Referee Magazine - August 2021

SOCCER

WHAT IS ‘PERSISTENT’?

ALL SPORTS

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

SOFTBALL

PLAYS AT THE PLATE

BASKETBALL

NFHS OK’S SHOT CLOCK

FOOTBALL

HOLD IT!

BASEBALL

GET BACK IN THE ZONE

AUGUST 2021 // REFEREE.COM

DOUBLE BUBBLE P.34

FAITH-BASED

P.50

DEI: WHAT WE

BELIEVE

P.72

THE THREE C’s VOLLEYBALL SIGNALS

TOM O’NEILL

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CONTENTS

AUGUST 2021 Volume 46, No. 8 Issue 537 20

FEATURES 20

34

THE LONG HAUL

Tom O’Neill’s career reached the highest levels. Now he is stepping away on his own terms.

JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS

March Madness in a bubble provided unique challenges for tournament officials.

50

72

LEAN ON ME

Pastoral care in the officiating community.

NASO SURVEY: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Data from NASO’s National Officiating Survey highlighting diversity and inclusion topics.

SPORTS 12

ON THE COVER Hyman Gibson Fontana, Calif.

26

Age: 65 Officiating experience: President of the Southern California Volleyball Officials Association; USA Jr. National Referee since 2017.

Works high school, smallcollege and USA Volleyball matches.

44

54

FOOTBALL

Hold(er) Everything: Rules Regarding the Player Who Holds for Kicks; Your Preseason Priorities Put in Place; Snap Judgment; The Dean’s List; Onside Differences

VOLLEYBALL

‘C’ Ya: ‘Speak’ With Crisp, Clear and Consistent Signals; Do Make an Impact; Double Trouble

COLUMNS 4

PUBLISHER’S MEMO

6

THE GAG RULE

8

SOCCER

On the Fringe: No Defined Number Defines Persistent Infringement; Three Systems, Many Reasons; A Fine Line

BASEBALL

Find Zoned Out to Zen Master: Try These Techniques During Rough Days Behind the Plate; Slide Rules; Small Ball, Big Decisions

BRIAN SPURLOCK (O’NEIL), HESTON QUAN (BASKETBALL, COVER)

60

SOFTBALL

66

BASKETBALL

74

ALL SPORTS

40

42

GETTING IT RIGHT

78

FOR THE RECORD

80

LAW

Judge Rejects SecondGuessing Judgment Call; West Sets Record for Games Worked; N.J. Wrestling Referee’s Lawsuit Dismissed

81

CLASSIFIEDS

PROFILES

82

Ejection Election

Letters: Too Much Replay, In Other’s Words; They Like Us; They Said It; Snap Shot: Expecting a Ruff Game; They Get It; Survey Says ...

THE NEWS

Mining for Turquoise as Well as New Officials; A Very Nifty 50; Lone Star Superstar

An ‘Existential Crisis’; Slick Mentorship; Soccer Players Showing Empathy?

2021 MiLB Umpire Roster Clinic Liability Lessons; Sue an Assigner? Not So Fast; Assault Legislation Camps/Clinics/Schools; Equipment/Apparel; Leadership Resources

LAST CALL

Cell Calls: Refereeing for a prison sport isn’t ideal, to say the least, and not just anyone can do it.

BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHT THIS MONTH

Make Your Move: Umpires Must Adjust Positioning on Plays at the Plate; Obstruction Deduction; Keep an Eye on ’Em Your Time Starts … Now: NFHS Approves Shot Clock

By State Adoption; Delayed Warnings; Tag, You’re It! Yearn It to Earn It: Respect Is Difficult to Gain, Much Easier to Lose; Old-School Rule Tool: Hit the Books!

The shot clock comes to high school basketball. Or does it? The answer to that will vary by state.

FOR MORE, GO TO PAGE 66

Find Referee Magazine on Facebook and follow RefereeMag on Twitter

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

Chief Strategy Officer/Publisher Barry Mano

Ejection Election Well, the recent NBA playoffs have been instructional.

Great video clips are available that can be used in future training sessions for arena security personnel. We saw a fan drop popcorn on the head of a departing player. We saw a fan hit a player with a water bottle. We saw a fan charge onto the floor from the baseline area, to be wrestled to the ground by an alert security agent. That last one made me wonder what I would have done as the referee on the baseline if no security guard was there to instantly intervene.

The media waves furiously cascade with more reports of despicable fan behavior than I can remember. And most of this is taking place at sporting contests well below the pro and major college levels. High school, youth, club and rec-level games have become rife with such bad behavior. In the NBA situations above, none of the actions were directed against the officials. At the grassroots levels, the behavior is most certainly being directed at the officials.

This relentless increase in bad behavior by fans/parents has caused sports administrators to now get ever more serious about doing something to corral the problem within their athletic facilities. One very good example comes from right here in my home state of Wisconsin. Just weeks ago, based on the recommendation of its Sportsmanship Committee, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) amended its bylaws to increase the penalty for any spectator ejected from a competition. In effect, the new policy gives equivalency to the penalty for a player ejection and that for a spectator ejection. Here is that amendment: A spectator removed or ejected from an interscholastic athletic competition for flagrant harassment or unsportsmanlike conduct is suspended from attendance for no less than the next competitive event (but not less than one complete game or meet).

Host school administration is required to record and submit an ejection report to the

WIAA. The spectator’s athletic director will inform the spectator and, if the next event is an away event, they will contact the next opponent’s administration. Note: The suspension shall be served in the same sport at the same level of competition that the ejection occurred. If the sport season is completed, the penalty will be applied in the next sport or sport season.

It is a sad day indeed that we find ourselves at this juncture needing ever-harsher penalties to impress on spectators that harassing and violent behavior will be dealt with. I commend the WIAA for stepping up to this challenge. Players had been covered, now fans are covered. Makes one wonder if coaches might be next. Many states have enacted that very provision.

Ejections have always been a serious matter in officiating. We do not take them lightly. We resist having a fan ejected or ejecting a player or a coach.

That is a reasonable approach. Yet with so many incidents being witnessed in so many places, we need to get more serious about enforcement. To do that in a thoughtful way, we need to network at each game site. We need to talk through this topic in our own pregame. It will greatly help matters for us to have a pregame conversation with security/site/game administration about the protocols for handling any such incident. Our job is to observe, enforce and then refer the matter to the designated administrator, who sometimes might be a coach. It is a team effort to defuse the situation as quickly and quietly as possible. When there is no game administrator available, know your options ahead of time rather than trying to figure them out as the storm is raging. Find calm out of chaos.

Let me close with a shout-out to one member of the WIAA committee: Mike Carr. Mike is a high school athletic director in our area. He brought special energy to the committee’s work.

By the way, Mike is a down judge in the NFL (No. 63). So when the NFL game you are watching has No. 63 on screen, give him your personal round of applause!

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

Their input is appreciated.

Contributing Photographers Ralph Echtinaw, Dale Garvey, Carin Goodall-Gosnell, Bill Greenblatt, Jack Kapenstein, Ken Kassens, Bob Messina, Bill Nichols, Ted Oppegard, Heston Quan, Dean Reid, VIP Editorial Board Mark Baltz, Jeff Cluff, Cynthia Do, Ben Glass, Reggie Greenwood, Tony Haire, Wade Labecki, John O’Neill, George Toliver Advertising 2017 Lathrop Ave., Racine, WI 53405 Phone: 262-632-8855 advertising@referee.com REFEREE (ISSN 0733+1436) is published monthly, $46.95 per year in U.S., $81.95 in Canada, Mexico and foreign countries, by Referee Enterprises, Inc., 2017 Lathrop Ave., Racine, WI 53405.

Periodical postage paid at Racine, WI and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverables to REFEREE, PO Box 292613, Kettering, OH 45429. Direct subscription inquiries, other mail to REFEREE, PO Box 292613, Kettering, OH 45429. 1-800-733-6100. © 2021 Referee Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. (USPS Publication #107790.) Subscribers: Send address changes to REFEREE, PO Box 292613, Kettering, OH 45429.

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STANDING BEHIND

YOU

AND YOUR GAME Baseball • Basketball • Football • Lacrosse • Soccer Softball • Volleyball • Wrestling

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THE GAG RULE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

LETTERS

THEY GET IT

Too Much Replay

“You can argue that (harassment of officials) comes with the territory, but it shouldn’t be to that point. There shouldn’t be yelling about it. It’s at the high school level. It’s at the middle school level. It’s at the Little League level and we have to quit. We have to be better as humans and take care of each other.”

— Brian Tandy, president of the Lebanon (Ind.) Little League, which has instituted a no-tolerance policy where persons caught yelling at or threatening an umpire can be banned from the park for a year.

Mike Pereira’s comments about instant replay (Gag Rule, 4/21) brought back memories of my first exposure to replay. A situation was given to us as a test. The runner running near the sideline is bobbling the ball when a substitute reaches out and touches the ball. Runner regains control and continues to the end zone. Ruling: A’s ball at spot where the ball was touched. I had a discussion with the test-giver and suggested he might be trying to “pick fly poop out of pepper.” I think what Mike said is pretty much the same thing some seven years later.

Dale Newhouse Port Orchard, Wash.

In Other’s Words You asked if we had a favorite biography (In Their Write Minds, 4/21). Some of my favorites are “As They See ’Em” by Bruce Weber; “The Men in Blue” by Larry Gerlach; “Augie: Stalag Luft IV to the Major Leagues” by John Baccia; and “You’re Out and You’re Ugly, Too” by Durwood Merrill.

SOURCE: WTHR-TV

David Martin

Denton, Texas

THEY LIKE US

THEY SAID IT

“I don’t think we understand or give umpires enough credit really for how much they have to go through, too, in a season.

Because they’re away from their families, they are obviously putting their best. They travel just as much as we do, late hours, the quarantine — all of that stuff, right? … The most embarrassing part of the whole night, not the call, but the reaction and the throwing of things on the field. … It’s an embarrassing representation of our city because I know, from being here, that’s not how we act.”

“This season has been long, with the officials I wasn’t myself this season. I’m complaining way too much, and I’ve gotta work on that.

I just have to stay calm and not talk to them.”

— Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson, after Braves fans littered the field with debris on April 12 when replay upheld a call at the plate that a Phillies runner was safe.

SOURCE: ESPN

— Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who had 15 technical fouls during the regular season, which put him one shy of triggering an automatic one-game suspension. Doncic was ejected from the team’s May 9 win for hitting Cleveland’s Collin Sexton below the belt, but flagrant fouls do not count toward his technical total.

SOURCE: CBSSPORTS.COM

SNAP SHOT Expecting a Ruff Game A soccer referee in Sudan, apparently not trusting game management to provide security for an April 11 match, brought a canine companion to the pitch just in case. The highly trained dog sat on the sideline throughout the game to ensure the referee was not attacked by hooligans during a Sudanese third-tier match.

SURVEY SAYS …

While officiating during the pandemic, has sportsmanship improved or declined?

45.7% 54.3% IMPROVED

DECLINED

SOURCE: TWITTER

SOURCE: REFEREE SURVEY OF 124 OFFICIALS

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 RACINE, Wis. — A Wisconsin judge ruled June 2 that he would not second-guess the judgment of high school wrestling officials by dismissing an athlete’s legal challenge to his disqualification for unsporting behavior.

Racine County Circuit Court Judge Eugene A. Gasiorkiewicz ruled in favor of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), which had suspended Waterford High School sophomore Hayden Halter after Halter earned two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a Southern Lakes Conference match on Feb. 2, 2019. According to WIAA rules, any wrestler who receives two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a tournament must serve a one-match suspension, which would have meant Halter could not compete in the Division 1 regional meet. Halter and his parents sued.

The initial judge in the case, Michael Piontek, who retired before the case went to trial, had granted a temporary restraining order that allowed Halter to compete in the 2019 state tournament. Halter ultimately won the 120-pound division on Feb. 23, 2019.

Gasiorkiewicz’s ruling, which he acknowledged parted ways with

Piontek, opened the door to the WIAA stripping Halter of that medal.

Gasiorkiewicz said the court’s role was not to second-guess the actions of sports officials. To do otherwise would create a “risk of a flood of litigation by parents” wanting to challenge sports officials’ rulings in their children’s athletic contests, he said.

The ruling came after a twoday trial in mid-May. The witnesses included referee Mike Arendt and three other match officials with whom Arendt conferred before rendering a final decision to penalize Halter for a second unsporting act.

The judge said the four officials were “highly rated” and “seasoned” officials who spent time deliberating before rendering a unanimous judgment to penalize Halter’s second act, which involved flexing toward an opposing school’s fans. In media reports, Halter said he was flexing to his father. But the judge rejected that based on the testimony of officials and video of the match that showed his father was elsewhere in the gym disputing a call with officials.

Halter had earned an initial unsporting conduct penalty for uttering a profanity in objecting to a call earlier in the match.

Per WIAA rules, the school had the opportunity to appeal the decision at the time it was made, Gasiorkiewicz said.

See “Rejected” p.11

West Sets Record for Games Worked CHICAGO — MLB umpire Joe West cemented his place in umpiring history May 25. West, 68, umpired his 5,376th regular-season game, one more than Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem, who had held the record since 1941.

West worked the plate on

the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. The evening featured the Oak Ridge Boys singing the national anthem at West’s request. The scoreboard featured a video of congratulations from, among others, awardwinning country singer Garth Brooks; retired umpires Bruce Froemming, Steve Rippley and Jerry Crawford; and longtime umpire Gerry Davis.

“It was tough to hold back a tear or two, but Tom Hanks said there’s no crying in baseball, so you can’t do it,” West said, See “5,376” p.10

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS

Judge Rejects SecondGuessing Judgment Call

THE WIRE Wrestling Referee Assaulted by Parent

A wrestling referee was confronted by a wrestler’s parent “as if to put him in a chokehold,” and the parent was charged with assaulting a sports official after an altercation May 1. The incident took place during a wrestling tournament held at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in East Hempfield Township in Lancaster County, Pa. Christopher Musiolowski, 40,

of Wall, N.J., was charged with assaulting a sports official after he was accused of attempting to put a referee in a headlock after his son’s match. Musiolowski’s 9-year-old son had just been defeated in a match the referee officiated. “It was a bad call in overtime,” Musiolowski told the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press.

“I just wanted him to hear me out; that’s all. I’m not a bad guy.

I’m a family guy. It was just the heat of the moment. You’ve got

everything on the line, years of training, countless dollars invested and your child’s out there giving it his all and he got crushed by a bad call.”

Under Pennsylvania law, assaulting a sports official — a statute passed in 1990 — is a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000. According to court records, Musiolowski was unable to post a $20,000 bail and was

jailed at the Lancaster County Prison.

NBA Referee Battling Cancer

NBA referee Tony Brown stepped off the court in mid-May for the remainder of the NBA regular season and 2021 NBA playoffs after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“Tony is a beloved member of the NBA family, and in particular, our officiating family,” said Monty

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THE NEWS

N.J. Wrestling Referee’s Lawsuit Dismissed ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A New Jersey judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a high school wresting referee who had been suspended in 2019 after a ruling about the legality of a wrestler’s hair turned into a national controversy.

Alan Maloney filed a civil lawsuit in Atlantic County Superior Court in December 2020 against New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) officials and Buena Regional High School officials.

This past March, Maloney’s attorneys voluntarily removed the NJSIAA and its officials from the lawsuit. The suit had contended the NJSIAA had failed to follow due process when it suspended him. The suit continued against Buena coach Gregory Maxwell and athletic director David Albertson, whom Maloney contended had breached their duty by allowing Johnson to wrestle without a proper hair covering. But Superior Court Judge John Porto dismissed all remaining claims of defamation and breach of duty on May 4.

The lawsuit surrounded a Dec. 19, 2018, dual meet between Buena and Oakcrest high schools at which Buena wrestler Andrew Johnson had his hair cut after being told his hair covering was illegal. According to NFHS wrestling rules in 2018-19, hair coverings were required to be attached

to the wrestler’s head gear — a rule change made in 2014. Maloney ruled Johnson “had braids or twists that pursuant to the published and known rules required a legal hair cover,” according to an amended complaint filed on Dec. 30, 2020. The dispute surrounds whether Johnson was required to wear a hair covering and whether his hair was in its “natural state.” If not in its natural state, the rules at the time required a hair covering.

Video of an athletic trainer cutting Johnson’s hair went viral on Twitter “being manipulated and misconstrued as a national race issue,” according to Maloney’s lawsuit. Johnson is biracial.

Maloney is white.

For the following season, the NFHS deleted rules regarding the “natural state” and length of a wrestler’s hair. Officials have also been directed to interpret rules about hair for athletes based on length, but not style such as braids, twists, knots or dreadlocks.

Fallout from the controversy and an investigation by the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights led the NJSIAA to suspend Maloney for 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, and he contends the suspension ended up “… fueling the erroneous reports in the media that the plaintiff was racially motivated by his rules enforcement.”

5,376

continued from p.8

referencing Hanks’ line in the movie “A League of Their Own.” “I felt a whole lot of warmth there.

I can’t thank everybody enough.

Even (White Sox owner) Jerry Reinsdorf and (former St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds general manager) Walt Jocketty came in the locker room before the game, and right after that (former MLB commissioner) Peter Ueberroth and (commissioner) Rob Manfred came in. I was just blown away by how nice everybody’s been about this.”

West started umpiring in the NL in 1976, joining the full-time staff in 1978. In 1999, he was among 22 umpires who took part in a failed mass resignation labor negotiation strategy. He was one of several umpires rehired in 2002.

He has worked six World Series, most recently in 2016.

As for how long West plans to continue umpiring, he told MLB. com: “I’ll probably evaluate it at the end of the year. I feel pretty good. Since I had a total knee replacement, I can move around.

Last year it was hard to move around. I actually didn’t know if I was going to come back this year because of the surgery. But the surgery went so well, I’m tickled that I could make it through the year. So I may try another one, I may not. We’ll just have to see.”

THE WIRE McCutchen, NBA senior vice president, referee development and training, in a news release. “In addition to exemplifying what it means to be a world-class referee on the court, Tony also touches so many lives off the court. The NBA officiating family and the entire NBA family stand behind Tony with thoughts and prayers as he embarks upon this courageous battle.”

Brown, who has officiated 1,109 regular-season games and

35 playoff games — including his first Finals appearance in 2020 — in his 19 seasons as an NBA official, has been undergoing treatment since learning of the diagnosis in April.

US Open to Use Electronic Line-Calling

All competition courts at the US Open this year will use electronic line-calling instead of line judges, the United States Tennis Association said in late May. Amid

the technology on all competition courts this year, the USTA said. the pandemic, the technology was used on all but the two main courts at the Grand Slam tournament in 2020. It was also used at the Australian Open in early 2021. Seven of the nine ATP and WTA Tour tournaments on the North American swing, including Atlanta, Washington, Toronto, Montreal, Cincinnati, WinstonSalem and Cleveland, would use

Coach Suspended for Contact With Umpire

Kansas State head baseball coach Pete Hughes received a four-game suspension for making contact with an umpire during a May 20 game. Hughes was ejected in the second inning of the Wildcats’ 4-2 victory over TCU and began serving the suspension the next night.

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Dreith Dies; Penalized Player for ‘Giving Him the Business’

JEFF EDWARDS

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — For all of his accomplishments as a football official — and there were many — Ben Dreith will forever be remembered for five words: “He’s giving him the business.”

Dreith, 96, who served as a field judge, line judge and referee in the AFL and NFL from 1960-90, died April 25.

It was during the Buffalo Bills-New York Jets game at the Meadowlands on Oct. 5, 1986, that Dreith, whose penalty announcements were usually more emphatic and plain-spoken than those of other referees, noted that a Jets defender had illegally roughed up Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. The referee gave several punching motions along with the phrasing that would make him famous.

Dreith worked two AFL Championship Games along with Super Bowls VIII and XV and five Conference Championship Games.

In 1990, the NFL asked Dreith to take a job in the replay booth. He refused. He was moved from his referee position and sent to work as a “swing line judge,” moving from crew to crew. He wasn’t rehired for the 1991 season.

Dreith, who was 65 at the time, filed an age discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and collected $165,000 as a result. As late as 1993, he was still seeking reinstatement to the NFL. “I did not sue them for the money,” Dreith said in a 1999 interview. “I

Per NCAA rule 15.6.b, contact with an official is an automatic suspension of four games without appeal.

Apology Demanded From Umpires

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice’s Youth Justice Project demanded two North Carolina high school softball umpires apologize for enforcing a rule that prohibits players from wearing beads in their hair.

wanted my job back. I wanted to keep working and I just couldn’t stomach them telling me they wanted me to be a replay official.”

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a diver in the Philippines. After the war he graduated from the University of Northern Colorado, where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball.

He played for a New York Yankees farm team. Dreith taught physical education for the Denver Public School District for more than 30 years, most of those years at Lincoln High School.

He refereed high school and NCAA

Rejected

continued from p.8

“The opportunity to challenge judgment calls is at the mat,” Gasiorkiewicz said. Waterford coach Tom Fitzpatrick did so, and officials convened for an additional 20 minutes before affirming the ruling.

The judge said the officials “understood the significance and ramifications of the call” and there was no evidence any of the officials were biased, prejudiced against Halter or unjustifiably targeted Halter.

“Judgment calls by sports officials should not be subject to legal challenge in the courts,” said NASO President Barry Mano. “Judge

The umpires told a 16-year-old player, who is Black, she had to remove the beads after they were noticed in the second inning of an April 19 game. The player removed the beads by cutting her hair. Durham Public Schools said the blanket ban on hair beads is “culturally biased and problematic.” The North Carolina

basketball from 1965-89, including heading up several international officiating crews preparing for the Olympics.

A fitness fanatic, Dreith worked hard to keep himself fit even after retirement. “I go out and I run and I play golf and I do all these things,” he said. “Physically, I want to live as long as I feel great, and I think I can live to be 100 years old.”

He almost made it.

Gasiorkiewicz’s ruling puts an exclamation mark on that principle.

We are heartened that, after 2-1/2 years, such wisdom has finally prevailed.”

In further rejecting Halter’s claims, Gasiorkiewicz said Halter had no personal or property rights involved, such as any lost scholarship opportunities.

The judge also rejected the idea Halter could serve his one-match suspension at a JV meet prior to the state tournament. The WIAA’s consistent policy has required the suspension to be served at a match at a similar level to that where the penalty was assessed.

High School Athletic Association defended the umpires, noting they were simply enforcing NFHS rules, which prohibit players from wearing beads.

Player Arrested After Bat Assault

A baseball player in the Dominican Republic was captured on video attacking the umpire with a bat and helmet on May 23. Elvis LeBron, a former Cubs prospect, pushed

the umpire, knocked him to the ground with his bat and threw his helmet at him after being ejected from a Liga Campesina de San Jose de Ocoa game. LeBron then chased the umpire with bat in hand as players from both teams attempted to intervene. LeBron was reportedly arrested. The umpire finished working the game and was later examined at the hospital.

SOURCE: NBA.COM, THE STRAITS TIMES, TENNIS365.

COM, 247SPORTS.COM, NYPOST.COM,

REFEREE August 2021 |

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FOOTBALL

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

HOLD(ER) EVERYTHING Rules Regarding the Player Who Holds for Kicks

By Judson Howard

W

Unless that defensive player gets a piece of the kicked ball, it appears the holder is going to be contacted. Because a diving player isn’t under control, a foul in this case would likely be roughing the holder as opposed to running into. When in doubt, go with the more severe foul.

DALE GARVEY

hen thinking of players associated with the kicking game, the usual focus is on those who kick the ball and team R players attempting to catch and return them. However, another participant involved with scrimmage kicks is the holder.

The rulebooks define the holder as the player who controls the ball on the ground or on a kicking tee (NFHS 2-32-7; NCAA 2-27-3b). While NFHS does not note when a player stops being a holder, NCAA notes that during a scrimmage kick, a player remains a holder until no player is in position to make the kick or, if the ball is kicked, until the kicker has had a reasonable time to regain his balance.

A holder is normally about seven yards deep in team K’s backfield for a kick try or a field goal attempt.

He receives the snap and places the ball for the kicker so the kicker can boot the ball over the crossbar and between the uprights.

In NFHS, after controlling the snap, the holder can put the ball on a kicking tee or on the ground before a placekick is made (2-24-4). In NCAA, the ball must touch the ground; a tee is not allowed (6-3-10d). After receiving the snap, the holder places a finger or hand on top of the ball, then may rotate and/or tilt the ball to the kicker’s preferred position.

A team K member might also control the ball on the field surface or a tee before a kickoff is made. He is not encroaching (NFHS) or offside

12 | REFEREE August 2021

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(NCAA) if he is beyond team K’s free-kick line in such a case. You might see that on a windy day when the ball blows off of a tee.

Holders have the same protections as kickers — they also cannot be run into or roughed. The penalty for running into the holder is five yards from the previous spot (NFHS 9-4-5; NCAA 9-1-16a-2). The penalty for roughing the holder is 15 yards from the previous spot and an automatic first down on field goals (NFHS 9-4-5; NCAA 9-1-16a-1).

If contact is caused by a team R player being blocked into the holder by a team K participant, that team R player is exempt from either foul (NFHS 9-4-5d; NCAA 9-1-16a-5).

When in doubt as to whether the foul is roughing or running into the holder, the more severe penalty should be enforced.

If a defensive player contacts the holder after touching the kick, he should not be flagged for either foul.

However it is a foul when a player other than the one who blocks the kick runs into or roughs the holder (NFHS 9-4-5b; NCAA 9-1-16a-6 and 7). A rare occurrence is a holder committing an unsportsmanlike act for simulating being run into or roughed (9-1-16b).

While the holder’s knee is down in NFHS, he cannot control the snap and then throw a pass. Such action causes the ball to become dead

immediately. If the holder rises, he can pass, run or hand off to another player. The ball remains live if the holder rises and catches or recovers an errant snap and immediately returns his knee(s) to the ground and places the ball for a kick or again rises to advance, hand, kick or pass (4-2-2 Exc.). In NCAA, if there is a player in position to kick, the holder can throw a forward or backward pass or hand off before rising (4-1-3b Exc.).

Play 1: Holder K1 receives the snap with one knee on the ground.

The kicker pretends to kick but intentionally misses the ball. K1 stands up with the ball and runs into the end zone. Ruling 1: Legal.

Play 2: Slot back K1 goes in motion before the snap and runs behind the kicker and holder. After receiving the snap, the grounded holder flips the ball to K1, who catches the backward pass and crosses the goalline. Ruling 2: In NFHS, the ball is dead when the pass is made. Legal in NCAA. The referee has primary responsibility to call fouls against the holder and to rule if the holder’s actions are legal or not. Although fouls against holders are rare, referees must be aware they have equal safeguards as kickers.

Judson Howard, Los Angeles, is a replay official in the Pac-12 Conference. He officiated more than 20 years, many at the NCAA Division I level. 

Your Preseason Priorities Put in Place

By Jon Bible

E

ach year, officials at the Southeastern Conference officiating clinic spend time establishing priorities for the coming year. They form a good checklist of basics for officials at any level to run through in preparing for the coming season. Some items are not rocket-science stuff but are important to reaffirm. Some can be found

elsewhere, but it’s good to have them assembled in one place.

Integrity/character. Be an exemplary model on and off the field, someone others want to emulate. Don’t bellyache about your schedule or other people, including fellow officials. Don’t be a maverick; have the fortitude to use the prescribed mechanic even if you think it’s nonsensical. Always be professional.

QUICKTIP Being a ballwatcher is a bad habit any time. Wing officials tend to watch a scoring kick to see the result. Instead, after the kick is away, come in rapidly toward the middle of the field to watch dead-ball action. Use your voice to let players know an official is watching. Stay in the area until teams head toward their sidelines.

DID YOU KNOW? Grove City (Pa.) College was socked with five consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct fouls during a Sept. 23, 1990, NCAA Division III game against Wooster (Ohio) College. All of the penalties came after the Grove City runner was thrown for a four-yard loss on a fourth-and-three play from Wooster’s 11 yardline. The Grove City coaches argued that Wooster was offside on the play. The officials had to absorb the abuse because at that time NCAA rules had no provisions for ejecting coaches who received two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

TOOLS Football Officials Quiz Are you a high school football official looking to sharpen your rulebook knowledge as you prepare for the 2021 season?

The 2021 Football Officials Quiz is available at referee.com.

The free 20-question, multiplechoice quiz focuses exclusively on the 2021 2021 NFHS rulebook.

It is sponsored by the National Association of Sports Officials and is prepared by the editors of Referee magazine.

1

QUIZ Sponsored by National Assoc the iation of Sports Offici als and prepared by the editors of Referee magaz ine.

An airborn e receiver controls a pass but is shoved out of bounds by a defende before he can r alight on the ground inbound s. What’s the ruling? See question 6.

In each of the following you are given a is correct for situation and NFHS rules. at least two Note: In kicking page.) possible answers. situations, K You are to decide is the kicking team, R the which answer receiving team.

(Answe

B1 hits runner A2 after A2 is out of bounds. A2 reacts roughly knockin by g down B1. B3 then shoves A2 to the ground. a. The penaltie s are enforced in the order of occurrence. b. The penaltie fouls by B1 and s for the A2 offset, but the penalty for B3’s foul is enforced . c. All of the fouls offset.

2

Fourth and 12 at team K’s 18 yardline. K1 punts and R2 gives a valid signal at team fair catch K’s 40 yardline. R2 does not touch the ball, which strikes the ground at team K’s 44 yardline. At team K’s 46 yardline, R2 blocks K3 in the above the waist. back R4 recovers the ball K’s 48 yardline at team . The

penalty for R2’s enforced from: foul is a. The previou s spot. b. Team K’s 46 yardline. c. Team K’s 48 yardline.

3

The penalty for foul in question R2’s 2 is: a. Five yards. b. Ten yards. c. Fifteen yards.

rs on last

4

Team A has the ball, second nine at its own and 21 yardline. A1 advances to team A’s 28 yardline and fumbles. The ball bounces high into the air.

B2 leaps, grabs the ball while he is airborne and returns to the ground touching the sideline at team A’s 30 yardline. As a result: a. It’s first and 10 for

Copyright © 2021 resale or publicatioby Referee Enterprises, Inc. All n without the expressed writtenrights reserved. Copy these quizzes for handout permission of Referee Enterpris but not for es, Inc.

REFEREE August 2021 |

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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. K1’s punt is caught by R2 at his own one yardline. R2 runs to his four yardline, where he is hit and fumbles. The ball rolls into team R’s end zone, where K3 and R4 simultaneously recover. a. Team K scores a touchdown. b. Team K scores a safety. c. It’s a touchback; team R will start a new series at its own 20 yardline.

2. Fourth and 12 on team K’s 10 yardline. K1’s punt lands on team K’s 45 yardline and bounces high into the air. After the ball strikes the ground, R2 gives a fair-catch signal and recovers the ball while on his knee at team K’s 40 yardline. a. There is no foul. b. R2’s fair-catch signal results in a foul. c. Had R2 not been on his knee when he recovered the ball, he could have advanced.

3. After the ball is dead, runner A1 rises and roughly pushes B2 to the ground. Earlier in the game, A1 was penalized for cursing at an official. a. Personal foul. b. Unsportsmanlike conduct. c. A1 is disqualified.

4. Fourth and five from team K’s 30 yardline. An official blows an inadvertent whistle when K1’s punt is in flight. When the down is replayed: a. The clock starts on the snap. b. The clock starts on the ready.

5. Team A’s ball, first and 10 on its 20 yardline. A1’s legal forward pass strikes ineligible A2 on top of the helmet at team A’s 16 yardline.

The ball deflects to team A’s 28 yardline, where eligible A3 catches it and advances. a. No problem. b. A2 should be flagged for illegal touching. c. The penalty is five yards from the previous spot and loss of down. d. The penalty is five yards from the previous spot but no loss of down.

Social media. Most collegiate conferences prohibit comments about anything football-related on social media. That is a good idea even if you’re working Pop Warner football. You’ll only open the door to criticism or accusations of bias if you post something that might even tangentially involve a game you officiated, a play or call made in that game or another one, or a school, coach, player, etc. We get enough of that stuff as it is, so why invite more?

As for our conduct, remember hardly anything is private anymore.

Whatever we do and say on or off the field can be picked up in the cell-phone era and posted on social media for the world to see. Even those not working college ball are not immune from that; indeed, how many times have we seen YouTube clips of something an official called, did or said in a youth game? In the end, we’re representing our association, or officials generally, 24/7 and are always under scrutiny.

We must act accordingly.

Rules/mechanics/conditioning.

Stay on top of that all year. We can’t afford to get in the rule or mechanics books or try to get in physical shape a few weeks before the season starts, nor can we slack off once it does.

Constant monitoring and continuous improvement should be our mantra.

Embrace technology. Be a film junkie. The top officials at the top levels sure are. You can access video on every phase of the game.

Find it. It will make you better no matter what level you work. The rule may be different from yours, but the advantage-disadvantage philosophy reflected in the fouls that are and aren’t called is, or should be, applicable at any level.

Give back to officiating. Be a mentor. Having someone to turn to for advice or solace when things get tough might keep someone from quitting, which happens too often these days. I’ve been blessed with more than one over the years, and they’ve helped me to avoid, or recover from, a lot of grief, some of my own making.

Communication. Make it a goal to improve your way of communicating with coaches, players, administrators and fellow officials. Being adept at coming up with “winning words” in the heat of the moment can improve our performance and be a key factor in the assessment of people who can help us move up. Lots of officials get to high places even though they aren’t the best with rules or mechanics because they know how to say the right thing at the right time.

Expectations. In addition to those priorities, referees can issue these expectations for their crews.

• Let the referee know what happened on a downfield play and whether the clock starts on the snap or ready.

• Participate in pregames; bring something to the table each week.

Don’t just sit around and let the others do the work.

• Have a thorough postgame debriefing session. During it, be honest about calls made by you and others on the crew.

• Don’t fight back if an observer critiques you. Listen to the comments, say, “Thanks. I appreciate it,” and move on. Chances are they’ve been around the block a time or two and can add something to your repertoire.

• Give clear, calm, concise reporting of fouls with all pertinent information included and extraneous information excluded.

• Get the correct number of the fouler. Announcing, or giving coaches, the wrong (or no) number hurts our credibility.

• Keep working after every play ends. If you relax, you may miss dead-ball action. Don’t be too quick to try to get a new ball in.

• Insert “football common sense” into your onfield judgments.

• The crew is the most important thing; we’ll succeed only if everyone in the boat is pulling the oars together.

Jon Bible is a replay official in the Southeastern Conference. A resident of Austin, Texas, he formerly officiated collegiate and pro football. 

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Snap Judgment I

n order to legally execute a snap, the snapper must abide by NFHS rules 2-40-2 and 2-40-3 and NCAA rules 2-23-1a, b and e.

Both codes require a quick and continuous backward motion. The snap begins when the snapper first moves the ball legally. The initial forward movement of the ball shown in the PlayPic is illegal and results in a dead-ball foul. Many snappers will slide the ball slightly forward while it is still on the ground. In most cases, that is considered a legal adjustment.

One example of when it would be illegal would be if the ball were inside team B’s one yardline. If the ball were moved in such a way that it broke the plane of the goalline, it would be an illegal snap.

The ball must immediately leave the snapper’s hand(s). In NFHS, the snap ends when the ball touches the

August_21.indb 15

ground or any player. College rules state the snap ends when the ball leaves the snapper’s hands. 

6/17/2021 1:11:41 PM

FOOTBALL

The Dean’s List

By Dennis Barela

L

ast May, Dean Blandino, the CFO national director of instant replay, asked a group of New Mexico high school football officials during a Zoom training, “What are your building blocks to success?” The question immediately sparked my interest. He offered his list and how to improve as an official through film review.

He talked about being a coachable official, being prepared and how to communicate effectively. He asked viewers how confident were they? Do they hold themselves accountable?

How do they handle stress? It was a very short list of successful building blocks and is a very small facet of officiating. Officials can have building blocks to pave their own path to success, because what might have worked for another official may not

August_21.indb 16

necessarily work for you.

As a New Mexico high school football official, I have only scratched the surface of success. I have been lucky enough to officiate at the collegiate level the past two seasons and it has been a far different experience from my first local meeting.

Most of my success in officiating can be attributed to the building blocks Blandino talked about, but I also have to add to my own list. It includes, “Find great mentors to teach you their secrets.” Almost every successful official I have encountered has told me he or she has more than one mentor and many have seven or eight mentors at all levels of officiating.

Starting in 2020, the New Mexico Officials Association offered a series of football training webinars and podcasts. Clinicians from the high school level talked about roughing the

passer, film breakdown, mechanics and NFHS rules. College officials taught position-specific mechanics. NFL officials gave up their trade secrets on philosophies and how to be successful.

NCAA official Tyree Walton said, “Everything was taught to me by other great officials.” NFL referee Scott Novak said, “A mentor is a person who is willing to teach an official or group of officials to someday take his or her job on the field.” NFL down judge Sarah Thomas said, “You have to master the basics.” NFL referee Land Clark said, “Officiating is more than rule enforcement. It is also how well can you manage a game.”

NFL referee Tony Corrente’s building blocks to success include dealing with adversity ranging from mental toughness to physical fitness and preparation. Corrente said his preparation included having good

6/17/2021 1:11:41 PM

habits such as believing in yourself, being humble, being a problemsolver and being a diplomat. He said to balance your family, professional employment and officiating life.

Corrente’s “don’ts” include: don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself, don’t shy away from change, don’t dwell on past mistakes and don’t expect immediate results.

Those officials did not try to reinvent officiating but each took bits

and pieces from other officials and used what worked best for them. They each found their own building blocks to success and they found different ways to improve as an official. What are your building blocks that will lead you through your path of success?

Dennis Barela lives in Albuquerque, N.M. He has officiated high school football since 2015 and Division II football since 2019. He is also the co-host of the Behind the Flag podcast. 

Onside Differences T

Team K is restricted from blocking unless team R initiates the contact or team K is eligible to touch or recover the ball.

Also, in NFHS play, if a team K player catches a free kick in or beyond the neutral zone, even if there is no team R player in position to catch the ball, it is a foul for kick-catching interference. In NCAA, kick-catch and fair-catch protection applies whether the ball is kicked directly off the tee or is immediately driven to the ground, strikes the ground once and goes into the air in the manner of the ball kicked directly off the tee (NFHS 6-1-5, 6-1-6, 6-5-6, 9-3-8; NCAA 6-1-3, 6-1-12). 

PRESS BOX

he MechaniGram below illustrates a rules difference. Team K has successfully executed an onside kick because the ball has both touched the ground and gone beyond the plane of team R’s free-kick line (the order doesn’t matter). In NCAA, the ball would only need to break the plane of and remain beyond team R’s restraining line in order for team K to recover.

Under both codes, a team K player may touch a free-kicked ball after it touches a team R player. Once the ball is kicked, officials on the respective restraining or free-kick lines must be aware of blocks by team K players.

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CASEPLAYS Penalty Enforcement Play: B2 intercepts A1’s pass in team B’s end zone. He attempts to advance but is tackled without leaving the end zone. During B2’s run, B3 blocks below the waist on team B’s four yardline.

Ruling: The result of the play is a touchback. It’s team B’s ball on its two yardline (half the distance from the spot of the foul) (NFHS 10-4-6, 10-4-7, 10.4.6 B; NCAA 10-2-2d-2b, AR 10-2-2 XIV).

Receiver Out of Bounds Play: Eligible receiver A1 runs to a position one yard beyond the endline and stops. A2 throws a legal forward pass toward A1.

When the ball is just about to A1, A1 leaps, bats the ball to teammate A3 and lands on the ground beyond the endline. A3 catches the batted ball while standing in team B’s end zone.

Ruling: In NFHS, because A1 went out of bounds intentionally and influenced the play, he is guilty of illegal participation (9-6-2, 9.6.2 A). The 15-yard penalty is enforced from the previous spot.

In NCAA, because A1 went out of bounds and didn’t return to the ground inbounds, he is considered to be out of bounds. Thus, the ball is dead when A1 touches it and it is ruled an incomplete pass (4-23, 7-3-4, 7-3-7a).

Blocking Below the Waist Play: Team A is in a formation with A1 seven yards behind the snapper. A2, aligned in a traditional position for a guard, blocks lineman B3 below the waist. The contact occurs after A2 has hesitated momentarily and the ball is still in the tackle box.

Ruling: In neither code is team A’s formation a factor. In NFHS, it is an illegal block below the waist.

A block below the waist in the situation described must occur without hesitation to be legal.

The tackle box does not exist in NFHS rules. In NCAA, it is a legal block. Team A players on the line of scrimmage completely inside the tackle box may legally block below the waist inside the tackle box until they leave the tackle box or until the ball has left the tackle box (NFHS 2-17-2c, 2-17-4, 9.3.2A-F; NCAA 9-1-6).

Sideline drama The main characters in this production are the sideline, the fumble and the player in green. The player in white is a supporting character and may become a central figure later.

If the player in green touches the ball while he is touching the sideline, he has caused the ball to be out of bounds. The ball belongs to the fumbling team unless lost after fourth down.

If the player in white uniform should contact the player in green while the opponent is touching the sideline, only the player in green is considered out of bounds. A player is

not out of bounds when any part of the person is touching another player who is on or outside the sideline (NFHS 2-29-1; NCAA 2-27-15a-1).

The player in green could touch or recover the ball if he re-established himself inbounds before he touched the ball.

The player in white can legally push the opponent in the back above the waist if it is judged to be a legitimate effort to recover the loose ball (NFHS 9-3-5b; NCAA 9-3-6 Exc. 3).

DALE GARVEY

FOOTBALL

18 | REFEREE August 2021

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THE TOM O’NEILL’S CAREER REACHED THE HIGHEST LEVELS. NOW, HE IS STEPPING AWAY ON HIS OWN TERMS.

HAUL

I

t’s difficult for an official working a national championship game to avoid the spotlight. But during the opening minutes of the 1997 NCAA men’s basketball championship game, Tom O’Neill found himself nearly invisible — and it was more than his nerves could handle.

“I went the first five minutes of the game without putting air into the whistle,” O’Neill recalled about Arizona’s overtime win against Kentucky. “Nothing happened in front of me. I didn’t have a foul; I didn’t have a ball go out of bounds; I didn’t call a timeout. … I started to sweat a little bit. I said to myself, ‘I don’t care what happens … the next foul or violation I see, no matter where it’s at, I’m calling it.’”

Fortunately, O’Neill’s first call of that game was a foul in his primary area.

That national title contest concluded his 20th year as a Division I men’s basketball official. Now 24 years later, O’Neill has hung up his lanyard for the last time. For parts of six decades, he worked in more than 20 NCAA D-I conferences. By his count, he tallied more than 3,300 D-I games, which he believes is more games than any other official in NCAA men’s basketball history.

“I want that record,” said O’Neill, whose high profile came mainly through his work in the Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern conferences. “College basketball has seen a lot of very good officials, and the number of games we work is one way we are judged. I worked hard to become one of the best officials, so that record is important to me. It’s a distinctive mark of longevity doing something I love.”

Before his extensive foray into officiating, the native of Calumet Park, Ill., played baseball for Northern Illinois University. He graduated with a degree in physical education in 1967, began a teaching career in Chicago’s south suburbs and started calling grade school basketball games. At home, he and his wife, Vickie, were raising their three sons, Richard, Tom Jr. and Michael.

O’Neill resigned from teaching in 1979 to become the director of recreation for Calumet Park.

He also took over as the boys’ basketball assigner for the South Inter-Conference Association (SICA), a conglomerate of nearly 30 high schools in Chicago’s south and southwest suburbs.

“I wanted to help improve officiating,” O’Neill said of the

assigner’s job he held for 25 seasons.

“I provided SICA with the best officials in the area. Some SICA games had Division I officials working. They weren’t big-time D-I referees at that time, but they were guys with significant college experience. I’d argue against anyone in Illinois who believed their conferences had better officiating than SICA.” O’Neill’s first D-I game was at Eastern Illinois in 1977, and nine years later he made officiating his full-time occupation. He has worked as many as 112 games in a season, crisscrossing the country from New York to Florida to Minnesota to Texas to Colorado to California.

Building his frequent flyer miles from November through March gave him plum assignments, but it came at the typical expense of family time. While O’Neill monitored post play and airborne shooters, his wife managed their sons’ increasing load with school and extracurricular activities.

“Tom’s travel schedule was a lot,” Vickie, Tom’s bride of 52 years, said. “Having to get three boys back and forth by myself and be there with them was difficult because I couldn’t be in two or three places at once.”

REFEREE

BY MARCEL KERR

20 | REFEREE August 2021

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O’Neill saw potential in 1989 to minimize his travel when he received a phone call from Dave Gavitt, then the commissioner of the Big East Conference. Gavitt had ties to the NBA and informed O’Neill the NBA wanted to add him to its officiating staff.

“Dave called at a time when I was ticked off about not getting the Final Four assignment,” O’Neill said.

“I talked to Vickie about working in the NBA and had to convince her I would be home more. I was working 80-90 games a year, which meant being on the road 20 nights a month, but with the NBA, I would be gone 13 nights a month.”

O’Neill accepted the NBA’s offer for the 1989-90 season, but circumstances beyond his control negated the expected benefit of less time on the road. Before the preseason ended, the league instituted a new travel policy.

(Left) Tom O'Neill enjoys quality time at home with his wife, Vickie.

Time spent away from home was a determining factor in O'Neill returning to the college game instead of pursuing a longer NBA career. (Right) O'Neill, center, poses with his sons Rick, left, and Tom Jr. The trio officiated an NCAA men's basketball game between Marquette and Houston Baptist in 2001.

“The rule was for the officials to fly into the cities of their games on the first flight of the morning,” O’Neill said.

“An official missed a preseason game because of travel issues, and Darell Garretson, the supervisor of officials, changed the rule and made it mandatory for us to fly to our cities the night before the games. That meant I would be gone 26 nights a month.”

O’Neill recalled Christmas 1989 when he “had to leave family dinner in order to catch a flight to the West Coast.

Vickie said to me, ‘You know this is not working.’ At that moment, I knew I couldn’t stay in the NBA. I needed her support if I was going to officiate.”

“He promised more time at home, but it turned out to be the exact opposite,” Vickie said. “Sometimes he’d be gone a week at a time, and I didn’t like it.

“He chose to give up the NBA, and I commend him because getting there was one of his goals. He put his family first, and I appreciated that.”

When O’Neill decided to return to the college game, he could not wait until the NBA season ended to see if he could pick up where he left off.

“I began calling my former college supervisors in January,” he said, “and everyone took me back … except the Big Ten.” Under Commissioner Wayne Duke, the Big Ten did not reinstate officials who left the conference to work in the NBA. When Jim Delaney succeeded Duke in 1990,

he and Rich Falk, the Big Ten’s coordinator of men’s basketball officials, revised the policy and welcomed O’Neill back.

“NBA experience shouldn’t disqualify officials from returning to college,” said Falk, who held that position with the Big Ten for 21 years. “We had such high regard for Tom, and his experience combined with the respect he had from coaches, officials and other conference coordinators were big factors in bringing him back.

“Anytime you can get an official who’s worked at the highest levels, whether the top NCAA conferences or the NBA, you know he’s worked games involving the best players and a high quality of play. If they can manage those games and have good reports from the people with whom they worked, those are good indicators they can manage most any situation.”

The NBA situations O’Neill encountered were less stressful than those in college.

The longer season made the professional game easier for him to work.

“The players played hard, but their ultimate goal was to be healthy for the playoffs,” O’Neill said.

“They weren’t throwing their bodies all over the place. They paced themselves. That’s the difference between 82 games versus 35 games for college teams.”

When O’Neill’s oneyear contract with the NBA expired, he hopped back into the NCAA grind for the 1990-91 season. His return culminated in Indianapolis with his first Final Four game.

He was pleased to take the sport’s biggest stage but partially displeased about his assignment.

“I hung my head when I learned which game I was going to work,” O’Neill said

REFEREE; COURTESY TOM O'NEILL

THE LONG HAUL

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BRIAN SPURLOCK; REFEREE

about the semifinal between Duke and UNLV. “Vegas blew them out the previous year in the championship game, and they were a double-digit favorite. I thought the (North Carolina-Kansas) game was going to be more competitive.

“The atmosphere in the (Hoosier Dome) was electric from the moment we stepped onto the floor, and that got my juices going. When I saw those (60,000) people in the dome, I said to myself, ‘Don’t screw this up! Your family’s here and millions are watching this.’”

Much to O’Neill’s surprise — and anyone else not rooting for Duke — the Blue Devils upset the top-ranked, undefeated Runnin’ Rebels en route to capturing their first national championship.

O’Neill returned to the RCA Dome for the aforementioned 1997 title game. He officiated in two more Final Fours: Florida’s 2007 semifinal victory against UCLA in Atlanta and North Carolina’s 2009 championship win against Michigan State in Detroit. He had plenty of preparation for those games, as he was a frequent official in some of the NCAA’s most

Tom O'Neill worked many NCAA tournaments, including in 2007 with Michael Stuart (left) and Terry Wymer (right).

Tom O'Neill officiated on some of the biggest stages in NCAA college basketball and even had a oneyear stint in the NBA. Photos in his house commemorate those highprofile moments.

heated basketball rivalries, such as Indiana-Kentucky, Kansas-Oklahoma and IllinoisMissouri.

The one series omitted from his list is Duke-North Carolina because the Atlantic Coast Conference is the lone power conference he did not work.

That hole in his résumé may be proof of his unquestioned success and high demand.

“I didn’t have any Saturdays open to give to the ACC,” he said, “and if you couldn’t give some Saturdays to the coordinators for those major conferences, you probably weren’t going to work in those leagues.”

Dale Kelley was one of those coordinators who commandeered many of O’Neill’s Saturdays. As the coordinator for five D-I conferences, he had enough games to keep O’Neill occupied.

“Tom was always on top of his game,” said Kelley, who accumulated 25 years as the coordinator for the Big 12, Sun Belt, Southland and Ohio Valley conferences and Conference USA. “I never worried about a game he worked for me. I knew it would go well, and if anything happened that needed resolution, I was sure Tom could handle it.”

Like O’Neill, Steve Welmer spread his officiating wings across a wide swath of the country. The two worked in the same conferences, so their names appeared together in many of the same box scores.

“We had seasons in which we worked 40 games together,” said Welmer, who totaled 31 years at Division I before retiring in 2011.

“We clicked the first time we worked together. We had a background playing college baseball, and we liked to have a beer or two.

Our officiating philosophy and calls were similar, so teams could count on our

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consistency. We liked to let the kids play a little bit.”

That old-school axiom of “letting the kids play” may be fading. Consistency now comes from constant video review, a trend O’Neill and some of his peers think has made officiating less art and more science.

“Hank Nichols (former national coordinator of men’s basketball officials) emphasized advantage/ disadvantage,” O’Neill said.

“If the contact didn’t affect the players, let it go … let them play through some contact.

“This current generation doesn’t do that. I’ve worked with guys who make tickytack calls at the end of a 20-point game. When I ask about it, they say, ‘If I pass on that, I’ll get an incorrect call.’

That’s unfortunate because most young officials are looking over their shoulders every time they blow their whistles. If I were in my 20s

Tom O'Neill worked two NCAA championship games during his illustrious career (1997 and 2009).

or 30s, it would drive me nuts!”

Fellow longtime official Ted Valentine echoes O’Neill’s sentiment.

“Tom and I came up in an era when we officiated more on basketball instincts,” said Valentine, a veteran of 39 Division I seasons and one of O’Neill’s Final Four partners in 1991 and 1997. “This current culture of officiating has too much micromanagement, and that’s not the best way to work.

“Tom can officiate by the seat of his pants. He knows when to blow the whistle and when not to blow it. He officiated the game the right way. He always had a good feel and total command for the game.”

Keeping command of the college game entails handling coaches, and O’Neill excelled at it. He relished the salty language that emerged occasionally.

“I enjoyed the coaches who swore more than those who didn’t because I have the tendency to swear,” he said. “If they swore at me first, I felt I could swear back at them, but I wouldn’t swear at coaches who didn’t swear.

“I was never afraid to give a technical foul. It’s like any other call in the game. Coaches need to know if they get out of line with 30 seconds left in the game, I might whack them.”

O’Neill may have taken a hard stance with coaches, but Kelley lauded his approach as the kind other officials should emulate.

“The scrutiny on officials has much to do with their mindset in how they interact with coaches,” Kelley said. “It takes a special person to wade through all those factors and get the job done, and Tom rose to the occasion time and time again.”

Welmer has seen those occasions more than he

can count. O’Neill was no imposing figure, but his presence portended his fiery competitive streak.

“He’s fearless … he’s gutsy!” Welmer said. “No coach or player could intimidate him. He wouldn’t let anyone or any game get the best of him. He knew people didn’t come to the games to watch him; he was there to be a part of the game and make sure he got the calls right.”

Without definitive data, one can only estimate the number of fouls and violations O’Neill whistled in his 44 years, including 80 games in 28 NCAA tournaments. He did not linger on questionable calls, except for a traveling violation near the end of the Villanova-North Carolina game during the 2005 Elite Eight.

“It’s the only call I’ve ever taken home with me,” he said, “and that’s because it was my last call of the season. I didn’t hold on to stuff like that, but without another game to work, I had all offseason to think about it.”

His offseasons feature the Tom O’Neill Basketball Officials Camp, and its return in 2021 after a pandemicinduced hiatus will be the 46th edition. For the past 15 years, his operating partner has been Harry Bohn, the head basketball clinician for the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and an assigner for Chicago-area high school and college conferences.

The camp gives him the best of two worlds.

“I coordinate what’s taught throughout the state for the IHSA’s certified clinic,” Bohn said. “We bring in the top young D-I officials as observers so our campers always get the latest information on mechanics.

“Tom’s status as one of the elite officials in the country brings credibility to the camp.

REFEREE

THE LONG HAUL

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BRIAN SPURLOCK

We’ve attracted some of the best officials from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. It’s a Godsend for me as an assigner because I can watch officials before hiring them.”

Dan Dorian attended his first O’Neill Camp a few weeks after graduating high school in 1986. It was the first step of an officiating journey that has led him to the Mid-American, Big Sky and Western Athletic conferences.

“Dan Chrisman (O’Neill’s former business partner) noticed me at the camp, and when he introduced me to Tom, he said, ‘This guy doesn’t know what he’s doing, but he knows the game,’” Dorian said. “From there, Tom started teaching me how to officiate. He loaded me up with freshman and sophomore games in SICA.” After a few years of sturdy high school schedules, Dorian developed an itch for Division I exposure, but his mentor would not help scratch it.

“I started asking if I could go to a D-I camp, and Tom told me I wasn’t ready,” Dorian said. “I worked high school ball for 12 years and a couple years of NAIA and Division III before he told me I was ready to go to a D-I camp.

“He gave me the green light in 2003 and advised me to attend Dale Kelley’s camp.

The following year, Dale hired me and things took off for me from there.”

The business of officiating has been a boon for O’Neill and his family, and business became personal on Nov. 30, 2001, when Marquette hosted Texas Southern. In what he calls his proudest moment, O’Neill officiated with two of his sons, Rick and Tom Jr. It marked the first time a Division I officiating crew comprised a father and two sons. A couple years later, Michael joined Rick and Tom Jr. to become the first trio of

brothers to officiate the same Division I game.

“We had a natural ease working with one another,” said Tom Jr. “I knew neither one of them would sell me down the river or call my supervisor to say, ‘This guy stinks!’ I was comfortable with them because we’d been taught the same principles about officiating.”

A different sense of paternal pride had been O’Neill’s prime inspiration in the final years of his career.

His father, Joe O’Neill, was his biggest fan, and when he died in May 2019 at age 97, so did much of O’Neill’s motivation to continue officiating.

“My dad loved watching my games,” O’Neill said, “so he was my main reason for working the last few years. He had something to look forward to, and I liked providing him that pleasure. I prided myself in working for him. When he passed, I lost that edge.”

With basketball now in his rearview mirror, O’Neill has more time for diamond action, of both the softball and baseball varieties. His

tom o’neill BIO Age: 74 Resides: Chicago Occupation: Northern Illinois commissioner for USA Softball and owner/operator of Tom O’Neill Basketball Officials Camp.

Highlights: Worked more than 3,300 D-I games over a 44-year NCAA career. Officiated the national championship game in 1997 and 2009 and Final Fours in 1991 and 2007. Worked one NBA season.

remaining sports obligation lies with USA Softball, the nation’s governing body of softball, formerly known as the American Softball Association.

As the commissioner for northern Illinois since 1984, he coordinates tournaments for 3,000 girls’ fast-pitch teams and men’s 12-inch and 16-inch teams.

Youth baseball now is O’Neill’s favorite pastime. The former college shortstop and second baseman helps coach his grandsons, Anthony and Nicholas.

“It’s a treat for me to watch them grow up and to share baseball with them,” O’Neill said. “I can relive my boyhood memories through them as they get better playing the game.

“I achieved everything I wanted to do in officiating. I met a lot of great people and had a lot of fun. Not many people get to do what they love for as long as I did and leave on their own terms. I think things turned out pretty good.”

Marcel Kerr is a freelance writer from Chicago. 

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VOLLEYBALL

EDITORS: BRAD TITTRINGTON

btittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

‘C’ YA

‘Speak’ With Crisp, Clear and Consistent Signals

By Wade DuBois

Stacie DeWitt, of Folsom, Calif., knows clear and consistent signaling is important when relaying information to partners, players, coaches and spectators.

HESTON QUAN

I

f you are an athlete or sporting enthusiast, you probably grew up watching your favorite sports on television. If your beloved sporting event was not broadcast on TV, you may have relied on other media to take in your favorite pastime. Whether that was internet or radio, you put your faith in commentators and radio personalities to communicate what was happening in the competition.

Now, with that in mind, can you remember the first time you attended those same events live? No play-byplay analyst or specialists to convey what is happening; nobody reporting live on the event. Yet if you were already familiar with the sport, you had a good idea what was going on.

Why do you suppose that was?

Volleyball, like most other sports, has its own universal language of hand gestures and signals that officials use to communicate with players, coaches and spectators.

After a whistle, referees “speak” to participants with hand signals instead of words, as they convey who won the last rally and why.

For the most part, volleyball signals are universal throughout the United States and internationally, where language barriers could be a problem. There are even “informal” signals that referees use to communicate among themselves (or sometimes to participants) to explain why a whistle was not blown, or leading up to why it was. For example, if a back-row player jumps to hit a ball, and her take-off point was near the attack line, the official may use an informal signal, such as a sweeping motion with the hand, to indicate the player was behind the line prior to jumping.

But what if the official is not clear with his or her signals? Do you have difficulty understanding people who

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COURTESY JAMIE SCHWABEROW, DIRECTOR OF NCAA PHOTOS

talk too fast? It is no different when referees rush their signals. It tends to confuse everyone involved and leaves people asking, “What was the call?” At the end of the day, it is all about clarity and consistency. Unlike some other sports, volleyball officials are trained and even encouraged to keep the same universal “language” and tempo, no matter how fast and exciting the previous play was.

Volleyball is also somewhat unique in training that confusion could result if officials use sloppy or modified signals, especially if it is to bring their own “personality” to the call.

In baseball, the umpire’s “out” signal is supposed to be a clenching of the right fist to indicate when a runner is tagged out or forced out; but on a close play, many umpires ratchet it up to a more dramatic gesture that looks more like they’re hitting a punching bag.

Have you seen umpires call a third strike on a batter? In my opinion, it sometimes borders on humiliating or embarrassing the hitter. Similarly, in basketball, by rule, a “player control foul” (i.e. a “charge”) should be indicated with one hand on the back of the head and the other pointing in the opposite direction, showing which team is getting the ball; but some referees bring theatrical expression to the calls and it’s acceptable to “hit that punching bag” again.

It goes without saying that to be successful as a sports official, you must possess sound judgment. But different than many other sports, volleyball educators and clinicians discourage officials from deviating from the “official” hand signals and sometimes even judge officials accordingly. If you watch the top volleyball officials in the game, you will see good posture, confident body language, and yes, a strong ability to communicate — with impeccable and consistent hand signals.

As I progressed through the ranks of officiating, I was always trying to fine-tune my craft. I would not only rely on instructors, evaluators and mentors, but I would set up a video camera to record myself officiating my own matches. There was nobody more critical of my performance than

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me. That’s even easier today with many lower-level matches being streamed online.

I found myself taking on the mechanics and mannerisms of my mentors and those I respected in the sport. I had to find the balance of having neat and crisp hand signals, but not to the point of being robotic.

Ideally, I knew I had to keep my signals controlled, with smooth transition. It was important for me to slow down my hand signals and not let my arms just drop to the sides after signaling. Was my thumb out? (It should be tucked in.) Was my “in” signal too low? Was my “out” signal too high? Was I wiping my hand properly on the “touch” signal? All of these were — and still are — extremely important to me, which is why I continually assess my performance by watching video.

Whether we like it or not, from the moment we walk into the venue, others are forming an opinion of us based on the way we are dressed and our ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner. In large part, these are things we can control. I’ve always been taught, and I pass it on to those who I teach, you have one shot at a good first impression. That first impression could come on arrival at the facility, when you are standing courtside or when you are on the referee stand signaling who won the last rally and why.

For some, officiating is simply a great part-time job; and for others, it’s a career that demands a continuous desire to improve with the hope for advancement. For me, I define success in officiating as being asked to officiate in some of the top collegiate conferences in the country.

The gateway for me has come by being judged by my carriage, my ability to communicate effectively with others, and yes … by way of sound hand signals.

Wade DuBois, Granby, Mass., is a PAVO and USAV National referee. He works multiple NCAA Division I conferences and has worked numerous women’s and men’s postseason tournaments and is the board chair of the Western New England Board of Volleyball Officials. He is also a retired law enforcement officer. 

QUICKTIP If you’re working on the technique of getting to the side at fault at the end of each rally as the second referee, remember the arm signaling the team that won the rally should be pointing in the direction of the pole. If you’re not pointing in the direction of the pole, you are standing on the wrong side of the court.

DID YOU KNOW? When William G. Morgan invented volleyball in 1895, the bladders of basketballs were originally the “ball” used in the game. In 1900, Morgan asked the factory of A.G. Spalding and Bros. (known today as Spalding) to create a special ball.

Spalding created a volleyball that consisted of three layers — a latex bladder made from material similar to a bike tire, a layer of cheesecloth material and a third outer layer made of leather.

THEY SAID IT “I had the long walk of shame. I had that self talk in my head, gave myself the business. Had some time to release it by the time I got to the other side.”

— NCAA national championship second referee Kaili Kimura, when asked how she moves on from missing a call after watching it on video review.

SOURCE: PAVO VIRTUAL SEMIFINAL CONVERSATION

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VOLLEYBALL

TEST YOURSELF In each of the following, you are given a situation and possible answer(s). You are to decide which answer(s) are correct for NFHS, NCAA or USAV rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.

1. S1, the correct server, serves four points. After she serves for the fifth time, the rally is interrupted by the horn, and the referees direct a replay.

S2 then serves and scores two points before the scorer notices the wrong server. S2 is preparing to serve again. a. Cancel the points scored by S2, put the players in the correct order, and allow team S to continue serving. b. Cancel all points, put the players in the correct order and award a point and the service to team R. c. Cancel the points scored by S2, put the players in the correct order and award a point and the service to team R. 2. B1 is disqualified for extremely offensive conduct. At the time of disqualification, B1 is on the court in position 3, center front. There are two substitutes on the bench, B2 and B3, as well as the libero. Both substitutes have previously played in this set in other positions. a. Allow team B to play with five players since they have no legal substitutes. b. Allow an exceptional substitution using either B2 or B3 as a substitute for B1. c. Team B is declared incomplete and defaults the set to team A. d. Allow the libero to be an exceptional substitute for B1.

3. Team R’s libero moves to play her team’s second contact. One of the libero’s feet is in the front zone and the other foot is behind the attack line.

Just before contacting the ball, the libero lifts the foot that was in the front zone, and with one foot still in contact with the floor behind the three-meter line, makes an overhand finger pass (“setting” action) to a teammate. The teammate attacks the ball, which is entirely higher than the top of the net.

The ball lands on the court of team S. a. This is a legal play and no fault has occurred. Team R wins the rally. b. The libero is considered to still be in the front zone. Since the attack-hit by the libero’s teammate was completed, this is a fault by team R and team S wins the rally.

Do Make an Impact

By Bill Thornburgh

T

here is no definitive process or special formula for successfully advancing to the next level of your officiating career. However, there are things you can do to improve your position and increase your opportunities. These dos of the officiating world could have an impact on your progression.

Do: Read and Study There are rulebooks, casebooks and interpretations — it is important to read them before the season begins. First, knowing the rules and signals are a must in order to whistle a successful match. Second, we must understand how to apply the rules to interesting cases. Third, we should be current with the latest interpretations so we can make the correct decisions in upcoming matches. Even if you have been officiating for years, it is important to review these documents and be up-to-date with your rules knowledge before the season begins and while the season is in session.

Additionally, an important reason for studying the rules of the game and casebook scenarios is that you will be more prepared to use rulebook verbiage when supplying answers and explanations to coaches and captains. The most successful referees are able to use clear and succinct communication, using rulebook verbiage, when a situation arises during the match.

IMPACT: You will become a more confident referee through preparation.

You will be perceived as a better referee when you know the rules and communicate clearly with match participants.

Do: Attend Camps and Training Opportunities There are many training opportunities available for volleyball referees. Check with

your local high school assigners or officials associations (NFHS), visit the website for the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials (PAVO/NCAA), or contact USA Volleyball (USAV) to find upcoming camps. These often include classroom sessions and oncourt practical observations that will help you improve your knowledge and skills. Typically, referee camps have a staff of experienced and high-level referees who will deliver valuable performance feedback, discuss philosophies and provide ideas and techniques to help you improve your craft. An additional benefit of attending camps or other training opportunities is you can build or expand your professional network, which is important within the official’s cadre. Never underestimate the importance of professional development and being seen by others who may be in a position to mentor you, promote you or assign you.

IMPACT: You will learn from top officials, become a better referee and take an active role in networking. You will have a better chance of achieving your goals by finding a group of supportive, truthful and talented referees to have in your corner.

Do: Control What You Can Control This is simple — control the controllables. Here are a few things that create a professional appearance and could help your chances of advancement: have a clean and unwrinkled uniform, wear pants that fit nicely and are not faded, keep your shoes white (or black and shiny), keep your equipment clean and in good working condition, know the rules, use the proper signals and know the most up-todate techniques. There are too many things that you cannot control, so take ownership of those in which you can. Here are a few takeaways: • You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

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• Looking the part is an important part of the game.

• Professionalism and appearance increase your believability.

IMPACT: Focus on you and what you can do to become better — look good, look the part and let those in charge see a true professional. This will have a positive impact on others’ perception of you and increase opportunities to officiate at a higher level.

Do: Honor Your Commitments If you sign up for an event, go to the event. Of course, there could be extenuating circumstances that may arise and you are not able to attend. But continually backing out of assignments after acceptance should not become your M.O. It is important to remember that assigners talk. Do you really want to have this reputation?

There is a right way to go about things and there is a wrong way, so let’s examine a few situations in terms of commitment.

1. You sign up for an event and you are accepted — show up.

2. You are at an event and some things are not going well — finish the event and reconsider future attendance.

3. You are at an event and receive your schedule — be there on time.

4. You are in the middle of a match — never walk off the court.

5. You receive another opportunity after you have been accepted to an event — start by contacting the assigner of the original event and ask to be released.

CARIN GOODALL-GOSNELL

IMPACT: If you become known as a person who flakes out on commitments, assigners will not want to use you anymore. Despite your certification level, your undependable nature will eventually outweigh your worth and you will find yourself on the outside looking in. This will have a negative effect on assignments and advancement.

Michael Holder, Wilmington, N.C., knows appearance is a key factor in improving his schedule. Showing up with the proper uniform that is cleaned and pressed goes a long way in earning the trust of partners, coaches, players and assigners.

Do: Support Other Officials and Your Partners This should go without saying, but be supportive of other referees.

When you are observing a match, it always looks different from the sidelines. You cannot say what you would or would not have whistled because you are not under any pressure. It is fine to take notes (written or mental) to ask questions, but avoid being overly critical.

Observing matches and how other officials perform is a good way to help you improve your own decision

making and appearance — we can learn from the good and the bad.

Avoid talking negatively about other referees. This type of behavior will eventually get back to the wrong people, which could reflect poorly on you and have a negative impact on future assignments. There is an old saying that is applicable here: “Making others look bad doesn’t make you look good.”

When it comes to working a match, we must be able to adapt and quickly create a team feel whether we know our partner or

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VOLLEYBALL

CASEPLAYS Third Timeout Play: Late in the second set, team A’s head coach requests a third timeout after being notified the team has already used two timeouts in the set. Ruling: If possible, the second referee should ignore the request but in all codes, if the second referee acknowledges the request, the team shall be penalized accordingly. In NFHS, an unnecessary delay (administrative yellow card for the first offense or administrative red card for subsequent offenses in that set) shall be assessed (11-2-3 Pen. 2).

In NCAA and USAV, an improper request is charged to the team (NCAA 6.2.2.8, 6.2.3.1; USAV 16.1).

Uniform Logos Play: All of team A’s players have a manufacturer’s logo that is less than 14.6 square cm (2-1/4 square inches). However, one team A player’s shorts has a different manufacturer’s logo than the rest of the team. Ruling: In all codes, the logos are legal.

While each piece of the uniform is allowed a single manufacturer’s logo, the rules do not require the logos to be identical (NFHS 4-21d, f; NCAA 7.1.1.1; USAV 4.3.5).

Second Referee Responsibility Play: The second referee whistles and signals out as the ball contacts the antenna on his or her side. The first referee signals the result of the play as a point.

Ruling: Correct procedure in all codes. It is the second referee’s responsibility to whistle when a ball contacts or travels over or outside the antenna on his or her side. The first referee will then award the point (NFHS 5-5-3b-1; NCAA 19.3.7.1.3; USAV 24.3.2.3).

Position Fault?

Play: Team R’s center front setter is straddling the feet of the center back player at the moment of service. Ruling: In all codes, no position fault has occurred.

The rules require the center front to have at least part of one foot closer to the centerline than the feet of the center back player.

She has met that requirement in this play (NFHS 6-4-3b; NCAA 10.3.1.1; USAV 7.4.2.1).

not. Teamwork and communication are vital to our success — conduct a pre-match discussion, know your responsibilities, allow your partner to perform his or her duties, protect and serve during the match and have an honest (and constructive) post-match debrief. These are the conversations that should make us reflect on decisions and gather feedback we can take forward.

IMPACT: By being supportive, focusing on your own abilities and working hard you will be perceived as: • A student of the game.

• A team player.

• A solid partner.

• A valuable member of the referee cadre.

These will all eventually lead to career advancement opportunities.

Do: Let Your Body of Work Speak for Itself You think you are better than other referees at a tournament, but they are getting higher-level matches — focus on you, your assignments and do your best. You cannot control what assignments others get, but you do have direct input on the effort and performance you put forward on the matches you are assigned.

And please remember, no matter your certification, you are never too good to work a certain level match.

If you get assigned to 12-and-under matches, do it and do your best. If you consistently perform well — no matter the level of play — coaches, tournament directors, other referees and (hopefully) assigners will take notice.

IMPACT: Do not underestimate the role of perseverance, hard work and consistency. Accept your assignments with grace and perform with excellence. Keep your nose to the grindstone and you will be rewarded with opportunity.

Do: Take Your Time and Build Skills There is no hurry. There is no substitute for experience. Slow down

and enjoy the ride. It is important to take every opportunity to learn, to ask questions, to experience weird out-of-the-ordinary plays, to work with many different partners (good and bad), to get yelled at and to work up the ladder at the current level.

For instance, in USAV, you recently earned your Jr. National certification and you are already planning to get your National certification in two years. But wait … why?

My advice to anyone who asks (or cares) is to work up the ladder and be one of the best referees at the level you are at first. When you go to bigger tournaments and you regularly receive assignments on gold semifinals and finals, then it is time to consider advancement. If those top assignments never come, why jump to the next level with even more experienced, higher-level referees? Here is another important takeaway — it’s not the color of the patch that makes you a good referee.

IMPACT: Take the time to prepare, to learn and to be better equipped to handle any situation. The old saying goes, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” Here is a final thought. Even if you are in a hurry, the result may be a new patch, but not being properly prepared and possessing the necessary skills will eventually lead to poor performance.

Poor performance will not be rewarded with better assignments and advancement, so be patient.

Those are things you can do and decisions you can make to help you improve and advance in your quest for higher certification and better matches (rather than things you should not do). Please remember there are many other factors that ultimately contribute to success and you should not allow those factors to affect how you whistle a match or affect your character.

Bill Thornburgh, Shelbyville, Ky., is a National USAV and PAVO referee, as well as a FIVB International referee. He works in the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast, Southeastern and other D-I conferences around the Midwest. 

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VOLLEYBALL

Double Trouble T

here are times in a volleyball match when two players, or more, from the same team both go for the ball and contact the ball at the same time (as shown in PlayPic A). While this is perfectly legal in all codes, sometimes coaches, fans, players and even officials forget the rules associated with this type of play.

In all codes, when two or more players touch the ball simultaneously, it is considered one contact (NFHS 9-4-6b, NCAA 14.3.3, USAV 9.1.2.1). The exception to this

rule is on a block, when it doesn’t count as a hit.

After the simultaneous contact by multiple players, any player (including the players involved in the simultaneous contact) may play the ball next, provided the simultaneous contact was not the third team hit (as shown in PlayPic B). This is a situation where it looks odd, but it is legal for the same player to contact the ball twice in a row without it being a double contact. And more than likely when it happens, the first or second

referee will need to explain the rule to either the opposing captain or coach, respectively.

This is not to be confused with a situation where multiple players are going for the ball and there are two distinct contacts, such as a player hitting the ball with her arms and then the ball ricocheting off a teammate’s head, shoulder, arms or another body part (as shown in PlayPic C). In that instance, it is clearly two distinct contacts and should be counted as two team contacts. 

A

H P A

F P D

B

C

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JUMPING THROUGH

H

PS

BY SCOTT TITTRINGTON

March Madness in a bubble provided unique challenges for tournament officials.

J

.D. Collins has heard plenty of colorful descriptions of his work during his time as an oncourt college basketball official and more recently in his role as the NCAA’s national coordinator of men’s basketball officiating.

However, he likely never saw the day when he would be compared to a prison warden. He has the unique environment of the 2021 NCAA Tournament to thank for it.

With leisure-time options limited for the 58 men’s basketball officials who found themselves confined to an Indianapolis bubble due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns and restrictions, the NCAA had to get creative to keep its tournament arbiters from going stir

crazy. The decision was made to lease Victory Field — the home ballpark for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians minor league baseball team — for four one-hour periods. The idea was to allow the officials to break up the monotony of Netflix binge sessions in their hotel rooms with some fresh air and exercise.

Never had tossing around a football, playing a few games of cornhole or enjoying a simple walk on fresh-cut grass felt so good. And when the moment came each time for the group to load back onto a bus and return to their bubble accommodations, Collins got an earful.

“All 58 of our officials would boo me in unison,” he said with a laugh.

“We got time in the yard. We really enjoyed just getting that freedom more than anything. It gave us a boost.”

On one hand, it might seem hard to believe that a group of men and women chosen to work on the biggest stage afforded by their chosen avocation would need any type of psychological or physical intervention or enhancement. To have one’s name on the list of officials selected for the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would, under normal circumstances, be more than enough adrenaline to fuel their own personal March Madness.

However, the madness manifested itself in a much different form in 2021. Coming on the heels of an unprecedented conclusion to the 2019-20 season when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of all the NCAA’s national basketball tournaments, the return to postseason

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basketball was still anything but normal one year later. For tournament play to safely return, changes were going to be necessary.

The first domino came with the NCAA’s decision to hold both of its Division I tournaments at a single “location” rather than utilizing regional sites throughout the country that eventually winnowed down into a traditional Final Four city. The men’s tournament would ostensibly be held in Indianapolis, while using arenas throughout the Hoosier State, from West Lafayette in the northwest and Bloomington to the south, for early round games. The women’s tournament featured a similar approach, with San Antonio serving as the host, and nearby arenas in Austin and San Marcos also serving as de facto regional locations.

That decision meant Collins and Penny Davis, his counterpart in the NCAA women’s national coordinator role, needed to adjust their approach to staffing the games.

In a normal year, each would reward approximately 100 officials with tournament assignments, such large numbers necessary as crews were needed in eight different regional locations spread across four time zones and thousands of miles. Upon the completion of each round of tournament play that number would shrink, until eventually a crew of 10 officials got the call to report to whatever city was hosting the Final Four, the pinnacle of each respective tournament.

The geography of the 2021 postseason, coupled with the NCAA’s desire to create an officiating bubble that would allow for tighter control and monitoring, and reduced exposure to the ills caused by COVID19, made such a large number of officials not only unnecessary, but unwise. After consulting with NCAA staff, both Davis and Collins made the decision to invite a streamlined pool of 60 officials to work this year’s events.

“We had obviously a lot of challenges in front of us that complicated things,” said Davis, who in two years as the national coordinator has yet to have a normal tournament experience due to the pandemic. “We were kind of getting

Above, NCAA women’s basketball official Pualani Spurlock-Welsh makes a foul call during the Final Four semifinal game between Arizona and UConn on April 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Below, NCAA men’s basketball official Randy McCall observes the action during the Final Four championship game between Baylor and Gonzaga on April 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

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to sort of establish things for what we were doing because everything was brand new. There was no mold. … Certainly, there were a lot of good officials who weren’t selected that would have been in our typical pool.”

“At the time, you don’t know if it’s the right number,” Collins said. “At this particular time, in this year with COVID, it was exactly the right thing to do.”

Those 120 officials faced stiff restrictions before even stepping on the floor at their tournament sites. Upon arrival in either Indianapolis or San Antonio, they were required to take initial COVID-19 tests and quarantine in their hotel rooms, unable to even venture to the hotel pool, gym or lobby until receiving clearance from local health officials and the NCAA. Once the officials cleared initial quarantines, they

“” To know I had an influence on those guys not working, and it was not their fault, mentally, that’s been the toughest part of this whole thing.

– Roger Ayers

Downtown Indianapolis steakhouse Harry & Izzy’s made headlines in March after six NCAA men’s basketball officials were removed from tournament assignments as the result of a positive COVID-19 test among the group dining at the establishment.

still had to endure daily virus testing for the entirety of their tournament experience, were forced to change into and out of their uniforms at their hotels instead of on-site locker rooms, had to ride in approved shuttle buses to and from the arena, and could not even stick around following their own games to watch their fellow officials work games.

Almost immediately, a serious complication arose on the men’s side. Upon arriving Sunday, March 14, at the Le Meridien hotel in downtown Indianapolis, a group of six officials discovered their rooms were not quite ready and headed to Harry & Izzy’s, a nearby steakhouse, for an impromptu dinner. Upon their return to the hotel, at approximately 10 p.m., they were given a COVID-19 test and placed into quarantine, same as the other 54 officials.

One of the six was tournament fixture Roger Ayers, who had been invited to work March Madness every year since 2006. When he got to his room he placed his cell phone in “Do Not Disturb” mode and went to sleep. He awoke Monday morning to find he had three missed calls, all from an Indianapolis area code. His test had come back positive for COVID-19, and a second test

was going to be required.

“They sent two nurses to my room. They were dressed in space suits. It was like I had the plague,” said Ayers, who earlier on Sunday had worked the championship game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament between VCU and St. Bonaventure at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. “I really thought, ‘This is a false positive.’”

About 90 minutes later, he discovered it wasn’t. Another phone call. The second test was also positive.

“I told the lady when she called the second time, ‘You get me a Starbucks and I can ref this morning,’” Ayers said.

Not only was that not going to be the case, he was being removed from the tournament under orders by Indiana state health officials. And to make matters worse, his five dining companions — John Gaffney, John Higgins, Kip Kissinger, Ray Natili and Ted Valentine — were also knocked out of the tournament due to contact tracing protocols.

Meanwhile, Ayers had to figure out how to deal with the immediate aftermath. The first order of business was sharing the information with those who needed to know.

“I had to make two hard calls that morning,” he said.

“Obviously, I had to call J.D. Collins. There was immediate silence. And then he said something I’ll never forget. He said, ‘We’re going to take care of you.’ It took a huge burden off of me.

“The second hard call I had to make was to call those five guys.”

Once that was finished, and not showing any symptoms, Ayers had to try to convince health officials to let him travel to his home in Roanoke, Va., rather than suffer through a 10to 14-day quarantine in his hotel room. With the help of Collins and the NCAA staff, he was

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“” We really enjoyed just getting that freedom more than anything. It gave us a boost.

– J.D. Collins

able to secure a rental car and made the eight-hour drive home.

“The whole way home I felt fine. No symptoms. Tuesday night about 2 a.m., I woke up soaked in sweat and I couldn’t swallow,” Ayers said. “I said, ‘Uh-oh. This is the start of it.’

I steadily went downhill from there.”

He called his doctor Wednesday. On Thursday afternoon, he started having breathing issues. He went to a local hospital and went through a battery of X-rays and scans on his chest.

“That was probably the scariest part of this whole ordeal. I thought I would be reffing (Thursday), and instead I’m staring at a ceiling and wondering if I’m going to be OK,” Ayers said.

He convinced the doctors to not admit him to the hospital, returning home and enduring four days where he could barely get out of bed and walk to the kitchen to grab a Gatorade from the fridge. After about two weeks, he was able to take short walks in his neighborhood.

Slowly but surely, he regained his physical health and now feels 100 percent.

Mentally, however, it’s been a tough couple of months as he struggles with guilt over what his positive test cost his dining companions.

“To know I had an influence on those guys not working, and it was not their fault, mentally, that’s been the toughest part of this whole thing,” Ayers said.

While Ayers’ health issue provided a troublesome start to the 2021 tourney on an officiating front, it was another tourney veteran, Bert Smith, who became the center of attention just two weeks later.

College basketball fans and officials everywhere watched in horror as the Florence, Ky., resident collapsed to the floor approximately four minutes into the Elite Eight contest between USC and Gonzaga on March 30.

In real time, not much information was available, with CBS, which was broadcasting the game, cutting to a commercial.

When the broadcast resumed, replays showed Smith pulling down his mask for a couple of possessions earlier in the game, apparently struggling to catch his breath, before a full-court view showed him dropping to the floor, unconscious on his feet.

“I didn’t have any signs or anything that said, ‘You’re not feeling well,’” said Smith, who went through his regular pregame routine and even sprinted back to the Lucas Oil Stadium locker room with crewmate Randy McCall just minutes before tipoff. “I remember starting to struggle, but the four minutes prior to that it was a normal game for me. I didn’t have any triggers that I was experiencing any problems at all.”

Once Smith came to, he was ready to resume the game with partners McCall and Doug Shows. The on-site medical

The NCAA rented out Victory Field, the minor league ballpark for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, on four different occasions to give the men’s tournament officials a place to gather and refresh outside of their hotel bubble.

personnel had other ideas. They asked Smith if he could sit up, and that’s when he noticed the stretcher that had been wheeled onto the court.

“And I look and I go, ‘What’s that for?’” he said with a laugh.

The doctors convinced Smith to sit on the stretcher for just a moment. Then they convinced him to swing his legs up onto it. At that point, Smith was strapped in and taken off the court, with a now indelible image of him on the stretcher, arms crossed, a scowl etched across his face.

“I just had all the emotions.

So I’m just sort of frustrated, mad and not knowing what the heck’s going on,” Smith said.

Early speculation was Smith had been dehydrated. He was taken into the locker room and examined for a possible concussion — his head having struck the floor with plenty of force when he fell. Once the game was over, he returned to the hotel with McCall and Shows, who tried to convince him to visit the hospital and get checked out. Their appeals were finally heard, and after a shower at the J.W. Marriott hotel to freshen up, Smith went to IU Methodist Hospital.

At first, everything checked out. Smith’s vitals were normal and his brain was clear. However, a persistent emergency room physician had one lingering question.

“She just looked at me and she goes, ‘Something doesn’t

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add up. I want to know why you fell.’”

After a battery of tests, they had the answer, and it was much more worrisome than dehydration. Smith had a blood clot in his right lung, also known as a pulmonary embolism.

“I let my wife know. That was an emotional conversation,” Smith said. “I let J.D. (Collins) know. That was also an emotional conversation.”

According to Smith, his doctors don’t fully understand why the clot emerged, as he did not exhibit any of the telltale behaviors or symptoms that typically lead to a clot. They believe it began in his legs and traveled to his lung, and at some point lodged in a position that inhibited his oxygen intake, leading to his blackout and fall.

“What happened to me on the court was going to happen to me somewhere again, and maybe I don’t recover,” Smith said. “You go on Google and pop ‘pulmonary embolism’ in there, and you spend 10-15 minutes reading about it, and you sort of go, ‘Whoa!’

“Every one of us should value each day and not take it for granted.”

While the Ayers and Smith incidents both received the lion’s share of headlines regarding officiating during this

A partition divides two court setups used at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as part of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

year’s tournaments, plenty of additional personal storylines developed over the three weeks of March Madness competition, with each of the 118 officials who ultimately worked a tourney game emerging with a tale to tell.

Take the case of Fatou Cissoko-Stephens, who was no stranger to the bubble environment and the challenges it posed. Last summer, during her sixth season as a WNBA official, the Providence, R.I., resident found herself inside that league’s bubble at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The 11 nights she spent in the NCAA women’s tournament bubble in San Antonio as she advanced to the Sweet 16 was nothing compared to the 68 days she endured in the WNBA version.

“It definitely prepared me, because going into the WNBA bubble, I brought everything,” Cissoko-Stephens said. “I brought so much stuff, like I was going to camp. I wanted to make sure that I kept myself and everybody happy.”

Cissoko-Stephens streamlined the process in San Antonio, but it doesn’t mean she arrived without an array of creature comforts. Having experienced laundry issues in the WNBA bubble, she used

FedEx to ship a mini washer and dryer setup to her hotel room in Texas. The music lover also brought along her turntables and speakers, serving as the unofficial DJ for the women’s officiating staff.

“A lot of times it’s preparation. You have to prepare for anything in life. If you do that, you can be successful,” Cissoko-Stephens said. “I knew I needed clean clothes, I knew I needed DJ equipment and I knew I needed snacks. That’s what I shipped down to be comfortable, to feel like home.

“We had a hallway dance party, and everyone was like, great, we can hear music, we can dance, we can live. It was almost like college-wise, you’re going back to a college atmosphere.”

Chuck Gonzalez didn’t necessarily need the dance steps.

He was already getting plenty of physical exertion, and it had nothing to do with the number of tournament games he worked, culminating with the Women’s Final Four semifinal clash between Arizona and UConn.

When the 31-year NCAA veteran from Huntington Beach, Calif., checked into the officials’ first hotel, the Holiday Inn in San Antonio, he was assigned to the very last room on the ninth floor, farthest away from the stairs. That’s an important detail considering that, until all of the officials cleared quarantine procedures, none of them were allowed to use the hotel elevators.

“It was 162 steps, and I was doing it nine times a day,” said Gonzalez, who had to make the trek for each of his meals and to do his COVID testing. “I was walking the Empire State Building every day.”

When he wasn’t busy putting one foot in front of the other, he was employing a variety of techniques to pass the time.

“I took more naps than I probably ever have in my life.

My iPad was plugged into the

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“” We had a hallway dance party, and everyone was like, great, we can hear music, we can dance, we can live.

– Fatou CissokoStephens

TV and I was binge-watching Netflix. I did a lot of sit-ups,” he said.

“And for those of us who drink, Drizly became your best friend.”

In fact, the online liquor store led to an amusing interaction between Gonzalez and his tournament boss. Crossing paths with Davis in the hotel lobby, he mentioned he was waiting on a food delivery — only to be busted when the delivery driver showed up with something a little bit stronger.

“I felt so guilty,” said Gonzalez with a laugh. “I went

by Penny and I felt like a little kid, like I was caught. I told her, ‘I’m sorry I lied to you.’ She was like, ‘Drizly? I’ve already done it.’”

Men’s official Courtney Green caught a break that allowed him to not be held captive to the online overlords.

And it was especially welcome given his own personal officiating schedule. As one of several officials who worked the Big Ten Tournament prior to the NCAA version, he got a double dose of the Indianapolis

officiating bubble.

Had Green been selected to work the Big Ten title game, he would have had no choice but to remain in Indy following that game Sunday afternoon and immediately enter the NCAA bubble. Instead, he worked one of the two Saturday semifinals, allowing for a quick 24-hour getaway to his Columbus, Ohio, home.

“Any chance you get the ability to go home, even if it’s for a couple of hours, is worth it,” said Green, singing the refrain of a busy sports official.

Doing so allowed him to stock up on provisions — avoiding some online supply ordering — and enjoy a onenight respite from a hotel bed before he returned to tournament central for a 16-night stay that culminated with his first Sweet 16 assignment.

Reaching a new personal milestone on college basketball’s

Dance parties became a part of the NCAA tournament experience for the women’s basketball officials in San Antonio.

Fatou CissokoStephens, bottom left, served as the group’s DJ. In the top photo, (from left) Tiara Cruse, CissokoStephens, Felicia Grinter and Talisa Green get their groove on.

Bottom right, Cruse (foreground) and Laura Morris show off their moves.

biggest stage allowed Green, an 11-year D-I veteran, to put a positive spin on an otherwise challenging situation.

“It’s obviously an awesome experience to be selected into the NCAA Tournament,” he said.

“You start realizing that there were only 60 guys here. So I had multiple feelings. Once I got there and realized just the magnitude of what we were getting into, it changes the whole scope.”

Now that everyone is months removed from perhaps the most unique NCAA Tournaments ever, a few unifying themes remain.

There is gratitude for good health, with Ayers and Smith having rounded back into shape, and the knowledge that in the midst of a pandemic, tournament games were played and champions were crowned.

There is thankfulness for the camaraderie created by having officials sheltered together for weeks at a time instead of spread throughout the country, sharing the uncommon bond of having thrived despite the harsh restrictions of the bubble environment.

And there is hope that none will ever have to experience NCAA Tournaments like these again.

“There was nothing normal about 2021,” Collins said. “We all look forward to and desire a normal year, whatever that’s going to be.”

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

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PROFILES

PERSONALITIES PLUS

By Steven L. Tietz

R

obert Otteson loves his family, and he tends to keep busy. He’s a husband, father of six, turquoise miner, jewelry maker, multi-sport official and supervisor out of Tonopah, Nev. His wife, Penny, and his kids (some in-laws too) are also officials and many of them are in the mining business as well.

Robert Otteson has recruited several family members into officiating, including daughter Shanda.

They’re also reality TV stars on the INSP TV show “Turquoise Fever,” which details the aforementioned three-generation family mining business.

Otteson admits it’s hard to balance things at times, but when you live 215 miles from Las Vegas and 230 miles from Reno, you tend to find ways to entertain yourself.

“In a small town like this (2,500 people), you really need family to help,” he said. “I will drive up to five hours (for assignments) and travel costs are usually much bigger than any fee.”

Otteson got into officiating in 1986 when he was at a basketball game. A legendary area official was working, and his partner couldn’t make it.

“He asked the crowd if anyone else could referee this game with him,” Otteson said. “I had done some men’s league ball, so I said, ‘Yes.’ I really wasn’t sure of myself, but afterward he said, ‘You didn’t do a bad job. Why don’t you join us?’”

Otteson committed despite the fact weekly meetings of the local chapter were held in Las Vegas, a four-hour drive from Tonopah.

“There was a time when some of the guys complained at the meeting about this or that and then the chapter head asked me to stand up and tell everyone how far I had driven to get there,” Otteson said.

“I did and everyone shut up after that.”

He started officiating basketball, and football, baseball and softball followed. Otteson balances officiating with his day job as a contractor for the Air Force at a top-secret remote site, as well as the mining operation, which was started by his grandfather in the 1950s.

“We now own about 60 to 70 mines,” he said. “They did that TV show on us a few years ago.”

Otteson has also worked as a bus driver and coached various sports; his kids were top prep athletes.

Otteson, 57, averages about 160 games a year while also serving as commissioner for the Central Nevada Officials Association.

He has many pictures of himself happily working games with family members. He has been married to Penny for 35 years and she got into volleyball officiating about five years ago. “She was petrified at first, but she now likes it,” he said.

Otteson spends a lot of time trying to recruit new officials but he wants to stay in the game himself as long as he can, despite having back issues.

“I’m going to keep working through it,” he said.

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

A Very Nifty 50 Randy Gwin Age: 74 Cambridge City, Ind.

Randy Gwin has packed a lot of memories into his 50 years as an official. His postseason football resume includes more than 200 Indiana high school playoff assignments.

Gwin has officiated more than 100 sectional games, eight regional championship games and three semi-state championship games. The highlight of his career to date is the 2014 state championship game. Gwin has also worked more than 150 tournament basketball games.

He’s been around long enough that he’s had the opportunity to work games with his son, Jeff, and grandson, Cameron.

Basketball Lifer Tony Stigliano Age: 78 Waco, Texas

Deep in the heart of Texas, Tony Stigliano is a major figure in the officiating world. He had a long career as an NCAA Division I men’s basketball official in the Big 12, Big Ten, Western Athletic and Sun Belt conferences. Among his eight NCAA tournament assignments was the 1991 firstround matchup when Richmond beat Syracuse, the first time a 15-seed upset a second seed.

After his oncourt career, he moved to the administrative side.

Stigliano was the first coordinator of women’s basketball officials for the Big 12. He has served as the commissioner of the Heartland Conference since its inception in 1999 and is the commissioner for the NAIA Red River Athletic Conference. Stigliano is responsible for assigning men’s and women’s basketball officials for almost 100 schools. All together, he controls assignments for 600 officials.

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

SUBBMITTED PHOTOS

Mining for Turquoise as Well as New Officials

Send info to us at profiles@referee.com

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THANK YOU

TO these organizations for their support of sports officiating. You should support them too.

LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

OFFICIATING DEPARTMENT

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GETTING IT RIGHT

INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, ELEVATION

An ‘Existential Crisis’

By Luke Modrovsky

D

avid Pierce, Ph.D., describes the nationwide shortage of sports officials as an “existential crisis” that threatens certain amateur sports.

Groups of college students pitched varying solutions to combat the crisis during the NCAA Next Generation Sports Officiating Challenge in March and April.

According to Merriam-Webster, existential is defined as “relating to, or affirming existence.” In essence, Pierce claims that without sports officials, certain amateur sports cannot exist because, as the popular phrase goes, “Without officials, it’s just recess.”

College students tackled the shortage of sports officials during the NCAA Next Generation Sports Officiating Challenge.

Pierce, who holds a doctorate in sports management from Indiana University-Bloomington and is the sports innovation institute director at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), coordinated the contest.

“Officials are kind of forgotten and are viewed as a necessary evil,” Pierce said. “Everybody looks at it through the lens of the student-athlete or the coaches or the fan experience.

No one ever talks about the officiating experience. We talk about visitor experience, fan experience.

“There are all these different lenses through which people are creating innovation and a better world in sport, but rarely is the official the centerpiece of that. To me, it’s a forgotten group but is

fundamental to the entire ecosystem.”

Twenty-five groups of college students across the nation presented ideas on not only how to recruit sports officials, but to retain and train them as well. Those 25 competing teams were narrowed to 12 after each submitted a preliminary proposal in March. From there, the 12 remaining teams submitted a fiveminute YouTube video, a 250-word summary and a two-sentence elevator pitch. Four teams were selected as finalists and gave a pre-recorded final proposal during the NextGen Innovation Summit hosted by the Indiana Sports Corp on Facebook Live.

Prior to initial submissions, Pierce provided all of the competing teams with background information, such as data from NASO’s 2017 National Officiating Survey and NASO’s 2002 Special Report on Assaults, and asked teams to conduct preliminary research on the topic.

“NASO did a great job with that research,” Pierce said. “Every local market did their own sports official shortage story.”

Pierce said he wanted students to focus on taking things to the next level by focusing “beyond the media headlines.”

NASO President Barry Mano joined 15 other judges in selecting a “Judges’ Choice” winner.

The judging panel tabbed the University of Georgia the “Judges’ Choice” and Notre Dame took home a separate award based on the Facebook Live vote. The Georgia team pitched a virtual reality game while Notre Dame’s proposal focused on recruiting non-violent prisoners.

Other ideas included social media campaigns, establishing a scholarship fund, standardized training programs, the concept of microlearning and how psychology affects officiating.

To view the final student pitches, visit Facebook.com/ IndianaSportsCorp.

Luke Modrovsky is an assistant editor for Referee. He is a five-sport official. 

Slick Mentorship The NHL Officials Association, in conjunction with the NHL, founded a mentorship program geared toward a group of 48 elite female officials throughout North America.

From September 2020 through the beginning of January, NHL officials used virtual platforms and held four sessions to share tricks of the trade.

“We thought it would be a nice idea meeting with some people who officiate outside of our level,” NHL referee Wes McCauley said in an article posted on the NHL Officials Association’s website.

Samantha Hiller, 28, said she was thrilled with the sessions, particularly after breaking her leg as a firefighter in May 2020. Hiller is a level four official with USA Hockey working in Illinois.

“One of the things we talked about was self-talk,” Hiller said in the online article. “They were able to talk about things they do when something isn’t going right and to be able to center themselves to get back in the game.”

Soccer Players Showing Empathy?

The grassroots programs of English soccer club academies could be getting a little greener.

England’s Football Association (FA) wants developing players to take a basic referee course so they can have a greater empathy for referees and a better understanding of the Laws of the Game.

“One of the things we will be speaking to the pro game about will be the idea that the scholar program, that goes through the EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan), we will be seeing if we can try to introduce the basic course to every scholar in the country,” Andy Ambler, FA director of pro game relations, told England’s Evening Standard. “I think it is massively important. What am I saying? I am not saying they have to become qualified referees, but they could take on some form of our course.”

The FA expects to launch the course in the near future.

Have you heard an inspirational or motivational officiating story?

Send your ideas to GettingItRight@referee.com

42 | REFEREE August 2021

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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

You Are Fully Protected: True or False?

H

ere at the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) we’ve always prided ourselves on providing the very best insurance protections for our member officials. When it comes to liability insurance protection — the basic type of insurance every official should have — we have always made sure that it covers our member officials for every game, every sport and every level they’re working. Other insurances may only protect officials working in a particular league, or during a particular season or only at a particular level of competition, but NASO insurance covers you for any game, anytime, anywhere.

So if you’re an NASO member, you can safely answer “True” to all of the following scenarios. If you’re not an NASO member and you don’t know if anything below is true for you, you should consider joining today!

SCENARIO 1: Does your insurance protect you if a game is played with modified rules?

NASO asks that the event be sanctioned, that it be organized under some kind of playing rules — NFHS, Little League Baseball, U.S. Lacrosse, etc., etc., etc. If the rules are modified, your NASO coverage is still going to follow you as an official, so you’re covered!

SCENARIO 2: Will you be covered if the coaches decide to add an extra period at the end of the game? Everybody’s there; maybe the next game got canceled for whatever reason — are officials

still covered for that extra period?

For NASO members, the answer is yes!

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

THESE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT OFFICIALS

SCENARIO 3: Will you be covered if your crew is shorthanded? For example, if there are supposed to be three officials at a game and you decide to officiate with two because everyone’s pressuring you to start the game, NASO members are still covered.

On the other hand, your liability may increase, which means if you’re sued over something in that game, a case may be argued that you were more liable because of the decision to work shorthanded.

Still, your NASO insurance applies.

SCENARIO 4: Will you have coverage if your partner is not certified or accredited? There is no restriction in the NASO policy for that, so if you’re an NASO member, the answer is yes! At the same time, NASO’s mission calls for better educated, trained and properly certified officials. But still, if your partner official is not certified like you, you are covered.

NASO’s premier insurance package provides up to $6 million per occurrence of general liability insurance. Somebody may say, “Well, isn’t $1 million enough?”

Maybe 25 years ago it was. If an entire officiating crew of football officials is sued, a million dollars shared among all of you may not be enough.

Best of all even if you have other insurance coverage, NASO’s protections cover you for any gaps the other insurance may not cover.

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

Go to naso.org/upgrade2021 to join NASO for the special introductory price of $106 and receive these two FREE books!

$

JOIN

106 TODAY

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

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SOCCER

COORDINATOR: JOHN VAN DE VAARST

jvandevaarst@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES

ON THE FRINGE

No Defined Number Defines Persistent Infringement

By George Wilhelmsen

P

be careless, so the referee correctly blows the whistle and issues the direct free kick restart. Ruling 1: After the second foul on B1 by A2, the referee should look at the context of the fouls — where are the fouls happening and against whom? Some preventive officiating here with A2 can prevent future issues. A quick discussion before the restart by the referee with A2 about the foul could resolve the matter.

“Number 2, that’s your second foul against B1. You need to change your

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ersistent infringement of the rules/Laws is one of the tools in the referee’s match-control kit.

When used properly, penalizing for persistent infringement can be used to maintain both the safety and fairness of the match.

NFHS and NCAA rules define persistent infringement as “persistently infringing upon any of the rules of the game.” It is similarly defined in the IFAB Laws

as “persistent offenses (no specific number or pattern of offenses constitutes ‘persistent.’)”

To better understand how to use the persistent infringement tool, the following are examples of when to penalize for persistent infringement: Play 1: B1 is a starter in the match and has a reputation as a playmaker and top scorer. Team A clearly knows this and has been targeting B1 every time she is in possession of the ball. The fouls in this case are carefully executed to

HESTON QUAN

Steve Lane, Garden Grove, Calif., can manage a match successfully if he deals with players who consistently violate, or infringe, the rules/Laws of the game. This may require a discussion with a player to avoid such offenses escalating into persistent infringement.

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behavior.” If another foul against B1 occurs, the referee now has more than enough information to call the foul, stop the clock, where applicable, and issue the caution to the offending player for persistent infringement.

Most officials can recognize this situation since it establishes a clear pattern. One player is singled out and repeatedly fouled by the opponents. Failing to recognize and address this pattern of fouls can result in players taking actions into their own hands through retaliation.

It is vital that officials address such a pattern of fouls early in the match.

The sooner the offending player can be warned, the better the chance the violations can be reduced.

Play 2: The referee observes A1 taking the ball into team B’s half.

As A1 moves 10 yards into team B’s half heading for the goal with team B’s entire defensive line in front of her, the referee observes B2 initiate a careless foul that causes A1 to fall to the ground. The foul is called and a direct free kick is awarded. A few minutes later, A3 dribbles the ball into team B’s half. This time B4 trips A3 and a direct free kick is awarded. The referee now realizes that when an opponent brings the ball into team B’s half, she will be fouled. Ruling 2: This is another form of persistent infringement. The rules/Laws do not indicate the same player must be fouled. They also do not indicate the same person must commit the foul, although one could see how that would make calling this offense easier.

Persistent infringement is simply a matter of repeated offenses. That means the referee must be aware of the foul and the location to discern a particular pattern. This may be beyond the simple multiple-foulsagainst-a-single-player approach.

Play 3: B1, while trying to tackle the ball away, carelessly executes a slide tackle on A2 in team A’s defensive half, missing the ball and taking A2 to the ground. The referee addresses this with a direct free kick to team A at the point of the foul. A few minutes later, B1 is challenging A4 shoulder to shoulder for the

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ball. B1 carelessly trips A4 as he tries to maneuver and strip the ball away. Ruling 3: Although the same offender is involved, there is no persistent infringement in this case.

The shoulder charge was legal and the trip was an isolated incident.

The rules/Laws indicate that persistent infringement is for any offenses — not just fouls. While it can be used for repeated bad throwins, referees should be thinking what they are getting for their caution. A lack of skill in executing a throw-in should not normally be punished. Persistent infringement should be utilized for fouls and offenses where there is a discernable impact to the match.

All officials can recognize fouls and deal with them appropriately.

In addition to calling the foul, the referee must be able to recognize when and how persistent infringement is occurring. This will greatly assist in match control.

In summary, persistent infringement does not have to be committed by a single player or against the same individual. It simply must represent a pattern of fouls, with no particular number, in which the offending player or players have infringed the rules/ Laws of the game. Further, there is no requirement that the referee must “warn” players of their risk of a caution due to their actions.

Preventive officiating could help establish a better rapport with the players and may resolve the matter.

However, it is not a necessary step before a caution is administered.

Persistent infringement must be in the referee’s mind at all times so when it occurs in a match, the referee will be able to both better recognize and sanction the misconduct. Referees must recall the following when they observe a foul; who and where was it, and then look for the patterns. This simple approach will allow the referee to best use this tool to maintain the spirit of the match.

George Wilhelmsen, Morris, Ill., has officiated soccer at various levels for more than 10 years. 

SURVEY SAYS …

According to NASO’s 2017 National Officiating Survey, nearly 67 percent of soccer officials who responded regretted not ejecting a coach from a match but just under eight percent regretted a decision to eject a coach.

QUICKTIP Many players attempt to take advantage on a throw-in and try to move several yards upfield from the spot of the throw. The referee must be prepared to move the player back to the vicinity of the spot for the throw-in. If done early in the match, problems during a critical period later in the match can be eliminated.

SIDELINE US Youth Soccer Names Young Referees of the Year Kutay Gokcen (California) and Alyssa Grosse (Nebraska) were named the 2020 US Youth Soccer Young Referees of the Year.

Fifty-five regions across the country each submitted a nominee.

Gokcen, 18, the male recipient, started refereeing at age 10. He worked the 2019 US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships and recently started working adult games with dreams of exploring a path to professional soccer. This fall, Goken will be a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin.

Grosse, 19, the female recipient, is the second from Nebraska to win the honor, joining Dallas Malhiwsky, who won the male award in 1996. Grosse began officiating when the Fremont Soccer Club offered to cover the cost of referee apparel in return for getting certified.

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SOCCER

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, NCAA or IFAB rules/Laws.

Solutions: p. 81.

1. A direct free kick is awarded to team B inside its own penalty area.

A1 deliberately delays leaving the penalty area. B2 takes the free kick and A1 intercepts it within the penalty area, shoots and scores. a. The goal is allowed. b. The goal is disallowed and the game is restarted with a goal kick. c. The goal is disallowed and the kick is retaken.

2. A1 is in an offside position. A2 shoots on goal and the ball deflects off the crossbar to A1, who shoots and scores. a. Goal is awarded since the ball deflected back to A1. b. Caution A1 for being in offside position and interfering with play. c. No goal since A1 was in an offside position and interfered with play. Restart with an indirect free kick where A1 was at the time the ball was played.

3. Two team A players collide and appear to be seriously injured. A1 has possession of the ball. The referee stops play and has the athletic trainer enter the field of play to attend to them. a. The match is restarted with a drop ball at the point of the injuries. b. Both players must leave the field of play. The match is restarted with a drop ball where the ball was at the time of the stoppage. Team A participates in the drop ball. c. Since A1 had possession of the ball, the match is restarted with an indirect free kick at the point where the ball was when play was stopped. d. The players do not have to leave the field. The match is restarted with a drop ball where the ball was at the time of the stoppage.

Team A participates in the drop ball.

4. Team A is awarded a free kick. B1 is moving back from the ball slowly and is less than 10 yards. A2 quickly takes the kick and B1 deliberately plays the ball. a. The game is allowed to continue since A2 decided to play the ball. b. The referee stops play and the kick is retaken. The referee cautions B1. c. The referee stops play and awards an indirect free kick for team A at the point where B1 played the ball.

Three Systems, Many Reasons

By Joe Manjone, Ed. D.

A

s indicated in NFHS rule 5, three different systems are permitted to be utilized in the officiating of high school games. They are: the dual or two-official system, which includes a head referee and a referee; the diagonal system, consisting of a referee on the field and two assistant referees who are off the field; and the double dual (also known as the three-whistle system) that has a center referee and two side referees with all three officials on the field.

According to an NFHS survey, all three systems are being utilized throughout the country, and many state associations use a combination of systems. The diagonal system is used in 42 high school state associations, the double dual is used in seven high school associations and the dual is used in 22 associations.

A fourth official can be used for three-referee systems. Also, the officials in all three systems are to be assisted by a timer, scorer and sideline personnel to help chase down balls that leave the field.

The rationale for the NFHS allowing three referee systems in high school soccer will be included in the following — an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of each officiating system.

Dual System (MechaniGram A, p.48) From the 1950s to the early 1980s, almost all high school soccer matches utilized the dual system of control. The dual system requires the two officials to come onto the field, box in the play, consistently communicate with each other and move quickly when changing from a trail (T) to lead (L) position. For evenly matched contests, considerable running is required of both officials.

An interesting note is that during the ’50s, ’60s, and early ’70s, many high school goals did not have nets and

the decision on a goal often had to be made by the trail official who moved out to the center of the attacking end of the field. This was far from the goalline. His or her vision could be screened and the referee had to make a judgment as to whether the ball crossed the goalline between the goalposts. Also, when there was a quick reversal or a long shot, the lead official had to make a determination whether or not the ball crossed the goalline several yards up from the goalline. Decisions of goal or no goal often resulted in complaints from coaches.

The primary advantage of the dual officiating system is only two officials are needed. While soccer is the fastest-growing high school sport, the supply of officials has not kept up with the demand. Having to assign only two officials to a match allows more coverage of scheduled games.

High school games often are canceled or rescheduled because there are not enough officials available. School finances are also aided by the dual system as only two, rather than three, officials need to be compensated. This obviously aids many school districts whose athletic departments have financial difficulties.

The training of new officials can also be enhanced by the dual system. Utilizing new officials as referees in middle school and high school contests allows them to make their own calls, use the whistle and understand the game much faster than they do as assistant referees in the diagonal system.

The obvious disadvantage of the dual system is coverage of play, especially in offside situations.

Also, there can be a difference in the consistency of a crew’s bar for fouls and misconduct. One official may call a tight match while the other allows more contact and play to continue. This disconnect causes players to become frustrated and coaches to dissent. It is essential that

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A FINE LINE The ball is still in play since it is partially on the touchline. The player has left the field of play during the normal course of play, which is legal.

The key to properly officiating this play is the referee team working together so that all possibilities are dealt with properly.

Assistant referee Jesus Hernandez Balb, Kirkland, Wash., has the responsibility to decide if the ball remains in or goes out of play. Note how the assistant referee is moving to be in a position to clearly see

DALE GARVEY

officials have an extensive pregame conference, and communicate through eye contact throughout the match.

Unfortunately, the dual system requirement of both officials being on the field and boxing in the play is not being followed by many officials.

Instead, many officials are taking the positions of assistant referees where they are staying off the field and viewing only on their lead half of the field. This results in a large part of the field having no coverage of playing action by an official. This could lead to missed fouls or actions occurring that warrant a caution or ejection not being observed by the officiating team.

the ball. The assistant referee should be considering: • How quickly he must raise the flag if the ball crosses the line.

• Having patience by not anticipating the ball crossing the line and making the call too early.

• The need to watch B14 for any fouls from behind that the referee may not be able to observe.

Diagonal System (MechaniGram B, next page) The diagonal system is the most common high school officiating system. It is also the officiating system required for international and professional soccer matches and is utilized worldwide for soccer contests at all levels. The high school diagonal system utilizes a referee who is on the field, oversees the game and enforces all rules. The referee (R) is assisted by two assistant referees (AR1 and AR2) who are off the field. The assistant referees assist the referee by suggesting infractions of the rules/ Laws, making substitutions and controlling the team areas. They also

The referee must focus the attention on the two defenders and be in a position to observe any of the following potential actions by B14: • • • • • •

Attempting a fair charge.

Attempting a slide tackle.

Pushing or tripping A20.

Fouling from behind.

Attempting to play the ball and kicks A20.

The other defender charging A20 or committing another type of foul.

assist in other ways, as requested by the referee. As with all three officiating systems, a comprehensive pregame conference involving all three officials is a must.

The diagonal system has many advantages. Since it is the system used for professional matches, the high school referee can learn from and mimic the mechanics, positioning and calls of professional referees who are seen daily on TV. The diagonal system allows for better coverage of offside than the dual as the assistant referees are — or always should be — in a position to call offside. Since there is only one referee, foul and misconduct calls are more consistent than when

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SOCCER

CASEPLAYS

A

A Save, But Then …

Play: A shot on goal is saved by team B’s goalkeeper, B1, who controls the ball with her hands. B1 then releases the ball and moves it forward with her feet, outside the goal area.

A2 moves in quickly. B1 picks the ball up with her hands to prevent A2 from intercepting the ball. Ruling: The referee shall stop play and award an indirect free kick for team A at the point where the goalkeeper picked the ball up outside the goal area (NFHS 12-7-11; NCAA 12.3.2; IFAB 12.2).

Who’s In? Who’s Out? Play: Play is stopped and it is a legal time for both teams to substitute. Both team A and team B have two players who have reported and are ready to enter the match. When the referee signals for the substitutions to occur, team B has three players enter the field of play. B3, the third player, has not properly reported. As soon as the match is resumed, B3 makes a reckless tackle on A2. The referee stops play and immediately realizes B3 did not properly report into the match. The referee cautions B3 for entering the field without permission. The referee then displays another yellow card followed by a red card (second caution) for the reckless tackle.

Ruling: This is a correct decision since both violations warrant a caution and the second caution becomes an ejection (NFHS 1-2c; NCAA A.R. 12.4.3.5.b; IFAB 12.3).

L

T

T

L

B

R AR2

AR1

C SR1

CR

Incidental Attack Play: A1 is moving toward the goal and passes the ball toward A2. A2 does not see the ball coming and it deflects off the back of his arm and into the goal.

Ruling: The goal is disallowed, and the match is restarted with a goal kick. The incidental contact with the arm by an attacker is not permitted (NFHS 12-2; NCAA 12.1.7.1.2; IFAB 12.2).

SR2

two or three officials are making the decisions. New officials can be utilized faster since the amount of knowledge needed to be an assistant referee is less than that of a referee in the dual or double dual systems.

The diagonal system does have disadvantages when used for high school play. It is a system designed for professional soccer matches, not high school games. The referee in the diagonal system must be in shape, be able to move quickly and keep up with play, and be in a position to determine what has occurred. Since there is only one referee, getting the proper angle (essential for making correct judgments) to make a call is often difficult especially for high school officials whose average age in some and possibly most states is in the 50s, and who often do not have the speed to always keep up with play and get in the needed position.

Because this system results in mimicking pro game officials, high school rule enforcement errors sometimes result because of the rules differences between NFHS, NCAA and IFAB rules/Laws. The goals of high school soccer games include education, safety and participation, which are different than the goals of international and professional soccer games, and result in these rule differences.

Another disadvantage of the diagonal system is the need for three officials, which as indicated previously may not be possible because of the shortage of high school officials and high school sports funding. These are two reasons for states using a combination of systems.

Two additional concerns are: • New high school officials are assigned as assistant referees and not given the opportunity to referee, resulting in the loss of interest.

• Because of the need for officials, new officials are sometimes assigned to games without proper training.

Double Dual/Three-Whistle System (MechaniGram C) The double dual or three-whistle officiating system is the least used of the three high school systems.

However, it may be the one most suitable for high school boys’ and girls’ soccer matches. In the double dual system, three referees — center referee (CR) and two side referees (SR1 and SR2) — are on the field, and all three have whistles and enforce

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fouls and misconduct. The need to have consistent calls and constant communication among the three referees makes a comprehensive pregame conference mandatory. It is noted that basketball, which uses the three-whistle system, emphasizes comprehensive pregame conferences even with crews that have previously worked together. In addition, constant communication and eye contact during the game is a must.

Having three officials on the field with each official having the authority to make calls allows the play to be boxed in, but more importantly, it allows the calling official to move into position and get a better angle on the play to make the right call.

It also allows for better coverage of offside than the dual system. The double dual system extends the career of experienced referees since the fitness level of the referees is not as great a requirement as in the diagonal and dual systems. There is

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also an advantage for new officials who must learn to referee and use the whistle from the start. Being an integral part of the officiating team as a referee seems — from my experience as an assigner — to result in the development and retention of new and younger officials. Another advantage is working in the double dual system allows officials to easily transition to the dual and diagonal systems.

The largest disadvantage of the double dual system is it is not the system used in professional, international and other non-high school contests. Officials do not want to use it because there are few opportunities to watch and mimic other officials, and it is not the internationally accepted officiating system. Coaches, players and spectators do not encourage its use because it is not the norm. The double dual system requires additional training for new officials as they must

know how to referee, call plays, learn positioning and whistle. The training provided to an assistant referee is not sufficient to referee games in the double dual system. As in the dual system, the inconsistency of calling fouls and misconduct or interpretation of the rules among the three officials is always a concern. As in the diagonal system, three officials are needed and may not be available.

There is value in each of the three high school officiating systems and it is understandable why all three systems are used for high school play. Regardless of the system being utilized, officials must have a meaningful and comprehensive pregame conference to utilize proper positioning and mechanics.

Joe Manjone, Ed. D., Silverhill, Ala., is a former chairperson of the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee. He was inducted into the NISOA Hall of Fame is 2013 and is an active high school referee and a former collegiate soccer referee. 

6/17/2021 1:12:43 PM

PASTORAL CARE IN THE OFFICIATING COMMUNITY

By Van Oler

A

s COVID-19’s reach expanded globally during the spring of 2020, people and the organizations of which they were members scrambled to adjust to everything from an avalanche of job losses to illnesses and, in some heartbreaking cases, deaths of family members and friends.

From left, active officials Scott Bach-Hansen, Audrey Price and Derek Shackleford provide a lending hand to members of the Cardinal Basketball Officials Association in northern Virginia.

One wouldn’t normally think of an officiating association as an organization equipped to or capable of providing its members with this kind of support during those turbulent and dismal months, particularly when one of the pandemic’s first major U.S. casualties was organized sports at all levels. What’s the purpose of an officiating association when there’s nothing to officiate?

At least one association did, in fact, have a structure in place to provide valuable member support even as gyms were darkened and ballfields sat empty nationwide. Northern Virginia’s Cardinal Basketball Officials Association (CBOA),

also IAABO Board #255, “an organization of amateur basketball officials from all walks of life” according to its website, has a four-member Chaplain Team — active since 2016 — that provides members with pastoral care in good times and bad.

The members of the Chaplain Team, seminarians all, are trained and experienced at providing pastoral care, which can include activities such as hospital visits, attendance at funerals/viewings and counseling. One of the primary tenets of pastoral care is the need to set aside one’s own desires in order to serve others.

“They are a tremendously diverse group and you can

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feel comfortable with any one of them,” explained CBOA member Jerry Caruso, who participated in the program following a cancer diagnosis.

“When you are going through that, it is great to know you have people behind you.”

“There was certainly more need for pastoral care this past year than there had been previously, probably twice as much,” said Chaplain Team member Derek Shackleford, who holds both a master’s and doctorate degree in ministry from the Wesley Theological Seminary. Shackleford has also accomplished college basketball’s unofficial “triple crown,” having played, coached and now officiated at that level.

“COVID’s immediate impact on our people was two-fold,” he continued.

“The first part was that the normality of officiating was suddenly absent while the other part of it was that life still happened. Employment, family situations, health, were all impacted by COVID to some extent.”

Scott Bach-Hansen is a CBOA officer and a 30-year basketball official who also manages replay equipment courtside for the NBA at Washington Wizard home games. A few years ago, the CBOA board began noticing a number of officials asking for assignment changes in order to care for relatives or attend funerals while other officials were “off the scheduling radar” for an extended period of time as they dealt with a family member’s long-term illness or end-of-life issues.

Bach-Hansen noted the CBOA membership included one ordained Catholic priest and three officials (himself included) who were seminarytrained to provide pastoral care. The seminarians all believed it would be helpful to form a Chaplain Team to

support the association. The idea became reality during the next board meeting and the team has been active ever since.

“One of our officials was scheduled for an important evaluation game but had to the decline the assignment because a parent had passed away,” recalled Chaplain Team member Audrey Price. She holds a doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of America and was serving as a CBOA board member when the pastoral care concept was introduced. “We thought it would be a good idea if we had a more organized way to be present for officials in those moments.”

Some may question whether pastoral care is something an officiating association should provide.

Some members may prefer their association limit its nonofficiating scope and serve exclusively as a clearinghouse for game assignments and a place to discuss the intricacies of the block-charge dilemma.

Others view their relationship with their association and its members differently; veteran officials who find themselves on the same crew dozens of times over the years may begin to view their counterparts as extended family.

Many times, an official has had a soul-bearing “meaning of life” conversation with a partner in the dressing room after a particularly brutal game because that is when emotions are raw and virtually any topic is a candidate for an in-depth conversation.

Some officials may actually prefer their association to their family; as humorist P.J. O’Rourke once noted, “Any politician who campaigns on ‘family values’ has never met my family.”

The service opportunities for CBOA’s Chaplain Team

“THERE WAS CERTAINLY MORE NEED FOR PASTORAL CARE THIS PAST YEAR THAN THERE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY, PROBABLY TWICE AS MUCH.” –Derek Shackleford

“ONE OF OUR OFFICIALS WAS SCHEDULED FOR AN IMPORTANT EVALUATION GAME BUT HAD TO DECLINE THE ASSIGNMENT BECAUSE A PARENT HAD PASSED AWAY.” –Audrey Price

have grown consistently, increasing from about half a dozen in the first year to 25 or so in the second year and more than can be counted in subsequent years.

Bach-Hansen is sometimes notified by the association commissioner about an official who may be in need of Chaplain Team services. While other times the association “grapevine” is the source of information about a member who may have lost a parent, for example, or whose home was ruined by fire, tornado or some other calamity. However, the most frequent way the Chaplain Team becomes engaged is at the direct request of an official.

“They help connect members who are in similar circumstances with each other,” Caruso said. “They do it quietly, without a lot of fanfare, and they do a lot more than people know about.”

It takes a lot to prompt an enthusiastic golfer to forego an opportunity to drop an eagle putt, but the Chaplain Team carries the unwritten expectation to always answer the phone because you don’t know who is calling or how serious the reason for calling may be.

Bach-Hansen was contacted a few years ago by an official who was struggling with losses, in short order, of both his job and his beloved mother. He took the call and it was good that he did.

“I was actually standing over an eagle putt,” he recalled. After excusing himself from the somewhat surprised members of his golfing party and retiring to a nearby cart, Bach-Hansen explained he then heard the official say, “I don’t know if I want to live anymore.”

“That’s a pretty heavy phone call to get,” BachHansen said. “My first job at that point was to get him

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through the day and get him to understand how much value he does have and that he is important to a lot of people.”

Following that initial conversation, the Chaplain Team’s Catholic priest assumed pastoral care responsibilities for the official, who is Catholic. “They speak the same language,” BachHansen said. “While we’re all in the same stadium, he is in the right section.”

When confronted with situations such as suicide ideation, it is important for Chaplain Team members to remain cognizant of the limits of pastoral care, limits that don’t allow for medical or psychiatric treatments of any kind.

“We are only equipped to do so much,” Bach-Hansen explained. “We can only take our type of pastoral care to a certain level, to a point where a person needs professional help.”

To borrow a term that has become commonplace in the age of COVID, providers of pastoral care can be described as “first responders” for people dealing with a wide range of life’s challenges. As first responders, the members of the Chaplain Team serve as a crucial bridge between the people they are caring for and the professional help and social services they may find beneficial.

“We have learned that some of our officials work in these (hospitalization/ dementia/hospice) fields,” explained Bach-Hansen as he discussed one association member who had approached the Chaplain Team with a dozen questions about elder care. They referred him to another member who “knows all the laws, he knows the tricks behind the scenes, and he’ll make sure that you get the information you need.”

From left, Bach-Hansen, Shackleford and Price provide emotional support to association members through a four-member Chaplain Team.

“ONE SEASON, WE WENT TO 32 FUNERALS DURING THE YEAR, AND THAT’S TOUGH BECAUSE WE ARE FAMIILY.” –Scott BachHansen

Funeral service attendance is one of the primary responsibilities of the Chaplain Team, and the size of the organization (CBOA has more than 350 active members) means a number of funerals take place each year.

As Price noted, pastoral care providers learn through both training and experience to suppress the natural impulse to comfort with (too many) spoken words and to be a problem-solver rather than a calming presence. Shackleford echoed his colleague’s observation, noting the most valuable and enduring pastoral care is simply to be with a grieving person. ”When a person is going through a period of grief such as a funeral, they remember who was there much more than they remember what was said,” Shackleford said.

“Normally one of us tries to attend a funeral service when someone loses an immediate family member such as a parent,” Bach-Hansen said.

“One season we went to 32 funerals during the year, and that’s tough because we are family. We have to remember the human side and people side of things and I hope the Chaplain Program does that.”

While Cardinal’s pastoral care team supports members

of the association, Audrey Price notes officials, players, coaches, administrators, parents and other spectators are all (involuntarily at times) members of the same sport ecosystem. Everyone drags their “life baggage” to the gym or field when they show up to play, coach, watch or officiate. Price recalls a wellregarded high school basketball player acting out, and during a discreet discussion with the coach, she learned the player’s father had died two days previously.

“While you’re not going to make any decisions that impact the competiveness of the game based on that information, the context of the behavior is important,” explained Price.

“The player was working out her grief on the floor. It’s not just about the athlete on the floor; it is about the whole person on the floor. People bring their ‘whole selves’ to the games and some athletes are better than others at compartmentalizing.”

Perhaps pastoral care and officiating have more in common than one would think at first glance. After all, both disciplines place a high value on remaining calm while among those in emotional turmoil.

Van Oler is a freelance writer from Milford, Ohio. 

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PLAY IT FORWARD As the nation slowly gets back to normal, sports will be an important part. Whether you’re already back working or waiting patiently for your next assignment, joining NASO is one of the best calls you can make.

Exclusive Covid Liability Protection – Coverage if a player or other participant gets COVID-19 during a game and sues you.

Discounts – Refresh your rules & mechanics knowledge fast with 20% off all Referee training guides plus discounts on gear from Ump-Attire.com so you’re game ready.

Advocacy – Stand with your fellow officials knowing your dues help NASO push for better protections, pay and working conditions for officials nationwide.

Stay Connected – With Referee Magazine monthly, exclusive newsletters and important notices, you’ll have your finger on the pulse of officiating like never before.

JOIN or RENEW NASO TODAY AT

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BASEBALL

EDITOR: SCOTT TITTRINGTON

stittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES

Once Adolph Varela, El Paso, Texas, puts the ball in play, he must be locked in and ready to call the next pitch. Sometimes, that is easier said than done, and umpires must know how to get themselves back in the zone when they are struggling with their pitch-calling.

FROM ZONED OUT TO ZEN MASTER

By Jon Bible

I

n the 1984 College World Series, I had the plate in a semifinal game. Pitch one was a slider on the edge of home plate. Right in my wheelhouse, but I called it a ball, and instantly knew I was wrong.

Oh, well, I thought — the burden of trying for a perfect game was gone.

Pitch two was in the same spot.

Same result.

I was determined not to miss another one. So here came a fastball about a foot high and outside. The problem was mentally I had called it a strike before it left the pitcher’s

hand. As the third-base coach landed after jumping three feet high, I thought, “Bubba, you’re 0-for-3.

Better get your head on straight.”

Any umpire can probably sympathize, for we’re all going to have moments — or games — where we can’t tell a ball from a strike. It happens at all levels and to veterans and newbies alike. Indeed, in the game above I had roughly 15 years of college and pro ball under my belt. External forces — bad pitching, weather, catchers who shift late, etc. — may be a factor, but often our problems are our own making.

What to do when it’s a rough day?

Take inventory. Run down a checklist of basics. Timing too fast?

Your head ought to be at the top of the batter’s strike zone; is it higher or lower, and are you keeping it steady as the pitch comes in? Tracking the pitch all the way to the mitt with your eyes? Something about your stance amiss? Maybe ask a partner for help; sometimes they see things we don’t.

Once, the head coach of a school for which I assigned non-conference games called about an umpire he said was missing pitches badly. To oblige him, I looked at video. Sure enough, the umpire’s head shifted to the other side of the catcher’s head on outside

VICTOR CALZADA

Try These Techniques During Rough Days Behind the Plate

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BILL NICHOLS

pitches to left-handed batters; because he wasn’t seeing the pitch all the way in, he was guessing and ringing up pitches a foot outside. At first he didn’t believe he was doing this, but after he saw the video it was a quick fix.

Don’t experiment. I once worked with a veteran who was inconsistent early in an NCAA regional game.

He usually worked a box stance and obviously knew things were amiss because he shifted to a knee, scissors, back to a box, etc., to try to fix it.

After the second inning he called me in and asked if I could help. I suggested he stick with his usual stance, keep his head steady and try the pro umpire school mantra of “On the rubber, get set, call it” before each pitch to get a consistent rhythm going. Ultimately, he got in the groove.

Presumably you’ve developed a stance and routine that have produced good results. Don’t change things if the going gets rough, for mid-game isn’t the time to experiment. Instead, try to figure out what you’re not doing that you usually do. Experiment in scrimmages.

Relax. At times when I struggled, I tensed up. Golfers know if you hit a few bad shots the impulse is to grip the club tighter, and this can happen to us. The more we mess up, the more rigid we may get. If you sense this, take a deep breath and try to feel the tension ease out of your body. You can’t hit good golf shots when you’re tense, and you can’t call balls and strikes that way. I’ve seen umpires who were so rigid, it seemed they’d been embalmed.

Don’t fidget around between pitches. I’ve seen umpires paw the dirt, grab their belt, adjust their mask or protector, etc., instead of just calmly standing there. I’ve also seen people jerk down into their stance as the pitcher is delivering. In terms of focus and timing, it’s better to ease down in a cruise-control manner.

Watch major league umpires and you’ll see virtually all of them do this.

Focus. Sometimes we screw up because we’re not concentrating on the pitch all the way to the mitt.

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Maybe we’re unwittingly thinking about something else — a work problem, someone in the stands, etc. When I forced myself to block everything out and focus on the little white ball, it helped.

Don’t anticipate. I had to fight anticipating what pitch was coming given the situation. Once, the home team was ahead in the top of the ninth with two outs and an 0-2 count on the hitter. I was looking for a waste pitch, and here came what seemed like a high fastball.

Unfortunately, it broke into the heart of the zone, but I had already registered it as a ball. Thankfully, the batter swung at the next pitch and missed. So if you’re having difficulties, it may be that you’re not taking each pitch as it comes without preconceived notions of what it will be.

Don’t be too fine. Pitchers can be too fine, and so can we. Sometimes it seems that we won’t ring up a pitch unless it’s perfect. My philosophy was that when a ball leaves the pitcher’s hand, it’s a strike until I’m convinced otherwise. Thus, I called borderline pitches strikes instead of making them be “right there.”

If you’re having a rough day, ask yourself if this is the problem.

Have a short memory. It can be hard to do this, but if you know (or think) you missed a pitch, quickly turn the page. Stewing on the one that got away from you makes it more likely that you’ll boot the next one.

When I took inventory in my CWS game, I realized I missed the first two pitches because I had set up farther inside than usual and at an angle that made them look a mile outside. And my timing was fast. I missed the third one because I overreacted to the first two misses, anticipated another strike and didn’t process where it actually was. In other words, I butchered just about everything. Once I fixed things and calmed down, everything was OK. Mercifully.

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. 

BY THE NUMBERS

57 The number of ejections by MLB umpires through the first two months of the 2021 season. Last season saw 81 ejections during the roughly two-month regular season that ran from July 23-Sept. 27.

SOURCE: CLOSECALLSPORTS.COM

TOOLS All-Star Cobalt Skull Cap Are you a traditionalist who likes using a hat-and-mask combo behind the plate but considering the added safety provided by the hard-shell “bucket”? Then perhaps the All-Star Cobalt Umpire Skull Cap is the right compromise. The short-billed helmet is gaining favor with many umpires working the plate, including MLB arbiters Mike Estabrook, Gabe Morales and John Tumpane. It was designed in collaboration with MLB and Minor League Baseball, comes in four sizes, costs $59.99 and is available at ump-attire.com.

THEY SAID IT “A player without a ball, without making a play on a ball, is standing in the basepath of the runner, impeding and hindering him. … It doesn’t have to be contact. It just has to be hinder or obstruct, and that’s what happened.”

— MLB umpire Marty Foster, explaining his rationale for a disputed obstruction call against Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Zack Godley during an April 28 game against the Miami Marlins SOURCE: ESPN.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. The pitcher, in the windup position, may: a. Deliver a pitch. b. Legally step backward off the pitcher’s plate. c. Legally attempt a pickoff at an occupied base. d. a and b. e. All of the above.

2. With a runner on first base and the ball in the first baseman’s glove, the pitcher places his feet astride the pitcher’s plate. a. This is a legal play. b. It is a balk.

3. The ball is dead immediately and the batter is out when: a. He hits the ball fair with part of his foot touching home plate and part touching the line of the batter’s box. b. He hits the ball foul with a foot on the ground completely outside the lines of the batter’s box. c. He bunts the ball fair with his knee touching the ground completely outside the lines of the batter’s box. d. b and c. e. All of the above.

4. The batter will be declared out when: a. An attempt to bunt with two strikes is foul. b. The third-base coach interferes with the third baseman attempting to catch a foul fly ball. c. With two outs and a runner on first base, the missed swinging third strike is not caught. d. a and b.

Slide Rules O

ne of the key rule differences umpires must understand when working multiple levels of baseball is the force-play slide rule. What constitutes a legal slide at one level may be outlawed by rule at another level, and umpires would be welladvised to review this important safety rule during their pregame preparations before working any game.

The first thing to remember is a runner is never required to slide at any level. In other words, there is no such thing as a “must-slide” rule.

At the NFHS, NCAA and pro levels, on all force plays not involving first base, runners have the option of executing a legal slide or peeling off and voluntarily removing themselves from the play.

The most stringent of the three rules codes when it comes to the force-play slide rule is the NFHS, which is detailed in rule 2-32. A legal slide can be either feet or head first, and if feet first, at least one leg and buttock shall be on the ground (2-32-1). If a runner slides, he must slide within reach of the base with either a hand or foot, or may slide in

A

a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder (2-32-1, 8-4-2b).

Illegal slides on force plays at the NFHS level include the runner rolling or popping up into the fielder; the runner’s raised leg coming in higher than the fielder’s knee when the fielder is in a standing position; the runner sliding beyond the base and making contact or altering the play of the fielder (except at home plate, where it is permissible for the slider’s momentum to carry him through the plate in a straight line); the runner slashing or kicking the fielder with either leg; or the runner not sliding in a direct line between the two bases (2-32-2). The penalty for these illegal slides is the baserunner is out, interference is called and the ball is dead immediately. If there are less than two outs, the runner is declared out, as well as the batterrunner, resulting in a double play. All other runners shall return to the bases occupied at the time of pitch (8-4-2b Pen.).

The NCAA force-play slide rule (8-4) is very similar to the NFHS version, with two key differences. At

This slide becomes illegal in NFHS, NCAA and games covered by pro rules if the runner’s elevated leg contacts the fielder above the knee.

5. The improper batter becomes the proper batter and the results of his time at bat are legal when no appeal is made and: a. A legal pitch has been delivered to the next batter. b. An illegal pitch has occurred. c. An intentional base on balls has been granted. d. All of the above.

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B

FIELDER IS PROTECTED IN THESE AREAS

2nd BASE

This slide is legal in all three rule codes.

While the runner is not sliding directly into the base, he is sliding away from the fielder and not creating any illegal contact.

1st BASE

the college level, a slider’s momentum may carry him through the base in the baseline extended (see MechaniGram, above) at any of the bases and is not just reserved for slides at home plate (8-4.a). Also, contact with a fielder is legal and interference shall not be called if the runner makes a legal slide directly to the base and in the baseline extended, even if this contact occurs on top of the base as a result of a “pop-up” slide (8-4.b). The penalties for force-play slide rule violations at the NCAA level are exactly the same as the NFHS level (8-4 Pen.).

The pro rule uses somewhat different language to delineate between a “bona fide” slide and a slide that should be ruled interference.

A bona fide slide for purposes of rule

6.01 (interference) occurs when the runner begins his slide (makes contact with the ground) before reaching the base; is able and attempts to reach the base with his hand or foot; is able and attempts to remain on the base (except home plate) after completion of the slide; and slides within reach of the base without changing his pathway for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder. A runner who engages in a bona fide slide shall not be called out for interference under this

rule, even in cases where the runner makes contact with the fielder as a consequence of a permissible slide.

A slide cannot be a bona fide slide if a runner engages in a “roll block,” or intentionally initiates (or attempts to initiate) contact with the fielder by elevating and kicking his leg above the fielder’s knee, or throwing his arm or his upper body. The penalties for violating the bona fide slide provisions are the same as at the NFHS and NCAA levels. 

Small Ball, Big Decisions

By George Demetriou

B

unting has become somewhat of a dying art in professional baseball.

With the focus on home runs, today’s version of the game has become much more of a pursuit of brute strength and athleticism than the original game. Nonetheless, bunts are alive and well in amateur games.

Bunts, especially the squeeze variety, either bring into play or emphasize the knowledge of unique rules. Here are some of the things umpires should focus on with regard to the batter, his bat and the ball.

Except where noted, the material applies equally to NFHS, NCAA and pro rules.

Did He Go? Bunting (NFHS 2-8; NCAA 2-14, 7-9; pro Bunt Definition) is not as easy as it appears. It’s not just making contact; in most cases the ball must be deadened so that it doesn’t go far enough for the pitcher to field it, but far enough so the catcher can’t reach it. The batter usually squares up to the mound and, in doing so, is likely to block the plate umpire’s view of the pitch, making it more difficult to

discern if the batter actually struck at the ball. If a player attempts to bunt the ball and misses, it is a strike, just as if he had swung and missed.

Merely holding the bat in the strike zone does not constitute a strike. The umpire must be convinced the batter was trying to touch the ball. A batter may actually attempt a bunt by letting the pitched ball strike the static bat; or, he may actually attempt to touch the ball while retracting the bat.

It is strictly an umpire’s judgment call as to whether the batter struck at the pitch. When a batter feints a bunt and the pitch does not enter the

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BASEBALL

CASEPLAYS Shoulder Rub Play: A right-handed batter bunts the ball down the firstbase line. He starts for first as F2 starts to field the ball. They brush shoulders as both proceed toward first. Ruling: The play stands.

The contact is incidental (NFHS 2-21-1, 2-22-1; NCAA 2-51, 2-55; pro Interference and Obstruction Definitions).

Tag Needed?

Play: With R2 on second, B2 singles. R2 attempts to score and there is a close play at the plate. F2 misses the tag as R2 misses the plate. F2 jumps up quickly, steps on home plate and yells, “I’m appealing!” as he fires to second to prevent B1’s advance. As F2 appealed, R2 was (a) scrambling back and touches the plate, or (b) heading for the dugout. Ruling: In (a), R2 is not out and the run counts. F2 would have had to tag him. In (b), it is an appeal play and R2 is out since he left the plate area heading for his dugout (NFHS 8-2-6; NCAA 8-6a4; pro 5.09c2).

strike zone, the umpire’s decision as to whether to call a strike should be based entirely on his judgment as to whether the batter struck at the pitch.

The batter’s posture can also obscure the view of his hands. If the ball first hits the batter’s hands, it is a hit batsman unless he struck at it.

Batter’s Box There is no relief for the bunter’s feet; they must be in regular, legal position when contact is made. The ball is not illegally batted (fair, foul or foul tip) unless the batter has at least one foot on the ground completely outside the box when contact occurs.

A foot in mid-air outside the box is permissible. The codes differ if the batter’s foot is touching the plate while part of that foot is inside the box (the lines are part of the box).

Such a batter is out in NFHS and NCAA, but not in pro (NFHS 7-3-2; NCAA 7-10a; pro 6.03a1).

Bat Hits Ball Twice Bunts increase the likelihood there will be secondary contact between

the ball and the bat. After hitting or bunting a fair ball if the bat still held by the batter hits the ball a second time in fair territory outside the batter’s box, it is interference.

If the bat contacts the ball a second time while the batter is still in the box, it is a foul ball (NFHS 2-16-1g; NCAA 7-7e; pro PBUC 9.8). If the batter drops his bat and the ball rolls against the bat in fair territory and, in the umpire’s judgment, there was no intent to interfere with the course of the ball, the ball remains live and in play (NFHS 5-1-1b, 8-4-1d; NCAA 7-11m; pro 5.09a8). Under a pro interpretation, the ball is determined to be fair or foul as if it never touched the bat (MLBUM 28).

Play 1: B1 bunts the ball in fair territory. He throws the bat down and it lands on the (a) bunted ball, or (b) ground in fair territory. In both cases the ball rolls into the bat. F2 fields the ball and throws out B1. Ruling 1: In (a), the ball is declared dead the moment the bat strikes the ball.

B1 is out. It does not matter whether the bat hit the ball intentionally or

Forced Advance Play: With R1 on first, B2 hits a ball to right field. R1 rounds second, stumbles and returns to second. B2 is heading for second when he is obstructed by F3. F9 makes a play on the obstructed runner at second. Ruling: In all codes, B2 is awarded second; R1 advances to third because he is forced. In NFHS, the ball remains live until playing action ends. In NCAA and pro, the ball is immediately dead (NFHS 8-32; NCAA 2-55 Type I, 8-3e; pro 6.01h2).

When a player attempts to bunt, both plate umpire Kyle Andersen, Tremonton, Utah, and base umpire Kevin Macho, Stansbury, Utah, need to be prepared to rule on a variety of factors.

BOB MESSINA

Pinball Play: With R1 on first and R3 on third, the infield is playing shallow. B3 hits a hard grounder between the legs of F3. The ball is deflected and R1 intentionally kicks the ball as it gets near him.

Ruling: The ball is dead and R1 is out. R3 is returned to third base and B3 is awarded first base.

Although the ball went between the fielder’s legs, the runner is out for intentional interference (NFHS 8-4-2g; NCAA 2-51; pro 6.10a11).

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accidentally. In (b), the play stands since the ball rolled into the bat and there was no intent to interfere.

Play 2: B1 bunts and heads for first. Due to backspin the ball bounces up and strikes the bat while it is in B1’s hand with B1 completely outside the batter’s box. This happens while the ball is over (a) foul territory, or (b) fair territory. Ruling 2: In (a), it is a foul ball. In (b), B1 is out, the ball is dead and runners return.

Play 3: B1 pops up a bunt in front of the plate and throws his bat so that it lands in fair territory. F2 loses the ball in the sun and the ball (a) lands on the bat, or (b) lands in front of the bat and then rolls into the bat. In either case, the ball continues to roll into foul territory untouched by any player. Ruling 3: In either case, it is a foul ball. The ball is treated as if it never touched the bat.

Batter Hit by Batted Ball Bunts also increase the likelihood of secondary contact between the ball and the batter. When a ball is bunted (PlayPic A) and subsequently hits the batter-runner or he runs into the ball (it doesn’t matter which way it happens), the key question becomes,

was he in the batter’s box? If he was in the box, it is a foul ball (PlayPics B and C). If he was out of the box, the batter-runner is out for interference.

The criterion for whether a batter is in or out of the box is only provided for an illegally batted ball (NFHS 7-3-2; NCAA 7-10a; pro 6.03a1).

However, once the ball is bunted the batter becomes a batter-runner and technically that guidance does not apply. Nevertheless, lacking a definitive interpretation, umpires would not be incorrect if they considered a player with one foot on the ground entirely outside the box as outside the box when he is touched by a fair ball. If interference is called, the ball is immediately dead and any runners must return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch (NFHS 2-16-1g, 5-1-1f1, 8-4-2k; NCAA 7-11l; pro 6.01a11).

Play 4: B1 swings at a pitch and the batted ball hits (a) B1 on the top of his foot; or (b) the ground in front of B1 and spins back into his leg while he is still in the batter’s box. Ruling 4: A foul ball in either case (NFHS 2-16-1f, 7-2-1f; NCAA 2-35d, 7-7e; pro 5.09a8).

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

A

C B

HUNDREDS OF FREE BASEBALL & OFFICIATING ARTICLES ON

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SOFTBALL

EDITOR: BRAD TITTRINGTON

btittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Philip Freels, Knoxville, Tenn., has a perfect view to see all the elements on this play — the ball, the runner, the fielder and home plate.

Plate umpires must adjust as athletes move in order to see the play and make the correct call.

MAKE YOUR MOVE

By Brad Tittrington

W

hen it comes to adjudicating plays at the plate in softball, the one-size-fits-all philosophy no longer works. Every play is dynamic and no two plays are the same. The athletes are bigger, stronger, faster and much more athletic. As they change the way the game is played, we as umpires must change and adapt as well.

The speed at which the game happens now is faster than it has ever been. It requires umpires to read and react in tenths of seconds in order to get the best angle to see a play and rule on it correctly. We can no longer plant roots and expect to see

everything and get the call right.

Force Plays. First, let’s take a look at force plays at the plate. Regardless of how many umpires are on the crew, the mechanics for force plays at the plate are the same. When the bases are loaded and there is a ground ball on the infield — and you know the play is coming to the plate — be prepared to move and make the call. Too often, umpires simply remove the mask and stay where they were to call the pitch and never move to an ideal location to see all the elements of the play — the ball, the plate, the runner and the catcher (or another fielder making the play at the plate).

The most important thing to do first is get depth. Ideally, you want to be 18-21 feet away on a force play so you can clearly see all the elements and not have the play blow up on you. Depending on what code you are working and where the ball is being thrown from will dictate your movement. In general for NFHS, USA Softball and USSSA, the plate umpire is going to maintain a 90-degree angle from the runner. This will take you first-base line extended in foul territory and roughly in line with the deepest corner or the right-handed batter’s box.

In NCAA, the new philosophy is to be somewhere between point-of-

COURTESY OF FLORIDA STATE ATHLETICS

Umpires Must Adjust Positioning on Plays at the Plate

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COURTESY OF OKLAHOMA ATHLETICS

plate and third-base line extended.

The reasoning for the change is the traditional 90-degree angle from the runner could potentially straight-line you to the throw. Also, if the throw takes the catcher away from the plate, it turns this play into a potential tag play and the plate umpire will need to adjust quickly to get a “wedge” view to see the tag. The wedge is the area between the fielder and the runner, and the plate umpire must continually move along an arc to keep basically the same view the catcher has in order to see the tag.

The classic 90 or traditional position does not allow the umpire to see that tag effectively. This positioning also gives the umpire a great look at the catcher’s foot to make sure she keeps it on the plate as she receives the throw and also allows the plate umpire a great view for potential obstruction.

In all codes, it is important for the plate umpire to adjust as the play develops. Just because you set up in one spot doesn’t mean you will finish there. Allow the play to dictate movement and move to improve your view. This is especially true if the catcher moves off the plate and the force out becomes a tag play. You must close down the distance first to 3-10 feet in NCAA and 10-12 feet in the other three codes. Then adjust to be able to see the tag and make the call. Also, be mindful you may have a secondary play after the initial force or tag play at the plate and be ready to move to make any secondary calls that are your responsibility.

Two-Person Tag Plays. The old philosophy for tag plays at the plate was pretty much always get to a spot first-base line extended, get set, watch the play and then make a ruling. The problem with this philosophy is that position doesn’t always give you a very good look at the play. In fact, it hardly ever gives you a great look at the play at the plate.

In order to make a correct call, you need to be able to see all the elements of the play. In the twoperson system, regardless of code, the plate umpire is typically somewhere in the holding zone between the plate and third base and has to move back

to the plate to make a call. As a plate umpire, you need to read the play and react as quickly as you can. If a runner is heading for home and you know the throw is going to the plate, you need to hustle to the plate area to stay ahead of the play. It is nearly impossible to make a credible call if you are trailing the runner to the plate and having to make a call from behind. Judging whether a hand or foot got to the plate ahead of the tag is nearly impossible in this situation.

You must stay ahead of the play in order to give yourself the best look and get the call right.

In NCAA, get to the point of plate and then move to maintain the wedge view. In the other three codes, get to a spot first-base line extended that allows you to see all four elements of the play. Ideally, you should be set before making the call as it is very difficult to make a call while moving.

As the play develops, you may need to move a few steps either left or right in order to get a view, especially if it is a swipe tag. In NCAA, that means moving along the arc to keep a wedge view. In the other three codes, it may be as simple as taking a step or two to your left or right to get a view of the tag as opposed to staying still and being straight-lined on the play. The most important thing is to be able to see the tag and make a determination if that tag occurred before or after the runner touched the plate.

Three-Person Tag Plays. In all codes, the three-person system allows much greater coverage for the plate umpire. If a base umpire moves to the outfield, revert to two-person mechanics. If all umpires stay in, things are a little different.

In situations where the plate umpire does not rotate up to third and has the play at the plate, the plate umpire does not have to worry about being in a holding position between the plate and third base. The plate umpire can easily stay ahead of the play and get to a position as described in the section above.

In situations where there is a full rotation and the first-base umpire (U1) is responsible for plays at the plate, the first-base umpire must get to the point of plate as quickly

BY THE NUMBERS

91

Total runs scored in the Alabama Class 6A Area 3 Tournament game between Park Crossing High School and Sidney Lanier High School.

65

Total walks amassed in the game between the two teams.

29 20 5

Total combined hit by pitches between the two teams.

Total hits put up by the two teams.

Hours in duration.

DID YOU KNOW? The first collegiate softball game ever to be broadcast on network television happened May 29 as Game 2 of the NCAA Super Regional between Oklahoma University and the University of Washington took place on ABC. The umpires for the game were Bubba Ewald (plate), Carlos Guzman (U1), Megan Rabin (U2) and Cam Ellison (U3).

THEY SAID IT “I 100 percent do. I think that’s a great question, because the stakes are high, and I know umpires can’t see everything, and it’s a tough game to officiate. I know baseball has it, and if baseball has it, softball should have it.”

— Oklahoma University softball head coach Patty Gasso on if softball should have instant replay.

SOURCE: OU INSIDER

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SOFTBALL

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

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

1. With R2 on second and one out, B3 takes a called third strike. R2 is stealing on the pitch and F2’s throw to third base hits B3 in the helmet and ricochets out of play. B3 had one foot in the batter’s box and one foot over the plate as she was heading to her dugout after striking out when she was struck by the ball. a. B3 is protected since she had one foot in the batter’s box. R2 is awarded home once the ball rolls out of play. b. B3 is protected since she had one foot in the batter’s box. R2 is awarded third base once the ball rolls out of play. c. B3 is guilty of interference, R2 is ruled out and the half-inning is over.

2. With no outs, R3 attempts to steal home. B2 moves, but remains in the batter’s box, and hinders the catcher’s ability to make a play on R3. a. The batter’s box is a sanctuary and the batter is protected. The result of the play stands. b. It is a delayed dead ball and the defensive team may choose the result of the play or the batter is out and R3 returns to third. c. It is a delayed dead ball and the team may choose the result of the play or R3 is ruled out. d. It is an immediate dead ball, the batter is ruled out and R3 is returned to third base. e. It is an immediate dead ball and R3 is ruled out.

3. Three-foot lane interference can occur on: a. A throw to the plate. b. A throw to first base. c. A play when the fielder does not throw the ball because the fielder withholds her attempt because of the location of the runner.

4. With R1 on first base and no outs, B2 hits a sharp one-hopper to F3.

R1 returns to first base, after which F3 steps on first before B2 arrives.

F3 then tags R1 while she is still in contact with first base. a. Both R1 and B2 are out. b. B2 is out on the force out and R1 remains at first. c. R1 is out for returning to the base and B2 remains at first. d. The defense may choose which runner is out.

as possible and then be prepared to move to make a ruling on any plays at the plate.

The key thing to remember is the point of plate is not a calling position.

It is simply an area to start and then the umpire must move to either the classic 90 or maintain the wedge, depending on the code. If U1 is late getting to the plate, the view will not be credible and U1 risks having to guess on the call and potentially being straight-lined.

The biggest thing to remember when making calls at the plate is to not grow roots. All plays are fluid and

you need to move in order to keep all elements of the play in your view.

If you notice you are struggling in your games to make those tough calls at the plate, chances are you are not moving to improve your position.

Stay focused, react and move as the play develops and in no time, you will be getting all those crucial calls at the plate correct.

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

Obstruction Deduction W

hen it comes to obstruction, one of the toughest decisions an umpire has to make is whether or not to call obstruction at the plate.

No matter the situation, this call, or non-call, is going to irk one of the coaches and a potential argument is going to ensue.

Umpires, however, need to have the intestinal fortitude to make this call. By not calling it, umpires place the offensive team at a distinct disadvantage. Yes, making this call takes a potential out off the board.

However, not making this call takes a potential run off the board.

While obstruction is a wideranging rule that can occur anywhere on the field, this article will simply look at obstruction at the plate that prevents a runner from scoring.

All codes use almost the same verbiage when it comes to the definition of obstruction. It is defined as the act of a fielder, not in possession of the ball nor in the act of fielding a batted ball, impeding the progress of any runner legally running the bases on a live ball. The act can be intentional or unintentional and there does not need to be contact in order for obstruction to be called (NFHS 2-36; NCAA 9.5.1; USA Softball 1 – Obstruction, R/S 36, USSSA 3 – Obstruction).

The key to calling obstruction is to be in the proper position. The umpire must be able to get a view of the baserunner’s path and determine if the catcher, or other fielder making a play at the plate, is in that runner’s path without possession of the thrown ball. In the past, catchers were often taught to block the plate, catch the ball, drop the knee and make the tag. The problem with this technique is the moment they block the plate without possession of the ball, they are potentially guilty of obstruction.

More recently, coaches have taught catchers to place their foot at the top left corner of the plate, catch the ball, then move the foot or leg to block the plate and make the tag. By having the left foot at the top corner of the plate, the catcher is allowing the runner a complete path to the plate and therefore is not guilty of obstruction, provided the catcher doesn’t move that foot to block the base before having possession of the ball.

When obstruction does occur, umpires need to know the signal and penalty for such action.

When obstruction occurs, the calling umpire should verbalize “obstruction” and give the delayed dead-ball signal. The umpire should then allow the play to continue before potentially making any other

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DALE GARVEY

call. There are some differences between NCAA and the other three codes in regard to penalties.

In NCAA, when a fielder blocks the whole plate or basepath without the ball and the runner is subsequently tagged out at the plate, the umpire must judge if the runner was clearly beaten by the throw. If the umpire judges the runner was clearly beaten by the throw, obstruction should be ignored and the runner should be called out. This is a situation where the umpire should allow the play to develop before signaling anything or verbalizing anything. If the umpire determines the runner was not clearly beaten by the throw, the umpire should call time, signal and verbalize obstruction and award the runner home plate. It is important to note this exception only applies to obstruction for blocking the whole plate or path and does not apply to obstruction ruled for impeding the progress of a runner while the fielder is not in possession of the ball or in the act of fielding a batted ball (9.5.1 Note 3, A.R. 9-12, A.R. 9-13). For all other types of obstruction at the plate, the penalties are the same as the other three codes listed below.

In the other three codes and in NCAA situations not listed in the above exception, the runner is protected between the two bases where she was obstructed provided the runner does not commit a violation (interference, passing a runner, missing a base or leaving a base too soon on a caught fly ball and the defense properly appeals, the batter flies out for the third out). In these instances, the umpire should signal delayed dead-ball, verbalize “obstruction” and then allow the play to finish. If the runner scores, the obstruction is ignored. If the catcher’s obstruction did not allow the runner to reach the plate safely, the umpire should call dead ball and award the runner home (NFHS 8-4-3b Pen.; NCAA 9.5.3, 9.5.7; USA Softball 8-5b; USSSA 8-13).

Umpires need to be aware contact does not need to occur to

A fielder without possession of the ball may not impede the progress of a runner legally running the bases. In this photo, the catcher is clearly impeding the progress of the runner without possession of the ball and obstruction should be called. Not all obstruction calls at the plate are this obvious, however.

have obstruction. Often, baserunners will alter their path or slide wide in order to avoid contact. If the fielder impedes her progress, it is still obstruction even though contact did not occur. Another thing to remember is a poor throw does not take away obstruction. If you have worked the game long enough, you have undoubtedly heard a coach say, “The ball took her there. What is she supposed to do, let the ball go to the fence?” Fielders have the ability to go and get a poorly thrown ball. However, they do not have a right to impede the runner’s progress in doing so. While a fielder is protected when fielding a batted ball, the fielder is not afforded that same protection on a thrown ball. A runner should not be penalized due to the defense making a poor throw.

Another thing to remember is a catcher who commits obstruction is not a sitting duck for the runner to barrel over. Even though obstruction is called, there is a penalty if the runner collides flagrantly or causes malicious contact. In NFHS, USA

Softball and USSSA, if an obstructed runner causes malicious contact with the fielder (whether the fielder has the ball or not), she is out and ejected as the malicious contact supersedes the obstruction (NFHS 8-6-14; USA Softball R/S 13; USSSA 8-18d). In NCAA, the runner is declared safe on the obstruction call, however she is ejected for the flagrant collision (9.5.3.1 Eff.).

The biggest takeaway for umpires is to call the obstruction at the plate when it happens.

Regardless of the code you are working, the level of play, the score or the inning, it needs to be called every time it happens. Be consistent with your calling of it and be prepared to use rulebook language when an unhappy coach comes out of the dugout to argue. Not calling it only causes players to continue to be in places they are not allowed to be by rule and potentially leads to more contact and more collisions.

Call it accurately and consistently and it will help clean up your games. 

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CASEPLAYS Non-Pivot (Stride) Foot Play: The pitcher has her pivot foot on top of the pitcher’s plate and her non-pivot (stride) foot six inches behind the pitcher’s plate as she takes the signal from the catcher. The pitcher then brings her hands together and takes a step backward with her non-pivot foot. As she separates her hands, she steps toward home plate and pushes off with her pivot foot and drags away from the pitcher’s plate. Ruling: Legal in NFHS, USA Softball and USSSA. The pitcher may take a step backward with the non-pivot foot prior to the start of the pitch, which is defined as the hands separating in those three codes (NFHS 6-1-1, 6-12a, 6-1-2b; USA Softball (6A-1c; 6A-1e); USSSA 6-1a, 6-1e-1, 6-1e-2). In NCAA, this would be an illegal pitch as once the pitcher initially sets the toe of her stride foot, she may not step back any farther to increase the distance behind the pitcher’s plate (10.1.2.2, 10.2.1.2).

Catch or HR? Play: With the bases loaded and two outs, B6 hits a deep fly ball to left field. The left fielder races back to the temporary fence and launches herself toward the ball. She jumps in the air, makes contact with the temporary fence while in the air, catches the ball and then lands a couple of feet beyond the temporary fence, while maintaining possession and control of the ball in her glove.

The umpires rule a home run.

Ruling: Incorrect. In all codes, this is a catch and the batter should be ruled out for the third out of the half-inning. To be ruled a catch, the fielder must have secure possession of the ball before stepping, touching or falling into a dead-ball area.

The left fielder met this criteria as she securely possessed the ball before touching dead-ball territory (NFHS 2-9-4; NCAA 9.2.2; USA Softball 1 - Catch/No Catch; USSSA 3 – Catch).

Keep an Eye on ’Em W

hile it is always important to keep eyes on runners, it is especially important when multiple runners are on base. Not only do umpires need to see runners touch each base, they must also make sure runners do not pass each other, as illustrated in the MechaniGram.

When multiple runners are in motion, it is imperative umpires know which runners are their responsibility. For simplicity’s sake, this article will only focus on the two-umpire system.

If the base umpire moves to the outfield, the plate umpire is responsible for all runners. This requires the plate umpire to get out from behind home plate and move to the holding position in front of the pitcher’s circle in order to have angles and views on all potential plays on the bases.

If the base umpire does not move to the outfield, then the base umpire is responsible for the batter-runner

all the way to third base and all other runners at first and second base. The plate umpire is responsible for all runners going to third base (except the batter-runner) and all runners at home.

The majority of time a runner passing another runner occurs on fly balls to the outfield. A baserunner may head back to the bag to tag up in cases where it appears the outfielder will make a catch easily.

When the outfielder ends up dropping the ball, the batter-runner has often passed the baserunner who started on first. If both umpires are looking at the ball instead of focusing on the runners, this could easily be missed.

With only a single runner on first, this should be a fairly easy call as the base umpire moves to a position to see both the catch and the runner tagging up from first.

The base umpire should easily see if the batter-runner passes the

R2 R1

R1

R2

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baserunner. Where it gets a little trickier is with multiple runners on base. In all codes, except NCAA, the plate umpire is responsible for the lead runner tagging up and the base umpire has all trail runners.

In NCAA, the plate umpire only has tag-up responsibilities on R3 at third base and the base umpire has responsibility for both R2 and R1.

When the base umpire is responsible for multiple runners, it can be difficult to see the batter-runner passing R1 at first base if it happens quickly and the runners then readjust. Ideally, the base umpire is able to get into a position to see both runners tag up. That may not always be possible, however, and the base umpire must watch the lead runner first and then shift to see the runner at first base. Sometimes, the plate umpire may have a better look and may see this situation with a broader view of the entire field.

All four codes agree how umpires

When multiple runners are in motion, it is imperative umpires know which runners are their responsibility. should handle a situation in which a runner passes a preceding runner.

In order to be called out, the trailing runner must completely pass the preceding runner. The ball remains live and the trailing runner is called out. There are two instances, however, where that is not the case. If the preceding runner was obstructed or the passing of the runners occurs on a foul fly ball that is ultimately uncaught, there is no out and runners are returned to their proper order once the ball is declared dead (NFHS 8-6-4; NCAA 12.4.3; USA Softball

8-7d; USSSA 8-18o).

One interesting caveat to the rule is a situation when a runner passes a preceding runner during an overthe-fence home run. For instance, if a team hits a grand slam with two outs, all runners still have an obligation to perform their baserunning duties properly. If a runner passes a runner, only the runs scored prior to that passing would count. With less than two outs, only the runner who passes a runner would be ruled out and that run would not count. The remaining runs would still count. 

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EDITOR: SCOTT TITTRINGTON

stittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Officials working high school games in California, such as Jeff Myles, Los Angeles, are used to doing so with a shot clock, as shown in the background. Starting with the 2022-23 season, a 35-second shot clock is allowed in all NFHS competition by state association adoption.

YOUR TIME STARTS … NOW

By Scott Tittrington

O

ne of the most hotly debated topics in high school basketball will now shift from a national debate to one being discussed at the state level.

During its annual April meeting, held virtually for the second consecutive year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee voted to allow the use of a 35-second shot clock by state association adoption beginning with the 2022-23 season.

That significant rule change, one additional rule change and a modification of one of the official signals used by game officials were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors in May. Referee thanks Theresia Wynns, NFHS director of sports and officials education and staff liaison to the rules committee, for reviewing this information, which appears in rulebook order.

Shot Clock (2-14 NEW) Rather than mandate high schools

use a shot clock for basketball games, the rules committee opted for a bit of middle ground by choosing the state adoption route.

“We provided the committee with a lot of information regarding the shot clock, including responses to a 46-question survey sent to states currently using a shot clock,” Wynns said.

The new rule states each state association may adopt the use of a shot clock beginning with the 202223 season according to guidelines outlined in the NFHS rulebook. The

HESTON QUAN

NFHS Approves Shot Clock By State Adoption

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shot clock must be 35 seconds in duration, and additional guidelines include displaying two timepieces (clocks) connected to a horn that is distinctive from the game-clock horn; using an alternative timing device, such as a stopwatch at the scorer’s table, in the case of shot clock malfunctions; and allowing for corrections to the shot clock only during the shot clock period in which an error occurred and the officials have definite information relative to the mistake or malfunction.

Another key component is that a state’s adopted procedures for using the shot clock may not violate or invalidate another NFHS rule. For instance, a state may not decide to eliminate the 10-second backcourt violation (rule 9-8) as part of its shot clock adoption. Any state that changes another NFHS rule or uses a shot clock of a different time duration — multiple states currently use a 30-second version — will remain out of compliance with the NFHS. Play 1: A state association chooses to implement a 35-second shot clock for the 2022-23 season. As part of its procedure, the state (a) eliminates the 10-second backcourt violation, or (b) eliminates the fivesecond closely guarded violation.

Ruling 1: Both of these procedures are not allowed according to NFHS rules as they alter a different part of the NFHS rulebook as part of the state’s shot clock adoption. The state would be out of NFHS compliance in both instances.

Play 2: A state association chooses to implement a 35-second shot clock for its boys’ basketball games and (a) a 30-second shot clock for its girls’

basketball games, or (b) no shot clock for its girls’ basketball games.

Ruling 2: In (a), the state would be out of NFHS compliance, as the only acceptable duration for the shot clock in either boys’ or girls’ games is 35 seconds. In (b), the state would remain in compliance, as it is simply choosing not to have a shot clock for its girls’ games.

Team Member’s Equipment, Apparel (3-5-4e) The rule legislating head coverings has been changed so that players wearing them for religious reasons may do so without obtaining state association approval (see PlayPics, below). Previously, an exception to rule 3-5-4e allowed state associations to approve such head coverings with documented evidence that the coverings were for religious reasons.

The head covering shall not be made of abrasive or hard materials and must be attached so that it is highly unlikely to come off during play.

Basketball is the sixth sport to adopt a rule related to the wearing of head coverings or other equipment for religious reasons, following volleyball, field hockey, soccer, spirit and swimming and diving.

Play 3: Game officials notice a player on the home team is warming up with a head covering. The player tells the officials it is a religious head covering, and the officials notice it does not violate any of the provisions of rule 3-5-4e. Ruling 3: The head covering is legal.

Play 4: Game officials notice a player on the home team is warming

11

BY THE NUMBERS The number of consecutive NBA playoff games lost by Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul that have been worked

by NBA official Scott Foster. Paul negatively alluded to this stat following a May 27 firstround loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

SOURCE: AZCENTRAL.COM

THEY SAID IT “Taking in the outside stresses of travel, separation from family, lack of sleep, nutrition, I don’t think there is a group in professional sports that is under the same level of stress that NBA referees are under.”

– NBA official Marc Davis SOURCE: GQ.COM

SIDELINE NBA Seeks Tech Solutions for Officials Training

MARK J. REBILAS-USA TODAY SPORTS

The NBA in June announced the unveiling of NBA Launchpad, an initiative to source, evaluate and pilot emerging technologies that advance four top NBA priorities.

One of those priorities is to advance referee training and development.

A press release detailing each of the four priorities says the following related to advancing referee training and development: “Officiating an NBA game takes years of preparation and training at the highest level. Every year, the NBA trains and evaluates thousands of amateur referees all over the world. To strengthen these current programs, the NBA is seeking technologies that enhance the training, development and recruitment of referees.”

For more information, visit the NBA Launchpad website at launchpad.nba.com.

SOURCE: NBA.COM

REFEREE

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TEST YOURSELF In each of the following, decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA men’s and NCAA women’s rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.

1. A1 is fouled prior to team A being in the bonus, but A1 is awarded free throws. All of the following are canceled if they occur during A1’s first free throw, except which? a. A technical foul by A3. b. A1’s successful free throw. c. A personal foul by A2. d. A personal foul by B2.

2. A6 reports to the table to substitute into the game and is wearing illegal number 6. All of the following are true, except which? a. A6 cannot play wearing the number 6. b. If A6 enters the game, a technical foul shall be charged. c. If team A’s coach decides not to have A6 enter the game, no technical foul is assessed. d. If additional team members are wearing illegal numbers, an additional technical foul is charged for each team member who enters the game.

3. A1 is shooting the first of two free throws. The try strikes the ring and bounces and rolls around the ring until it ultimately comes to rest on top of the flange. How is play resumed? a. Alternating-possession throwin. b. Throw-in to team B. c. A1 shall get a replacement first free throw. d. The first free throw shall be deemed unsuccessful, and play resumed with A1’s second free throw.

4. Which of these result in a technical foul being assessed to the home team? a. The game clock does not have tenths of a second display. b. The color of the padding on the two backboards does not match. c. A scoreboard does not display team fouls. d. None of these result in a technical foul being assessed to the home team.

5. All of the following result in goaltending if it occurs during a freethrow attempt, except which? a. The ball is touched outside the cylinder while on its upward flight. b. The ball is touched outside the cylinder on its downward flight. c. The ball is touched while it is in the cylinder.

up with a head covering that is attached by bobby pins. The player tells the officials it is a religious head covering. Ruling 4: The head covering is legal. However, the bobby pins holding it in place are not, as they violate rule 3-5-4d. In order to wear the head covering, the player is going to have to find a legal way of attaching it so that it is highly unlikely to come off during play.

Officials’ Signals The official NFHS signals have been modified to use the same hand signal for a player-control foul and a team-control foul. Officials should use signal 36, which is a hand placed on the back of the head, for both

types of fouls. Previously, a teamcontrol foul was communicated with signal 37, a punch of the hand.

That signal has been eliminated (see PlayPics, above).

“It is redundant to have different signals to communicate that a foul will be charged to a member of the team in control of the ball,” Wynns said. “Officials don’t understand the need to differentiate between a player-control foul and a team-control foul, and many game participants, table personnel and fans don’t know the difference.”

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

Delayed Warnings

By Vlad Figueroa

T

here are four, and only four, specific warnings for team delays under NFHS rules. Those warnings are spelled out in rule 4-47, while rule 10-2 subsequently states any of the four result in a team technical foul should they occur after a first warning for team delay.

The warnings are as follows: • A defensive team player having any part of his/her body through the inbounds side of the throw-in boundary plane before the ball has been released on a throw-in

(4-47-1, 7-6-4, 9-2-10, 9-2-10 Pen. 1 and 2, 10-2-1c).

• Contacting the free thrower before the free throw ends or a huddle of two or more players in the lane by either team prior to a free throw (4-47-2, 9-1-3h, 10-2-1d).

• Interfering with the ball following a goal (4-47-3, 10-2-1e).

• Not having the court ready for play following any timeout (4-47-4, 10-2-1f).

It is important for officials to enforce these situations when they happen.

See “Delays” p.70

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Tag, You’re It! The NFHS felt strongly enough about proper enforcement of intentional fouls to make such rulings a point of emphasis prior to the 2020-21 season.

BOB MESSINA

The activity shown in this photo is a perfect illustration of that point.

Looking at this snapshot in time, we are lacking any true context for what is happening in this particular basketball game. We have no knowledge of the score. We do not know whether the game is in the first quarter or the fourth, or how much time is remaining. We have no idea whether these two teams have played a relatively clean game to this point in this particular contest, or if the two squads are heated rivals who can’t stand each other and have been taking liberties with physical play throughout the entire contest.

What we do know is the defensive player, shown in blue, reaches out and places two hands on the ballhandler.

The easy way to rule on this play is to invoke rule 10-7-12a, as this is a clear and obvious foul due to illegal contact. But is it the correct way?

The defensive player is making no attempt to legitimately guard the ballhandler in this scenario. Officials would be letting her off the hook by ruling a mere personal foul.

This activity is the textbook definition of an intentional foul as spelled out in 4-19-3c of the NFHS rulebook: “An intentional foul is a personal or technical foul that may or may not be premeditated and is not based solely on the severity of the act. Intentional fouls include, but are not limited to … contact that is not a legitimate attempt to play the ball/player specifically designed to stop the clock or keep it from starting.”

All of those what-ifs listed above — the score, the time, the style of play to that point — are irrelevant. Yes, they can all be strong indicators for officials that these types of fouls may, or may not, be ripe for occurrence, but they are not required. All that’s needed in this scenario is for official Carl Nielsen, of Brigham City, Utah, to blow his whistle, stop the clock with a raised fist, and immediately cross his arms at the wrist above his head (signal No. 38), indicating he is ruling an intentional foul with the offended player to be awarded two free throws, followed by a designated-spot throw-in nearest the infraction for the offended team.

It might not be a popular ruling, but then again, officials don’t take the floor to win any popularity contests. They take the floor to enforce the rules and promote safety and fair play.

NFHS rules are designed to do the same and those rules clearly spell out this is an intentional foul.

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A

CASEPLAYS Assistant Coach Replacing Head Coach Play: Team A’s head coach receives a technical foul in the first half for excessively complaining about a call. Later in the game, the coach receives a second technical for again excessively complaining and is ejected. Team A’s assistant replaces the head coach. Is that assistant allowed to perform all normal duties of the head coach? Ruling: A team’s head coach is allowed special privileges that assistant coaches do not have including, but not limited to, being able to stand within the coaching box during live play, call timeouts or make an appeal to correct an error or timing mistake. When a head coach is ejected and is replaced by an assistant, that assistant effectively becomes the new head coach, including many of the privileges and responsibilities that come with being a head coach.

That former assistant cannot stand in the coaching box (NFHS), but may request timeouts, appeal correctable errors, etc. (NFHS 5-83, 5-8-4, 10-5, 10-6 Note; NCAAM 5-11.4, 5-11.5, 10-3 Ejection Note; NCAAW 5-11.3, 5-11.5, 10-12.4 Penalty Note, Ejection).

Shot at Wrong Basket Play: A1 grabs a defensive rebound but becomes confused and shoots the ball at team B’s basket. The ball strikes the backboard and ring but does not enter the basket. A1 grabs the rebound without the ball touching any other player. At this point, A1 realizes the shot was attempted at team B’s basket, and A1 begins to dribble the ball down the court toward team A’s frontcourt. Has a violation or any other infraction occurred by A1’s actions? Ruling: Because A1’s attempt at goal was not at team A’s basket, this is not considered a try. Throwing the ball against an opponent’s backboard is the same as throwing the ball to the floor, which constitutes a dribble. When A1 was the first player to grab the ball after it was thrown against the opponent’s backboard, that ended the dribble. When A1 began to dribble again, A1 has committed a double dribble violation (NFHS 4-5, 4-151, 9-5, 9.5; NCAAM 9-7, A.R. 78; NCAAW 9-7, A.R. 110).

C

B

DELAYS

continued from p.68

Let’s take a closer look at each of these warnings and the implications if we ignore them or “let them go."

If we don’t issue a warning when an opponent of the throwerin violates the boundary-line plane (PlayPic A), there is a very real possibility the opponent will to do it again. Even more troublesome, the opponent may escalate the behavior and actually touch or dislodge the ball, resulting in a technical foul (9-2 Pen. 3, 10-4-10), or may make contact with the player making the throw-in, resulting in an intentional foul (9-2 Pen. 4), each of which should be ruled whether or not there has been a previous warning for delay.

Assessing a warning on the first occurrence will let the players know you’re watching. Coaches typically respond well to warnings and, in an

ideal situation, will let their players know what they did wrong so they don’t repeat it and lead to the escalating penalty that comes with a repeat occurrence.

Some officials think that by just talking to players and telling them, “Hey, don’t do that,” they have done their job, but that’s not correct.

Preventive officiating is acceptable to a certain degree, but to prevent, one needs to stave off a problem before, not after, it happens. When you see this situation, call the warning for delay, then talk to the offender and the coach to “prevent” the second occurrence and the technical foul.

The warning for interfering or touching the ball following a goal (PlayPic B) also becomes a strategic advantage should officials choose not to rule in the prescribed manner.

What if a crew ignores this situation early in a game and no official rules

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a warning for delay? The thinking might be it’s no big deal given the game situation, as just a second or two runs off the clock during a point in the contest where there isn’t as much attention given to clock awareness.

Now, imagine this happening with three seconds on the game clock in the fourth quarter or the second half. Team A scores and is now leading, 63-62, and touches the ball to bat it away from the opponent. By choosing not to rule a warning for delay after the first occurrence, we’ve now allowed team A to manipulate the closing seconds of a tight ballgame with virtually no repercussions. This is especially problematic if it occurs at the high school level, where the clock doesn’t stop after a made goal with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, like it does in NCAAW and the second half in NCAAM. Delays related to free throws

need to be addressed as well.

Huddling during this time prevents the game from resuming promptly and might also serve to disconcert the free thrower (PlayPic C). And once the free thrower has the ball and is attempting to shoot a free throw, that player must be protected from contact until the ball touches the ring or the free throw ends.

Think about it this way: If players on the opposing team are allowed to make contact with the free thrower immediately following the release of the throw, that throw is not really "free" anymore. The shooter instead is being subjected to the same type of contact as a regular try.

Finally, let's look at not having the court ready for play following a timeout. How many times have you found yourself ready to resume play, only to have to wait for chairs to be moved off the playing court, or spilled water to have to be cleaned up off the floor? We tend

to confuse being professional and polite with ignoring or neglecting the rule. Coaches need to have the court ready for play when the second horn goes off, indicating the timeout is over.

All of these warnings for delay are important, and all of these situations must be addressed.

Remember that when they are committed, opponents are taking advantage of a situation, and if the officials do nothing to curb the behavior, they are ignoring a rule. To not use the applicable warnings provided in the rulebook is an invitation to create far worse situations at another point in the game.

Vlad Figueroa, Alpharetta, Ga., officiates women’s college and high school basketball, and high school football. He has worked both the Florida High School Athletic Association and Georgia High School Association state tournaments in basketball. 

GO TO THE VIDEO BLOCK/CHARGE: VIDEO GUIDE Blocks and Charges require split second judgment and rapid-fire decision making. The only way to get great at making these tough calls is to see as many plays as possible so your instincts take over.

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STORE. August_21.indb 71

/BASKETBALL 6/17/2021 1:13:12 PM

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION N AT I O N A L O F F I C I AT I N G

T

he NASO National Officiating Survey asked questions that focused on diversity and inclusion topics. The 2017 survey of 17,487 officials provides invaluable insights into the officiating industry. More results from the survey can be found at NASO.org/survey.

Demographics of survey respondents

53.29

8.04

YEARS

PERCENT

Average age of respondents

respondents identifying as female NOTE: 3,386 RESPONDENTS DID NOT INDICATE THEIR GENDER.

Race/Ethnicity/Background White Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin Black or African American Asian

90.7% 3.5%

HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS EVER BEEN USED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU RECEIVED AN ASSIGNMENT? My gender has been used for me.

YES 9%

4.6%

My gender has been used against me.

YES 13%

1.2%

American Indian or Alaska Native

1.9%

Middle Eastern or North African

0.5%

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

0.3%

Other race, ethnicity or origin

1.3%

NO 91%

NOTE: RESPONSES ADD UP TO MORE THAN 100 PERCENT BECAUSE RESPONDENTS COULD SELECT MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY.

NO 87%

My ethnicity has been used for me.

YES 4%

NO 96%

My ethnicity has been used against me.

YES 11%

NO 89%

My age has been used for me.

YES 13%

NO 87%

My age has been used against me.

YES 30%

NO 70%

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Representation in Officiating IF CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE OFFICIATING RANKS, WHICH ACTIONS DO YOU FEEL ARE REASONABLE AND APPROPRIATE IN DEVELOPING THAT SEGMENT OF THE OFFICIATING POPULATION? Mentorship programs should focus on ensuring higher retention rates within these groups by making sure as many group members as possible have a mentor.

75%

16%

9%

Special recruitment efforts should be made to find new referees who fit into these categories.

64%

25%

11%

There should never be a difference in treatment; things should continue as they are.

53%

23%

24%

Additional training should be offered specifically targeted to these groups.

41%

43%

16%

Every effort should be made to put representatives from these groups in leadership positions for other members of these groups.

38%

40%

22%

Every effort should be made to put representatives from these groups in leadership positions for the entire officiating community.

37%

41%

22%

Officials from these groups should be assigned to work with other members of that group as often as possible.

30%

53%

17%

When an official from one of these groups has equivalent skills to others, that official should be promoted first.

24%

63%

13%

Sports dominated by one gender should be officiated by that gender (i.e., women’s basketball should be officiated by women).

14%

72%

14%

Officials from these groups should be promoted faster even if they haven’t met the same requirements.

3%

93%

NOTE: WHEN OFFICIALS ARE FILTERED BY GENDER, ETHNICITY OR AGE, THE TRENDS IN RESPONSES REMAIN VERY SIMILAR. THIS MEANS OFFICIALS AS A WHOLE, NO MATTER WHAT GROUP THEY MIGHT BE CATEGORIZED INTO, HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS ON WHAT TYPES OF ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO INCORPORATE MORE OFFICIALS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS INTO THE OFFICIATING RANKS.

DO YOU FEEL OR HAVE YOU OBSERVED THE ABUSE DIRECTED TOWARD OFFICIALS IS WORSE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING? GENDER YES 33% NO 58% NOT SURE 9%

YES 21%

KEY

This action should be taken

This action should NOT be taken

4%

Not sure

gender development efforts DO YOU FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO PUT SPECIAL EFFORTS INTO DEVELOPING OFFICIALS OF BOTH GENDERS IN SPORTS DOMINATED BY ONE GENDER (I.E., FOOTBALL)?

YES

49%

NO

35%

NOT SURE

16%

ETHNICITY NO 70% NOT SURE 9%

AGE YES 49% NO 45% NOT SURE 6% OTHER PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS YES 38% NO 46% NOT SURE 16%

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

A total of 17,487 officials responded to the 2017 NASO National Officiating Survey. As a result of their efforts, insights can be gained and conclusions can be drawn, which will continue to move the industry into the future. See the survey results at naso.org/survey.

REFEREE August 2021 |

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ALL SPORTS

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

FOR ALL SPORTS, ALL LEVELS

Illinois umpires Ryan Verver of Oak Forest (left) and Mike Sliwinski of Willow Springs can earn each other’s respect by supporting each other on the field, working hard and maintaining a professional attitude away from the game.

YEARN IT TO EARN IT By the Referee editors

E

ver try constructing a tower out of playing cards? It isn’t easily built. Once achieved, it’s something to be proud of. But one wrong move and it comes tumbling down.

It’s the same thing with your reputation among other officials.

No matter how long you’ve been around and the good work you’ve done, a single mistake can ruin it all.

Here are some tips to help you keep your image as shiny as a new penny.

Support Your Partners Officials immediately lose respect for officials who show up crewmates.

You’re a team. If a crew member is taking care of business, the others should watch his or her flank. Then, if things get out of hand, they must be there for support.

If you really want to lose respect, just get caught not paying attention or rolling your eyes when called on for help. Even a slight shrug of the shoulders is the type of negative body language that shows up your partner.

Keep Your Ego in Check Self-promotion and politicking are sure ways to lose respect. Far too often, personal gain, publicity and money get in the way. And then there’s greed. Take the official who will do almost anything to get ahead, get noticed and ultimately get to “the next level.” That type of official seems to care more about personal interests and advancement than the intrinsic values of working a good game.

Being a flashy official is one thing. But drawing unwanted

DEAN REID

Respect Is Difficult to Gain, Much Easier to Lose

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attention to yourself and trying to steal the stage from the athletes on the field or court is simply arrogant and obnoxious.

Stay Positive off the Field The word “negative” has lots of connotations. When describing a sports official who is negative, the definition, “lacking positive qualities; disagreeable,” seems to jump off the page. Officials who constantly grumble about working conditions, playoff assignments (or lack of them), game fees and speed of check arrivals grate on the nerves of others.

Complaining is wasted energy and those who constantly complain can actually shorten their officiating careers. A positive attitude toward your league or conference goes a long way in opening the door to respect.

Own up to Your Mistakes There are times when you will make a call that proves to be incorrect and you will simply have to live with it. But if the nature of the game allows you to correct the misapplication of a rule, you should do it.

If you make a call and a crewmate or partner asks, “Are you sure that’s what you saw?” you must trust the official’s motives are pure. You must also set aside personal pride and yield to another official if you truly believe the crewmate or partner is correct.

BILL NICHOLS

Respect the Game Officials whose attitude conveys they feel the game is “beneath them” and perform just to “get it over with” show disrespect of the highest magnitude. They will quickly lose respect of other officials and, if players and coaches pick up on those vibes, may well have trouble controlling the game. If you’re unhappy with the assignment, don’t work it. Don’t make the participants and your crewmates suffer because you feel you should be working better games or at a higher level.

August_21.indb 75

Make No Compromises Under no circumstances should an official use “make-up calls” as a means of correcting a mistake. In officiating, as in life, two wrongs do not make a right. A make-up call is cheating, and it puts the integrity of all officials in question. A foul at one end of the floor is a foul at the other end. If you missed a call on a particular player, you’ve just proved you’re human. You don’t owe any player a call.

Don’t Move Too Fast Most officials would like to advance up the ladder, whether that means moving up from sub-varsity to varsity games, regular season to postseason games or smallcollege to major-college games.

But many officials permanently damage their careers by moving up too quickly. Assigners and supervisors appreciate honesty.

You’ll gain respect by turning down an assignment for which you’re not ready. Before you accept a game at a level above what you are used to working, talk to a trusted veteran official who knows your work. Ask for an honest assessment and let that opinion guide you.

Offer Help When You’re Asked for It Successful officials do a disservice to the avocation by failing to pass on what they’ve learned to less-experienced officials. Advice should be given when it is solicited.

Comments should be based on performance, not personality. Use phrases such as “you did” rather than “you are.”

Earning the respect of your fellow officials doesn’t come easily nor quickly. But the best officials in all sports and at all levels have their partners’ respect and it shows in their performance on the field and their demeanor off it. Donning the uniform automatically grants you whatever respect outsiders have for officials’ authority, but when it comes to your fellow referees and umpires, you’re not automatically given it, you can’t force it, demand it or take it — you must earn it. 

QUICKTIP It is important to keep your games moving. That doesn’t mean you should rush through things and skip important officiating processes. Let the game establish a rhythm and then make adjustments if necessary.

Those who play, coach and watch the games we officiate want to see action.

DID YOU KNOW? The National High School Hall of Fame was founded in 1982 by the NFHS to honor high school athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and others. In 2003, individuals from the performing arts became eligible for induction. Of the 482 inductees, 66 are officials. A listing of all members of the Hall of Fame is displayed in the foyer of the NFHS building in Indianapolis, along with plaques of the current class.

Plaques of previous Hall of Fame members are on display in the various state association offices throughout the country.

THEY SAID IT “You want to be able to defend yourself (on social media). But you can’t do it nowadays. You can’t put yourself out there and then be on that platform, because you’re never gonna win. Early on in my career, before social media, I was given this piece of advice: Don’t pick up the local paper the next day, because the headline is not going to be ‘Mike Everitt is a great umpire.’”

— MLB umpire Mike Everitt SOURCE: MENTALFLOSS.COM

6/17/2021 1:13:13 PM

ALL SPORTS

Old-School Rule Tool: Hit the Books!

By Jay Rowan

W

Solid rules knowledge will help McCall Judd, Salt Lake City, determine whether or not she needs to put air in the whistle on this play.

rule inside and out before taking on the next one.

Do you want to become better at rules interpretations and better at the mechanics of each sport you officiate? Obviously, the answer is yes. To study the rules, all we need is a rulebook, casebook and highlighter.

It is hoped this is how you start prior to every season you officiate. Take time in between seasons to become better at understanding the rules of your game.

Open your rulebook and begin with the definitions. Highlight anything you think you want to revisit or something that is not clear. Then go to the casebook for corresponding plays.

The best way to study the casebook is to visualize what is happening in the play. You should visualize yourself working a game and seeing the play you are reading about. If you use that method, you will not be caught off guard to what might happen next. A good question to ask yourself is, “Why is the answer to the play correct?” That will lead you to go back to the rulebook to research. Don’t just accept the answer in the casebook.

When you have finished reading and highlighting the first rule, go on to the next and continue until all rules have been completed. Then go back and read all the highlighted sections. While reading each rule, you might want to place an arrow next to anything you think is worth looking over again — things that you might have more questions about or things you are not quite certain of and might need more clarification. Do the same with the casebook for each rule you cover.

After finishing every rule the second time, go back and reread the parts of the rules where you placed an arrow. Those will be the parts of each rule that need intense study.

There is nothing magical about that type of study. It is simply hard work and putting in the time to become better. Knowing the rules will give you the confidence to handle any situation that might arise, in any game you manage. Take the time to become better at rules knowledge.

Take the time to become a better official.

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

DALE GARVEY

hat defines a good official?

Someone who knows what to call and when to call it. Knowing what to call means an official knows the rules of the game. When to call it means an official knows there are times you make a call and times you don’t. Officials need to ask themselves, does the action have an effect on the play, and is anyone put at a disadvantage? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, officials must then make a splitsecond decision; do I call it, or do I pass on it?

A good official will know what to call for the good of the game. How does an official know what to call and when to call it? With experience comes wisdom. An official can have all the experience in the world; but it is meaningless without confidence.

The better an official knows the rules, the more confident he or she will be.

The reverse is also true.

When an official with confidence steps onto the field or court, it is obvious to most observers. It is understandable that coaches want confident officials working their games and to know the rules will be enforced properly. You want to be the official that coaches are happy to see working their games.

We all have our own way of trying to master the rules of the game.

Some believe anybody who follows a set routine will become a better interpreter of the rules of any game.

Educators will explain to students that it is a waste of time to study things they know. The way to learn is by studying things they don’t know.

Students like others to ask them questions when they already know the answers. It makes them feel good to have the answer.

Once you study a rule and know it, it is time to move on to a rule you don’t know or don’t understand. The best way to study rules of any sport is to study them one rule at a time.

Understand one rule and move on to the next, making sure you know the

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Work Together, Succeed Together By the Referee editors

B

oth on and off the court, pitch or field, effective communication among crewmates is a key component to the group’s success.

But within each crew are people who have different personalities, some compatible with other members, some incompatible. Because of that, maintaining crew harmony may take some work.

Each team of officials has (or should have) a leader, usually the crew chief. Often, that person is designated by position (e.g. plate umpire, first referee, center referee, etc.) or by the game assigner in how names are listed on a contract or internet assigning website.

Some crew chiefs serve in that role for an entire season. In this case, we’re referring to someone filling that role on a game-by-game basis.

In some situations, crew chiefs are not designated; instead they evolve. Often sports officials will select a person who should be “in charge” for the game. That may be based on any number of factors, including age, years of experience, reputation, etc.

Once crew chiefs have been identified, they must be willing to assign specific responsibilities to the others. Crew chiefs who do another official’s work may get the job done, but the crew suffers because the chiefs are not concentrating enough on their own responsibilities.

When crew chief Pat does the work for crew member Terry, often that’s because Terry is unable or unwilling to perform the task to Pat’s standards. But Pat taking over provides only a “Band-Aid” solution to a problem. Do Terry’s job and get through the game. In the long run,

crew credibility and harmony are damaged. A critical decision then has to be made by Pat, the crew chief: lower the standards set for Terry or make a change on the crew.

Getting crew members to do what the chief wants can be awkward, especially if there’s resistance. Most effective crews allow for some give and take.

The crew chief seeks input from the others and the crew reaches a consensus. Each member is part of the decision-making process, a key element in developing a “team feeling.” The goal is to do that in a uniform manner so the potential for confusion is minimized.

Getting the crew to work together and toward a goal is the desired result when a crew forms. If all the members of the crew are treated appropriately, the crew’s onfield or oncourt performance will flourish. 

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SIZE: 8” X 9” PAGES: 160

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FOR THE RECORD AWARDS, ROSTERS, NOTABLES

PROFESSIONAL • The following officials were selected to work the National Women’s Hockey League’s Isobel Cup held in January and February: Sarah Buckner, Crystal, Minn.; Erika Greenen, Romeoville, Ill.; Kendall Hanley, Minneapolis; Alicia Hanrahan, St. Paul, Minn.; Jacqueline Zee-Howard, Gaithersburg, Md.; Jamie Huntley-Park, Escondido, Calif.; Jackie Spresser, Thornton, Colo.; Amanda Tassoni, Bradford, R.I.; Mackenzie Welter, Rome, N.Y.; Laura White, Runnemede, N.J. POSTSEASON ASSIGNMENTS

HIGH SCHOOL • The following officials were selected to work the 2020-21 South Dakota High School Activities Association winter state championships: Boys’ basketball — Class AA – Eric Donat, Aberdeen; Nick Gottlob, Spearfish; Jeremy Grady, Salem; Lee Johnson, Wessington Springs; Kyle Kurth, Pierre; Luke Langner, Sioux Falls; Duane McPherson, Spearfish; Jeremy Mikkelsen, Pierre; Levi Pearson, Watertown; Domico Rodriguez, Summerset; Jeff Schroder, Brandon; Aaron VanDeBerg, Sioux Falls. Class A – Brad Coleman, Sioux Falls; Chad DeJong, Hartford; Gregg DeSpiegler, Watertown; Pete Entringer, Colman; Kris Frericks, Aberdeen; Beau Garcia, Sturgis; Christopher Janisch, Sioux Falls; Jason Kono, Hartford; Chris Long, Garretson; Allan Schmaltz, Rapid City; Lee Taylor, Harrisburg; Lucas Pearson, Groton. Class B – Bret Buck, Bryant; Andy Deinert, Mitchell; Jordan Gau, Mitchell; Chad Gordon, Yankton; Shayne Gottlob, Aberdeen; Brent M. Mareska, Timber Lake; Paul Rozell, Aberdeen; Doug Ruesink, Castlewood; Joe Schroeder, Alexandria; Kevin Talley, Mitchell; Chad Vossekuil, Dell Rapids; Scott Witlock, Aberdeen. Girls’ basketball — Class AA – Jerry Beers, Brookings; Darin Berg, Sioux Falls; Eric Grocott, Montrose; Mike Kirkeby, Rapid City; Keith Matthiesen, Hartford; David

Planteen, Langford; Connor Singhisen, Vermillion; Randy Stanton, Rapid City; Darin VanDeBerg, Sioux Falls; Brian Whetham, Garretson; Royce Wuertzer, Rapid City; Kim Zimmerman, Aberdeen; Bret LaCroix, Rapid City. Class A – Luke Andersen, Clear Lake; Genevieve DeMent-Osborn, Rapid City; Justin Deutsch, Langford; Tom Eggers, Sioux Falls; Bryan Gaikowski, Watertown; Terry Jastram, Sioux Falls; Scott Mack, Brookings; Dawn McInroy, Sioux Falls; Ryan Neale, Watertown; Larry Osborne, Rapid City; David Rogers, Spearfish; Louis Young, Ft. Pierre. Class B – Kevin Ball, Mitchell; Brad Booth, Rapid City; Matt Clark, Huron; Terry Duffy, Brookings; Corey Edson, Ft. Pierre; Ross Effling, Brookings; Donnie Kayser, Alexandria; Daren Lorenz, Aberdeen; Jordon Odens, Dimock; Scott Sonne, Plankinton; Darin Vetch, Onaka; Ryan Walter, Parker.

Wrestling — Brock Besler, Reva; Tyler Bryant, Sioux Falls; Brian Carrels, Aberdeen; Dave Cornemann, Yankton; Kristopher Dozark, Pierre; Todd Dvoracek, Yankton; Doyle Everson, Rapid City; Koln Fink, Sioux Falls; Rod Fortin, Tea; Scott Gangle, Lake City; Jason Hill, Groton; Dylan Keszler, New Underwood; Patrick Krause, Groton; John Latham, Camp Crook; Marc Lewis, Sioux Falls; Robert Lewis, Redfield; Zachary Mettler, Rapid City; Bradyn Neises, Sioux Falls; Daniel Noonan, Howard; Bud Postma, Madison; Gregg Roach, Brookings; Steve Rounds, Pierre; Clark Slykhuis, Tea; Mark Stoebner, Tyndall.

Gymnastics — Dodie Chada, Armour; Jenny Christian, Sioux Falls; Michelle Haaland, Aberdeen; Sue Hamre, Sioux Falls; Kelli Hanson, Groton; Kelli Helms, Aberdeen; Timberly Lunde, Watertown; Joanne Runge, Hartford; Lisa Schroeder, Alexandria. Indoor track and field — Jim Aberle, Lead; Tim Casper, Lake Preston; Steve Charron, Huron; Cal Corey, Sturgis; Duane Donat, Aberdeen; JD Evans, Salem; Chad Gordon, Yankton; Al Koppinger, Spearfish; Bob Lowery, Pierre; Bob Malloy, Parkston; Marc Murren, Sioux Falls; Gale Patterson, Wall; Rich Rockafellow, Philip; Bill

A SPECIAL GAME FOR THE STEWARTS

The Stewarts, from Mobile, Ga., (from left) Freddie (line judge), Cheryl (play clock operator), Antwoine (linesman) and Byron (field judge) worked the Georgia High School Association 6A state championship game between Lee County and Buford on Dec. 29, 2020. Buford won the contest, 34-31.

Sawinsky, Webster; Larry Stevens, Rapid City; Randy Thomas, Faith; Brad Tucker, Rapid City; Mark Wendelgass, Huron.

• The following officials were selected to work the 2020-21 Illinois High School Association winter state championships: Competitive cheerleading — Deanna Besbekos-LaPage, St. Charles; Katie Dryden, Algonquin; Lance Emery, Mokena; Sara Flanigan, Crystal Lake; Julie Matarelli, Edwardsville; Tiffany Michaels, Bloomington; John Powers, St. John, Ind.; Ashley Schwenk, Gibson City; Angelina Strum, Shorewood; Angela Wilmington, Chillicothe; Cindy Albright, Antioch; Corinne Allison, Crystal Lake. Competitive dance — Gina Dryden, Schaumburg; Christina Erickson, Mundelein; Lynn Gelatka, Beecher; Katie Kaczanko, South Elgin; Sydney Kendle, Bloomington; Linnea Mason, Chicago; Kacey O’Keeffe, Arlington Heights; Summer Riordan, Palatine; Teri Valentine, Barrington; Kristen Varrassi, Twin Lakes, Wis.

OBITUARIES • Kay Brown, 77, of Livermore, Calif., died Nov. 24, 2020. She was a USA National and International scorekeeper for both indoor and outdoor volleyball, serving as a scorer for three NCAA Final Fours (1997, 2004 and 2007).

• Nathaniel “Nate” Gale, 71, of Wilmington, Del., died Dec. 6, 2020. Gale spent more than 40 years as a basketball, volleyball and track and field official.

He also officiated at the Penn Relays.

• Joseph Gilreath, 89, of Hendersonville, N.C., died Dec. 8, 2020. Gilreath officiated high school baseball, basketball, football and volleyball for more than 30 years. He also worked college basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference before becoming an observer for the Big South, Southern and South Atlantic conferences.

• John Medeiros, 90, of New Bedford, Mass., died Dec. 10, 2020. Medeiros helped found the Whaling City Soccer Referees Association in 1965, which continues to assign high school games. In 2005, Medeiros was inducted into the Massachusetts Soccer Hall of Fame.

• Raymond Omer Lynch, 67, of Swansea, Mass., died Dec. 22, 2020. Lynch was a member of several local associations including the East Coast Sports Officials Group, Bristol County Umpires Association, Southern Massachusetts Football Officials Association and the Rhode Island Football Officials Association.

Do you have any rosters, assignments or awards that warrant mention?

COURTESY OF THE GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

POSTSEASON ASSIGNMENTS

Send info to us at ForTheRecord@referee.com

78 | REFEREE August 2021

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ROSTERS Minor League Baseball Here are the umpire rosters for all levels of the minor leagues, as provided by Minor League Baseball.

Triple-A East Ryan Additon, Sunrise, Fla. David Arrieta Quintero, Orlando, Fla. Erich Bacchus, Frederick, Md. John Bacon, Kent, Ohio Brock Ballou, Mount Juliet, Tenn.

Sean Barber, Lakeland, Fla. Matthew Bates, Harrison, Tenn.

Adam Beck, Oviedo, Fla. Nestor Ceja, The Woodlands, Texas William Clark, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Paul Clemons, Oxford, Kan. Travis Godec, Roanoke, Va. Richard Grassa, Lindenhurst, N.Y. Thomas Hanahan, Mentor, Ohio Shane Livensparger, Jacksonville Beach, Fla. Alexander Mackay, Evergreen, Colo.

John Mang, Youngstown, Ohio Christopher Marco, Waterdown, Ontario David Martinez, Bayonne, N.J. Jose Matamoros, Menomonee Falls, Wis. Takahito Matsuda, Hamilton, Ontario Daniel Merzel, Apex, N.C. Jacob Metz, Edmonds, Wash.

Brennan Miller, Fairfax Station, Va. Jose Navas Corzo, Los Guayos, Venezuela Cody Oakes, Oelwein, Iowa Roberto Ortiz, Kissimmee, Fla. Jonathan Parra Ortega, Valencia, Venezuela Charles Ramos, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jeremy Riggs, Portsmouth, Va. Richard Riley, Alexandria, Va. Randy Rosenberg, Jacksonville, Fla. Sean Ryan, Waunakee, Wis. Michael Savakinas II, Fairborn, Ohio Sean Shafer-Markle, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Double-A Northeast Marcelo Alfonzo Lozano, Los Guayos, Venezuela Jhonatan Biarreta Castillo, Barquisimeto, Venezuela Donald Carlyon, Drums, Pa. Thomas Fornarola, Rochester, N.Y. Steven Hodgins, Keego Harbor, Mich.

Steven Jaschinski, Mount Hope, Ontario Emil Jimenez Pernalete, Coro, Venezuela Jude Koury, Youngstown, Ohio Lucas Krupa, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

Tanner Moore, Omaha, Neb. Kyle Nichol, Moseley, Va. Taylor Payne, Platte City, Mo. Benjamin Phillips, Apex, N.C. Dane Poncsak, Columbus, Ohio Benjamin Rosen, Thornhill, Ontario Michael Snover, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Kelvis Velez Caminero, Ensenada, Puerto Rico Thomas West, Boondall, Australia

Triple-A West Sean Allen, Fresno, Calif.

Derek Eaton, Tracy, Calif.

Reid Gibbs, Glendale, Ariz.

Clayton Hamm, Austin, Texas Aaron Higgins, Elk Grove, Calif.

John Libka, Port Huron, Mich.

Nicholas Mahrley, Phoenix Benjamin May, Milwaukee Kyle McCrady, Longview, Wash.

Malachi Moore, Buckeye, Ariz.

Edwin Corredor Moscoso, La Morita, Venezuela Tyler Olson, Overland Park, Kan. Anthony Perez, Murrells Inlet, S.C. Justin Robinson, St. Louis Jason Starkovich, San Tan Valley, Ariz.

Nathan Tomlinson, Douglas, Wyo. Brian Walsh, Long Beach, Calif.

Lewis Williams III, Lodi, Calif.

Thomas Woodring, Las Vegas

High-A East Dylan Bradley, Pace, Fla. Sean Cassidy, Jupiter, Fla. Adam Clark, Huntsville, Ala. Joshua Gilreath, Buford, Ga. James Jean, Lake Park, Fla. Edwin Jimenez, Pernalete, Venezuela Evin Johnson, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Mitchell Leikam, Fort Belvoir, Va. Jose Lozada Bermudez, Las Piedras, Puerto Rico Adam Pierce, Ayden, N.C. Clay Williams, Springfield, Tenn.

Tyler Witte, Pearl River, N Y.

Double-A South Alan Basner, Lawrenceville, Ga. Mark Bass, Madisonville, La. Jonathon Benken, Lilburn, Ga. Matthew Brown, Charlotte, N.C. Samuel Burch, Clearwater, Fla. Austin Jones, Fayetteville, N.C. Tyler Jones, Charleston, S.C. Garry Kelley, Fayetteville, Ga. Robert Nunez, Largo, Fla. Mark Stewart Jr., Royal Palm Beach, Fla. Justin Whiddon, Richmond Hill, Ga. Dillon Wilson, Clopton, Ala.

High-A West Nathaniel Diederich, Victorville, Calif.

Jaeyoung Kim, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea Kevin Mandzuk, Regina, Saskatchewan Raymond Patchen, Oceanside, Calif.

Ernesto Rios Jr., El Paso, Texas Pete Talkington, Bellevue, Neb.

High-A Central Emma Charlesworth-Seiler, Golden Valley, Minn.

Anthony Choc, St. Louis Benjamin Engstrand, Cumming, Iowa Jeffrey Hamann, Fargo, N.D. Justin Juska, Chicago Kevin Levine, Sawyer, Mich.

Thomas O’Neil, Versailles, Ky. Jen Pawol, Decatur, Ill. Cliburn Rondon Romero, Guatire, Venezuela Kyle Stutz, Leander, Texas Robert Tassone, Somonauk, Ill. Mitchell Trzeciak, Lansing, Mich.

Bryan Van Vranken, Sarasota, Fla. Low-A East Joseph Belangia III, Greenville, S.C. Matthew Blackborow, Stoney Creek, Ontario Jesse Bush, Ballston Spa, N.Y. Steven Craze, Silver Spring, Md. Kenneth Cullipher, Greenville, N.C. Ethan Gorsak, Toms River, N.J. Macon Hammond, Greenville, N.C. Tre Jester, Atlanta Jarred Moehlmann, Brenham, Texas Christian Roemer, Finksburg, Md. Ryne Sigmon, Danville, Va. Zdenek Zidek, Zruc-Senec, Czech Republic Low-A Southeast Kaleb Devier, Newton, Ala. Chandler Durham, Midland, Ga. Kenneth Jackson, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Casey James, Atlanta Trevor Mathews, Venice, Fla. Joseph McCarthy, Destrehan, La. Austin Nelson, Omaha, Neb. Jon-Tyler Shaw, Conyers, Ga. Malcolm Smith, Bartlett, Tenn.

Rainiero Valero Bolivar, Puerto Cabello, Venezuela Low-A West Luis Avalos Varela, Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico Hector Cuellar Jr., Camarillo, Calif.

Larry Dillman Jr., Menifee, Calif.

Shin Koishizawa, Koshu, Japan Kellen Martin, Moscow, Idaho Glen Meyerhofer, Kaukauna, Wis. Guillermo Rodriguez, Princeton, Calif.

William Traynor, Manteca, Calif.

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LAW

ISSUES AFFECTING OFFICIALS

Clinic Liability Lessons

By Scott Aronowitz “It’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.” If you are like me, you have heard those words of wisdom from your parents on more than one occasion. It was not until I started running an officiating camp that I realized how profound those words are. The experience of giving officials a quality service at a relatively low rate has been rewarding beyond imagination, especially when things go off without a hitch. Notwithstanding having to cease operations when COVID-19 shut down our site halfway through camp, we fortunately have experienced relatively few issues.

However, we know Murphy’s Law is always lurking and with that, the reality of how much potential liability exists. Essentially, the reward does not come without preparation.

We live in a litigious society, so taking steps to protect yourself will allow you to focus on providing the best service possible.

Liability with camps is a multilateral analysis; you are engaging not only the attendees, but also the host (we use a local college), and each requires mutual assurances. We live in a litigious society, so taking steps to protect yourself will allow you to focus on providing the best service possible.

First and foremost, protect yourself personally by running the camp as a business (there are far too many options to discuss here, so you should seek counsel).

Insurance and assurance. The purpose of insurance is to transfer liability from the insured to the insurer.

Both the purveyors of the camp venue and the directors of the camp want mutual assurances they will not be held liable should someone be injured during the camp. This is especially true when officials are engaged in physical

activity; there is always the possibility of unintentional contact with a player, or a sprinkler head that inadvertently trips someone. Requiring attendees to be insured and sign a waiver will also help limit your liability. We provide NASO membership with our camp registration, so we know officials have liability insurance. In addition, your organization should also carry some type of insurance policy.

Be thorough and forthright. It is vital attendees know exactly what they are receiving in exchange for their money. You want to balance the enticement and appeal of your camp with the reality of what will take place. If you have a big-name guest from the NFL or college coordinators attending, announce that. However, do not misrepresent or embellish, and certainly never guarantee anything.

Make it known attending this camp does not ensure anyone a spot on the conference staff, for example. It is best to avoid having to explain or clear up any ambiguities and open yourself up to a claim, so be thorough and forthright with both attendees and the host site to avoid surprises.

Avoid being a “social host.” Many states have social host laws, which impose liability for serving alcohol to adults. While it may appeal to your attendees to provide some adult beverages and unwind after a long day, you as the host of the clinic can be liable for any injuries caused by an intoxicated guest. Moreover, no amount of insurance or waiver will protect you.

The goal of hosting any camp or clinic is to provide a memorable experience for the attendees and to grow its reputation. Keeping everyone safe and yourself secure from possible liability ensures the opportunity to do so.

Scott Aronowitz is an educator and attorney who lives in Orange Park, Fla. He has officiated high school football for 20 years and was a college referee for seven years. He currently works replay in the Collegiate Officiating Consortium.

This column is intended for information purposes and is not legal advice. *

Sue an Assigner?

Not So Fast Hesitation typically isn’t a good trait in officiating — but it’s a good thing if an official is considering suing an assigner over a demotion. Lawsuits are burdensome, costly and a last resort to be used when all other options have failed. If you’re an official suing over a demotion, it better be a big deal — and it better involve more than just second-guessing the judgment of the association.

A court exists not to secondguess your association, but to make sure your association followed its acts in a legal manner.

If an official’s claim simply boils down to a plea that the official thinks he or she is better than the assigner or the association thinks he or she is, the official is wasting time. However, if the official is claiming the association took action in a manner that is illegal, a court may review the case.

Even when an official thinks an association acted illegally, the official must determine whether it’s worth it to sue. Generally, the wisdom of suing boils down to an economic assessment whether the odds of winning times the amount one can expect to win are less than the costs of suing. Only attorneys know the answer to that equation.

SOURCE: 8/12 LAW COLUMN

Assault Legislation If your state is not among those with laws providing sports officials enhanced protection from assaults, NASO offers the following tips to lead the way in legislative efforts: 1. Involve your local association, including sharing model legislation found at NASO.org.

2. Circulate a petition.

3. Gather information about incidents in your state.

4. Get on the phone and internet to talk with legislators and set up meetings.

5. Follow up with lawmakers and keep reminding them you’re available to testify at hearings and are following their progress.

SOURCE: NASO.ORG

PRESENTED BY

Go to www.naso.org and click on member benefits for more on MICP.

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CLASSIFIEDS AUGUST

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 262-632-8855 for more information.

LEADERSHIP RESOURCES  Association Advantage Membership to Association Advantage provides officials, associations and their leaders the tools to conduct well-run meetings, education resources for officiating training and access to years of association management articles. Member associations also receive 12 issues of Referee magazine, monthly Advisor newsletters, Click e-newsletters, massive discounts on training materials and optional insurance coverage exclusive to membership.

For additional membership information, contact Ken Koester at 262-632-5448 or visit the Association Advantage website at nasoadvantage.com.

EQUIPMENT/APPAREL  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.  Ump-Attire.com — The #1 website for officials’ sporting goods. Now serving free returns to go along with more brands, product reviews, same-day shipping and world-class service.  Smitty Outlet Store Visit the NEW Smitty Outlet Store featuring discontinued, factory seconds and individual slightly defective items at great prices. Go to smittyoutletstore.com to shop now!

TRAINING RESOURCES  Referee Training Center — The largest library of officiating training materials in the world. Rules study, mechanics updates and materials on important topics can all be found in one location 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with sample chapters and video samples. Discover it all at store.referee.com.

APPS/WEBSITES  GameNite Seeking Beta Testers – GameNite is mobile app that puts the football official’s gamecard and timer on a mobile device.

We will launch GameNite in the 2022 season. For 2021, we are seeking Beta Testers to use GameNite in game situations. If you become a Beta Tester, you will get a free one-year subscription to GameNite. Email gamenightfootballapps@ gmail.com for a beta copy of GameNite.

QUIZ ANSWERS BASKETBALL 1 — All – a (NFHS 2-10-4; NCAAM/W 2-12.4) 2 — All – a (NFHS 3-4-3d; NCAAM 1-22.7.b.2, 10-2.3.b; NCAAW 1-22.7.b.2, 10-12.2.c.2) 3 — All – d (NFHS 4-20-3; NCAAM 8-1.4.b; NCAAW 8-1.4.b, A.R. 226) 4 — NFHS – d (10-1); NCAAM/W – a (NCAAM 10-2.1; NCAAW 10-12.2.a.2) 5 — All – c (NFHS 4-22;, 9.12B, 9.12C NCAAM 9-15.3.b; NCAAW 9-15.4) BASEBALL 1 — NFHS – d (6-1-2); NCAA, pro – e (NCAA 9-1a; pro 5.07a1).

2 — All – b (NFHS 6-2-5; NCAA 9-3f; pro 6.02a9).

3 — NFHS, NCAA – e (NFHS 7-32; NCAA 7-8); pro – d (6.03a1).

4 — All – d (NFHS 7-4-1e, f; NCAA 7-11i, 8-5q; pro 5.03c, 5.09a4).

5 — All – d (NFHS 7-1-1 Pen. 3; NCAA 7-11a3; pro 6.03b3).

FOOTBALL 1 — Both – b (NFHS 2-13-4, 8.5.3B, 10-3-1a; NCAA 8-7, 10-22d-4, A.R. 8-7-2 IV) 2 — NFHS – b (2-9-3, 2-9-4, 4-22g, 6-5-7); NCAA – a (4-1-3g) 3 — NFHS – a (9-4-3b); NCAA – b, c (9-2-1j, 9-2-6a, A.R. 9-2-1X) 4 — NFHS – b (3-4-2c, 3.4.2C); NCAA – a (3-3-2d-8; 3-3-2f) 5 — Both – a (NFHS 7-5-6b, 7-513; NCAA 7-3-11) SOFTBALL 1 — All – c (NFHS 8-6-16c Pen.; NCAA 11.20.2 Eff., 12.17.3.1 Eff.; USA Softball 8-7p Eff.; USSSA 8-18h Note 2) 2 — NFHS, USA Softball, USSSA – d (NFHS 7-4-4 Pen.; USA Softball 7-6u Eff.; USSSA 7-12 Pen.); NCAA – c (11.20.2 Eff. Exc. 1) 3 — All – b (NFHS 8-2-6; NCAA 12.5.5; USA Softball 8-2e; USSSA 8-17e) 4 — All – b (NFHS 2-24, 8-2-

2; NCAA 12.5.1, 12.9.2; USA Softball 1–Force Out, 8-2b; USSSA 3-Force Play, 8-17d) SOCCER 1 — All – c (NFHS 13-3-1; NCAA 13.2.3; IFAB 13.2) 2 — All – c (NFHS 11 Diagram 10; NCAA 11 Diagram 10; IFAB 11.2) 3 — All – b (NFHS 3-3-2b-2; NCAA 3.5.9; IFAB 5.3) 4 — All – b (NFHS 13-3-1; NCAA 13.2.1; IFAB 13.3) VOLLEYBALL 1 — All – c (NFHS 6-4-3b, 6-4-6 Pen. 2; NCAA 10.3.2; USAV 7.3.5.3) 2 — NFHS – a (6-2-2, 10-4-3c); NCAA, USAV – c (NCAA 6.1.2.3 Note, 8.5.2.2; 12.3.2.2; USAV 15.8) 3 — All – a (NFHS 9-5-6b; NCAA 12.1.2.4; USAV 19.3.1.4)

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.

FLASHBACK 40 YEARS AGO …

1981

• Fairfax County (Va.) amends licensing requirements after soccer referee Dan Soares and others from the District of ColumbiaVirginia Soccer Referees Association received a notice to apply for a special business license. Soares earned $215 for work during the 1980 season and was notified he was required to maintain a business license.

30 YEARS AGO …

1991

• Lacrosse referee Larry Datz receives a $15,000 settlement after being assaulted during a high school game in New York. Datz told Referee he was punched by a player’s parent in the midst of a brawl near the end of the game.

20 YEARS AGO …

2001

• College baseball umpire Dominic Valenza is cited by an off-duty police officer for failing to stop at a stop sign. The officer had been watching the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) game Valenza was working. ECAC Commissioner Phil Buttafuoco requested the chief of police and the mayor of Jersey City to “make sure the umpire deserved the ticket.”

10 YEARS AGO …

2011

• A U.S. district court judge in Illinois rules former MLS referee Marcel Yonan served as an independent contractor during his 25-year affiliation with the USSF and dismisses Yonan’s age discrimination lawsuit. The judge ruled Yonan’s 2007 USSF registration form “does not create an employment contract or relationship with USSF.”

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LAST CALL

A PERSONAL STORY BY JACOB KEITER

Cell Calls In an environment where segregation is at an all-time high, separating the general population by both demographics and geography, there’s one thing that draws everyone together in unity. The entire general population can let go of ill feelings and smile and have fun when they participate in intramural sports.

I have been incarcerated in federal prison for the last several years. Since I wasn’t born with an athletic bone in my body, joining a sports team wasn’t anywhere in my near future. I highly enjoyed the environment created around these sports though and wanted to experience a tension-free zone these sporting events radiated.

I decided there is a way I can get involved — I turned to officiating.

Refereeing for a prison sport isn’t ideal, to say the least, and not just anyone can do it.

the segregation get between us. With the conclusion of one sports season, another one immediately follows.

However, while COVID-19 ran its vicious course on the world and reshaped life as we thought we knew it, the prison environment did not avoid this negative impact. Not only were extracurricular activities and recreation canceled, inmates all across the nation were tightly secured in our cells for months on end. To be honest, though, not even this could stop me from pursuing further knowledge of officiating.

I took advantage of the additional cell time to dive deeper into the NFHS rulebook that was presented to me a few years ago. Although I haven’t had the opportunity to officiate a wide variety of sports, or have a great deal of experience in my short officiating career, I began to stretch my horizons a bit. I started personal unofficial training sessions in kickball, hockey and even a variety of women’s sports. A couple of other inmates and I even developed mini pop-quizzes to challenge each other and test our knowledge.

Reopening of these sports events in the prison system is not in any foreseeable future. As my release date slowly approaches and I prepare to enter a post-COVID world, refereeing is something positive I can take with me. My wife currently participates in several bar league sports and even coaches a youth soccer team. With her assistance, I feel I’ll be able to get my foot in the door pretty easily and pursue this further, as well as spend some much needed quality time with her. Even then, I must keep in mind that number-one rule though: Don’t be biased!

Jacob Keiter, East Hanover Township, Pa., is currently an inmate at a federal prison.

He is a featured columnist for a local newspaper where he shares his experiences from prison with the general public. * Do you have a personal officiating story to tell?

Send your story or queries to lastcall@referee.com

SHUTTERSTOCK

Refereeing for a prison sport isn’t ideal, to say the least, and not just anyone can do it. In a place where violence can spark from the smallest of incidents, one wrong call — or even a right one — can easily end up in a brawl. But I still had this burning desire to get involved, so I pursued it.

Prior to refereeing an event, all interested parties meet and bond together just like any other sports team. For several weeks, we undergo

a series of training sessions to make sure we’re all properly prepared and ready for the job. The training includes watching video clips and how to make the proper call. We are given a modified high school rulebook to study and follow. After a final test, we’re certified officials and ready for the big day.

By far, the most popular sport in the prison population is softball. Every game, the entire bleachers are full with fans cheering for their respective home units. My first game officiating involved my own housing unit. The words of another veteran referee ran through my head: “Don’t be biased.

That’s the number-one rule.”

I was placed as the first-base umpire. This was a huge responsibility as every batter had to potentially cross paths with me. As both my anxiety and adrenaline creeped up, the first pitch was thrown. I felt like the spotlight was more on me than on the players, so I braced myself. I looked in the batter’s box and it was a friend of mine from my unit. He swung and connected with a drive toward short.

The ball was fielded and thrown to first. The players, the fans and the other umpires looked to me for my call. As I swallowed the lump in my throat, I finally screeched, “You’re out!”

After the first call, the rest of the game went a lot smoother. I definitely made some close calls which went against my own unit, but I felt the job was above everything else and am still confident in those decisions to this day. My calls became more clear and decisive as my anxiety finally faded away. After the game was over, my housing unit was upset with me and I immediately found myself in conflict. Luckily, others have been in my position before and alleviated the situation.

As the season continued, I grew more confident in myself and in the game. I have grown as a fan and an official with every game. The other umpires have been helpful since day one, showing support and assisting me when I needed it and not letting

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