magic, attitude matters. The blending of skills supersedes the individuals who comprise the crew as they effectively employ tools of the trade to get calls correct. A team player knows that everyone pulling together and avoiding having a fragile ego facilitates recovery when a call is questioned, challenged or overruled.

Sometimes, another official on the crew just has a better angle and a better view of the play. It should not

HESTON QUAN

T

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be taken personally. Equanimity and subservience of individual recognition both push for team success in nailing calls and maintaining focus.

Depending on the match level, assigners may not have the luxury of having available referees and line judges whose talents and experience best suit a match. Leadership from the referees, typically the first referee as “crew chief,” is key to holding everyone accountable for meeting reasonable expectations.

Prematch communication starts with connections, sharing of arrival times and agreed-upon shirt — bring all colors just in case to avoid any embarrassment. That first communication is a driving force for quality performance. The crew strives to create a climate of comfort, absorb match tensions and provide coaches with a listening ear for their concerns.

Prematch preparation is driven by professional expectations if line judges are certified and have a level of experience commensurate with the assigned match(es). PAVO-certified line judges at least have initial training in protocols, signaling, movement and the importance of adhering to the first referee’s preferences. The referees must have a prematch discussion that includes informal signals and headset help (if worn), working with coaches and problem resolution.

Establishing approachability with the prematch greeting has to be mirrored by attentiveness and awareness by the second referee while the first referee provides headset information or uses captains to help address questions that arise.

Facilitation requires respectful treatment of everyone, the ability to absorb the emotions of the match, using effective scanning and partnering to build credibility and get calls right. A listening ear is matched by awareness of defusing techniques to address concerns and move on, minimizing disruptions as much as possible. Headsets are a great supplemental communication tool, and partnering effectiveness is obvious to coaches and players. Just remember though, using headsets should not replace informal signals.

The prematch meeting with team

representatives helps officials establish themselves as human beings rather than “the referees.” Cordiality and pleasantness are “givens.” This is your first opportunity to show coaches and captains your competency and can help calm their nerves. It also is the first chance to show them you are a cohesive unit working as one.

Communication groupings include the first and second referees (partnering), both referees and event staff, the first referee and the line judges, the first referee and ball retrievers/speed wipers, and the second referee with table staff — which includes the scorer/assistant scorer, board operator and announcer — the second referee and the media coordinator (if applicable), and the second referee and the CRS technician (again, where applicable). The second referee communicates with a range of support staff — the scorer, assistant scorer, board operator and announcer, as well as the video technician in some college matches to understand camera availability and quickly bring up the appropriate screens to make CRS a fair and efficient process.

Clear expectations and partnering are critical. The second referee has multiple mini-teams to manage to resolve scoring issues/wrong servers, illegal replacements, liberos being on or off the court prior to timeouts, ensuring proper recording of challenge information, floor wiping, etc.

Line judges are an X factor for first referees since not all matches have certified or trained officials assigned. For high school matches, parent and student line judges have to be assessed and distinct instructions may need to be offered, always in a positive way with awareness of not overloading them in an effort to get the best from these volunteers.

Sometimes, line judges may be officials whose line judge proficiency may be a question. How the first referee communicates before and during the match can make a real difference in performance throughout.

Ensuring line judges maintain eye contact with the first referee on all calls is something the first referee focuses on to help determine the

QUICKTIP A ball may be legally contacted by either team once a portion of the ball crosses into the plane of the net, so it is important for the first referee’s head and eyes to be positioned directly down the vertical plane of the net to make judgment calls like illegal back-row block or attack, illegally reaching over the net, net fault or centerline fault.

SURVEY SAYS ...

Do you prefer the NFHS rules that allow one libero or the NCAA/USAV rules that allow the usage of two liberos per set?

One libero [NFHS]

80% Two liberos (NCAA/USAV)

20% SOURCE: SOCIAL MEDIA SURVEY OF 115 FOLLOWERS.

THEY SAID IT “Remember our No. 1 priority is to keep the matches fair and safe for all participants — safe not just from the playing actions, but also from the spectators and crowd. And this isn’t just a ‘big-time conference’ issue, it is at all levels. …

We cannot let the crowds get out of control, especially encroaching into the playing area.

And if a school does not do their job in addressing spectator issues, then we must do our job in sanctioning that host institution.

If we sanction the team, you had better believe that the actions of the crowd will be handled immediately!”

— NCAA National Coordinator of Volleyball Officials Ryan MacDowell on handling spectator behavior.

SOURCE: OCTOBER UPDATES ON RQ+ NCAA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL CENTRAL HUB

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VOLLEYBALL

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, NCAA or USAV rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.

1. When the first referee whistles and signals a served ball does not cross the plane of the net, the second referee should mirror that signal. a. True. b. False.

2. In the prematch instructions, the first referee should review which of the following responsibilities with the line judges? a. Notify the second referee if the libero does not remain out of the set for one rally. b. Indicate when the serve, or any played ball, does not cross the net entirely between the antennas. c. Notify the second referee when there is a wrong server. d. All of the above.

3. It is illegal for a player to play the ball while: a. Grasping the bottom tape of the net for support. b. Being supported by a teammate in the bench area, preventing the player from leaving the playing surface. c. Grabbing the pole with one hand and pulling upward while jumping to contact the ball. d. All of above.

4. An unnecessary delay/delay sanction is appropriate in which of the following situations? a. A team is not ready to return to play at the end of a timeout. b. A player wearing illegal equipment attempts to substitute into the set. c. A request for a timeout that exceeds the allotted number of timeouts, if acknowledged by a referee. d. All of the above.

5. A player may play a ball over a nonplayable area if the player is in contact with the playing area at the time the ball is contacted; the player may enter the non-playing area after playing the ball. a. True. b. False.

assuredness of the line judges’ calls.

Where available, ball retrievers are instructed by the first referee in terms of timing and location with camera crews as possible impediments. The first referee communicates with captains during the match to answer questions and provide appropriate information to clarify decisions.

Approachability and listening skills frame the success of this process.

The referees use an effective scan for crew information, with the first referee helping the second referee to quickly spot requests. Where CRS is used for a college match, the second referee’s fair and efficient work with the technician, scorer and assistant scorer, announcer and broadcast staff contribute to match success or discomfort. An officiating crew strives to add value to a match and go unnoticed, except when necessary.

Communication during the match focuses on the appropriate level of help information the second referee gives to the first referee with headsets proving invaluable in conjunction with informal signals. This is especially true during a rally that is under discussion between a coach and second referee that allows the first referee to hear a coach’s concern and provide information from the view on the stand while understanding what the coach saw from a bench-side angle.

Where every team member performs with awareness, efficiency and an understanding of the crew’s respective roles and contributions, the officials stay in their lanes and care about serving the many customers

with their energy and commitment.

Communication continues throughout each match, and every match should have a postmatch debrief to discuss challenges as part of a commitment to continuous improvement. Having a trained observer who can provide outside assistance is a plus during these debriefs. The support crew is included as appropriate. Often, the first referee will include them in initial discussion and then allow them to depart as necessary and not require them to wait around to hear everything between the first and second referee.

However, some line judges find that communication valuable in order to assist in their skill development if they also serve as first and second referees. A private, secure room for this communication is essential. While that is expected at the collegiate level, often it is not possible for high school or club matches. In these instances, find somewhere quiet away from teams and spectators that is safe for the crew.

Debrief communications should be candid but kind, identifying positives as well as things to work on, especially addressing unusual plays or ones that garnered a strong response.

Rick Brown, Westerville, Ohio, is a longtime girls’ and boys’ high school volleyball referee, working 22 state tournaments. He is a state and local rules interpreter, USAV Regional Referee and formerly a PAVO National Line Judge, working multiple D-I postseason matches. *

A Bit of a Reach

By Brad Tittrington

O

ne of the plays that seems to cause a lot of conversation, and maybe even some confusion, is when a player reaches over the net and contacts a ball. The majority of the time when it causes confusion is when there is simultaneous contact and it involves a back-row player from one of the teams.

However, there are times when a back-row player is not involved and a coach or player will give the “reaching over” signal (as shown in PlayPic A on p. 68). But just because a player reaches over the net does not make it automatically illegal.

Before diving into the rules and some scenarios, I will share a couple of pieces of advice I learned over the last few years that helped in my decision-

COURTESY MHSAA

TEST YOURSELF

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D

uring a typical match, there are several plays in which a player’s foot (or other body part) comes in contact with or crosses over the centerline. This most commonly happens on a block attempt, after an attack or when a player chases down an errant pass near the net and slides on the floor.

On this particular play, the player in the middle clearly has a part of her left foot over the centerline. Is this a violation?

The answer in all codes is no, this is not a violation of the rules. NFHS rules state a player may touch the floor across the centerline with one or both feet/hands provided a part of the foot/feet or hand(s) remains on or above the centerline. Contacting the floor across the centerline with any other part of the body is illegal. NFHS rules do not provide any exceptions and do not require there to be interference in order for there to be a centerline fault (9-5-7).

NCAA and USAV rules differ a bit from the NFHS rules when it comes to whistling this fault. These rule codes allow any part of the body to touch the opponent’s court, provided some part of the body remains in contact with or directly above the centerline and there is no interference with opponents. The rules in these two codes also allow a player to completely cross the centerline, provided there is no interference with the opponents and the encroachment does not present a safety hazard to opponents (NCAA 15.2.4; USAV 11.2.2.2).

When working NFHS matches, once a player’s foot or hand completely crosses the centerline or any other body part crosses into the opponent’s court, it is automatically a fault. In NCAA and USAV, the referees must determine if that contact with the opponent’s court presents a safety hazard or interfered with the opponent’s ability to make a play.

Remember, in NFHS, even if a player isn’t making a play on a ball and no one else is around, violating the centerline restrictions is always a fault. There is no judgment needed.

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CASEPLAYS Unnecessary Delay Play: After team A scores a point to make the score 15-14 in the third set, the libero for team A enters the court from in front of the attack line to replace back-row player A1, who exits the court between the attack line and endline. The second referee steps toward the sidelines and requests an administrative yellow card for unnecessary delay from the first referee. Ruling: Correct procedure in all codes. All libero exchanges are required to take place in the libero replacement zone, between the attack line and endline. The first offense results in an administrative yellow card (NFHS) or delay warning (NCAA/ USAV) (NFHS 9-9-1n Pen.1; NCAA 6.3.3, 12.2.2.3; USAV 16.2, 19.3.2.7).

The Serve Play: During the first set, a served ball by team S becomes lodged in a ceiling rafter. The first referee blows the whistle and orders a replay. Ruling: Incorrect procedure in all codes. A served ball that strikes the ceiling or any other object other than the net in-between the antennas should be ruled out of bounds and a point awarded to the receiving team. However, the second referee should authorize the use of a new game ball that has been checked prematch to meet legal specifications (NFHS 8-2-6c; NCAA 13.2.1.1.3; USAV 12.6.2.1).

Simultaneous Contact Play: During a rally, teammates B1 and B2 simultaneously contact a shanked pass by B3.

The ball is then successfully attacked by B3 onto team A’s side where the ball touches off A4’s arm before landing out of bounds. The first referee blows the whistle, awards a loss of rally/point to team A and indicates four contacts by team B. Ruling: Incorrect in all codes. A simultaneous contact by teammates is allowed and is counted as one contact, thus making the contact by B1 and B2 the second contact of the rally. The legal attack by B3 was the team’s third legal contact of the rally and team B should be awarded the point (NFHS 9-4-6b; NCAA 14.3.3; USAV 9.1.2.1).

making when it comes to adjudicating this type of play.

A few years ago, shortly after I moved to Wisconsin, I was working a preseason scrimmage involving two NCAA Division III women’s teams.

It was an opportunity to knock some rust off as well as be observed by some well-respected college officials in the area. On one particular play, the receiving team’s libero misplayed a hard-driven serve and passed the ball up toward the net. A middle blocker for the serving team jumped up and blocked the ball down to the court.

When the middle blocker contacted the ball, it was completely on the receiving team’s side of the court. I whistled and awarded the point to the receiving team and signaled the serving team had illegally reached beyond the net to playthe ball. After a couple of more points, we switched officials and I went to the observers for feedback. The first question they asked was about that play. They said, “Why did you call that reaching over?” They explained the middle blocker may have reached over to play the ball, but that action did not affect the receiving team’s ability to make a play on the ball. The receiving team misplayed the ball, no one from the receiving team was in a position to make a play on the ball and the defender blocked the ball, which

A

effectively concluded the attack by the receieving time. Therefore, the play was legal and the block was legal, even though the blocker was reaching over the net.

The second example happened earlier this season. I was working a high school boys’ tournament with some of the best teams in the state.

Between matches, I was observing two teams playing on the court next to mine. A very similar situation as the one I explained above happened.

The referee rightfully awarded the point to the serving team and not to the receiving team. The setter looked at his coach incredulously

B

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and the coach said, “If you don’t make an attempt to go play the ball, the referees are never going to call interference. Go try to play the ball.”

Both of those plays resonated with me and are often points of discussion when I work with partners and we discuss plays at the net. They both offer simple advice on how to rule on these types of plays. So, let’s dig into the rules for the three major rule codes when it comes to these types of plays and what actually constitutes a fault and what does not.

The good thing for referees is all three major rule codes basically have the same rules in regard to reaching over the net. The rules state blocking a ball that is entirely on the opponent’s side of the net is permitted when the opposing team has had the opportunity to complete its attack. The attack is considered complete when the attacking team has completed its three allowable hits, had the opportunity to complete the attack (or in the referee’s judgment,

C

what the rulebook can’t teach you Bite-sized tips to improve your officiating regardless of what level you work. These are the things that can make a huge difference in your performance before, during and after games.

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directs the ball toward the opponent’s court) or the ball is falling near the net and, in the referee’s judgment, no legal member of the attacking team could make a play on the ball (NFHS 9-6-4; NCAA 14.6.4; USAV 14.3).

The majority of the time when these plays happen, it involves a back-row setter attempting to save a pass near the net and an opposing player (generally a middle blocker) makes contact with the ball or the setter (as shown in PlayPic B on p.

68). In these situations, the referee must determine the location of the ball. If the ball is in the plane of the net, it is fair game for both players to make an attempt at the ball. If there is simultaneous contact between a backrow setter and an opposing player in this situation, it is an illegal back-row block. If the ball has not entered the plane of the net and is completely on the side of the back-row setter and there is simultaneous contact, it is an over-the-net fault against the blocker.

Where things get interesting is when there is contact between the blocker and the setter with a ball near the net (as shown in PlayPic D).

In these situations, the referee must judge whether the contact caused interference. If the blocker contacts the setter prior to the set or during the action of setting the ball, it should

be interference. If the contact is after the set and had no bearing on the play, it should not be interference.

This is often seen when the setter sets the ball and the blocker contacts the setter’s hand(s). If the ball is already gone and the contact is well after that, it had no bearing on the set and the referee should allow play to continue.

The final piece to this is going back to the original scenario where an opposing player contacts a ball that is not yet in the plane of the net, but there is no player on the “attacking” team near the net or in any position to make a play on the ball (as shown in PlayPic C on p. 69). This is often seen when a team digs a ball and sends the ball toward the net that would cross the net if no player tries to save it. If the setter is back row in this scenario, sometimes the setter will stay down and not attempt to save the ball, fearing an illegal back-row block. Other times, the setter may try to make a one-handed or two-handed save, hoping to get the ball before it enters the plane of the net.

In these situations, the referee must make a couple of judgments. The first is determining the location of the ball. The second is determining if any player on the attacking team’s side is in position to make a play on the ball. If the ball is in the plane of the net, again,

it is fair game for either team to make a play on it. If the ball is still completely on the attacking team’s side of the net and an opposing player contacts the ball, the referee must determine if any player on the attacking team’s side is in position to make a play. If a player is in position, it is a fault for reaching over by the blocking team. If no player is in position to make a play, the attacking team should be considered to have finished its attack, which makes it legal for the opposing team to block the ball. However, attacking the ball in this situation would still be illegal as the ball is completely on the opponents side of the net.

These types of plays generally happen a few times each match.

It is important for referees to first know the rules and understand the philosophies behind those rules. It is also important for referees to use good judgment and get their eyes to the net to see where contact occurs.

It is also important to use good judgment in determining where players are and if any of them had an opportunity to make a play on the ball. If in doubt, the play is legal.

Brad Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee. He umpires D-I softball and officiates high school basketball, college and high school volleyball and high school football. 

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KEEPING THEM IN THE GAME There’s a lot of work being done everywhere to get new people involved in officiating, but the big question is, “How do we keep them?” The most influential voices in officiating address the issues of retaining officials across the sports landscape. From new concepts in onboarding, approaching and communicating with non-traditional officials, dissecting the life stages of officials to how to help new officials meet today’s challenges, this book covers it all.

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THE SUMMIT SERIES

Choose From All These and More 2016 SUMMIT SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS

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LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

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OFFICIATING IN THE FUTURE TENSE

OFFICIATING DEPARTMENT

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MAKE OFFICIATING COUNT / IMPACT • VALUE • RESPECT • REACH

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Giants

On the Shoulders of

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GUEST EDITORIAL

BY DANA PAPPAS

e are standing on the shoulders of giants.

Unfortunately, it sometimes feels like we have forgotten that.

Every sport seems to recognize, remember and honor their legendary players and coaches, but there is another group of legends that tends to be “erased” upon retirement. They are the guardians of fair play without whom the games would not exist. Contest officials ride off into the sunset and then we often do not hear from them again.

Honestly, if we do not hear from them, it is entirely our fault.

Officials who came before us should be remembered and celebrated the same way we remember the greats who played and coached the games. Officials who work today should know the history of officiating and the legends who came before us. I was once told by Dr. Dan Salzwedel, former New Mexico Activities Association executive director, “If we forget the past, we forsake the future.” At the age of 21, I do not think I truly understood what that meant, but now I think about it every day and I fear we are forsaking the future in officiating.

You see it all the time at college and professional sporting

events when a former player or coach is brought out to flip the coin, throw out the first pitch or wave at the crowd during a timeout. Why are officials excluded from being honored or remembered?

How hard would it be to bring the men and women who served their sport for so long back to the games they loved for a moment of recognition? There are officials in every community who would love to have a moment in the proverbial sun at a professional, collegiate or high school game, to be remembered the way the other legends are.

If you officiate currently and you do not know the greats of your sport, you should start learning who they are right now. Those can be local legends in your community or association, or the all-time officiating greats of the collegiate and professional levels.

Understand their struggles and appreciate the things that made them great. Take time to know the battles they fought and how they impacted every single one of us in the industry today.

SHUTTERSTOCK, PHOTO COURTESY OF DANA PAPPAS

The great officials have much they can teach us — and they deserve honors and recognition as much as legendary coaches and players.

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Finding ways to keep former officials connected to the avocation is critical. We can learn so much from those who came before us. Invite them to your meetings. Ask them to watch your game film.

Take time to just reach out and thank them for their role in your career, or for laying the foundation for your sport or your association. None of us ascends through officiating without countless people helping us along the way. Never forget those who helped when you needed it and always remember to let them know what they mean to you.

When my husband and I moved to Indiana a few years ago, one of the best parts of the move was the ability to visit legendary NFL referee Jerry Markbreit more frequently. We drive up once a month to his Chicago suburb to see him and his wife, Bobbie. We talk a lot about officiating, and I get to learn from one of the all-time legends — one of the godfathers of football refereeing — while eating eggs and drinking coffee.

At the same time, I get to learn from his wife about her journey as an official’s spouse and her stories are as spectacular as his.

Jerry has forgotten more about officiating than most of us will ever know, and he shares his wealth of knowledge willingly and lovingly with me and anyone who takes the time to ask him. That connection to the past makes me better equipped to work in this industry today and in the future. We all need that kind of connection.

Officials are the forgotten element of sports. It does not just happen upon their retirement. It happens every day. Officials are sometimes only remembered or viewed as important when they do

Officials who work today should know the history of officiating and the legends who came before us.

not show up to a game. There should be people greeting officials at games and ensuring they are taken care of from the time they arrive to a contest until they get in their cars to go home. Having someone to serve as a concierge to officials seems like a utopian concept, but it would not be that hard, especially at the higher levels of sport. If the two teams competing can be treated with respect and provided hospitality, so should the third team!

As we look at the numbers of officials across the country, we are seeing growth at the interscholastic level, but that does not mean our efforts to recruit and retain should let up, even for a second. We need to continually recruit officials into the avocation, but the element of retention is imperative.

We can aid in the retention of today’s officials by activating those who came before us as mentors and observers. We can help the overall health of the officiating population by doing things that make officials feel special while they are working and when they decide to hang it up. We can be active participants in the retention of officials by fighting for them at every turn — how they are treated, how much they make,

how we honor them, how we protect them, how we show up for them.

Officials need to have “fans” in their corner, cheering for them, just like the teams, players and coaches have. We need people who will speak up and have their voices heard on behalf of officials. Officiating administrators at every level need to be willing to go out on a limb for the officials they serve and should be the biggest supporter of the officials in their charge. We need to remember the words of composer Gustav Mahler, who said, “Tradition is not to preserve the ashes, but to pass on the flame.” The flame can only be passed on by remaining connected to the people who came before us and built the foundation we sit on today.

We stand on the shoulders of giants. If we do not remember that right now and treat current and retired officials like the legends they are, we will leave the next generation of officials with no one else’s shoulders to stand on in the future.

Dana Pappas, Lebanon, Ind., is the NFHS director of officiating services. *

From left, former NFL referee Jerry Markbreit, Dana Pappas and Bobbie Markbreit.

Pappas regularly meets with the Markbreits to get valuable insights into officiating.

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ALL SPORTS

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

FOR ALL SPORTS, ALL LEVELS

Players in contact sports such as lacrosse can become frustrated when the score becomes lopsided or other factors come into play.

Officials who can recognize in-game triggers and come into a game armed with information about the teams have a better chance of maintaining game control.

KEEP A LID ON IT By the Referee editors

I

t’s all fun and games until someone (insert injury here). Such can be the case when players get too wound up for their own good. They start to believe they really can wipe out that apparently insurmountable deficit.

Sure, a player can run faster, jump higher or swing harder in the hope that might lead to better results. But the method most players employ in such cases is to be more physical.

And that’s when the game can start to go downhill.

More contact doesn’t usually produce better results. They get frustrated. Perhaps they lash out. The more likely result is more fouls and, depending on the sport, more scoring opportunities for the opponent. The opponents respond in kind. And soon, officials feel they are struggling to keep a lid on the game.

Game control starts with officials understanding the game. But in this case, that doesn’t mean recognizing the difference between zone and manto-man defense or whether a double steal is in the offing. It starts before

you arrive at the field, with knowing what’s at stake. What does the game mean to the teams?

These days, there is so much information available online. What are the standings? Have the two teams played recently? Perhaps the coaches participated in a preseason poll or a columnist has written with predictions regarding where each team will finish. Maybe you or a crewmate has previous experience with one or both schools.

That information shouldn’t directly affect your decisions in the game.

COURTESY MHSAA

Understanding Player Intensity Helps Game Control

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You make rulings based on what happens in the game at hand, not what happened last week. But at the same time, officials must understand the assumptions and expectations of the players and coaches about what the game is going to be like. When officials understand what the players and coaches are probably thinking, they will have a better chance of knowing what they can do to keep the game under control. They know which buttons to push or not to push.

Some examples of challenging game situations for officials: • The teams played three weeks ago and one team suffered seasonending injuries to two seniors. Might some of that team be out for revenge?

• The home team has dominated the league for the last five years. The visiting team is on the rise, however, and might even have a chance at the championship. The visiting team jumps out to an early lead.

• The star player of the home school was formerly enrolled at the visiting school but left under unpleasant circumstances. Might that player and his or her teammates have extra motivation?

Besides knowing what’s at stake in the game before it starts, officials need to be alert for subtle clues

about the players’ attitudes as they develop during the game. Are the players yelling negative comments to their teammates? Are they making cocky comments to opponents that are not really taunting but express an attitude?

Is one of the coaches yelling at his or her players to play more physically? Is the team that thinks it should be dominating not winning easily?

Officials who recognize the situation is getting out of control have options. One is to talk to the head coach or a player that a teammate is getting out of hand. “Please talk to number 55 and help us keep them in the game.” The player may be the captain or an obvious team leader, who is usually easy to spot.

If you understand the intensity level the players expect in a game, it will be much easier to identify which fouls require special discipline such as cards, personal foul flags, flagrant fouls or even ejections. Call the game the players expect will be called.

A hard foul by one team will often result in the opponents getting more physical in response. That will quickly lead to a game that is out of control.

This column is excerpted from a column that appeared in the 1/15 issue of Referee. 

SIDELINE It’s Not Us …

It’s often said the more things change, the more they stay the same. Consider this point of emphasis from the 1975 NFHS football rulebook: “Criticism of officials by coaches both on and off the field is increasing.

Much of this criticism results because the application of the rules by the officials are not always understood by coaches. They criticize because they do not know and understand the rules. More often than not, the coaches who are most vocal in their criticism are those of losing teams. It appears as though coaches are using officials as a scapegoat for their team’s inadequate performance.”

SURVEY SAYS ...

Would you wear a body camera while officiating in an attempt to deter unsporting behavior?

Yes: 55% No: 45% SOURCE: SURVEY OF 177 REFEREE READERS

Six Ways to Defeat Those Winter Blahs

SHANE KEYSER/MCT/NEWSCOM

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program. The right apparel is also important.

1. Invest in Yourself Hire a personal trainer for a month or two. The money you pay will motivate you to stick with the

2. Embrace the Elements You can’t change the weather, but you can learn to accept it. Outdoor activities such as ice skating, cross country skiing and snowshoeing get you off the couch and keep you active. But don’t discount a good oldfashioned walk.

“I am a huge fan of going on a walk, no matter what the temperature is,” said Corin Safe, a coach whose athletes include Olympic weightlifters from Chicago. “Put on your boots

epending on the part of the country in which you live, winter can be a cold, bleak and depressing time of year. If you don’t officiate a winter sport, you can find yourself going into hibernation, which is no good for your conditioning or your spirit.

The Huffington Post provided some ideas to help you if not defeat, at least address, the season.

THEY SAID IT “I’m extremely impressed, not only by the things that are being reviewed, but more importantly the interaction from the entire group. To me, that was very important. We probably agree a lot more than we disagree. I can see that this isn’t about individual referees. This is a team. Much like my team, and other soccer teams, the group is working just as hard as any individual club to become better.”

— Peter Vermes, Sporting KC head coach, after attending an officiating camp in Colorado.

SOURCE: PRO

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and get out there. After 30 minutes, you’ll feel awesome, because walking reduces stress and promotes a little bit of meditation.”

3. Analyze Your Workout Routine Safe also suggests taking a step back to mentally reassess your fitness goals. “What do you want to get out of it? How committed are you?” she asks. List the reasons you have for prioritizing exercise, and think about everything you’ve achieved in the last year. Are you going to keep it going or take it up a notch in 2025?

4. Think About What Lies Ahead You devote a great deal of

offseason time to officiating. Rules study, camps and film review are ways to improve your performance.

Being physically ready is the last piece of the puzzle. Keep the upcoming season in mind and look forward to it. “Training with that forward-thinking mindset can make (exercise) a little less depressing and a little more exciting,” said Ryan Ford, who owns gyms in California.

“There’s no pressure now to perform.”

5. Tailor Your Workout to Your Officiating Workout facilities have a variety of machines and equipment

because not everyone is trying to accomplish the same goals. “We’re all about training for useful fitness,” Ford explained. “Bicep curls or leg extensions can help you rehab a specific body part from injury or imbalance.”

6. Sometimes the Best Options Are Free If you choose not to invest in a gym membership, you can do exercises like pushups, pullups, squats with no weights, lunges and situps in your home. All you need is your body and the ability to count. 

Put Hard Feelings Aside When Others Succeed 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 big rivalry game, televised tilt 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.

After the initial mourning period and taking some time to reflect, the only thing left to do is move on.

Maybe you decide to keep working

When Micah Vuki, St. George, Utah, gets an important assignment, he’d appreciate it if his officiating colleagues would congratulate and support him. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.

BOB MESSINA

By Jeffrey Stern

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toward the goal you want so badly.

Focusing your efforts on seizing future opportunities instead of rehashing the past might be just what you need. It’s a cheesy line, but other doors do open when one closes.

It could be committing yourself to becoming physically fit before next season so you can look the part to the best of your ability. Whatever course of action you decide to take, do it with an open mind. We can’t control the actions of others, but we can control our mindset and outlook.

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.

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 with confidence. All it takes is a brief email, text 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 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.

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.

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.

Then maybe next Christmas, you’ll find the dream assignment in your stocking.

Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor. He formerly officiated high school and college football and high school baseball. 

SEE THE CALL. MAKE THE CALL. Sharpen your ability to spot travel violations and nail down block-or-charge decisions, making sure every call on the court is precise.

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FOR THE RECORD AWARDS, ROSTERS, NOTABLES

POSTSEASON ASSIGNMENTS

PROFESSIONAL

• The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx, three games to two, to win the 2024 WNBA Finals. Officials for the championship round were Isaac Barnett, Eric Brewton, Tiara Cruse, Maj Forsberg, Tim Greene, Roy Gulbeyan, Jenna Reneau, Randy Richardson and Angelica Suffren. Officials for the preliminary rounds: First round (New York defeated Atlanta, 2-0; Las Vegas defeated Seattle, 2-0; Minnesota defeated Phoenix, 2-0; Connecticut defeated Indiana, 2-0) — Barnett, Amy Bonner, Brewton, Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, Gina Cross, Cruse, Forsberg, Greene, Gulbeyan, Angel Kent, Reneau, Richardson, Teresa Stuck, Suffren, Jeff Wooten.

Semifinals (New York defeated Las Vegas, 3-1; Minnesota defeated Connecticut, 3-2) — Barnett, Brewton, Cissoko-Stephens, Cross, Cruse, Kevin Fahy, Forsberg, Greene, Gulbeyan, Kent, Reneau, Richardson, Stuck, Suffren, Wooten.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees, four games to one, to win the 2024 World Series. Umpires working the Series were Mark Carlson

(CC), Doug Eddings, Chad Fairchild, Andy Fletcher, Mark Ripperger, Todd Tichenor and Carlos Torres.

Replay officials were Cory Blaser and James Hoye.

Working preliminary rounds were: AL Wild Card (Detroit 2, Houston 0) — Jordan Baker, Will Little, Alfonzo Márquez (CC), Tony Randazzo, Jeremie Rehak, Junior Valentine. (Kansas City 2, Baltimore 0) — Ryan Additon, Nic Lentz, Ben May, Bill Miller (CC), Malachi Moore, David Rackley. NL Wild Card (New York 2, Milwaukee 1) — Vic Carapazza, Mike Estabrook, Brennan Miller, Alan Porter (CC), Chris Segal, Alex Tosi. (San Diego 2, Atlanta 0) — Erich Bacchus, Nestor Ceja, Phil Cuzzi, Dan Iassogna (CC), Jansen Visconti, Mark Wegner. Replay — Bruce Dreckman, Manny Gonzalez, D.J. Reyburn, Stu Scheurwater.

AL Division Series (Cleveland 3, Detroit 2) — Adam Beck, Ramon De Jesus, Fairchild, Nick Mahrley, Tichenor (CC), Jim Wolf. (New York 3, Kansas City 1) — Lance Barksdale, Lance Barrett, Ryan Blakney, Carlson (CC), Adam Hamari, Roberto Ortiz. NL Division Series (Los Angeles 3, San Diego 2) — Dan Bellino (CC), Blaser, Tripp Gibson, Adrian Johnson, John Libka, Ripperger. (New York 3, Philadelphia 1) — Rob Drake, Eddings, Fletcher, Hoye (CC), Edwin Moscoso, Torres.

Replay — Chris Conroy, Chris Guccione, John Tumpane, Chad Whitson. (Note: Tumpane replaced Drake onfield for Games 4 and 5 of the New York-Philadelphia series.)

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

AL Championship Series (New York 4, Cleveland 1) — Carapazza, Estabrook, Iassogna (CC), Gabe Morales, Porter, Segal, Visconti. NL Championship Series (Los Angeles 4, New York 2) — Baker, Marvin Hudson, Lentz, Miller (CC), Mike Muchlinski, Rackley, Rehak.

AWARDS & HONORS • The Atlanta Tipoff Club named Bonita Spence the 2024 Naismith Women’s College Official of the Year and Reggie Cofer the 2024 Naismith Men’s College Official of the Year. They were both recognized posthumously last fall during the 2024 NCAA basketball regional officiating clinics. Spence, who died in 2013, worked many NCAA women’s tournaments, including the Final Four in 2001 and 2005. She officiated for 27 years in the ACC, Big East and Big Ten, among other conferences. She also refereed in the WNBA from 1999-2009.

Cofer worked in the SEC, ACC, Big South, Colonial and Southern conferences from 1991-2005, and worked the NCAA Tournament from 19992005, including the men’s national championship game in 2003. He died in November 2023.

• The 2024 inductees into the Hawaii Sports Officials Hall of Fame are Jim Beavers, football; Aaron Chaney, water polo; Abe Pacheco, boxing (posthumously); Kenichi Shimogawa, football (posthumously); and Thomas Yoshida, basketball.

Hawaii’s Officials of the Year were also recognized: Cary Izuka, baseball; Dan Coda, basketball; Patrick BlackSantiago, basketball; Gerald Tom, basketball; Doug Hunt, football; Ernest Miyamasu, judo; Jarred Oshiro, boys’ soccer; Melisa Au, girls’ soccer; Chris Miles, softball; Stephanie Monahan, swimming and diving; Tammy Tomida, tennis; Mark Zeug, track; Ward Soto, boys’ volleyball; Ku’uipo Risso, girls’ volleyball; Brennan Shum, girls’ water polo; Bryan Akeo, wrestling.

• Pat LaTour, Appleton, was named the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association umpire of the year in July. LaTour, who has umpired softball for 29 years at the high school and college levels, also officiates football, baseball and volleyball, and refereed basketball up until last year.

OBITUARIES • Jim Vaughan, 93, of Springfield, Mo., died Oct. 14.

Vaughan refereed hundreds of basketball games — including district, sectional and state championships — in an officiating career that spanned 1963-2000. His assignments included the Blue and Gold Tournament, a tournament in southwest Missouri involving both big and small high schools, and the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.

Vaughan was inducted into the Southwest Missouri Basketball Officials Association Hall of Fame in 2004, the Springfield Area Sports Officials Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

• Lee Roberts, 73, of Beaver Dam, Wis., died Oct. 20 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Roberts began officiating in 1973 and achieved master official status with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association in four sports: basketball, baseball, softball and football. He worked multiple state tournaments across the four sports. After retiring from officiating in 2013, Roberts was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a referee. Roberts was also a standout on the baseball team at Madison Area Technical College in the early 1970s and was inducted into the Madison College Athletic Hall of Fame as a player in 1984.

Do you have any rosters, assignments or awards that warrant mention?

Send info to us at ForTheRecord@referee.com

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ROSTERS NBA The following are the NBA officials for the 2024-25 season. They are listed by uniform number, name, residence and years in the league.

3 Nick Buchert, 15 Highland Park, Ill.

27 Mitchell Ervin, 10 New Orleans

49 Tom Washington, 34 Atlanta

4 Sean Wright, 20 Dacula, Ga.

28 Mousa Dagher, 7 Las Vegas

50 Gediminas Petraitis, 10 Kensington, Md.

8 Marc Davis, 27 Chicago

29 Mark Lindsay, 18 Phoenixville, Pa.

51 Aaron Smith, 9 Philadelphia

9 Natalie Sago, 7 Farmington, Mo.

30 John Butler, 5 La Mesa, Calif.

52 Scott Twardoski, 14 Peoria, Ariz.

10 John Goble, 18 Miami

31 Scott Wall, 30 Merritt Island, Fla.

53 Matt Kallio, 3 Calgary, Alberta

11 Derrick Collins, 24 Sugar Land, Texas

32 Marat Kogut, 16 Woodmere, N.Y.

54 Ray Acosta, 8 Lake Worth, Fla.

12 CJ Washington, 9 The Woodlands, Texas

33 Sean Corbin, 30 Windermere, Fla.

55 Bill Kennedy, 27 Phoenix

13 Ashley Moyer-Gleich, 7 Camp Hill, Pa.

34 Kevin Cutler, 15 Lakewood, Calif.

56 John Conley, 4 Orlando, Fla.

14 Ed Malloy, 23 Aston, Pa.

35 Jason Goldenberg, 8 Atlanta

58 Josh Tiven, 15 Waterford, Conn.

15 Zach Zarba, 22 Brooklyn, N.Y.

36 Brent Barnaky, 15 Clearwater, Fla.

60 James Williams, 15 Chicago

16 David Guthrie, 20 Charlotte, N.C.

37 Eric Dalen, 17 Cincinnati

61 Courtney Kirkland, 25 Atlanta

17 Jonathan Sterling, 8 Tampa, Fla.

38 Michael Smith, 32 Memphis, Tenn.

63 Derek Richardson, 28 Los Angeles

18 Matt Boland, 22 Manchester, Conn.

39 Tyler Ford, 10 Lafayette, Ind.

64 Justin Van Duyne, 11 La Verne, Calif.

19 James Capers, 30 Chicago

40 Leon Wood, 29 Queen Creek, Ariz.

67 Brandon Adair, 7 Virginia Beach, Va.

20 Jenna Schroeder, 6 Detroit

41 Nate Green, 6 Terre Haute, Ind.

68 Jacyn Goble, 9 Miami

21 Dedric Taylor, 11 Miami

43 Matt Myers, 7 Washington, D.C.

70 Phenizee Ransom, 7 East Point, Ga.

22 JB DeRosa, 8 Canton, Ohio

44 Brett Nansel, 9 Bozeman, Mont.

71 Rodney Mott, 27 Las Vegas

23 Tre Maddox, 14 Las Vegas

45 Brian Forte, 18 Smyrna, Ga.

72 J.T. Orr, 14 La Verne, Calif.

24 Kevin Scott, 14 Flowery Branch, Ga.

46 Ben Taylor, 12 Orlando, Fla.

73 Intae Hwang, 2 Fort Lee, N.J.

25 Tony Brothers, 31 Smithfield, Va.

47 Bennie Adams, 30 New Orleans

74 Curtis Blair, 17 Richmond, Va.

26 Pat Fraher, 24th Eagan, Minn.

48 Scott Foster, 31 Woodbine, Md.

77 Karl Lane, 14 Little Rock, Ark.

78 Evan Scott, 6 Richmond, Va. 81 Simone Jelks, 5 Cleveland 82 Suyash Mehta, 5 Ellicott City, Md. 83 Andy Nagy, 5 Sylvania, Ohio 85 Robert Hussey, 3 Orlando, Fla. 86 Brandon Schwab, 4 Orlando, Fla. 87 Danielle Scott, 4 Valley Village, Calif.

89 Dannica Mosher, 3 Orlando, Fla. 91 Che Flores, 3 Los Angeles 94 JD Ralls, R Abingdon, Md. 95 Tyler Ricks, R Atlanta 98 Sha’Rae Mitchell, 2 Oakland, Calif.

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LAW

ISSUES AFFECTING OFFICIALS

Yup, It’s Tax Time ... (again)

By Joe Aguilar, EA As an independent sports official, you are responsible for managing the game and have a business to run, complete with its tax obligations. Preparing for tax time can be overwhelming, but with proper planning and attention to the latest tax laws, you can stay organized and avoid unpleasant surprises. Here are essential tips, including recent changes, to help you prepare for the tax season.

1. Open a Separate Bank Account for Officiating Income. You are required to report all income from officiating. Opening a separate bank account for your officiating income and expenses is critical. It can be a personal account used for business. Keeping finances separate lets you easily track your earnings, deductible expenses and payments throughout the year.

Opening a separate bank account for your officiating income and expenses is critical.

It makes calculating estimated tax payments easier. If the IRS questions your deductions, showing that your finances were handled separately makes your case more credible.

2. Make Estimated Tax Payments.

The IRS expects you to pay at least 90% of your current year’s or 100% of your previous year’s taxes (whichever is smaller) through estimated payments.

3. Track Your Mileage. One of the most valuable deductions is business mileage. You can deduct your mileage at the standard IRS rate if you drive to games, tournaments or meetings. For 2024, the standard mileage rate will remain around 65.5 cents per mile.

To make this deduction, you must keep an accurate mileage log including the travel date, starting and ending odometer readings, the purpose of the trip and the number of miles driven.

Apps designed for mileage tracking can help automate this process and reduce errors. The IRS is increasingly strict about mileage deductions.

4. Document Travel Expenses to Prove They Are “Ordinary and Necessary.” The IRS requires all business travel expenses be “ordinary and necessary” to qualify as deductions. Traveling to games, tournaments or professional development events typically meet this requirement, but you must document why you made the trip.

Recent tax law changes have also increased scrutiny of meal deductions.

For tax years 2021 and 2022, the IRS allowed a 100% deduction for restaurant business meals. However, for 2024, the deduction reverts to 50%.

Keep detailed receipts and document the business purpose of the meal.

5. Keep Receipts and Follow IRS Guidelines. Even though the IRS does not require receipts for expenses under $75, maintaining a comprehensive record of all payments is essential for proving your deductions. We recommend keeping digital receipts of hotel stays, meals, equipment purchases and other costs related to officiating.

The threshold for receiving Form 1099-K has changed; previously, businesses needed to issue a 1099-K if payments exceeded $20,000 and involved more than 200 transactions.

As of 2023, the threshold is $600. If you receive payment for officiating through third-party platforms like PayPal or Venmo, you may receive a 1099-K. Be sure to track these earnings to include them in your tax filings.

Save time, money and stress by staying organized throughout the year and keeping up with tax law changes.

By opening a separate bank account, making estimated tax payments, tracking mileage, documenting travel expenses and keeping thorough records, you can simplify the tax preparation process and avoid potential penalties. Consult IRS publications and stay informed about the latest tax laws to ensure you’re fully compliant come tax season.

Joe Aguilar, Dallas, is a volleyball official and founder of Eagle Tax Res, a firm that helps clients nationwide with tax problems. 

Missing or Incorrect 1099?

IRS Offers This Advice The IRS says most taxpayers will receive income documents near the end of January. But what if the W-2 or 1099 you’re expecting hasn’t arrived by then? Or worse, the W-2 or 1099 you received contained incorrect information?

The IRS advises to reach out to the employer, payer or issuing agency and request a copy of the missing document or a corrected document.

If the issue isn’t resolved by the end of February, you can call the IRS for help at 800-829-1040. You’ll need to provide your name, address, phone number, Social Security number and dates of employment.

You’ll also need to provide the employer’s or payer’s name, address and phone number. The IRS will contact the employer or payer and request the missing form.

The IRS will then send you either Form 4852 or Form 1099-R. If the missing income documents don’t arrive by the filing due date, one of those documents can be used and filed to estimate wages and earnings.

If the missing or corrected documents arrive after filing a return and the information differs from the previous estimate, you then need to file an additional document: Form 1040-X. SOURCE: IRS.GOV

By the Numbers

23 Number of states with officiating assault/harassment laws.

17 Number of states with limited liability protections for sports officials.

15 Number of states with independent contractor laws pertaining to officials.

3 Number of states with supportive resolutions for officials.

SOURCE: NASO

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? Referee can help get the word out! Call our sales department at 262-6328855 for more information.

LEADERSHIP RESOURCES  Association Advantage Membership to Association Advantage provides officials, associations and their leaders the tools to conduct wellrun 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, 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.

with more brands, product reviews, same-day shipping and world-class service.

EQUIPMENT/APPAREL

TRAINING RESOURCES

 Purchase Officials Supplies — Everything for Life Inside the Lines. Call 800-767-2233 or visit our website purchaseofficials. com for the best products and prices in the market.

 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 store.referee.com.

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QUIZ ANSWERS BASKETBALL

1 — NFHS – e (4-19-1, 4-19-2, 4-19-3, 4-19-5); NCAAM – c (4-15.2.a, 4-15.3); NCAAW – a (10-10, 10-12, 10-13) 2 — All – a (NFHS 3-4-4b, d, e, f; NCAAM/W 1-22.7.a.1) 3 — NFHS – d (3-6); NCAAM/W – c (NCAAM 1-25-1; NCAAW 1-24-1) 4 — NFHS, NCAAM – c (NFHS 10-6-5; NCAAM 4-10.1.b.1, 4-10.2, 10-4.2.g, AR 10-26); NCAAW – b (4-9.1.c, 10-12.5.g, AR 10-32) 5 — All – a (NFHS 4-40-1, 4-40-2; NCAAM 4-35.2; NCAAW 10-5.2) 6 — NFHS – c (1-13-2); NCAAM/W – d (1-9-1)

BASEBALL

1 — All – c (NFHS 1-3-2c1; NCAA 1-12; pro 3.02(c) Cmt.) 2 — NFHS – b (1-3-2c1); NCAA, pro – c (NCAA 1-12; pro 3.02(c) Cmt.) 3 — NFHS – b (4-4-1c); NCAA – c (3-6); pro – a (6.04d)

4 — NFHS – b (6-1); NCAA, pro – a (NCAA 9-1b; pro 5.07a2 Cmt.)

FOOTBALL

1 — Both – b (NFHS 10-2-5; NCAA 10-1-5) 2 — Both – c, d (NFHS 9-7 Pen., 8-5-1, 10-4-2; NCAA 8-7-2a, 9-4-4 Pen.) 3 — NFHS – d (7-5-1); NCAA – b (7-3-2e Pen.) 4 — Both – c (NFHS 6-1-2 Pen.; NCAA AR 6-1-2 VIII)

SOCCER

1 — All – a (NFHS 4-1-1d; NCAA 4.1.4; IFAB 4.3) 2 — All – a (NFHS 13-3-1; NCAA 13.2.1; IFAB 13.2) 3 — All – b (NFHS 12-1-6; NCAA 12.2.5; IFAB 12.1) 4 — All – c (NFHS 13-3-2; NCAA 13.2.2; IFAB 13.2) 5 — All – a (NFHS 9-1-1b; NCAA 9.3.2; IFAB 9.1)

SOFTBALL

1 — NFHS, NCAA, USA Softball – c (NFHS 8-4-3k Pen.; NCAA 12.12.6.3 Eff.; USA Softball 8-5M-1 Eff.); USSSA – b (8-14d-1, 10-1g-5) 2 — All – b (NFHS 2-49, 9-1-1, 2.49A; NCAA 6.2.2; USA Softball 5-5A-1; USSSA 4-2A) 3 — All – c (NFHS 8-4-3e Pen.; NCAA 12.12.8.3; USA Softball 8-5G Eff.; USSSA 8-14C-3) 4 — All – b (NFHS 3-5-4 Pen., 8-65; NCAA 12.4.4 Eff.; USA Softball 8-7E Eff.; USSSA 8-18Y)

VOLLEYBALL

1 — All – b (NFHS Manual p. 86; NCAA PAVO Manual p. 51; USAV Referee Techniques 4a) 2 — All – b (NFHS 5-9-3; NCAA 19.5.2; USAV 27.2) 3 — All – d (NFHS 2-4-1b, 9-6-7; NCAA 14.4.2, 15.2.1.2; USAV 9.1.3, 11.3.1, 11.4.4) 4 — All – d (NFHS 9-9-1; NCAA 6.2.2, 6.3.2; USAV 15.11, 16.1) 5 — All – a (NFHS 2-4-2; NCAA 4.1.2; USAV 9)

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.

JANUARY FLASHBACK 40 YEARS AGO …

1985

• Former NL umpire Babe Pinelli, 89, dies of natural causes. An NL umpire from 1935-56, Pinelli worked six World Series, including the 1956 Fall Classic between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers.

Pinelli called Don Larsen’s perfect game in the final plate assignment of his career.

30 YEARS AGO …

1995

• Bill Bell, a Memphis-area high school football official, needs 25 stitches to close his wounds after being attacked on the field. A player from Booker T. Washington High School punched Bell in the face, knocking him unconscious.

“He hit me right under the nose and tore through part of my mouth,” Bell said. “It was terrible.”

20 YEARS AGO …

2005

• U.S. Soccer referee Sandra Hunt retires to become a FIFA instructor-assessor.

Hunt, whose officiating career began in 1987, became a FIFA referee in 1999. Her major assignments included the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2003 Women’s World Cup and 2003 Four Nations Tournament in China.

10 YEARS AGO …

2015

• June Courteau is named NCAA national coordinator of women’s basketball officiating.

Courteau was a women’s college basketball official from 1968-2011, working 20 NCAA Tournaments and 12 Final Fours during that time. She also officiated in the WNBA from 1997-2011.

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LAST CALL

A PERSONAL A PERSONAL STORY BY STORY SCOTT BYCARRUTHERS XXX

Child’s Play At high levels of competition, football can be very intense. Players must execute their plays with precision. Coaches must run the best play based on the game situation, their research and study they have done on their opponents. Officials are scrutinized by spectators and video replay. In some cases, the coach’s job may depend on the outcome of the game. Foolish people who have gambled on the outcome may lose money if things don’t go the way they expected, so a lot may be at stake. By contrast, youth games are quite the opposite in most of these regards.

It’s refreshing at times to see the game through the lenses of the unpolluted eyes of an innocent child.

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head and told me, “I’m getting old.”

This from a 10-year-old.

• A patient in my office had her son with her one day. He was big for his age, and it somehow came up that he played football. I asked him what position he played and he said, “Center, guard and tackle.”

This did not surprise me, given his size, but then he elaborated, “I sit in the center of the bench, I guard the Gatorade and I tackle anyone who tries to take it.”

• My crewmate put a flag down for a live-ball foul by the offense. When the coach asked what happened, my crewmate explained, “Aiding the runner.”

Confused, the coach said, “We don’t even have a No. 80.”

“No,” my crewmate clarified, “Aiding the runner.”

Still confused, the coach said, “But we don’t have an Aiden either.”

• I worked with a woman whose son played football and loved Peyton Manning more than anything. Once football season was over, he tried out for basketball but didn’t make the team. He came home from school that day, very despondent, and told his mom, “I can’t believe I didn’t make the basketball team. My life is over.

Peyton Manning would be so disappointed in me.”

I love officiating high school and college football because each presents its own set of mentally and physically stimulating challenges.

Each has its own atmosphere which can become quite intense as the game develops. However, there is also something to be said for the simplicity of youth games. It’s refreshing at times to see the game through the lenses of the unpolluted eyes of an innocent child.

Scott Carruthers, Johnson City, Tenn., is a high school and college football official, working in the South Atlantic Conference. * Do you have a personal officiating story to tell?

SHUTTERSTOCK

I love officiating youth football games because of, among other reasons, the funny things the sweet little kids say and do. For them, life is simple and easy, and they get to play purely for the fun of being a kid and playing football. Here are a few of the more amusing and memorable examples from the past several years: • In a game with 5- and 6-year-

olds, I overheard the offense in its huddle. Their play call was “pizza.”

• During a dead-ball interval, one young player asked his coach, “Am I tackling?”

“Yes,” the coach instructed him.

“We’re on defense now.”

• Another little guy would just wave at me between downs.

• One young defensive player must not have been entirely familiar with the rules of football. At one point while the ball was live, he shouted at his opponent, “Stop pushing me!”

• After breaking the huddle, a little boy asked his coach, “Is this my left?”

• While the offense was still in its huddle, a defensive player on a team whose mascot is the Bulldogs looked at me and said, “I can spell Bulldogs without looking.”

I replied, “OK, let’s hear it.”

“B-u-l-l-d-o-g-s,” he said, not looking at the word that was on the front of his jersey above his number.

I told him, “Good job, buddy!”

• Most teams will stretch and warm up before the game begins.

One team had an interesting version of this. They were playing Duck, Duck, Goose.

• In a game that had a lot of conflict that was not particularly well-handled, a kid advised me, “Hey ref, after the game, you should have your buddy’s back, because my coach is probably going to want to fight him.”

• We were lined up for the opening kickoff, before the readyfor-play signal, when a player of the receiving team said to his teammate, “Look at these guys. They’re little.”

Then he went into a dancing type of movement, waving his arms and saying, “They’re just babies. Little bitty babies.” Apparently, he was unaware of his own size: about 3 feet 6 inches tall and maybe 50 pounds.

• After making a tackle that must have hurt somewhat, a kid got up slowly and sluggishly, shook his

Send your story or queries to lastcall@referee.com

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

OF SPORTS OFFICIALS

IT’S OFFICIAL january 2025

NASO Board Meets in Chicago T he NASO Board of Directors met Oct. 8-9 at the Renaissance Chicago O’Hare Suites Hotel.

It was the first board meeting presided over by new board chair Lisa Jones, who replaced outgoing board chair Robert Smith Jr. at the NASO Summit last summer in Atlanta.

“When Barry Mano first called me about my interest in being a part of the NASO Board some years ago, and after I reviewed the list of the current and past board members, I knew that it was a phone call few receive,” Jones said. “I have the distinct honor to listen to some of the brightest minds in officiating discuss opportunities to support current officials and be thoughtful about future generations of officials. I watched and learned from two of the most exceptional people I know, former chairs Dana (Pappas) and Robert (Smith). It was a thrill to look around and see all the smiling faces supporting me as their new chair. I am honored to serve with this esteemed group.”

Other board members and officers present were Paul LaRosa, Jason Nickleby, Pappas, Bill Topp, Ron Torbert, Mark Uyl, Rob Wigod and Gary Zielinski. It was the first official meeting as new board members for Nickleby and Zielinski.

“I don’t think people truly understand how this

The NASO Board of Directors met Oct. 8-9 at the Renaissance Chicago O’Hare Suites Hotel.

organization and board are working to advocate for officials at all levels to make their experience the best it can be,” Nickleby said. “It is refreshing and a lot of fun to be part of that group knowing we are on the cutting edge of making officiating a desired avocation.”

The board discussed several agenda items, including looking at future NASO Summit and State Day sites and dates as well as discussing ways to enhance the experience for participants going forward. The board also reviewed college football groups and their membership as well as the governance task force sharing its recommendations

to the board. The board also focused on the recruitment and retention of officials as the officiating industry still grapples with the shortage.

“The thing I was most passionate about is the ‘Say Yes to Officiating’ program, which is right in line with my job with the NBA,” Zielinski said. “We have flyers with a QR code so that when I go into high schools, principals can put that in the hallway and any kid, not just the ones in the officiating classes, can think about it. They can take a picture of that code and it takes them directly to the website. There are a lot of people I am reaching through the Say

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IT’S OFFICIAL - january 2025 Yes to Officiating program.”

The board also voted to extend the terms of both Jones and Uyl until July 2027 to provide more continuity with the board.

“I am excited about the work this group has done and look forward to working with them over the course of this year,” NASO President Bill Topp said.

“We have a talented group of people from all different sports and levels working together to serve our members. I look forward to working with them to tackle some of the issues facing our industry and come up with solutions to lead us into the future.”

The next board meeting is scheduled for April 8-9 in Chicago. 

Editor: Julie Sternberg Sports Editor: Brent Killackey Graphic Designer: Dustin Brown Contributors: Don Collins, George Demetriou, Alan Goldberger, Joe Jarosz, Patrick Rosenow, Tim Sloan, Brad Star, Jeffrey Stern, Brad Tittrington, Scott Tittrington, Bill Topp

NASO BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lisa Jones, Salt Lake City, Chair Ron Torbert, Hanover, Md., Vice Chair Bill Topp, Racine, Wis., President Dana Pappas, Lebanon, Ind., Secretary Mark Uyl, DeWitt, Mich., Treasurer Dean Blandino, Santa Monica, Calif.

Paul LaRosa, Hendersonville, N.C. Jason Nickleby, Lake Elmo, Minn.

Sandra Serafini, Yachats, Ore. Rob Wigod, Los Alamitos, Calif.

Gary Zielinski, South Jordan, Utah *Ron Foxcroft, Hamilton, Ontario, Special Adviser *Barry Mano, Racine, Wis., Special Adviser *Non-voting members

NASO MISSION STATEMENT The mission of NASO is to: • Serve members by providing benefits and services.

• Improve officiating performance through educational programs.

• Advocate opportunities for officials and engage in programs to recruit and retain officials.

• Create alliances with organizations that benefit from healthy officiating programs.

• Enhance the image of officials. © 2025 NASO/Referee Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. It’s Official is published by the National Association of Sports Officials and Referee Enterprises, Inc.

Find NASO @ facebook.com/NASOofficiating

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NASO Participates in Midwest Summit T he Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) played host to a discussion of key issues affecting high school sports officials Sept. 22-24.

Officiating leaders from 12 state high school associations gathered at the MSHSAA office in Columbia, Mo., along with guests Bill Topp, NASO president and Referee executive editor; Dana Pappas, NFHS director of officiating services; Kyle Armstrong, RefReps founder and CEO; and Mark Baltz, RefReps chief financial officer.

States represented were Missouri, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Iowa (both associations), Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio.

Topics discussed included how state associations handle officials who do not meet deadlines for training and registration; official mentorship and recognition; what resources each state association provides officials; and requirements for officials in each state.

Topp also gave a report on NASO activities including the 2024 Summit in Atlanta, results of the NASO’s nationwide officiating survey, dealing with the officiating shortage, and access to NASO’s Association Advantage, which provides guidance, materials and services to more than 1,000 member associations.

“The Midwest Officials Summit is a great opportunity

N A T I O N A L

“The Midwest Officials Summit is a great opportunity for NASO to engage with the influencers and decisionmakers managing high school officials.

We share common interests and issues and are grateful for the opportunity to share ideas with industry leaders.”

– NASO President Bill Topp for NASO to engage with the influencers and decisionmakers managing high school officials,” Topp said. “We share common interests and issues and are grateful for the opportunity to share ideas with industry leaders.”

Toni Hill, who joined the MSHSAA as its associate executive director last year, spoke about her first experience hosting the summit.

“This is a great event,” she said. “I attended last year in Iowa and the connections you make are invaluable. We are a close-knit group that rely on each other throughout the year. The agenda is made up of topics submitted by attendees. We are discussing relevant topics and how each state attending addresses those topics.” 

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O

N

ACC and AAC Officials Associations Join NASO

T

he Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the American Athletic Conference (AAC) football officials associations are the most recent to join NASO as college football group members, joining many college conferences in football that are already NASO group members.

Formed in 1953, the ACC is an NCAA Division I conference that competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision. It is among the most prominent athletic conferences in college football. The ACC currently has 17 member schools competing in football, including Miami, Southern Methodist University, Clemson and more.

The AAC, which is also a preeminent NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision conference, currently has 14 member schools playing football, including Army, Tulane, Navy and more.

In addition to the ACC and AAC, the Southeastern, Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, Mid American, Mountain West, Pac12, Sun Belt, Missouri Valley and Southern conferences are already NASO football group members.

The ACC and AAC football officials associations and all other college football officials associations enrolled with NASO receive an insurance program exclusive to college football officials. Introduced at the start of 2024, the NASO Collegiate Football Game Fee Coverage Insurance Program is for active college football member officials enrolled by associations contracted with NASO. The program provides a benefit to replace loss of fees for assigned

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“Pooling together resources and having all these college football staffs involved with NASO makes us a better organization.”

– NASO Chief Business Development Officer Ken Koester duties should a member official be injured while officiating a college football game, on the premises of the assigned game in order to officiate or traveling directly to or from the premises of the assigned game and the official’s home or place of lodging.

All college football group member officials are full members of NASO. A college football NASO group is defined as assigned and/or officiating BCS, mid-major, FCS, NCAA Division II or Division III or NAIA college football games, including scrimmages and practices.

Individual college football NASO members are not eligible for the enhanced benefits.

“NASO has been tirelessly supporting, protecting and advocating for officials for over 45 years,” said Ken Koester, Referee/NASO chief business development officer. “This initiative clearly supports this mission and we are so excited that the ACC and AAC staffs joined so many other football groups we previously enrolled to take advantage of such a fantastic offering. Pooling together resources and having all of these college football staffs involved with NASO makes us a better organization.” 

MORE GREAT OFFICIATING CONTENT WEEKLY - DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX Sign up for the Referee.com Review and get more articles, sport information and special offers emailed to you weekly.”

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3 11/14/2024 8:24:19 AM

IT’S OFFICIAL - january 2025

Meet the NASO Board

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he individuals who serve on the NASO board of directors come from a variety of officiating and business backgrounds. They hail from cities that span the country. They all volunteer their time to represent all NASO members and shape the association’s policies and direction. Here are biographies of the current board members.

Dean Blandino Blandino, who lives in Santa Monica, Calif., is the NCAA national coordinator of instant replay and a Fox Sports officiating analyst for NFL and college football broadcasts. He is also vice president of officiating for the XFL. Previously he served as the NFL’s vice president of officiating (2013-17). Blandino started serving on the NASO board in 2021.

Lisa Jones – Chair Jones of Salt Lake City, Utah, has officiated NCAAW Division I college basketball for more than 20 years. She serves as the chair of the NASO board. Jones was first elected to the board in 2021. She has worked 11 Final Fours during her career and is a former WNBA official. She is a retired deputy chief of the Phoenix Fire Department and a retired Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for Phoenix.

Paul LaRosa LaRosa, who resides in Hendersonville, N.C., is past president and current executive committee member of the Louisiana High School Officials Association.

He has been on the NASO board since 2020. He officiated

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Louisiana high school football for over 40 years and was a member of the Greater New Orleans Football Officials Association. He is also a former officials’ liaison for Tulane University and the New Orleans Saints.

Jason Nickleby Nickleby of Lake Elmo, Minn., is the assistant director and coordinator of officiating for the Minnesota State High School League. He also currently officiates Big Ten football as a center judge. He previously officiated high school and small college basketball, baseball, volleyball, and softball, and is a former assigner and local association leader.

Nickleby is in his first year on the NASO board.

Dana Pappas – Secretary Pappas, who resides in Lebanon, Ind., is the NFHS director of officiating services.

She has served on the NASO board since 2019 and is a former chair. Pappas is also the former New Mexico Activities Association deputy director and commissioner of officials.

The New Mexico Officials Association (NMOA), under her direction, served as host of the 2014 NASO Summit. She received the NFHS Citation for Service to Officiating in 2019 and was inducted into the NMOA Hall of Fame in 2022.

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Dana is also on the board for the Battlefields to Ballfields and Sports Officials Care.

Sandra Serafini Serafini of Yachats, Ore., is a retired FIFA, men’s/women’s professional, and collegiate soccer referee who officiated multiple NCAA Championships and international events. She currently serves as a consultant for PRO, she’s also a USSF National Referee-Coach, CONCACAF Elite Assessor, and an adjunct professor at Duke’s Neurosurgery Department. A past NASO board member and chair, she started serving on the board again in 2019.

Bill Topp – President Topp of Racine, Wis., was elected president of NASO in 2023.

Topp previously served as the NASO secretary. He is chief operating officer and executive editor for Referee magazine; he has worked for Referee and NASO since 1990. Topp is a high school football official, former small college football official, former high school and small college basketball official, and former major college baseball umpire. He has worked multiple state tournament and postseason collegiate assignments. He is also a former high school conference commissioner and assigner, local association leader and a current ODA member.

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Ron Torbert – Vice Chair Torbert, an NFL referee who first joined the NFL officiating staff in 2010 after working in the Big Ten Conference, lives in Hanover, Md. He worked Super Bowl LVI (Los Angeles Rams vs.

Cincinnati Bengals) in Los Angeles in 2022. Outside of officiating, he serves as a public speaker after a lengthy career as vice president and general counsel for the Barton Malow Company, a large construction and contracting firm. He serves as the vice chair of the NASO board.

Rob Wigod Wigod of Los Alamitos, Calif., is the former commissioner of athletics for the California Interscholastic Federation–Southern Section.

Wigod is also a former high school football and baseball coach and athletic director.

He worked closely with the California Basketball Officials Association, an NASO partner.

Wigod is in his third year on the NASO board.

Gary Zielinski Zielinski of South Jordan, Utah, serves as the NBA Referee Operations Department, Youth and Amateur Officiating Development lead. He is a retired NBA referee with more than 1,000 regular-season games and 18 playoff games officiated.

He also serves as a clinician, camp coordinator, and public speaker. Zielinski is in his first year on the NASO board.

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Mark Uyl – Treasurer Uyl of DeWitt, Mich., is the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) executive director. He formerly was the MHSAA assistant director responsible for officiating programs. He is a former NCAA Division I baseball umpire who worked the 2014 and 2017 College World Series. Uyl previously served on the NASO board (20112015) and was chair in 2015; he is a current ODA member.

Special Advisers Ron Foxcroft The Fox 40 International founder resides in Hamilton, Ontario, and is also the CEO and owner of a major North America trucking/ logistics company. Foxcroft was invested into the Order of Canada by the Governor General in 2019. He is a former NCAAM D-I and international basketball official and officiated the 1976 Olympic Gold Medal basketball game. He is an NASO Education Partner, the 2004 Mel Narol Medallion recipient, a charter member of NASO and threedecade sponsor. He was the 2016 Gold Whistle Award recipient.

Barry Mano Mano, of Racine, Wis., is the founder and past president of NASO. He is also Referee’s chief strategy officer and Referee magazine’s founder and publisher. Mano is a former 23-year basketball official, who worked nine seasons at the NCAAM D-I level. He is a renowned public speaker and a member of the ODA. 

’ IT s easy

to renew online just go to www.naso.org/renew 1. LOGIN with your membership number and zip code.

2. Select RENEW

did you know you can manage your membership?

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5 11/14/2024 8:24:32 AM

IT’S OFFICIAL - january 2025

A Grand Experience A

s part of Officiate Georgia Day last July, which led into the 2024 Sports Officiating Summit in Atlanta, NASO sponsored a Grand Prize Experience giveaway for one lucky winner who registered or renewed their NASO membership at the special event.

Grand prize winner Jerry Mayers, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Moore in Georgia, along with his son Jaylan, got a behindthe-scenes NFL experience with the officiating crew for the Aug. 23 preseason game when the Atlanta Falcons played host to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The father-son duo enjoyed the preseason game, the covered travel expenses and a complimentary stay at a local Marriott property, courtesy of NASO. The officiating crew assigned the game was led by crew chief Ron Torbert, who is vice chair of NASO’s board.

Other officials working the assignment included umpire Barry Anderson, down judge Frank LeBlanc, line judge Brian Bolinger, field judge Ryan Dickson, side judge Keith Washington, back judge Tony Josselyn and replay official Mike Chase.

“I want to thank NASO for the opportunity to witness the NFL pregame process,” said Jerry Mayers, who has 20 years of military service and eight years of officiating experience.

“And thank you Ron and crew for making us part of the team and giving us a true view of the hard work and dedication it takes to prepare for the game, officiate the game, and review

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Jerry Mayers (far right) and his son Jaylan enjoyed their behind-the-scenes look at the NFL Aug. 23 as part of NASO’s Grand Prize Experience.

and evaluate postgame.”

The NFL officiating crew involved the grand prize winner and guest in the pregame and postgame process and the two had field access in addition to their tickets for the game.

“I was proud and excited to be part of the NASO Grand Prize Experience,” Torbert said.

“The opportunity was as good

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for our crew as it was for Jerry and his son Jaylan.”

The NASO State Day Grand Prize is an annual event givaway, and special officiating experiences in the past have included behind-thescenes experiences with NFL officiating crews, MLB umpiring crews, major college football officiating crews and more. 

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Nominate a Board Candidate Do you know an official or administrator who would be a good candidate for the NASO board of directors? NASO is seeking input from members on board candidates.

Criteria for evaluating board candidates include:

• Background includes some “management” experience.

• Current NASO member status in good standing.

Those points are considered by the Nominating Committee as ideals during the search process. However, all of the criteria may not apply. The idea is to find individuals meeting as many of those criteria as possible while keeping in mind the demographic, geographic and sport experience of the current board. Contact NASO at editor@naso.org to submit a candidate for consideration.

• Attendance at one NASO Summit.

• 10-plus years of officiating experience.

• Current board has some firsthand knowledge of candidate.

• Background includes some “organizational” experience.

• Officiating philosophy is “in tune” with NASO’s philosophy.

Help Members Retire the Right Way

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ost longtime sports officials have something in common — a passion for the avocation. Since that’s the case, it’s tough to give it up.

Even when it’s clear to others that retirement is the right thing to do, it’s tough to accept it. So, how can officials associations help their members be more accepting of retirement when the time comes?

Encourage Members to Discuss the Topic Ahead of Time Don’t sit down with an aging member toward the end of the season and say you think it should be his or her last. Instead, bring up the topic of retirement in a general way at one of your meetings. Ask members who are thinking about retiring in the next year (or five years) to contact an association leader to discuss the transition.

Show Members Good Examples of Retirement Do you have members who left their officiating careers and still stay connected to the game in some way? You can show members examples of professional officials who

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retired “the right way” as well.

In other words, let members know how to leave the avocation with dignity.

Work to Make Their Final Game or Season Special Professional leagues, such as the NHL, allow members to choose their partners for their final game or select some of the venues they want to work in for their final season. The league officiating department does what it can to help the retiring official’s final career experiences be memorable.

Local associations can work to make the final game or season of retiring members

ASSOCIATION ADVANTAGE Running a local officials association is demanding. You volunteer your time and effort to make it the best you can. But there’s no reason you have to do it alone. NASO Association Advantage exists to help you face any challenge and elevate your association in the process. Whatever challenges you have — training, insurance, legal issues, meeting help, bylaws and organization, membership issues and more — WE HAVE A SOLUTION TO MEET YOUR NEEDS.

PLATINUM & PLATINUM SHIELD Association Advantage Platinum is the premier resource for maximizing the performance of your group, providing leadership and administrative resources to help you elevate your organization with a focus on training,

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special as well. The key is to get some input from your retiring member. You may not be able to fulfill every request, but work to make the experience as positive as possible.

Ask Retiring Members to Stay Involved in Different Ways Let retiring members know they are still welcome at association meetings. Their input and experience can be valuable, even if they are no longer on the court or field.

If you have an evaluation or observers’ program, select retired officials might be a good fit for that as well. 

assigning, legal issues and best practices specific to local officials association management.

TITANIUM & TITANIUM SHIELD The Titanium solution is ideal for officials associations that want to maximize their organization’s performance while fully protecting both their organization and individual members.

DIAMOND The most comprehensive solution for officials associations that want to fully protect both their organization and individual members, as well as provide full training and testing solutions with an emphasis on video. Association Advantage Diamond is the ultimate answer to every challenge your association faces.

To learn more, go to NASO.org/Advantage or call us at 262-632-5448

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7 11/14/2024 8:24:39 AM

IT’S OFFICIAL - january 2025

3 on 3: Summit Takeaways

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tlanta played host to the 2024 Sports Officiating Summit. Leaders from professional leagues, college conferences, state high school associations, national governing bodies and local associations met for three days of networking, strategizing and celebrating sports officiating. Select attendees — Ron Nocetti, executive director of the California Interscholastic Federation; Lee Sanders, assistant executive director of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association; and Michael Todd, pro official for Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association — were asked three questions about their experience at the annual industry event of the year.

What is one unique takeaway from the Summit which you didn’t necessarily expect?

What advice do you have for someone who might be considering attending the Summit for the first time?

In order to fully support our officials, we need to better understand the issues they face. By attending the NASO Summit, we have the opportunity to connect with not only our officials but those around the country and listen to their stories about why they choose to officiate and how we can support them.

The appreciation shown to us by the officials in California for simply showing up.

Not only will you learn something new to take back with you, but you will also be provided with the opportunity to help other officials get better by sharing your experiences. For state athletic associations, the Summit is a great opportunity to stand with our officials in support of what they do for our member school communities.

The annual NASO Sports Officiating Summit is a great opportunity to reenergize and refocus as we begin another school year. It also provides a chance to connect with others and discuss practical ways to strengthen our officiating communities.

In recent years, we’ve devoted unprecedented time and effort to recruit new officials.

We cannot let this attention on recruitment overshadow the need to retain and sustain our existing officials. We must do more to celebrate and support veteran officials.

Go for it! Attending the Sports Officiating Summit will expand your network and empower you with resources to grow and be more effective.

I attended the Summit several years ago in Portland. Not knowing what to expect I was overwhelmed by the open-arms welcome I got from Mike Pereira (Fox Sports rules analyst), Barry Mano (NASO founder) and all the NASO staff with their fascination and interest in Professional Rodeo.

I help with all of the PRCA judging seminars, so I really push Referee magazine to our attendees for the many articles on officiating and convinced our administration to join NASO again and send several officials each year.

All officials have the same basic issues finding, training and retaining good officials.

It’s hard to pinpoint one unique takeaway because all the keynote speakers from the NFL, NBA and so many other sports and levels have a deep well of knowledge to draw from. Everyone there is so willing to share that knowledge and experience.

My advice is don’t miss anything when you attend.

Go to every breakout session, keynote speaker, workshops and the meals are great! You never know who you might meet or sit next to; it might even be the great Mike Pereira!

What was your inspiration for attending the 2024 Sports Officiating Summit in Atlanta?

RON NOCETTI CIF executive director

LEE SANDERS LHSAA assistant executive director

MIKE TODD PRCA pro official

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A S S O C I A T I O N 11/14/2024 8:24:42 AM

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OF SPORTS OFFICIALS

sports section New Official? Drive This Home

By Brent Killackey

O

ne of the best analogies I’ve heard about learning to officiate is it’s just like learning to drive a car.

I think back to that first time I got behind the wheel (which for me is longer ago than I’d like to admit, but I still vividly remember those first nervous moments in the driver’s seat).

Everything I did was new, and as a result, I had to think about it before I did it — whether it was figuring out how much gas to give the car or how to properly navigate a busy intersection, it didn’t just happen naturally and it was all a little overwhelming.

With time, however, driving became second nature. I didn’t have to think about it; I just did it. And I could be a better driver because my attention wasn’t all consumed by the basics of driving. I could anticipate other drivers better and avoid getting into bad situations.

Learning to officiate is similar.

When you’re starting out, you have to think about how the rules apply to certain situations or what mechanics are supposed to be used to cover a play. You’re thinking about how to officiate instead of just officiating. It takes time and experience before you become settled enough that the basics become ingrained in what you do, and you can start officiating the more subtle points of the game.

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Not only is the experience of learning to drive and learning to officiate similar, there are many similarities when it comes to helping new drivers — or new officials — navigate those experiences.

So next time you find yourself working with someone newer to the avocation, consider what it’s like just getting starting. Think about how the following tips for helping someone learn how to drive can apply to helping someone learning to monitor drives, dishes and threes, or whatever is demanded of officials in their chosen sport. These tips

a newer official, the review might need to be more basic than with a senior partner. But having that mechanics discussion will help veteran crew members understand where their new partner stands — and veterans can be ready to step in should the need arise.

Set a Good Example Whether it’s in a car or calling a competition, “do as I say, not as I do” never leaves a good impression. It risks passing along bad habits.

When working with a newer official, demonstrating the right

When you’re starting out, you have to think about how the rules apply to certain situations or what mechanics are supposed to be used to cover a play. are distilled from a variety of online sources, including AAA, and then recast for an officiating perspective.

Go Over Basic Driving Skills Before having a new driver step on the gas, you take a few moments to go over how to adjust the seat and mirrors, and what the various buttons and levers do.

In officiating, a similar concept involves having a solid pregame review of mechanics and areas of responsibility. With

way to work the mechanics, apply the rules and handle situations helps them learn through observation. Don’t ever forget that you’re passing along knowledge whether you intend to or not. Be mindful of how you operate so you’re not teaching the wrong thing.

Start Driving in an Empty Parking Lot Practice makes perfect. And practicing somewhere safe helps someone build confidence in their abilities.

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IT’S OFFICIAL - january 2025 In officiating, the equivalent of an empty parking lot is a scrimmage. Steer new officials to take advantage of these opportunities. There’s little at stake, so mistakes in a scrimmage won’t have a huge impact, but can be a huge learning experience.

If you’re a veteran official, consider taking the opportunity to work preseason scrimmages to help you get in midseason form earlier, and to pass along your knowledge to new officials.

Stay Calm and Positive During Driving Practice Same thing applies on the field or court. Your strong presence will give the newer official something to model. And if you’re able to stay calm when things get tough, it will help them stay calm. Plus, the more positive the experience, the more likely they’ll stick around.

Provide Explanations.

Whether learning to drive a car or call a game, good feedback is essential. There’s a lot to officiating that isn’t as clearly outlined in the mechanics manuals or rulebooks that becomes critical to being successful. Talking during a timeout or between innings can sometimes be useful. Make sure you have a solid postgame discussion. And be specific, including the reason why things are done a certain way.

Explain Car Insurance and Registration There are things you’ve got to do to get behind the wheel, and there are things you’ve got to do to step on the field or court. There are governing bodies with which to register. There is renewal of your NASO membership to ensure your benefits and insurance coverage are in place.

There are also ejection reports

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or other “paperwork” that needs to be completed after a contest. Make sure the new official is aware of their other responsibilities.

Just like a driver eventually transitions from nervous beginner to confident commuter, an official can progress from a tentative newcomer to a seasoned veteran. And your guidance, support and positive reinforcement can help drive them to their full potential.

Brent Killackey is the editor of Referee magazine. He umpires high school baseball.  BASKETBALL

Help Your Scorer Help You By the Referee editors Nothing can ruin a good basketball game quicker for an officiating crew than discovering there is a problem related to the scorer’s table.

Fortunately, avoiding many of those issues is well within our own control if we make the effort to be efficient communicators with table personnel.

• Get to the reporting area.

When communicating with the table, do so from the designated area and at a complete stop. In a noisy gym, the official scorer is often wholly reliant on your hand signals instead of what you are saying, and needs to be able to see you clearly.

• Be careful about twohanded foul calls. Two hands have been the rule since 2017. Be aware of how and for how long you are signaling. Say the color first. Then give the numbers in order (first digit on the right hand, second on the left hand) and hold them long enough for the scorer to see them.

• Tell the scorer what you

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want. While you’re having the pregame conference and signing the book, feel free to list your expectations with the scorer. If you do something a little differently, make sure the scorer understands that. When you come over at halftime to confirm the score and make sure the alternating-possession arrow has been changed, keep the scorer updated and relay any adjustments that need to be made before play resumes.

• Hold your signals. Threepoint signals are the only ones a scorer sees and records while the clock is running. Hold them for just a millisecond longer than you think necessary to be absolutely sure the scorer is recording the correct points and can confirm the visiting scorer saw the same thing. Additionally, many held ball calls are very quick — it’s helpful if you keep your thumbs up while you look for the A-P arrow so that both you and the scorer can acknowledge it’s going to change as soon as the ball is back in play.

• When you’re reporting to the table, look at the scorer — not the timer and not the announcer.

When you make a call, make eye contact with the scorer. Also, look to the scorer for bonus signals, foul disqualifications and timeout counts — while anyone can hold up their fingers, the scorer is the only one with the official numbers.

• Rely on the game manager or athletic director for anything that doesn’t go into the book, or if you’re desperate, ask the announcer. During a game, the scorer is always on duty, just like you are. If you run by the table and ask the scorer to get someone to deal with an unruly fan or find a mop or anything else, it means their attention is off the book.

Ideally, there will be a designated game manager nearby, and you

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can communicate any nonscoring concerns to them. But if you must have help from the table, the announcer is your go-to person because he or she is the only one with a role that isn’t absolutely necessary to continue the game. 

intentional, underscore “intentionally.” Ideally, only about 5% of your book should be highlighted. This way, the important details pop when you review them later. Read with purpose, and make sure to fully absorb the meaning behind the words, not just scan for details.

BASEBALL

3. Visualization Is Key Studying mechanics isn’t just about reading a manual.

Visualization is critical. I start with my position as a plate umpire and mentally walk through each play. I visualize where I need to go based on where the ball is hit, the number of outs, and where the runners are. I do this until I can instinctively know where to move. Once comfortable, I repeat the process as though I were the first base umpire and then potentially as a third base umpire, each time imagining the different angles and situations I’d face.

Similarly, I use visualization to study the rules. For example, when reviewing sections on balks, obstruction or interference, I picture specific plays unfolding and assess whether the actions are legal or not. This mental exercise helps me understand the rule’s intent and apply it in real-time.

6 Key Strategies to Master Rules and Mechanics

By Jon Bible Learning rules and mechanics as an umpire isn’t just about reading a manual — it’s about truly understanding how to apply them under pressure. Over the years, I’ve found certain strategies that help me not just memorize the rules, but use them effectively on the field. Here are some key approaches that might help you, too: 1. Break It Down and Stay Consistent Cramming too much information in one sitting won’t stick. Instead, break down your study sessions into manageable chunks. I start several weeks before the season, going over rules and mechanics for just 30-45 minutes at a time. This keeps me focused, helps prevent mental overload, and ensures I retain more of what I read. The key is consistency — reviewing in small doses, so nothing becomes overwhelming.

2. Read Smart, Highlight Smarter A common mistake is overhighlighting — where every page looks like a rainbow. If you highlight everything, nothing stands out. Be selective.

For instance, if a rule hinges on whether an action was

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4. Positioning Matters Knowing where to go is just part of the job. You also need to know how to position yourself to make the best call. If you set up too close, the play might explode on you, making it harder to see what happened. If you’re at a bad angle, you might miss something critical. Always focus on positioning yourself in a way that gives you the clearest view of the action. It’s about knowing the play before it happens and setting yourself up accordingly.

5. Adapt and Stay Sharp One challenge in umpiring at multiple levels or leagues is adjusting to crews of different sizes. For example, you might work crew of two mechanics one day and crew of three the next.

But with practice, switching gears between mechanics becomes second nature. It’s not as time-consuming as it seems and pays off when you need to work different systems smoothly.

Even when the season starts, studying doesn’t stop. Rules and mechanics can blur together if you don’t stay on top of them, especially when dealing with complex situations. The best officials always make time during the season to continue reviewing and always have a manual and rulebook in their car to review after the game. It’s about staying sharp and ready for anything the game throws your way.

6. Teach and Collaborate One of the best ways to reinforce your learning is by teaching it to someone else.

If you can explain a rule to a fellow umpire without looking at the book, you’ve truly learned it. This method helps you retain information and spot gaps in your understanding.

Try summarizing key rules or mechanics to a colleague and see if you can break them down clearly.

Study groups — in-person or virtual — are also a great resource. Sharing insights, asking questions, and hearing others’ perspectives can clarify tricky rules or situations. Plus, collaborating with peers helps you see things you might have missed.

These strategies will help you transform book knowledge into practical skills. By breaking

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IT’S OFFICIAL - january 2025 things down, visualizing plays, focusing on positioning, and continuously reviewing, you’ll be prepared to handle any situation with confidence, no matter how chaotic the game gets.

Jon Bible, Austin, Texas, worked seven NCAA Division I College World Series. In 2019, he was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas.  SOCCER

Back to Basics

By Henry Papa Officiating a game at the interscholastic, intercollegiate, amateur or professional level can be made easier for the referee.

All the referee needs to do is to maintain a good viewing position throughout the game within the mechanics of the system being used, and then make the necessary decisions.

The concept of good viewing position is generally regarded as being close to active play to view not only the players involved, but also to be able to maintain proper eye contact with the assistant referee.

A good viewing position changes with each situation.

Sometimes it is level with the ball, sometimes behind the ball and even sometimes ahead of the ball. In the attempt to get into and maintain a good viewing position, the referee must not interfere with the players or the flight of the ball.

There will be far less criticism if the referee keeps up with the play versus standing flatfooted 30-40 yards away from an incident. Keeping up with play will avoid trouble, not only with the spectators but also with the players and coaches. This

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is when dissent occurs and the referee must restore order by issuing cautions or ejections.

But the whole problem started because the referee did not work hard enough to stay in position.

The referee must be willing and able to be physically prepared for running throughout the entire length of the game.

Know and follow the guidelines of all systems of mechanics. Being well versed in each system will prepare the referee to know the recommended locations for any incident.

Each incident requires the referee to make one of the following decisions: • It is not a rule violation and allow play to continue; • It is a rule violation but too petty to call; • It is a rule violation but the referee decides to invoke advantage. If the advantage does not materialize, the referee may revoke the decision and penalize the rule violation; • It is a rule violation and must be penalized. The referee must stop the game, signal the direction of the free kick, and run into position for the free kick. The referee must move quickly to a position to maintain a good viewing position for the restart of play.

Each of the above decisions can be correctly made from a good viewing position. There may be more than one good viewing position, and the referee should know which position to take to view the play and make the best decision. It is easy to discuss and advise a referee as to what is a good viewing position, however it is far more difficult to maintain it consistently.

It takes desire to consistently maintain a good viewing position. It starts at the meal table when the referee eats the

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proper food to have energy. It is easy to overeat a little more which results in weight gain or a sluggish performance. Fat is easy to accumulate but very difficult to take off. Being or feeling overweight makes it difficult for the referee to keep up with play.

Although there is a critical shortage of officials, each referee should make a prudent decision about the number of assignments accepted on any given day or week. It is not fair to the players for the referee to save energy for the next game and walk up and down the field and attempt observe incidents and make decisions without being close to the play. Every game played is important to the players, and the referee should be giving 100% of his or her energy to that game and not saving it for the next.

In addition to physical limitations, there is also a mental limit for a referee. When working multiple games, the referee can become mentally fatigued and begin to deal with incidents in different manners.

What was a foul when the referee was fresh may become a caution because the referee is mentally tired and does not have the patience as they did during the first game of the day. This could result in a player being unfairly cautioned and possibly being punished in a future game.

The importance of getting into good viewing positions and making consistent decisions throughout the game cannot be overemphasized. The ability to do so will play a large part in achieving referee success.

Presence leads to conviction.

Henry Papa, Mobile, Ala., is a past president of NISOA and national assessor. As a referee he officiated several international matches and NCAA tournaments. 

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VOLLEYBALL

Take Advantage of Down Time

By Brad Tittrington During the course of a volleyball match, there isn’t a lot of down time. Once the first whistle blows to start the match, our minds are tasked with filtering a lot of information and making a lot of decisions. There isn’t much time to relax as rally after rally take place.

However, there is some time when we need to take advantage of the “quiet.” Here are some things referees should be doing between points and between sets to make sure they are performing at their best.

Take a breath. In between points, before the authorization of service, take a deep breath.

This will help relax the muscles and help you refresh before the next rally. Too often, referees rush between points to get the next service in the air. In volleyball, there is no clock.

Take a second, allow yourself to regroup after each rally, figure out where your setters and their opposites are, make sure you know your front- and back-row hitters, take a deep breath, and then if you’re the first referee, authorize service. As the second referee, take a step back to get a wider view, make sure there are no subs coming off the bench and neither coach is requesting a timeout. Then take a deep breath, step back into position and ready yourself for the next service.

This is especially helpful in those intense rivalry matches or those big matches featuring topranked teams where every point has so much riding on it. While everything else around you may be chaotic, take some time to make sure you are balanced and calm. Control what you can

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control so it doesn’t feel like you are just treading water.

Take a sip. Speaking of water, make sure you are staying hydrated. Whether that is taking a drink during a timeout or between sets, make sure you are drinking water or your favorite sports drink. While volleyball referees aren’t running up and down a field or court, you are moving more than you think. It’s important to keep the muscles and mind working the way they should. Nothing is worse than not drinking and then getting a cramp in your leg or abdomen late in the match because you didn’t drink anything. This is especially true when working on hot days or when working multiple matches in a day.

Take a peek. This is an important reminder for second referees. During timeouts and between sets, make sure you are taking a peek at the scoresheet.

While college referees generally don’t have to worry about the scorekeepers, especially at the highest levels where certified scorers are working the matches, that is not the case in high school and club matches. Often, students or a staff member is filling out the scoresheet. Take some time during timeouts and between sets to make sure the proper information is being recorded on the sheet. Nothing can turn a match sideways faster than an incompetent scorekeeper. If you can’t quickly go back to the scoresheet and figure out where a mistake was made, it can make for a very long match. Make sure timeouts and substitutions are being properly recorded and the running score is also being tabulated correctly. Also, look at the libero tracking sheet and make sure the information there is properly being recorded as well. This includes making sure a triangle has been placed in the

service position where the libero has served.

If you are a newer referee or just a referee in general that struggles to grasp rotations and alignments, don’t be afraid to ask the scorekeeper who the next three servers are for the receiving team so you can quickly make sure those three are in the front row when you come out of the timeout. If you are the second referee and using a lineup card in high school, quickly glance at it, if you need to, in order to figure out rotations as well. However, don’t use it as a crutch and constantly look at it. Remember, the lineup card should be used to check the starting lineups before each set, but then should be in your pocket so you can officiate and use both of your hands to signal.

The lineup card should only come out if you quickly need help to remind yourself of the serving order.

Take a break. While volleyball refereeing is much more mentally exhausting than physically exhausting, being on your feet for multiple matches can get grueling. If you are working multiple matches in a day, take some time to get off your feet, even for a few minutes, between matches. This doesn’t mean if you are working a JV/ varsity double that you go and sit down for the entire varsity warmup period. Remember, you do have things you should be doing during warmups to get ready for the match. However, take five minutes to grab a seat, get some water and a small snack so you can be fresh and ready for the next match. This is also true in matches where you have an extended break between the second and third sets. Get off your feet for that five minutes and let your mind and body relax. That way you are mentally

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IT’S OFFICIAL - january 2025 and physically at your best when the teams come back for the second half of the match.

Brad Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee. He umpires D-I softball and officiates high school basketball, college and high school volleyball and high school football. 

AS K US BASKETBALL Double Foul Play: While team A is in control of the ball in its frontcourt, post players A4 and B5 are engaged and in contact with each other in the lane area. A4 grabs B5’s arm, and at approximately the same time, B5 swings the arm and B5’s elbow strikes A4 in the torso.

The nearest official blows the whistle, determines both fouls must be called, and that B5’s contact is excessive in nature.

What is the result and how is play resumed? Both teams are in the bonus. Ruling: In NFHS, when two opponents commit personal fouls against each other at approximately the same time, a double foul has occurred. Since B5’s contact was excessive in nature, B5’s foul shall be ruled intentional, but since it is part of a double foul, the result and resumption of play does not change. Each player is charged with the personal foul, and play is resumed with a throw-in to the team in control, team A, at one of the four spots nearest where the ball was located when the double foul occurred (NFHS 4-19-1, 4-19-3d, 4-19-8a, 7-5-3a, 10-7 Pen. 1c). In NCAAM, when two opponents commit personal fouls against each other

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at approximately the same time, a double foul has occurred. Since B5’s contact was excessive in nature, B5’s foul shall be ruled a flagrant 1 personal foul. When a double personal foul occurs and only one of the fouls is flagrant, both penalties shall be assessed.

Since team B is in the bonus, B5 shall receive two free throws with the lane cleared for A4’s personal foul. A4 shall then receive two free throws for B5’s flagrant 1 personal foul, and team A shall receive a throwin at the point of interruption using the procedures in Rule 7-3.2 (4-15.2.b, 4-15.2.c.1.a, 7-3.2, 7-4.9, 10-1.1, 10-1.18 Pen. f). In NCAAW, A4’s hold shall be ruled a personal foul. B5’s excessive contact shall be ruled an intentional foul. When opponents commit fouls against each other at approximately the same time and only one of the fouls is an intentional foul, both penalties shall be assessed. Since team B is in the bonus, B5 shall receive two free throws with the lane cleared for A4’s personal foul. After B5’s free throws, any team A player shall receive two free throws for B5’s intentional foul, and team A shall receive a throw-in at the division line opposite the table (7-4.11, 8-6.6, 10-10.2, 10-13.1.e Pen. a).

BASEBALL Fool Me Twice Play: In the top of the first inning, B1 enters the box with a bat that has pine tar 19 inches above the knob. The bat is detected, and the appropriate penalty is applied. In the top of the third inning, B1 enters the box with an illegal bat that is detected. Ruling: In NFHS, the batter is out. As this is the second violation, the coach is ejected from the game after having been

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restricted for the first violation.

In NCAA, the bat is removed, and the player is ejected for a second violation. In pro, the bat is removed, and there are no other penalties. (NFHS 1.3.2 Sit. F; NCAA 1-12e-f Cmt.; pro 3.02c Cmt.).

Inconsequential Touching Play: R2 on second and a 2-2 count on B2. B2 swings and misses for strike three. F2 fails to catch the pitch and deflects the ball into fair territory. It grazes the rear leg of B2 a few feet in fair territory. F2 quickly fields the ball and starts to make a play on R2 at third but changes his mind and throws to first. B2 is ruled safe on a close play. The defensive coach argues B2 should be called out for interference and R2 returned to second since the ball hit B2.

Ruling: The play stands. In NCAA and pro, interference should not be ruled since the catcher’s ability to field the ball was not clearly hindered by the ball having touched B2. In NFHS, any interference must be intentional (NFHS 7-3-5c, 8-4-1a; NCAA 7-11h Note; pro 6.01a Cmt.).

FOOTBALL Illegal Shift Play: Team A breaks its huddle and all players come to a complete stop for three seconds.

When the quarterback says, “Set,” all players go into a threepoint stance except guard A2.

Back A3 starts in motion, after which A2 goes into his threepoint stance. The ball is snapped two seconds later. Ruling: That is an illegal shift. All 11 players of team A did not come to an absolute stop and remain stationary simultaneously for at least one second after the shift.

It’s a live-ball foul at the snap. If accepted, the five-yard penalty is

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enforced from the previous spot and the down is repeated (NFHS 7-2-6; NCAA 7-1-2a, 7-1-4c).

Injured Player Play: After a play ends inbounds, an official sees A1 has twisted his ankle. An official’s timeout is declared. Within 20 seconds, A1 says he feels fine and wants to remain in the game.

Team B is then granted a charged team timeout. May A1 remain in the game? Ruling: A1 must leave the game for one down because an official stopped the clock for an apparent injury. Team B’s timeout does not allow him to remain in the game (NFHS 3-510a, 3.5.10 A; NCAA 3-3-6a).

SOFTBALL Intentional Drop Play: With R3 on third and R2 on second and one out, B4 hits a routine fly ball to second base. F4 easily settles under the ball and then notices B4 never leaves the batter’s box. F4 intentionally drops the fly ball.

Seeing the ball dropped, both R3 and R2 attempt to advance. F4 throws the ball to F2, who easily tags out R3 before reaching the plate. Ruling: In all codes, the play is legal and all play stands.

There must be a runner on first base with less than two outs in order for an intentionally dropped fly ball to be ruled dead since doing so puts that runner (and any other runner that would be forced) at jeopardy of a double play. In this instance, R3 and R2 are not forced to run so the intentional drop by F4 does not impact them and they advance at their own risk. R3 is out at the plate, R2’s advance to third base is legal and B4 is still liable to be put out at first base (NFHS 8-2-10; NCAA 11.17.2; USA Softball 8-2K; USSSA 8-17C).

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Runner Sets up Behind Base Play: In the bottom of the seventh inning with the score tied, one out and R3 on third base, B3 hits a fly ball to left field. R3, trying to get in the best position possible, retreats to third base and ends up behind the bag to get a running head start. Just prior to F7 touching the ball, R3 starts to run toward home plate. She ultimately has her foot on the bag at the time F7 first touches the ball and continues home, where she crosses the plate just before F7’s throw arrives. Ruling: In all codes, R3 is ruled out. A baserunner may not use a running start (from a position behind and not in contact with a base) to tag up on a caught fly ball. The ball remains live and once F7 catches the fly ball, B3 is ruled out for the third out and the half-inning is over with the score still tied (NFHS 8-6-20; NCAA 12.6.2; USA Softball 8-7V; USSSA 8-18R).

A1 recognizes that there is a potential advantage and takes a quick free kick. This is done while B2 is walking away approximately five yards from the kick. The ball strikes B2 and changes direction. Ruling: Allow play to continue. A1 took the quick kick before B2 was able to retreat 10 yards. B2 did not attempt to interfere with the kick (NFHS 13-3-1b; NCAA 13.2.2; IFAB 13.2).

Fielder Simulates Fielding Ball Play: With R1 on first base and off with the pitch, B2 hits safely to center field. F4 simulates fielding a ground ball to deceive the runner that she is about to field a batted ball. R1 slides into second base, thinking a play is about to be made on her. Ruling: In all codes, a fielder simulating fielding a batted ball has not committed an infraction nor is it considered faking a tag.

The action is legal and all play stands (NFHS 2-20, 3-6-2; NCAA 9.5.4.5; USA Softball 1-Fake Tag, R/S 19; USSSA 8-13C, 11-2A).

Deception Caution Play: A1 is waiting to receive a ball in the air. From behind, B2 shouts, “I’ll take it.” It is an obvious attempt to deceive A1 into thinking B2 is a teammate calling for the ball.

Ruling: Stop play and caution B2 for the unsporting act.

The game is restarted with an indirect free kick for team A from the point of the infraction (NFHS 12-5-f4; NCAA 5.6.4; IFAB 12.3).

SOCCER Quick Restart Play: A1 is fouled in a nonviolent manner by B2. The referee stops play and awards a direct free kick for team A.

On the Line Play: Team A is awarded a corner kick. A1 positions the ball to take the kick. At the same time, A2 is about five yards from the corner with feet touching the goalline. As the kick is taken, A2 moves fully into the field of play. Ruling: This is legal. The lines are in the field of play and A2 did not leave the field of play without permission (NFHS 1-2-2; NCAA 1.3.1; IFAB 1.2).

Line Dance Play: A1 makes a run with the ball along the goalline toward the goal and passes the ball back to A2. B3 nudges A1 who stumbles and falls into the goal. A2 shoots and scores. Ruling: Goal. A1 was in an offside position but did not interfere with the play (NFHS 11-1-1b; NCAA 11.1.3; IFAB 11.1).

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IT’S OFFICIAL - january 2025 VOLLEYBALL Wrong Server Play: With the score 10-9, A1 serves three consecutive points, making the score 13-9.

A1 then serves the ball into the net and the service goes over to team B. B1 then serves the ball into the net. After the loss of rally/point is awarded to team A, team B alerts the second referee that A1 served in two straight rotations.

Ruling: In NFHS and NCAA, when an improper server is not discovered until after the serve has alternated and the first serve has been contacted by the opposing team, there shall be no cancellation of points and no penalty assessed. In this situation, all three points scored by A1 in the wrong service position are counted.

The score shall be 14-10 and

team A shall be put into the right service order without any penalty (NFHS 6-4 Pen. 2; NCAA 13.2.3.5). In USAV, in this situation a point and service are awarded to team B, but that is the only penalty. All points prior to the notification of the rotational fault shall stand (7.7.2).

Timeout After Injury Play: A1 is injured after diving to play a ball which is ultimately ruled in. After the point is awarded, the referees stop play to allow for medical attention. After 30 seconds, A1 is not able to return to play. Team A has not used any timeouts in the set. Team A’s coach requests to use two timeouts to allow A1 more time to recover. Ruling: Legal in all three codes. A team may call a timeout at the end of the

30-second injury evaluation period and if the team has both timeouts remaining, may call both of them in succession (NFHS 11-2-3, 11-4-1; NCAA 11.2.1.2, 11.3.5.1; USAV 15.2.1, 17.1.1).

Back-Row Setter Save Play: Team A’s back-row setter is in the front zone near the net and jumps to try to make the team’s second contact.

The ball enters the plane of the net, where both team A’s backrow setter and team B’s frontrow player simultaneously touch the ball above the top of the net. Ruling: In all codes, the team A back-row setter is an illegal blocker. Team B is awarded a point (NFHS 9-5-1c Note; NCAA 14.6.1 Note; USAV 14.1.1, 14.6.2). 

The National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) is a nonprofit, educational association providing services and benefits for sports officials. It is run by officials, for officials. If you know a good candidate for membership, please send us his or her name and address. We will forward an invitation to join. For more information contact 262-632-5448 or www.naso.org/membership

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