Referee Magazine - May 2021 (Preview)

SOCCER

LINES TO PITCH

VOLLEYBALL

NFHS NEW RULES

FOOTBALL

NFHS CHANGES BBW

BASKETBALL

BAD BEHAVIOR

ALL SPORTS

OH, THOSE PREGAME VISITS

SOFTBALL

BRACKETOLOGY

MAY 2021 // REFEREE.COM

YOU ARE THERE

BUY THE rules

nolan vs robin

P.32

BASEBALL

get set RANDY BRUNS

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CONTENTS

MAY 2021 Volume 46, No. 5 Issue 534 20

FEATURES 20

HOME BRUNS

Randy Bruns is right where he wants to be — finding success at the top.

32

MASTER OF THE RULES

Mastery of playing rules doesn’t mean just ‘knowing’ what a rule reads.

52

TESTING PATIENCE

It was a season with many tests — and lots of COVID19 testing — as college football officials navigated through the pandemic’s hurdles to play.

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YOU ARE THERE: ROCKIN’ ROBIN

Nolan Ryan’s final hit batter left quite an impression.

ON THE COVER

SPORTS 12

26

Steven Rios El Paso, Texas Age: 26 Officiating Experience: Class of 2018 MiLB Umpire Training Academy graduate.

MiLB umpire assigned to the Northwest League (High-A) for the 2021 season. NCAA Division I baseball umpire since 2017.

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46

58 VICTOR CALZADA (COVER), COURTESY OF RANDY BRUNS, BOB MESSINA (SOCCER)

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BASEBALL

On Your Mark, Get Set …

Stay There: Stop Moving to Secure a Clear Picture of the Action; Point Before Pounding That Hammer

COLUMNS 4

PUBLISHER’S MEMO

6

THE GAG RULE

SOFTBALL

Keep It Between Us: Master the Mechanics of Bracketing Playing Action; ‘Right’ It Down; Let’s Talk About It; 5MW Destini Robinson

8

SOCCER

The Lowdown on Law 15: Position of Thrower’s Hands and Feet Determines Legality; Why We Do This; Blurred Lines (Or Any at All?)

FOOTBALL

Not a Waist of Time: Simplified Blocking Rule Is the Only NFHS Change for 2021; Sideline Officials Cannot Just Wing It

44

Just Two Weeks Worth …

Letters: Another Viewpoint; Say What?; They Said It; Snap Shot: Traveling Call; They Get It; Survey Says ...

THE NEWS

N.J. Wrestling Referee Sues Over Suspension; NFL Hires First Black Female Official; College Basketball Referee Hospitalized After Collision; Jay Miner, Longtime Referee Writer, Dies

GETTING IT RIGHT

Still Standing Tall; Pac-12 Assigns All-Black Officiating Crew; College Team Honors High School Referee

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PROFILES

‘Regis, Put Your Money on Notre Dame’; Still Going Strong; The Retiring Type

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FOR THE RECORD

80

LAW

81

CLASSIFIEDS

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2020-21 NHL Officiating Roster Penalty Box for Officials; Board Duties Bring Additional Liability Camps/Clinics/Schools; Equipment/Apparel; Leadership Resources

LAST CALL

Resur-wreck-tion: Jason prepared his mind for a possible return to officiating.

SOCCER HIGHLIGHT THIS MONTH

VOLLEYBALL

A Lot More Colorful: NFHS Allows Officials More Uniform Options; Be a Sub Above; 5MW: Jo Auch

BASKETBALL

To ‘T’ or Not To ‘T’: Unsporting Behavior Often in the Eye of the Beholder; Command of Control; Seeing Is Believing

ALL SPORTS

Meet of the Matter: Be Cordial but Professional During Pregame Visits; Tourney Crew Has Much to Do; Is It OK to Coach Players?

A throw-in missing one of the five required elements will cause a subsequent reaction from assistant referee Clint Shibata, Camarillo, Calif.

FOR MORE, GO TO PAGE 38

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

Just Two Weeks Worth …

Fewer games being played mean fewer assignments for us.

You would think that in turn, we at this magazine would be getting fewer officiatingrelated items in our feeds. Not so. Every day, we receive and uncover lots of interesting news items and tidbits about officiating. Our edit team is plugged into the officiating milieu. They post items to our shared Teams account many times each day (and into the night!). We share hard news, soft news, going-to-be news, no news and general banter about officiating. Here are a few from one recent quite-ordinary twoweek period.

• The Bay Area (San Francisco) Silicon Valley Sports Officials Association offered virtual yoga classes and other group training workouts to keep its officials prepped for when sports restart in California.

• Official Angie Enlund was injured when she was inadvertently run over after the Rutgers-Michigan State women’s basketball game. After the final buzzer, Rutgers player Tekia Mack was heading back to the Scarlet Knights’ bench when she inadvertently ran over Enlund at center court, hitting her hard.

Enlund was on the ground for a few minutes and taken off on a stretcher. She did have mobility and movement of her extremities and went to a hospital to be further evaluated. (See p. 10) • Winnebago, Ill.: Three high school basketball referees who worked the Rockford Lutheran at Winnebago boys’ game had quite the experience. They were picked up and returned home in a limousine. The limo is owned by Patrick Burke of Rockford, a retired basketball referee who had worked games for 45 years. Burke calls the Cadillac limousine the “Pat-Illac.” He knows officials have been working hard doing games practically every night during this compact season, so Burke thought this idea was a good way to show his support.

• NHL referee Garrett Rank is living two dreams: as a top-level amateur golfer and referee in the NHL. He plays in many amateur events and qualified for the U.S. Open in 2018. He said if he was asked whether he would want to either referee the Stanley Cup Finals, or finish in the top-10 in the U.S. Open, the correct answer would be refereeing the Finals but …

• The Hope College women’s basketball team started nine players against Kalamazoo College. Game day was Senior Day for Hope, and head coach Brian Morehouse told all nine seniors to take the court because they were starting. His seniors have been so special to him and his program that he just couldn’t pick five. Yes, he was given a technical foul. Coach Morehouse said it was the best technical he ever got.

• Boys’ high school varsity coach Joe David of Mt. Lebanon, Pa., was shocked to learn that one of the officials dressing for his game was Mario Seneca. David had blackballed Seneca because of an incident nine years earlier, in which the coach received a technical foul. Seneca had not worked a game involving Coach David in those nine years. David said he offered to go to the officials’ dressing room and talk to Seneca, but the referee that night felt doing so would only escalate the situation.

Seneca was informed that David did not want to play the game with Seneca officiating. Rather than risk having the game canceled, Seneca agreed to take his game check and go home, and the game went on as scheduled with only two officials.

• (From a letter published in the News Graphic in Port Washington, Wis.): I attend high school basketball games and agree wholeheartedly that something needs to be done regarding the abuse doled out to referees. It starts with the coaches. How many of us would continue to work in an environment where they had to endure the same abuse refs do?

Peace,

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, P.O. Box 16447, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6447. Direct subscription inquiries, other mail to REFEREE, P.O. Box 16447, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6447. (818) 487-4549. © 2021 Referee Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. (USPS Publication #107790.) Subscribers: Send address changes to REFEREE, P.O. Box 16447, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6447.

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THE GAG RULE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

LETTERS Another Viewpoint

THEY GET IT

Both sides of an argument can be true. Which is why I strongly disagree with a letter published in the 2/21 issue regarding shortages of officials. If you’re no longer officiating or reassessing why you do it because young players are exercising their rights and expressing themselves by kneeling during the national anthem, shame on you. Especially when good officials are needed everywhere.

It is true that “freedom isn’t free” and that the few have sacrificed for the many. But it is also true that an individual or group has no say in what freedom should mean to others. It is true that people use sports to get away from politics. But it is also true that through sports, great Americans like Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali made our society aware of the obstacles they had to overcome in their own country just because of their skin color.

As I write this, I’m watching Iowa vs. Michigan State in men’s basketball. Hawkeye players — Black and white — are wearing jerseys with Equality printed on the back, right below their name and number. I don’t see that as politics. I see it as a team demonstrating strong belief and hope for a better nation and world.

Dissent is not disrespect or disloyalty. Freedom can be complicated, and if we truly believe in freedom, we must respect those who interpret it differently.

Joe Nugent Iowa City, Iowa

“The day that we play our first game or even the day that we assign an official to a ballgame, I don’t even have words as to how I’m going to feel.

You think about the things in your life that are most important — the birth of your children, weddings and those other types of things that happen in your personal life — but I would say returning to play will bring me more joy in my professional life than I’ve ever had in my 37 years of being an educator.”

— Sally Marquez, New Mexico Activities Association executive director

THEY SAID IT

“Tennis is not about the umpires. He’s an extra to make sure all this (deleted) goes smoothly.”

“Thank you to all my coaches that helped me grow as a player and person. Thanks to the support staff.

I appreciate the opposing defenses making it challenging physically and mentally every week. … I also enjoyed the banter.

I appreciate the referees for putting up with all my fussing. I think I was right most of the time, dadgummit!”

— Nick Kyrgios, arguing a time violation call in an Australian Open warm-up event in Melbourne SOURCE: DAILY MAIL (U.K.)

— Portion of retirement statement by Colts quarterback Philip Rivers SOURCE: ESPN

SNAP SHOT Traveling Call Basketball referee Shannon Shelton, Claremont, N.C., says his officiating pride runs so deep he had to get a car to go along with his uniform. “I was looking for a convertible to enjoy with my teenage kids, saw this Camaro and realized the joy I would have driving it to officiate a contest,” said Shelton, who also officiates softball and volleyball. “I’ve got to match uniforms with my partners, so I might as well match what I drive to the game as well.”

SOURCE: HIGH SCHOOL TODAY

SURVEY SAYS …

Did you opt out of officiating winter sports because of the pandemic?

71.8% NO

28.2% YES

REFEREE SURVEY OF 124 REFEREE READERS

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.

AP PHOTOS; SHELTON PHOTO SUBMITTED; MARQUEZ PHOTO COURTESY NMAA

SAY WHAT?

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THE NEWS ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. — Suspended high school wrestling referee Alan Maloney filed a civil lawsuit against the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) in Atlantic County Superior Court on Dec. 18, 2020.

Buena Regional High School head wrestling coach George Maxwell and athletic director David Albertson were named as defendants in the lawsuit along with former NJSIAA executive director Larry White and NJSIAA assistant director Anthony Maselli. Vincent Smith and Mary Liz Ivins, president and vice president, respectively, of an NJSIAA task force, and David Frasier, NJSIAA Controversies Committee chair, were also named in the suit.

The lawsuit surrounds 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 201819, hair coverings were required to be attached to the wrestler’s head gear — a rule change made in 2014.

Maloney ruled that 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 the complaint.

For the following season, the NFHS deleted rules regarding the “natural state” and length of a wrestler’s hair.

Fallout from the controversy led the NJSIAA to suspend Maloney and he contends the suspension ended up “… fueling the erroneous reports in the media that the plaintiff was racially motivated by his rules enforcement …” Maloney claims the NJSIAA violated its own handbook when he was not given the opportunity to present his case at “any due process hearing or trial,” according to the complaint.

According to a Memorandum of Agreement between the NJSIAA and New Jersey Division on Civil Rights signed by White and Rachel Wainer Apter, the division’s director, the NJSIAA agreed in September 2019 to suspend Maloney for the entirety of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons and require him to undergo implicit bias training and additional rules education before any future reinstatement. The agreement also requires all high school sports

NFL Hires First Black Female Official NEW YORK — Maia Chaka, a product of the NFL’s Officiating Development Program, has been hired to the NFL officiating staff, the league announced March 5.

Chaka is the first Black woman official named to the staff.

“I am honored to be selected as an NFL official,” Chaka said in a news release. “But this moment is bigger than a personal accomplishment. It is an accomplishment for all women, my community, and my culture.”

Chaka, 38, is the second woman to be hired as an onfield official. Sarah Thomas joined the staff in 2015. Four females — Desiree Abrams, Sebrina Brunson, Artenzia Young-Seigler and Denise Crudup — are replay assistants.

Replay official Terri Valenti recently announced her retirement.

Appearing on the “Today” show, Chaka said she received a phone call March 1 from Wayne Mackie, the NFL vice president of officiating evaluation and development.

Since Mackie has been a mentor to

See “Suspension” p.11

See “Chaka” p.10

CHRISTOPHER SZAGOLA/CAL SPORT MEDIA/NEWSCOM

N.J. Wrestling Referee Sues Over Suspension

THE WIRE Referee Seeks Assault Charges After Push

A 44-year-old Nebraska referee filed a police report alleging assault after a high school student shoved him in the back during a game and sent him into a sideline chair, leaving him with a sore neck and abrasions to his right knee and elbow. The incident occurred during a JV game at Northwest High School in Omaha, Neb., on Feb. 13.

Video of the incident showed

the player had a path past the referee, but ran into him instead.

The referee was not named in news reports and the player was not identified because he is a juvenile. The police report was referred to juvenile court.

Premier League Referee Received Death Threats

Premier League referee Mike Dean received death threats after his decision to send off West Ham’s Tomas Soucek, for

what Dean ruled was an elbow deliberately thrown at another player during a Feb. 6 match against Fulham. Dean initially waved play on, but consulted a pitchside monitor at the urging of his video assistant referee and then issued a red card.

Dean received online threats to himself and his family in the wake of the call. Days later, West Ham appealed the red card and Premier League officials overturned the call, ruling it was

accidental contact and that Soucek would not have to serve a three-game suspension. In the wake of the threats, Dean opted not to officiate any games the following weekend, but returned to officiate a match on Feb. 14.

Referee Suspended for Assaulting Crewmate

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) suspended referee Tevin Gibson following a postgame locker-

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THE NEWS

Women’s college basketball referee Angie Enlund is taken off the floor on a stretcher after being inadvertently knocked to the floor by a player at a Feb. 24 game.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Women’s college basketball referee Angie Enlund was taken to the hospital after being knocked to the floor by a player shortly after the buzzer in a Feb. 24 game between Rutgers and Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich.

According to published reports, Rutgers’ Tekia Mack inadvertently ran into Enlund while heading back to the bench. Enlund was tended to on the floor for several minutes before medical staff placed her on a stretcher and transported her to the hospital.

A Michigan State spokesperson said Enlund was kept overnight with a concussion, according to Yahoo Sports. Enlund did not have any fractures and was responsive and communicating before being taken to the hospital.

“I know she was unconscious for a period of time,” Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant said in the online news conference after the game.

“They took her in an ambulance, but it’s a very scary and serious thing. She hit very, very hard. She hit her head really hard.”

Merchant said Mack was looking toward the Michigan State players as she was headed back to her bench and ran into Enlund.

“It was just an unfortunate collision at half court,” Rutgers women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer said in a postgame news conference. “I think that Tekia also had a jaw that’s been messed up, but she’ll be OK. And we’re grateful and we’re praying — and we did pray — that Angie was going to be OK.”

Chaka

continued from p.8

Chaka over the years, she thought the call was social in nature.

Instead, Mackie gave Chaka the good news.

Chaka, a resident of Virginia Beach, Va., began officiating in 2006 and moved up to college football in 2013. She worked in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Conference USA and the Pac-12. She earned three bowl assignments — the Fight Hunger Bowl in 2013, the Hawaii Bowl in 2015 and the Camelia Bowl in 2016. She also worked the Senior Bowl this past January.

A graduate of Norfolk State University, Chaka earned her bachelor’s in education in 2006.

She is a health and physical education teacher in the Virginia Beach public school system.

In 2014, Chaka was selected for the NFL’s Officiating Development Program, which identifies top collegiate officiating talent to expose them to some of the same experiences as NFL officials, working to determine if they have the ability to succeed as an NFL official.

“Maia’s years of hard work, dedication and perseverance — including as part of the NFL Officiating Development Program — have earned her a position as an NFL official,” said Troy Vincent Sr., NFL executive vice president of football operations, in a news release.

NICK KING LANSING STATE JOURNAL

College Basketball Referee Hospitalized After Collision

THE WIRE room altercation with a fellow official over a disagreement about a call. Police in Joplin, Mo., issued Gibson a citation for misdemeanor assault for the Feb. 4 incident at McAuley Catholic High School. Gibson can appeal his suspension in a process that’s overseen by the MSHSAA Board of Directors, MSHSAA Communications Director Jason West told KSNTV.

Mask Use Leads to Apology Demand

Proper mask usage took center stage in late February during the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) state wrestling tournament — but not for the reason one might think.

The parents of deaf wrestler Paul Ruff, of Gering High School, and advocates for the hearing impaired demanded an apology from the NSAA and a match official and a rematch after the

official chose not to lower his pandemic-mandated mask to relay instructions to Ruff. Their contention is that because Ruff could not read the official’s lips, he did not realize he was violating warnings issued by the official that eventually led to a penalty point in Ruff’s loss to Paul Garcia, of Scottsbluff. The official did point to Ruff about the infraction and got a thumbs-up in reply, which the official believed meant the wrestler understood.

“I think the referee did what he had to do. There was an infraction,” Jay Bellar, NSAA executive director, told WOWT-TV.

Guatemalan Soccer Player Receives Ban

A Guatemalan soccer player received a five-year ban for punching a referee in the face during a third division game in San Marcos on Feb. 28. Erick Anthony Garcia, a player for San Lorenzo Jogo Foot, was also

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Jay Miner, Longtime Referee Writer, Dies JACKSON, N.J. — Jay Miner, a longtime softball and baseball contributor to Referee, died Feb. 8 due to complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 77.

Miner wrote for Referee from the late ’70s until he suffered a heart attack in 2018. That forced him to move from his longtime home in Colonie, N.Y., to live with his daughter, Jaydene, and her family in New Jersey.

A talented athlete in high school, Miner was offered a minor league contract by the New York Yankees, but turned it down to pursue a career in drag racing. Jaydene said while still in high school, her father would take his mother’s car out after she was asleep and race down the city streets.

“Jay built and drove some of the first altered wheelbase modified street cars,” Jaydene said. “He eventually became a top fuel funny car driver with the East Coast Fuel Funny Car Circuit with a Hemi ‘Cuda and later a Challenger funny car named ‘The Trip.’”

Suspension

continued from p.8

officials, athletic administrators, coaches and athletic trainers involved with NJSIAA member schools to undergo implicit bias training.

Attempts by Referee to reach Maloney directly and his attorney were not successful. Buena

fined GTQ 1,000 (approx. $129 USD) by the league’s disciplinary committee. During the 78th minute of the match, Garcia was shown a red card following a routine foul. He was held back by teammates before walking up to the referee and punching him.

Pac-12 Reprimands Coach for Comments

The Pac-12 Conference said it reprimanded Utah men’s basketball coach Larry

But a near-fatal crash on Sept. 3, 1973, on a track in Jacksonville, Fla., effectively brought his racing career to a close.

“It was a night race and his car blew up going down the track,” said Jaydene, who as a youngster witnessed the event. “All I saw were flames where my father’s car was. He jumped out and was lying on the track with a burned fire suit. The car crashed into the guardrail and burned completely up.”

He then opened a tavern in Albany, N.Y., but that, too, was lost in a fire.

Miner then immersed himself in baseball and softball umpiring. Among his key assignments was a game involving the U.S. Olympic baseball team. By 1976, he was named the New York state softball assigner, instructor and rules interpreter and added those same roles in baseball a year later. In 2016, he was inducted into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame as an umpire. Miner’s knowledge of baseball and softball rules was legendary, and he was a walking encyclopedia of baseball history.

Miner’s “Real Plays, Real Rulings” columns were popular among readers, explaining how situations in recent and past pro games would be handled using high school, college and softball codes.

Jim Berkery, president of the New York State Softball Officials Association, said Miner has “forgotten more about softball and baseball than any of the rest of us will ever know.”

Superintendent David Cappuccio did not return a message left with his secretary and attorneys from the district did not respond to requests for comment. A request for comment to NJSIAA attorneys — also representing White, Maselli, Smith, Ivins and Frasier — was forwarded to a public relations firm representing the NJSIAA which

declined comment, citing pending litigation.

The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages and injunctive relief that the NJSIAA violated Maloney’s rights and seeks to bar the NJSIAA from applying “further review or disciplinary action inconsistent with the law,” according to the complaint.

Jay Miner instructed many baseball and softball umpires in New York.

Krystkowiak for postgame comments about officiating following his team’s loss to Oregon on Feb. 20.

Krystkowiak’s comments were related to a double-dribble call against one of his players.

NBA Fines Player for Outburst at Referee

The NBA fined Atlanta’s Trae Young $20,000 for “directing inappropriate language toward a game official” during the Hawks’

118-117 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 10. Young complained about a no-call in the game’s final seconds.

Coach Fired for Throwing Chair at H.S. Referee Lighthouse College Prep Academy boys’ basketball coach Nick Moore was fired after throwing a chair on the court at a referee during a Jan. 29 game at Bowman Academy in Gary, Ind. In the wake of the incident,

the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) suspended the school’s athletic director for the school’s next varsity contest and all lower level contests until then, and placed the school on probation for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. “There is simply no place in educationbased athletics for this type of poor behavior,” said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig.

SOURCE: WOWT-TV, THE (U.K.) INDEPENDENT, WOWT. COM, ESPN, NBC SPORTS, PAC-12.

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BASEBALL

EDITORS: SCOTT TITTRINGTON

stittrington@referee.com | BRENT KILLACKEY

bkillackey@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET … STAY THERE

Stop Moving to Secure a Clear Picture of the Action

By Jon Bible

When umpires must move to see a play, as Paul Cohen, Calabasas, Calif., does here, it is imperative they stop and come to a set position before making their final decision. This allows their eyes to also stop moving, giving them a clear look at the action.

ecently, I came across a couple of film clips taken from major league games played decades ago.

In one, an umpire called a tag play at second base while running full tilt. In the other, the plate umpire’s head dropped about three feet as the pitch arrived. Indeed, setting up at the last second and shifting one’s body down on a low pitch and outside on pitches in that area was common back then. As a young umpire starting out in the 1960s, I recall the thinking behind these “mechanics” was that we’d have a better look if we moved to where pitches went — an old descriptive term was “riding with the pitch” — and that to get base plays right we must be on top of them — even if this meant making calls on the run.

Excessive movement wasn’t unique to umpiring. Watch film of old-time games and you’ll see football officials dashing madly about and basketball officials constantly bouncing around the court. There was no such thing as working in a measured “cruise control” fashion back then.

Eventually, the powers-that-be realized excessive movement is counterproductive, for when our body is moving our eyes are as well, and this makes it harder to properly focus on, and accurately process, what’s in front of us. Now, the thinking is that to enhance our chances of making correct calls we need to get set and then stay still before the critical part of the play occurs. Obviously, there will be plays that require a lot of motion on the part of some or all members of the crew, especially the fewer umpires there are. But no matter

BOB MESSINA

R

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what the situation is, the general “get set” principle applies.

When calling pitches, get set as the pitcher begins his delivery so you’re still when the ball leaves his hand, and track the pitch into the catcher’s mitt with your eyes without moving your head. Most of us have an imaginary “window” — if the pitch is there it’s a strike and if not it’s a ball. If our head is moving as the pitch arrives, the window will move, and this will make it harder to be accurate and consistent. Movement also increases the chances of the catcher obscuring our view of the pitch. If you don’t have a locking mechanism to help you stay steady, such as putting your hands on your thighs, develop one.

On tag plays at the plate, umpires often dart here and there as the ball arrives and are moving when the catcher makes the tag. We can’t plant ourselves in one spot and stay rigid because adjustments may be needed depending on where the ball, catcher and runner go.

But too often, we overreact and move too much and in too herkyjerky a way. If we make slight, controlled movements and then get set and stay still before the tag occurs, it’s more likely we’ll end up in a good position to see it and the baserunner’s foot or hand in relation to the plate, and be able to properly process what happens.

At first base with an infield grounder, move into fair territory — how far and where is up to you — while the fielder fields the ball and then get set as he throws so you’ll be still when it arrives.

Then, listen for the sound of the ball hitting the glove while watching the runner’s foot hit the bag. If you’re moving, you decrease the chances of properly registering what happened first. Again, a locking mechanism, such as putting our hands on our thighs as we set up, will help us stay steady. (Old-time umpires grabbed the lapels of their coat.)

We may need to adjust if the throw is off-target and there’s a swipe tag, etc., but again the key is not to overdo it and move too

much or too abruptly. Most likely, a controlled step or two will get us where we need to be to see what happens.

As for other plays on the bases, getting close can be challenging, especially with fewer umpires (and it’s possible to get so close that we lose sight of all of the play’s ingredients). But experience has shown that getting a good angle on the play and being still as it happens are more important (within limits, of course) than how far we are from it. As a play starts, move in a controlled way to get that angle and then, no matter where you are, stop and get set just before the tag is applied or, on a force play, the ball hits the glove.

Base plays in a two-umpire crew can test us. On a pickoff, turn as the pitcher throws and plant your feet instead of running toward the play.

You’ll be farther away than if you did the latter, but your eyes won’t be jiggling when the tag occurs.

On a steal of second, turn as the catcher’s throw passes you and then stop, plant yourself and watch the action. On a steal of third, move toward the mound (not toward third) when you sense the runner breaking, turn as the catcher throws, stop and observe.

On trouble balls hit to the outfield when you must go out, don’t keep running so you’re moving when the ball hits near the foul line or pole or an outfielder makes a shoestring catch. You’ve got a better chance of getting the call right if you can sense when the ball is about to hit the ground or glove, and get set before it does. As is the case with base plays, you may not be as close as you’d like, but your eyes won’t be bouncing up and down at the critical point in time.

One additional note: On trap-catch plays, don’t run toward the fielder because you’ll lose the angle on the ball in relation to the glove; instead, run parallel to the ball’s flight.

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

1

The number of new full-time hires to the MLB umpiring staff during the offseason, as Jeremie Rehak was brought aboard in late December to replace retiring Mike Winters. That also created a single crew chief opening at the big-league level, which was filled in March when Mark Carlson was promoted to take Winters’ spot.

SIDELINE ACC Crew Makes History The Atlantic Coast Conference made history in late February when all four members of the umpiring crew for a weekend series between Virginia and North Carolina were Black.

Umpires Linus Baker, Damien Beal, Greg Street and Randy Watkins were assigned to the series, which took place Feb. 25-27 in Chapel Hill, N.C. It marked the first time an all-Black umpiring crew had worked a game in a Power 5 conference.

“From the beginning, the ACC was completely on board when I suggested having an all-Black crew, and making history in doing so,” said Troy Fullwood, the ACC supervisor of umpires. “These guys are ACC umpires, veteran guys that have been umpiring a long time and deserve this opportunity to be a part of history. Hopefully we’ll get to the point where this is not a first, but the norm.”

SOURCE: THEACC.COM

TOOLS RefSmart Timer Belt timers are no longer just the domain of football back judges trying to keep accurate track of the play clock.

With the 20-second action clock now taking a central role in college baseball, RefSmart has created a version of its Game Day Timer device that now accounts for that interval, as well as the 120-second break between innings.

The RefSmart timer is available through most gear suppliers and generally retails for about $70.

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

1. Jones, the starting designated hitter (P/DH in NFHS), is pinch hit for by Smith, a legal substitute. a. The role of the designated hitter is now terminated. b. The DH is locked into the position of the DH and can never be replaced. c. Smith is now the designated hitter.

2. If the first-base coach leaves the vicinity of his coaching box to argue a close call at first base: a. The umpire shall instruct the coach to return to the coaching box. b. Both the assistant coach and the head coach are immediately ejected. c. The assistant coach and the head coach both receive a written warning and shall be restricted to the bench for the remainder of the game. d. Only the assistant coach is restricted to the bench for his action.

3. The official scorekeeper informs the plate umpire that the player at bat is an illegal substitute. a. The umpire shall ignore the information until the defense tells him or her. b. The umpire shall ignore the information until the offense tells him or her. c. The umpire, being aware of the infraction, must enforce the penalty. d. The umpire shall consult the official book kept by the home team.

Point Before Pounding That Hammer

4. The role of the DH or traditional DH in NFHS is terminated for the remainder of the game when: a. The DH assumes a defensive position. b. When a pinch-runner is used for the DH. c. When the DH is ejected for arguing a strike three call. d. All of the above.

VICTOR CALZADA

5. It would be a balk if the pitcher, after having his entire non-pivot foot pass behind the perpendicular plane of the back edge of the pitcher’s plate, attempted to pick off the runner at first base. a. True. b. False.

T

he first rule of umpiring is get the call right.

The second rule of umpiring is to use proper mechanics to show everyone watching that you got the call right.

Take, for example, plays involving a possible pulled foot or swipe tag at first base. In this series of three photos, professional umpire Steven Rios of El Paso, Texas, shown here working a junior

college game, illustrates the three necessary steps for getting the call right, then “selling” to everyone what he saw.

In the first image of this sequence on the left, Rios establishes a strong set position, ensuring that he has no movement and is able to obtain a clear view of the play in question.

In the center image, Rios uses his left hand to indicate that he

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Size: 5.5” x 8.5” Pages: 32

observed the first baseman make contact with the base while in possession of the ball before pulling his foot off the bag. The use of the left hand is important — if an umpire makes this motion with the right hand, it could be misconstrued by players, coaches and fans as an “out” ruling. That becomes problematic if, instead of signaling the first baseman has the bag, the “point” is being used to indicate the ball was dropped.

In the third and final image of the sequence, Rios uses an emphatic “hammer” with his right hand to signal the “out” ruling. This signal should not be used until after the first baseman has voluntarily released the baseball, indicating Rios has observed the entire play and there are no questions about whether the defensive player failed to have complete control of the ball.

Come set. Point. Drop the hammer. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. *

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CASEPLAYS Legal Whack Play: B1 strikes out and F2 drops the ball. F2’s throw to first strikes B1 in the helmet while he has his right foot in the runner’s lane and his left foot in the air — last on the ground in fair territory beyond the foul line. F3 was in position to receive F2’s throw.

Ruling: In all codes, B1 is out.

Since B1’s left foot is outside the running lane and B1 was struck

by F2’s throw while outside the running lane, B1 has committed interference (NFHS 8-4-1g; NCAA 7-11p; pro 5.09a11).

Barehand Tag Play: With a runner on first, B2 grounds up the middle. F6 dives for the ball. He crawls toward the bag with the ball in his glove, reaches out and touches the base with his bare hand a splitsecond before R1 arrives. Ruling: Legal tag; R1 is out. Bases may be tagged with the bare hand or empty glove provided the fielder has secure possession of the ball in the glove or hand (NFHS 2-241; NCAA 2-78; pro Tag Definition).

Not Gone Too Far Play: With a runner on first, B1 hits into the gap. R1 rounds second and collides with F6. He gets up and advances past third.

About halfway home, he decides to retreat back to third as the ball is relayed home. Ruling: In NFHS, the ball remains live for all obstruction calls. In NCAA and pro, R1 was not being played on, so the ball remains live. In all codes, R1 should be awarded home. Even though he advanced one base beyond the obstruction, he most likely would have scored without the obstruction (NFHS 2-22-1, 8-3-2; NCAA 2-55 Type 2; pro 6.01h(2)).

Don’t Drop the Ball on the DH

By George Demetriou

T

he designated hitter rule debuted in the AL in 1973, and is one of the few rules where the three major baseball codes have dramatically different provisions. Under pro rules, the DH may only bat for the starting pitcher and all subsequent pitchers in any game without otherwise affecting the status of the pitchers in the game (5.11a1). The rule has not changed much over the years, outside of a one-year experiment in 2020 with using the DH in both leagues, a decision created in part by the shortened season necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also in 2020, the NFHS adopted a second DH option to complement its original version.

The new “player/DH” option is modeled from the NCAA rule, but is distinctly different. It gives a team the opportunity to let the DH play part of the game defensively and then come off the field without terminating the DH role.

NFHS For an NFHS game, not only must a DH be named prior to the start of the game with his name included on the lineup card, the type of DH — traditional (3-1-4a) or player/DH (3-1-4b) — must also be designated. A team forfeits the use of a DH if it fails to declare one prior to the game. Under the traditional rule, a starting defensive player cannot be listed as the DH in the starting lineup, thus the DH is one of 10 starting players (see left, below). The DH cannot be used as a pinch runner because that would change his spot in the batting order, but a pinch hitter or pinch runner for the DH may be used with that player then becoming the new DH. Unlike the traditional rule, the player/DH rule allows the starting designated hitter to also be a starting defensive player, meaning the team would begin the game with nine starters — nine defensive players, one of whom doubles in the role of the designated hitter

Obstruction Decision Play: With two outs, B1 flies to center field. The pitcher, believing the half-inning is over, sprints for the first-base dugout and obstructs B1 before he has touched first. The fly ball is then (a) not caught, with B1 being thrown out at second, or (b) caught.

Ruling: In (a), if the obstruction affected B1’s ability to advance to second safely, B1 would be awarded second base. If not, B1 is out. In (b), B1 is out (NFHS 2-22-1, 8-3-2; NCAA 2-55; pro 6.01h(1)).

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(see right, below). That player has two positions: defensive player and designated hitter, so there are 10 positions occupied by nine players.

The team could ultimately go to 10 players and then also return to nine, but only once.

The biggest similarity with the traditional DH is a player/DH can be used for any of the nine starting players. That feature is unique to NFHS rules. The defensive role may be substituted by any legal substitute, but only the starting player/DH can ever occupy the DH role. The biggest difference with the other two rules (NFHS traditional and NCAA) is an offensive substitution (pinch hitter or pinch runner) for the DH terminates that role. That includes the player already in the defensive role for the DH. However, such a player can bat for the DH and assume a normal role as the ninth player.

Another unique feature of NFHS rules is re-entry. As mentioned, under the traditional rule the DH is one of 10 starting players and has the same re-entry rights as any other starter, but with the player/DH there are only nine starters. If another player substitutes into the defensive role, the original player/DH may re-enter defensively one time and retain the player/DH status. That counts as the starter’s re-entry. Also, the starting player/DH and any substitutes can never be in the game defensively at the same time.

However, it does not matter which defensive position the player associated with the DH plays.

Multiple legal substitutions are permitted on defense and do not impact the DH role.

NCAA The NCAA DH rule, which received a major re-write prior to the 2021 season, is similar to the pro rule in that the DH can only bat for the pitcher. But aside from that, the college rule is unique and is arguably the most complex rule in any sport (7-2). Like the NFHS rule, a college team can start with either nine or 10 players. If the head coach lists 10 players on the team’s lineup card,

he must designate which of the nine players other than the pitcher is the DH (7-2b1). When a team submits a nine-player lineup, the plate umpire should remind both coaches that the pitcher is considered as being in two positions — pitcher and DH (7-2b3). In other words, the pitcher’s spot is always a P/DH spot, and an easy way to remember this rule is that the game always begins with a 10 “slot” lineup, even though there may only be nine players. As long as the substitution rule is adhered to, a team may alternate between nine and 10 players. The 10th slot remains until one of the acts that terminates the DH takes place.

Re-entry is not allowed in college games except for a player who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion and, after appropriate medical evaluation, is cleared to return by appropriate medical personnel (5-5k). Thus, if the pitcher, DH or P/DH is removed from the game for any other reason, he cannot return in any capacity. Additionally, if the DH or P/DH is removed from the offensive lineup, he cannot return to bat.

Termination The DH is “locked” into the batting order and no multiple substitutions may be made that alter the batting position of the DH. As previously mentioned, the DH cannot be used as a pinch runner because that would change his spot in the batting order.

The DH is eliminated in all codes if one of two events occurs. The most likely is the DH is used defensively.

While that is a legal substitution, the DH must continue to bat in the same position in the batting order and the player for whom the DH is batting must leave the game (retaining his re-entry right in NFHS).

Consequently, the team must revert to nine players. The other event is if the defensive player or any previous defensive player (via re-entry) for whom the DH batted, subsequently bats, pinch hits or pinch runs for the DH. Under NCAA rules, the following

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acts also terminate the use of the DH for the remainder of the game and require the pitcher and any substitutes for the pitcher to bat for themselves: the DH plays on defense at any position other than pitcher

(7-2b12), the pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive position (7-2b Note 2), a player already in the game at another defensive position (different spot in batting order) becomes the pitcher (7-2b14), or a

pinch hitter for any player in the batting order other than the DH subsequently enters the game to pitch (7-2b9).

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

Always Ahead of the Action O ne of the biggest mechanics benefits to working the threeumpire system compared to the twoumpire system is that in almost every situation, there is an umpire “ahead” of the play and ready to receive it, rather than having to possibly chase it from behind.

A great example is when there is a runner on first base and a clean base hit to the outfield.

In the two-umpire system, the plate umpire is responsible for all plays on R1 at third base, while U1 is responsible for any plays involving R1 at second base and any plays against the batter-runner at first or second base. The plate umpire is also then responsible for all plays at the plate.

If there is an overthrow at third base during a play on R1, and R1 tries for home, that play is the plate umpire’s responsibility (MechaniGram A). And unless the plate umpire is Usain Bolt, he or she will be trailing that play and have to work to get the best angle to call it from behind the action.

The three-umpire system, on the other hand, allows for an umpire to remain ahead of this play and accept it rather than trail it. In three-umpire mechanics, as soon as R1 commits to third base on a clean hit to the outfield, the plate umpire rotates to third base for all possible plays on this runner and has no further responsibility for plays at the plate.

That duty falls to U1. With U3 in the middle of the diamond and responsible for all plays at second base, as well as any plays back into first base involving the batter-runner, it’s U1 who has to put on the track shoes. Once U1 observes the batterrunner touch first base and the plate umpire rotate up the third-base line,

the correct mechanic is for U1 to rotate to the plate (MechaniGram B).

This puts U1 ahead of any possible baserunners attempting to score, and

allows U1 to receive all plays rather than requiring an umpire to chase them. *

BR

R1

U1

LF

CLEAN HIT OVERTHROW

RF

CLEAN HIT THROW

THROW

BR

R1

CLEAN HIT

R1

BR

U3

R1

BR

U1

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softball From pre-pitch placement, taking the sign and the delivery, to illegal pitches, this book has everything you need to know about the pitcher.

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T I P O T baseball In baseball, the pitcher makes the world go round. As umpire, you have to know what they can and can’t do, inside and out.

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HOME BRUNS BY MARCEL KERR

RANDY BRUNS IS RIGHT WHERE HE WANTS TO BE — FINDING SUCCESS AT THE TOP

L

ew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Tiger Woods and Randy Bruns have more in common than you might expect. All three have been to the pinnacle of their athletic professions multiple times, and all three are game-changers … the first two by dominance and the other by finesse.

The NCAA banned dunking in games while Alcindor played for UCLA to stymie his advantage in the paint. Golf courses stretched and squeezed their fairways to minimize Woods’ frightening supremacy off the tee.

Bruns? He’s a baseball guy, but you will search online in vain for his breathtaking highlights. Instead, he changes the game with the stroke of his pen ... or better yet, the click of a button.

Since September 2015, Bruns has been the secretary-rules editor for NCAA baseball. After working the plate and bases for hundreds of games to ensure college teams played by the rules, he now helps lead the committee that writes them.

“There’s a lot more that goes along with this position than most people would ever understand,” Bruns said. “And certainly even more than I understood when I was an onfield umpire. When I was first approached with the idea of becoming secretary-rules editor, I didn’t want it. But after giving it some thought, I decided it would be a good way to remain involved with the game and the officiating.”

That involvement began during youth baseball in Denver, Iowa, in the late 1960s, when Bruns filled in for Little League games that did not have umpires. His big break came as a 16-year-old when he was at a park awaiting the start of a men’s fastpitch softball game.

“One of the umpires didn’t show up, and some of the players knew I was the catcher on my high school baseball team,” Bruns said. “They figured I was used to being behind the plate and knew how to call balls and strikes, so they asked me to help them out.

“After that, they asked me to work a

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couple of tournaments on the weekends. Back then, a few dollars was a big deal to a high school kid, and that’s what got me started.”

Bitten by the bug of those impromptu recreation league assignments, Bruns registered with the Iowa High School Athletic Association to officiate baseball, basketball and football. During his freshman year at Luther College in 1970, he worked his first high school varsity basketball game. He began working high school baseball the following spring and added football in the fall of 1971.

“Officiating is something I became pretty passionate about right away,” he said.

“When I was in high school, I was refereeing junior high basketball and football. When I graduated from high school, I was eligible to work varsity and junior varsity games. I was putting myself through college working those three sports.”

Bruns completed his degree in education in 1974 and accepted a position with the Waverly-Shell Rock School District in Waverly, Iowa.

Similar to his initial high school officiating assignment, Bruns notched his first NCAA Division III basketball game the season after graduating from college. In his first year of post-student life, he balanced his time among teaching, coaching baseball as an assistant, officiating high school and college athletics throughout his home state, and finalizing wedding plans with his fiancée.

“I’ve never known Randy when he wasn’t officiating,” said Jana Bruns, Randy’s wife of 45 years and a fellow Luther College alum. “Since I was a physical education major, I had an interest in sports, so we had some common ground there.

Baseball and basketball were

During his onfield NCAA baseball umpiring career, Randy Bruns was selected to work the D-I College World Series in Omaha, Neb., three times.

my favorite sports when I was growing up, so his officiating was not a problem for me.”

The first three years of their marriage kept Randy close to home, but a door opened in 1978 for him to attend the Bill Kinnamon Umpire School in St. Petersburg, Fla. He and Jana knew the timing for him to chase that dream was as good as it could ever get.

“I was in my fourth year of teaching and we didn’t have any children,” Bruns said, “but we hadn’t been away from each other for more than a day up to that point. She knew how much I loved officiating, and we agreed that was the right time to go for it.

“I thought going to professional umpire school and having that intense fiveweek training session would be a great exposure. Even if I didn’t make it as a professional umpire, the training would carry over to basketball and football. I understood the odds of getting a job offer to work in the minors were very small, but all of a sudden, I got one.

I thought if I do it for a year, that’s an experience I could never duplicate.”

One year morphed into eight, with Bruns working his way up to the Triple-A level.

Soaking up the instruction and training was his primary intent, and his eyes were wide open in regard to any possible promotion to the majors. When

his run came to its end in 1985 without him getting the call from the majors, he handled the letdown with a realistic levelheadedness that defines his personality.

“I knew only one or two umpires may get promoted to the majors each year,” said Bruns, who spent four seasons in Triple-A. “If umpires don’t go to the major leagues, they have nowhere else to go. No one’s going to make a career of umpiring Triple-A baseball, so after three or four years, they release a good number of high-quality umpires. It’s not because they don’t do good work on the field … the number of spots in the major leagues is few.”

On the day after Bruns worked what would be his final Triple-A game, Jana delivered the couple’s second child in four years. When Bruns learned he would not be retained for the 1986 season, he and his wife concluded that was a good time for him to return to the real working world and focus on raising their children. In between minor league seasons, he did some work in financial services, so he launched the next stage of his professional life in the business sector. He also returned to his officiating roots with a renewed outlook on the avocation.

“I had a fairly easy

DENNIS HUBBARD; (LEAD SPREAD - COURTESY OF RANDY BRUNS)

HOME BRUNS

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COURTESY OF RANDY BRUNS; © HARRY BAUMERT – USA TODAY NETWORK

transition to working high school and college baseball since I already had a feel for that level of athletes,” Bruns said. “I enjoyed my time teaching and coaching, so I did not have a difficult time falling back on that experience after my years in professional baseball.”

Neither did he have much trouble catapulting his college umpiring career. In 1986, he started his 30 years in Division I by working the Big Ten, the former Big Eight and the Missouri Valley conferences. His small-college work in 1987 led to him working that season’s Division III College World Series. Throughout the 1990s, Bruns took the field for various conference tournaments, regionals and super regionals, ultimately landing the first of his three D-I College World Series assignments in 1999.

“There’s nothing like working those World Series games in Omaha,” Bruns said.

“Certainly I was honored to get that privilege. The level of excitement and anticipation on the field and in the stands is unlike any other experience I’ve had.”

If Bruns had not soared to the top of college baseball’s mountain, his officiating accolades would still stand tall. Chasing his major league aspirations did not limit Bruns’ work in football and basketball. He maintained busy schedules in both sports, establishing himself as one of Iowa’s most trusted officials.

“His reputation is beyond reproach,” said Chuck Brittain, a 46-year officiating veteran and Bruns’ longtime basketball partner. “The professionalism, dignity and competency Randy exhibits are exemplary. There are other people in our officiating community who may have as much of those qualities as he has, but no one has more.”

While baseball is where Randy Bruns has made his biggest mark in the world of sports officiating, he was far from a one-trick pony, having also worked both football and basketball at the NCAA D-III level.

For 20-plus years, Bruns and Brittain were virtually inseparable on the basketball court during the era when most games had only two officials. Brittain estimates the duo worked close to 50 games each of those years across high school and college. During those 20-plus years, they were assigned to more than 100 Iowa state playoff contests, including seven state championships. A partnership with that depth of durability boils down to two factors: convenience and trust.

“Randy and I lived across the street from each other, so other than a few games here and there, we did all of our games together in high school and college,” said Brittain, now Iowa’s coordinator of officials for boys’ and girls’ basketball.

“We had each other’s back and we could depend on each other. We shared the same philosophy, didn’t fish in each other’s pond and enjoyed every chance we had to work together.

“Another huge factor is we have really good wives.

If you’re married, you can’t officiate and be good at it for a long time without having a really good (spouse).

Officiating has a lot of carnage with marriages and family turmoil. Randy and I committed ourselves to avoid that. We traveled together and

brought our families with us on many occasions. That helped us become a rock-solid unit.”

The reliability he could count on from Brittain was only a fraction of the reliability Bruns had at home.

“I was very fortunate to be one of the umpires in professional baseball at the time who was married to the same woman when he got out as when he got in,” Bruns said. “That’s a testament to Jana’s ability to keep things going at home while I was on the road so much during those years. She was an absolute rock, and I am very grateful for her support over the years.”

Jana managed her teaching career, her husband’s schedule and their children’s upbringing with a pragmatic approach. She embraced her family’s busy lifestyle and determined she would not permit Randy’s officiating to become a source of contention.

“I didn’t want to be an ‘official’s widow,’” she said.

“I traveled with Randy as much as I could; I wanted to meet the other officials’ wives. I knew officiating was important to Randy, so I did what I could to encourage him in it.”

Randy and Jana established a protocol for

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their family to make up for lost time when hundreds of miles separated them and their children, Anne and Brian. They vowed to commemorate all the important holidays and family milestones, regardless of when the commemoration took place.

“Our anniversary is in June, but we haven’t always celebrated it on that date because I was away from home,” Randy said. “We’ve celebrated Christmas in February because I may have been in the Dominican Republic for winter ball in December. We didn’t want our children to miss the fun of the holidays. Setting aside that time for family — no matter what the date is — remains a priority for us.”

The salesmanship that is innate in officiating does not apply only when making tough calls on bang-bang plays. It is essential when shaking hands or bumping fists with someone for the first time. The first impression Bruns made on Jeff Henrichs remains unchanged almost 30 years later.

“You just know when you meet good people in this profession,” said Henrichs, a 26-year veteran of the Big 12 and Pac-12 who also reached

Following a Big 12 Tournament game in 2015, Randy Bruns laid his cap on the plate, signifying it would be the final plate game of his onfield career.

Triple-A. “I could tell he didn’t have a big ego that got in his way. He never had to spit out his résumé, but I knew he had that ‘it.’ I also sensed he was a good person who cares about people, and being a good person goes a long way in officiating.

“He’s the kind of guy you want to work with and hang out with afterward. He personifies what the brotherhood of umpires is all about. Randy always promoted other umpires.

If you are a good umpire, Randy makes sure people know about you.”

One of those umpires is Mike Droll. Like most high school umpires in Iowa during the early and mid-1980s, Droll knew of Bruns by keeping his eye on Bruns’ minor league progress and pulling for him to crack the major league staff. The high school diamond provided a soft landing spot for Bruns after his discharge from the minors, and a game in 1986 paired him with Droll.

“His professional experience was obvious,” Droll said about his first time working with Bruns. “He was more technically sound than anyone I’d seen up to that time; he was never out of position and he had a distinct presence on the field.”

In the subsequent years, Droll, a resident of Coralville, Iowa, remained in touch with Bruns. When he started knocking on the door of Division I baseball, Bruns opened it for him by “putting his money where his mouth was,” as Droll summarized it.

“The first year the Big Eight had a supervisor of umpires was 1989. Randy suggested to the supervisor he remove Randy from a series so I could get a shot at working a Division I series. How many guys would forego a series and give up the income so a younger umpire could have the opportunity to work major college baseball? It epitomizes the kind of person Randy is and I’ll never forget that gesture.”

Sports leagues and organizations seem on an endless quest to improve their games, either for the safety of their players or the convenience of their fans. As NCAA baseball continues solidifying its visibility within the fabric of college athletics, it will tinker with rules revisions and additions every year. Bruns may not initiate those changes, but he is still heavily involved in the process.

“During the season, I observe games on both video and in person to see how umpires are enforcing rules,” Bruns said. “I look for trends that may require updates, and that leads to feedback from conferences and umpires.

“We have major updates to the rules every two years.

The rules committee is always gathering information about suggested rules changes and edits to the rulebook. We feed that information to coaches and administrators from Divisions I, II and III on the committee, and they determine exactly which ones they’re going to put forward.”

After proposed changes become law, Bruns’ task is to graft the new rule into the rulebook. That process entails much more than typing a couple lines of text into an existing file.

“I have to figure out what other rules are affected by the changes,” Bruns said. “I also need to ensure the wording is clear because using the correct language is critical. We want to make the changes without leaving players, coaches and officials confused.”

Bruns and George Drouches, the NCAA national coordinator of umpires, collaborate on myriad projects both during the season and offseason. Their teamwork produces most of the training material designed to inform and reinforce rules knowledge, mechanics and philosophy. Because they use print and video platforms, their presentations of those

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RANDY BRUNS

HOME BRUNS

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documents and visual aids demand constant contact between them.

“We talk on a daily basis, and sometimes that becomes an hourly basis,” said Drouches, who became national coordinator in 2014. “Randy and I are the leaders of the baseball officiating community.

With me leading the many facets of the NCAA baseball umpiring program and him in charge of the rules that govern our game, our roles have some overlap.

“We work hand in hand, not only in rules compliance but also the educational side.

It’s our job to get the umpires up to speed with changes to the rulebook and the mechanics manual, and for stakeholders affiliated with NCAA baseball to align with training, education and testing benchmarks. This will all but eliminate the possibility that the integrity of our game can be compromised.”

Drouches may take partial credit for Bruns succeeding Jim Paronto in the secretary-editor role. When Paronto’s term of service ended, Drouches pitched Bruns about filling that void.

“I knew he’d be excellent,” said Drouches, who served as the Division III coordinator of umpires previous to his present post. “He’s diligent, responsive and well-respected by coordinators and onfield umpires across the country.

In the few years he’s been in that position, he’s done a phenomenal job with NCAA baseball rule interpretations and clarifications, as well as editing and transforming the baseball rulebook into a succinct publication.”

That transformation is an ongoing project Bruns pinpoints as one of the most urgent on his to-do list.

Although the NCAA employs a two-year cycle for major rules revisions, editorial changes occur every year, which means

Several generations of Randy Bruns' family are shown in this holiday photo, including his mother-inlaw Jeane Tatman; his wife Jana; their two children, Brian and Anne, and their spouses Liz and Dane; and grandchildren Quinn, Grace, Jack and Ben.

Bruns can streamline the baseball code for every season.

“I’ve made a concerted effort to clean up some things that accumulated in our rules over the last 30 years,” Bruns said. “That’s a major responsibility I do with Ben Brownlee, the baseball liaison at the NCAA. I knew there was a lot we could remove from the language to make the rules easier to grasp, enforce and explain.”

Three years ago, Bruns retired from a financial services company, bringing a 32-year career in the industry to a close. Most of that time saw him training and developing financial advisers. The mutual threads of his success in the corporate world and in officiating are keen instincts and thick skin.

“Being in training situations in the business sector, I have to think on my feet a lot when I’m speaking in front of groups.

Even with individual training, the ability to not worry about someone’s comment was beneficial to me,” Bruns said.

“When I interviewed to become a trade review principal, one of the interviewers asked how I would respond when people don’t agree with my opinion. I started laughing and explained my officiating background.

Since I’d been yelled at by

randy bruns BIO Age: 69 Resides: Ankeny, Iowa Currently: Secretary-rules editor for NCAA baseball Highlights: Spent eight years as a minor league umpire and 30 years as an NCAA umpire; worked three NCAA D-I College World Series; also served as crew chief for 2007 D-III football national championship and worked one D-III men's basketball Final Four

thousands of people and scrutinized on national television, someone who believes my financial decision is not suitable is not going to bother me very much.”

The baseball file in Bruns’ officiating portfolio may have the most entries, but his football and basketball achievements are also noteworthy. In 2007, he was the crew chief for the NCAA D-III football national championship game. He also has a D-III basketball Final Four under his belt. He may have been equally as prolific had he prioritized football or basketball, but his boyhood roots pushed baseball to become his adulthood route.

“Baseball has always had my heart,” Bruns said. “My dad is a big Chicago Cubs fan, and he was a pretty good baseball player, so baseball was a big part of our home for as long as I can remember.

My officiating passion was basketball, but baseball is my game … it’s the love of my athletics life. It was hard to overcome that.

“College baseball is a great game that’s getting more exposure and we are doing more things to make it better.

There are some things I miss by not being on the field, but I’m in a terrific place.”

Marcel Kerr is a freelance writer from Chicago. *

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SOFTBALL

EDITOR: BRAD TITTRINGTON

btittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

KEEP IT BETWEEN US

By Joe Alfonse

S

ome unseen things that go on before, during and after a softball game would really surprise the casual or even rabid fan.

First is the amount of verbal and non-verbal communication during a game between umpires, whether a two- or three-person crew. Second is the amount of time prior to the games put in by the crews — studying rulebooks, casebooks or the manuals associated with each code. Third is the amount of time spent in pre- and postgame conferencing at higher-

level events. All of this hard work, whether in study, communication or actual in-game officiating, really does make a difference, regardless of level of play.

Take bracketing for instance. This frequently unnoticed mechanic is a basic staple of both two- and threeperson crews. Whether a pop-up in foul territory on the first- or thirdbase sides, or on steals or rundowns (often called pickle plays), umpires utilize a great technique to ensure they get all the information they can to get the call correct.

Let’s take a look at the “why”

before the “how” on what makes this mechanic work. Bracketing provides a system of coverage that allows at least one umpire the opportunity to get a great look at routine and unusual situations. In cases where foul balls are close to the fence or dugouts, regardless of which way the fielder is facing, either the base or plate umpire will have a view of both the fielder’s glove as well as any fencing or other dead-ball territory.

On steals and “pickles,” bracketing enables a sightline to cover both sides of the basepath to watch for any obstruction, swipe tags, dropped balls

DALE GARVEY

Master the Mechanics of Bracketing Playing Action

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Bracketing rundown plays allows umpires to see different elements of the play.

Plate umpire Jerry Forkner, Duvall, Wash., and base umpire Bill Goldwyn, Kirland, Wash., work both sides of this play to cover all the angles.

or whether the runner deviated too far from the basepath to avoid a tag.

While bracketing opportunities in a two-person system are few and far between, they do happen. Most often it’s on rundowns, and that’s where pregame conferencing is critical. Knowing your plate umpire is going to come up on the play and provide coverage, either ahead of or behind you, provides you, as the base umpire, the ability to get to a mostly stationary position and let the play unfold, as opposed to chasing it. The key here, though, is the base umpire needs to continue staying on top of

the play until the plate umpire has communicated being part of the action.

This should generally occur when the runner is heading back toward the last base touched. This allows the base umpire to now be ahead of the play as the plate umpire becomes the trail and provides a second set of eyes on all action (unless the rundown occurs between second and third; then the plate umpire provides help in front of the base umpire). If the plate umpire is late joining the action as the runner continues toward the next base, the base umpire should take the play all the way to its conclusion. Again, communication is the key. There should always be only one calling umpire.

On a three-person crew, bracketing happens more frequently than people realize. Whether the crew is rotated, counter-rotated or in standard position, bracketing should occur on foul balls in the infield every time there’s an umpire on the line on that side. The mechanic is simple.

Whether it’s a diving catch toward the plate or an over-the-shoulder catch toward the outfield, the calling umpire shall be whomever the fielder is facing when the ball is played.

In those times when the fielder is up against the fence facing neither umpire, that’s when eye contact between the umpires should occur prior to making the call. The default is the plate umpire will make that call, but always be prepared based on the situation. Again, pregame discussion is critical in making these calls look routine.

Now, let’s get to the mechanics.

With no runners on and a foul ball to the first-base side, U1 should bracket the catch. As noted above, as far as catch or no catch, it’s still the call of the umpire facing the play.

With no runners on and a foul ball to the third-base side, U3 has an easy job in this case. Stay on the play until its conclusion while U1 will move into the infield to provide an extra set of eyes.

With a runner on first and U3 rotated and a foul ball to the first-base side, U3 will watch for the tag at first base as well as take any plays at first or second. It’s important for U3 to

THEY SAID IT “Officials and coaches and players really don’t understand exactly what the strike zone is.

And when we have a rulebook that specifies a strike zone, our job as officials is to call it accurately — not to be aggressive, not to take certain counts and do something different, not to look at the scoreboard and do something different. It is our job as officials to pursue calling an accurate strike zone.”

— NCAA National Coordinator of Softball Officials Craig Hyde, on the importance of calling an accurate strike zone SOURCE: NCAA 2021 SOFTBALL VIRTUAL CLINIC

QUICKTIP As a plate umpire, take the time to watch the warmup pitches of each starting pitcher and each substitute pitcher. This will give you an opportunity to train your eyes to the speed of the pitcher and you won’t get surprised on the first pitch of the game. It also allows you to see what type of spin the pitcher has and how well the catcher receives the ball.

You should allow the catcher the opportunity to catch the first pitch without being behind her and then get into your position to watch the next three pitches. Take a look at the pitcher from both sides of the plate.

TOOLS 2021 Softball Umpires Quiz

2021

How ready are you for the 2021 season? Test your NFHS rules knowledge by taking the annual softball umpires quiz, prepared by the editors of Referee. The 20-question quiz — available to download or take online — is free at Referee.com.

QUIZ Sponsored by the of Sports Officia National Association ls and editors of Refere prepared by the e magazine.

The batter’s momentum takes her across she interfere the plate after s with the catcher’s a swing and stealing? Who is out and where ability to make a play on a runner do runners See question end up?

10.

Each of the following includes Decide which a situation and possible one answer is correct for answers.

NFHS fast pitch last page.) rules.

(Answers on

1

B1 hits a double.

After her at defensive coach bat, the alerts the umpire that there is a crack in the bat B1 The plate umpire used. looks at the bat and notices a crack in it. What is the penalty?

a. All play stands and the bat shall remain in play. b. B1 is ruled out and ejected for using an illegal bat.

c. All play stands, the bat is removed from the game

for being a damaged bat and no penalty is assessed to B1.

2

F1 takes her position on the pitcher’s plate to receive the sign from her catcher.

All all true except:

a. Her pivot foot may top of the pitcher’s be on plate. b. Her pivot foot may be in contact with the front side of the pitcher’s plate.

c. Her pivot foot may be in contact with the back side of the pitcher’s plate. d. Her pivot foot may be behind, but not in contact with, the pitcher’s plate.

3

Which of the following is false in regard to the pitcher’s non-pivot foot as she takes her position on the pitching plate?

a. It must be

in contact

with the pitcher’s plate. b. It must be within or partially with the 24-inch length of the pitcher’s plate. c. It can be moved backward, provided the step backwar d is prior to the start of the pitch.

4

R1 is on first base when B2 hits a ground ball to F4. F4’s toss to F6 is wide, but F6 catches the ball in her

Copyright © 2021 resale or publicatioby Referee Enterprise s, Inc. All n without the express written rights reserved. Copy these quizzes permission for handout of Referee Enterprise but not for s, Inc.

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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 one out and R1 on first, B3 hits a ground ball up the middle. F6 dives and secures the ball and throws to first base to try to get B3 on the force out. The ball sails over the first baseman’s glove and into the dugout.

At the time of release, R1 was on second base and B3 was about five feet from first base. a. R1 is awarded third base and B3 is awarded second base. b. R1 is awarded home and B3 is awarded second base. c. R1 is awarded second base and B3 is awarded first base. d. R1 is awarded home and B3 is awarded third base.

2. With an 0-2 count, B1 has her feet completely inside the batter’s box when she makes contact with a pitch.

The ball goes almost straight down, comes back up and makes contact with B1 while one foot is completely within the batter’s box and the other foot is half in the batter’s box and half out. a. The ball is dead and ruled foul. b. The ball remains live. c. The ball is dead and the batter is ruled out for interference.

3. With R3 on third base and one out, B3 hits a ball down the first-base line.

B3 runs down the first-base line. As she is about to be tagged by F3, she takes a couple of steps back toward home plate. R3 had crossed home plate prior to B3 stepping back. a. Ball remains live. R3 scores and B3 may still advance with liability to be put out. b. Ball remains live. R3 scores and B3 is ruled out for stepping back toward the plate. c. Ball is dead. B3 is ruled out for stepping back toward the plate and R3 is returned to third base. d. Ball is dead. B3 is ruled out for stepping back toward the plate, but R3’s run counts.

4. B1 hits a ball to right field. F9 fields the ball and fires it to F3 to try to tag the batter-runner out as she takes a wide turn at first. On F3’s swipe tag, the ball flies out of her glove and rolls into dead-ball territory. a. The ball is dead and the batter-runner is awarded the base the umpires judge she would have reached had the ball remained live. b. The ball is dead and the batterrunner is awarded second base. c. The ball is dead and the batterrunner is awarded third base.

move to a good position to see both the tag and be able to close down in case of a play at first.

With a runner on third, or multiple runners on base, this is where we earn our money. When bracketing, the umpire facing the play will make the call. So, in the instance where the plate umpire makes the call, U3 will take the tag and any calls at third for runners advancing or returning. In the event U3 makes the call, the plate umpire needs to be prepared to take the tag-up call on the runner at third base or any tag plays on R3 at third base but must hustle back to the point-of-plate holding position after the catch in case R3 advances. U3 is then responsible for all other calls at third base.

It’s also important to realize all umpires have a responsibility on steals and pickoff plays. When a runner on first attempts to steal, U1 should come out of the set position and close down along the first-base line to provide a set of eyes on the back end of the steal. What should happen at the end of the play is U3 will be on the outfield side of second base while U1 will have come to a

position on the infield side of first.

The reverse should occur in the event of a snap throw for a pickoff.

A word of caution: Remember to be hyper-aware of any hit ball before closing down. The same bracket should occur when a single runner on second attempts to steal third. The philosophy will always be to try to establish an inside/outside approach to covering the running lane.

Subtleties like that make our job both easier and more enjoyable.

These mechanics are hardly ever noticed by the fans or coaches, but a veteran umpire and those working hard to improve will always notice the unseen movements by a wellprepared crew meant to capture information on any given play. Don’t ever think a good pregame won’t include some time spent on covering plays that need to be bracketed because when the need arises, it’s always good to know what your partner is going to do.

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

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

‘Right’ It Down O

ne duty of the plate umpire is to write down all conferences, both offensive and defensive, for both teams. This simple task is often overlooked and can lead to problems if not recorded. Each time a team takes a conference, the plate umpire should mark down whether the conference is offensive or defensive and in which inning the conference took place. This information is vital, especially in long innings when a coach may forget if a conference was taken earlier in the inning or if a defensive coach has used up the allotted conferences in an inning or game and wishes to take another.

The failure to write down and record conferences could potentially allow a team an unfair advantage by allowing a conference that could be illegal. It could also lead to a protest by an opposing team, and without proper

information written down, it is nearly impossible to adjudicate properly. The plate umpire should not rely on base umpires to remember if a conference was taken. All plate umpires should carry a lineup card holder and a pen in the ball bag and the information can quickly be written down while the conference is taking place.

The rules regarding conferences are pretty simple. For USA Softball, NFHS and USSSA, a team is allowed three defensive conferences per seveninning game. A team may take all three conferences in the same inning or spread them out without penalty.

After the third defensive conference, the pitcher must be removed from the pitching position. Each team is allowed one additional defensive conference per extra inning.

While on offense, each team is

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allowed one conference per inning.

Umpires should not allow a second offensive conference in an inning.

NCAA rules differ. In games not using the media format, each team is allowed one offensive and one defensive conference per inning. If a coach initiates a second one, the coach is ejected. There is no penalty to the pitcher or batter. In games using the media format, teams get a total of seven conferences in a seven-inning game and they may not take more than one offensive and one defensive conference per half-inning.

There is no excuse for not tracking this information. There is plenty of room on the back of every lineup card.

Take the time to accurately record the information and save the crew a lot of headaches and a potential protest. *

5 MINUTES WITH DESTINI ROBINSON NCAA Division I umpire discusses importance of physical fitness.

Residence: Pensacola, Fla. Experience: Master’s degree in exercise science; Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction (CSCS*D); owner/strength and conditioning coach at MOVE PERIOD Inc.; former college strength and conditioning coach; 16-year NCAA umpire working in the AAC, ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Sun Belt conferences; worked two D-II Softball National Championships, one D-I Regional and one D-I Super Regional.

REFEREE: How did you get involved in strength training?

ROBINSON: I started officiating beforehand. I was working on my doctoral program at the University of West Florida. I was doing some training on the side but I was also the strength and conditioning coach, and then decided to go the private route, the private sector. I didn’t end up finishing my doctoral program. I figured since I was doing the private stuff to make something out of it. We came up with MOVE PERIOD. I’ve been in business since 2009, really been training a few of our members before that, but decided to make it official then.

REFEREE: How important is physical fitness for umpires?

ROBINSON: It is imperative. It’s definitely a must because as they say to us at the meetings, these college athletes, they’re the same age every year and we’re getting older and older.

So that much more of a reason for us to be in great shape because they can do some pretty incredible things out there. Just with officiating in general, why not be better? Why not become more? Just means you have to give more of yourself, that is all.

REFEREE: What are some of the first things you tell umpires on how to get started with fitness?

ROBINSON: It’s just one day at a time. The hardest part is getting started. Once we get started, you get those first couple weeks under your belt. You do everything within reason.

Everything we do is a little bit at a time. Taking your time, work on the technique, work on range of motion, things will get better from there. The main thing is being consistent with it because you’ll only see growth if you keep working at it.

REFEREE: During the season, what do you recommend umpires do to stay healthy and injury free?

ROBINSON: Take the time to take

care of our bodies. Stay hydrated — that’s huge. Because hydration can affect other areas. Sleep and hydration are key. If you don’t have enough sleep, it slows down your reaction time. It actually makes you add weight and a few other things. Hydration is key because it keeps things flowing through us and if we’re not hydrated, we’ll experience other things on the field. There’s no fun part of being dehydrated. That’s one less thing we should have to worry about when we’re out there on the field. But also recovery from the games and getting ready for the games — taking the time to actually stretch. How many of us actually just go out on the field and try to go right at it? Taking that time to actually stretch, possibly get a little warmup in, go through some functional movements, range-of-motion movements. If you need to recover at the end, bring a foam roller with you or stretch out later on. These are the things that will help make us ready for the next day and recover better.

REFEREE: What things do you recommend umpires eat before the game?

ROBINSON: Something that is going to load you up pretty good for the morning. We don’t want to eat literally right before we get on the field. Have a meal at least a couple hours before we get on the field. We have that for our energy. Food is our fuel. And we need to think clearly and if we are going out there not satisfied, not having enough in us, then we’re not able to do our job as effectively.

REFEREE: And after a game, what is the best recovery nutrition?

ROBINSON: Depending on the time we finish, if it is late at night, we don’t want to eat heavy, but we want to get something good in our body so we’re not starving the next morning. We eat heavier earlier in the day and then lighter at night. There’s nothing wrong with having carbohydrates, it’s balancing everything out, having a variety of foods.

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SOFTBALL

CASEPLAYS

Let’s Talk About It

Catch/No Catch Play: B1 hits a long fly ball to right-center field. Running full speed, F8 catches the ball and takes two steps. She then hits the wall, causing the ball to fall to the ground. Ruling: In all codes, this is not a catch. In order to make a catch, the release of the ball must be voluntary. The wall knocking the ball out of the glove is not voluntary. If the fielder reaches into the glove, pulls the ball out and then it falls, it would be voluntary and considered a catch (USA Softball 1 – Catch/No Catch; NCAA 9.2.1; NFHS 2-9-2; USSSA 3 – Catch).

Batter Backs Out Play: On a 2-1 pitch, the batter steps out of the batter’s box after F1 delivers the pitch to the plate. Time was not granted to the batter. Ruling: In USA Softball and NCAA, the umpire shall call a ball or strike, depending on the location of the pitch (USA Softball 7-3f; NCAA 11.2.2 Eff.). In NFHS and USSSA, a strike shall be called and the ball remains live, regardless of the location of the pitch (NFHS 7-3-1 Eff. 2, 7.3.1B).

Talking about situations while they are fresh in your mind is important. From left: Paul “Smokey” Edds, Anaheim, Calif., Davis Nicksic, Kirkland, Wash., and Steve Andersen, Snohomish, Wash., take a moment after the game to learn from each other.

By Chad Vanderstelt

I

t’s the bottom of the seventh inning, bases loaded and two outs in a one-run ballgame. After multiple 3-2 pitches, runners moving, foul balls and high-stress situations, the visitors finally record the third out and win the game.

Time to relax, right?

Wrong! One of the most important parts of an umpire’s day is still to come: the postgame conference.

This is an integral part of your game assignment. No matter if you are a rookie, seasoned veteran or twotime Women’s College World Series umpire, there is valuable knowledge to be gained from your postgame.

The postgame conference is part of the game, no different than bat checks, balls and strikes, or safes and outs. Avoiding the postgame is not only shorting your assigner and your partner(s) but it is shorting yourself.

Jim Fitrakis, an NCAA umpire and assigner, tells his staff that “a good postgame is essential to umpires getting better.”

Chris Calkins, a high school assigner in Michigan, said “the immediate feedback from postgame while the game is fresh in your mind is invaluable.”

There is little doubt that veteran umpires, as well as their assigners — no matter the level

DALE GARVEY

Collision On Hit Play: With the bases loaded, B4 hits a hard ground ball up the middle, just to the left of second base. R2 takes a couple of steps toward third base on contact and makes contact with F6, who is moving to her left toward second base. F6 is roughly 10 feet away from the ball and the ball is already in the grass when the contact occurs. Ruling: In all codes, this is obstruction on F6. F6 had no opportunity to make a play on the ball and she impeded R2’s progress while running the bases. It is a delayed dead ball and the umpires should wait until the conclusion of the play to potentially award bases, if necessary (USA Softball 1 – Obstruction, 8-5b, R/S 36; NCAA 9.5.1, 9.5.3.1; NFHS 2-36, 8-4-3b; USSSA 3 – Obstruction, 8-13).

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— all agree the value of a good, proper postgame conference is immeasurable.

So what makes a good postgame?

The crew chief will usually lead the discussion. Be sure as a crew chief to keep it short and allow your crew to have input. Remember this is a discussion, not a training session, and certainly not an opportunity for the crew chief to tell the crew everything it missed or could have done better. Keep in mind, for a postgame to have optimum value it must be an open discussion. The crew chief must encourage the crew to be open and honest throughout the discussion.

Begin with issues and incidents.

Did a coach have an argument? How did we handle that situation? Did this argument result in an ejection?

If so, were we all in the proper place and did we all carry out our responsibilities? Handling issues and incidents throughout a game is a major part of umpiring, and becoming better at handling them is a result of a proper postgame conference.

Look at what your crew did and didn’t do well. Discuss how you as individuals could improve as well as how the crew could have done something better. Understand this is a situation in which umpires should always want to find themselves: sitting in a quiet room, with friends, anxiety-free, discussing our craft.

We must understand as we are discussing things we could have done better, nothing is a knock on you personally, or for that matter professionally. This discussion is simply what we could have done to handle a situation better and make the game smoother. Would you accept a compliment from your crewmates? If so, you absolutely must take constructive criticism and advice with the same smile on your face and jolly demeanor with which you would accept the praise.

Unusual situations or issues are not something we go into a game expecting, but we should prepare for them. The postgame conference is the perfect forum to discuss any unusual situations we may have

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had. Did we as a crew handle this situation properly? Did I as an individual handle it properly or is this something we can all learn from?

While discussing this situation, it is essential we take the time to look up rule support for what we did — and in some situations what we should have done. We may also need to look at the manual to make sure we covered a specific play the way we should.

Younger umpires will often see situations they have never seen before. This is an amazing opportunity to learn from the veteran umpires on the crew who may have had that experience or may have been in a camp or clinic with someone who had. Take the time necessary to learn while the situation is still fresh in your mind and while you are still with the crew and those who fought the battle with you. We should all walk away from our postgame as a better umpire, with new, perhaps better, rules knowledge.

As you leave the game site, take the time to reflect on the game and the things you learned. Use the quiet of the drive home or back to the hotel for self-evaluation. Look inwardly at how the things discussed in the postgame pertain to you. Learn from the situations in which you may have found yourself or may have put your partners. If there are mechanics on which you need a refresher, grab the manual when you get home and find out where you went wrong or could have done better. Find the improvement category for this game and focus on it; exhaust it until you understand and are 100 percent sure you understand it.

A great umpire once coined the term, “Don’t get bitter. Get better.”

Use the postgame conference to get better, not only for you and your partners but for the game.

Chad Vanderstelt is an NCAA umpire from Fruitport, Mich., working multiple D-I, D-II and D-III conferences. He has worked multiple NCAA regional and super regional tournaments. He has also worked several USSSA World Championships, including the finals in 2017 and 2018. 

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Mastery of playing rules doesn’t just mean ‘knowing’ what a rule reads

od Serling might have put it this way: Imagine you’re attending your final year of college. You’ve invested hard work, time and money studying for a profession you’ve chosen for the rest of your life.

Then, just before finals, the university announces your exams and term papers won’t be graded; in fact, no transcript or diploma will be provided at all.

When you go job hunting, the only record of your education and training will be that you attended. While you might have some idea of how well you did, you have no proof. Without some grades to compare yourself to others, you have no context to convince anyone — yourself, your peers or a prospective employer — of your true ability. How good are you really, and what is your realistic future?

These days, learning your rulebook may feel a lot like this proposition by the host of “The Twilight Zone.” More and more, we’re expected to learn the rules and prove our knowledge by what is often an open-book, online examination

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Plays at a base like the one observed

by Marc Bonvouloir, Culver City, Calif., may require application of knowledge related to obstruction, interference or a variety of other rules.

leagues, many of them while serving as a rules instructor at the Wendelstedt Umpire School, with graduates often reaching the major leagues.

“I’ve learned to become a good rules umpire by learning how to teach the rules,” Rice said. “…

It was learning how to convey them to 150 students who were coming in trying to move into professional baseball that did that.”

Setting a goal of learning the rules in excruciating detail shouldn’t be the object of the exercise, he said. “For baseball — and I think I see this in some other sports, as well — a lot of officials, when they try to learn the rules, try to find the hardest, most difficult knotty problems that they can, rather than the very fundamental rules. … And that not only messes them up for those when they rarely occur, but also it takes them off of their fundamentals. Generally, they may not be good rules officials.”

Rice believes when you study the rules regularly and challenge your understanding through a lot of “what-ifs,” you inevitably improve. He said you have to make rulebooks “bathroom readers” which you regularly review. “If you’re constantly refreshing yourself, then you’re going to be prepared when those unusual situations

BOB MESSINA

allowing multiple chances to achieve only a modicum of success; resources are scarce all over, you know. As we progress through the ranks, we might be against more-demanding testing regimens, but learning the rules ultimately comes down to knowing what to do and when to do it while under the bright lights on the field or court.

Many of us can feel as alone mastering the rules as we might feel cheated. If we put the time and effort in, how do we really know we’ve learned the rules well enough? Meanwhile, a smart eighth grader, who’s never watched a game, could conceivably use the search function in the NFHS’s online rulebooks to pass the online test and “qualify” right along with us; what did this prove?

The good news is it isn’t as dire as it might seem. The experts will tell you it’s still comfortably in your own hands to become proficient with the rules and confident in their application, with or without a piece of paper to “prove” it.

Brent Rice is an assistant director for the Michigan High School Athletic Association, responsible for the administration of baseball and all of the state’s officials.

He spent 13 years in the minor

arise. I learned a lot by listening to the guy standing in front of me.”

“Being able to explain the rules to a neophyte is a sign that you have a complete and full understanding of the rules,” said Steve Hall, the state football rules interpreter for New Hampshire for 20 years and a member of the NFHS Football Rules Committee, including a fouryear stint on the editorial committee. “You’ve developed the communication skill set you need to communicate with coaches who may have questions. And this just gives you so much more confidence on the field.”

Hall agrees listening is both the cheapest and often mostunderutilized skill. He doesn’t have a problem with the use of open-book testing of rules knowledge but thinks officials don’t take advantage of the concept the way they could. He believes the important thing is for officials to get together and work through the rules; the adage of steel sharpening steel. “New Hampshire has always used open-book exams.

People get together in work groups and work through the exam … and make sure that everything’s done correctly,” he said.

The group members don’t have to be rules experts as long as they speak up within the group and participate in discussions that make the group expand their thinking and explore. With that in mind, he sees the COVID pause of 2020 as having been damaging to that process.

“We have weekly meetings,” Hall said. “You have to attend a certain number of meetings every season. At those weekly meetings, officials get together and talk rules and mechanics. The lack of face-to-face contact and group discussion of game situations

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I think resulted, this year, in officials at least taking a step backward in their level of rules knowledge.”

The way, perhaps, too many officials prepare for the season is something like this: Someone downloads the questions from the state online test, dredges the answers out of the rulebook, submits the answers and then shares their experience with others so they, too, may pass. On a five-person football crew, that may mean only one person actually did the legwork, but all five missed out on a golden opportunity to get together and think through the issues presented, which commonly have to do with points of emphasis, safety and major technical issues. By New Hampshire’s example, perhaps there’s a way to facilitate officiating crews gathering, taking the test under a time limit as a group and submitting their answers as a group; that would encourage preparation beforehand and foster learning through the herd experience.

Marcia Alterman, coordinator of volleyball officials for six NCAA Division I conferences and a former secretary-rules editor for the NCAA, likes that idea. In fact, she wrote the original volleyball rulebook in 2001.

“I think there’s a difference in knowing a rule versus implementing a rule,” Alterman said. “Where officials are weaker is they can quote net play rules back to me — what’s a back-row attacker, what’s a back-row blocker, what’s a reach over the net. All of those are kind of connected and they can tell me the criteria on a test.

But then when they have to implement that rule — live — that’s where they struggle.”

In Alterman’s mind, there’s no substitute for experience.

While officials can undoubtedly learn from each other, they learn best by watching others

and by officiating, themselves.

She admits to being a rules junkie and test ace, and “… if I decided tomorrow to go be a wrestling official, I do not know anything about wrestling.

And so, I could learn the rules.

I guarantee I could read the rulebook and get the rules down pat where I could pass a test and just repeat them back.

“But if that test included situational things, and lingo and nomenclature, I might be in big trouble because I’m not going to grasp those things.”

Alterman points out there are many ways of gaining experience overlooked by officials. Beyond learning by the hard knocks of their own work and sitting in the seats on nights they’re not scheduled, they overlook online resources that have become very sophisticated in recent years.

She says her sport uses a platform named RefSchool that has stored up just about every NCAA rules exam question there ever was for review. As rules have changed, the answers have been updated, and she advocates it as an example of places officials can go to get the striped version of Wikipedia.

Jon Levinson takes that a step further. He’s been the NCAA women’s basketball secretary-rules editor since 2014.

He’s also the coordinator of officials for several conferences in the Northeast as well as having been a Division III official for 17 years. Interestingly, he never played basketball seriously, but took to officiating and fleshed out a career by being a student of the rules and mechanics. Levinson shares the concern of others about a

focus on some rules being a distraction from mastering others. “I think what I’m seeing for our game (is a focus on replay rules) and replay rules are not intuitive,” he said. “And spending so much time on replay rules means that we’re not spending time on some of our other rules, like correctable errors or when foul penalties may cancel.”

He attributes an increased level of scrutiny on officials as fueling some of that, but he’s taken that scrutiny and turned it into a benefit for his officials.

Everybody wants to show him video or show the public video about officials, so he has taken a major step toward archiving video to share with his officials. When he gets video from coaches, it’s often about consistency of application of a rule, such as administering a defensive armbar. After dealing with the issue with the coach, he shares the video with his officials. “It may be something that I post nationally, because if it’s happening here in the Northeast, it’s probably happening in other places, too,” he said.

Video speaks louder than words and is often superior where there aren’t the right words to describe a situation.

Officials should be sure to get their explanations from a reliable source, but the basic footage to start a useful conversation among crew members can come from just about anywhere. When officials develop a reputation for rules knowledge, it changes the dynamics of their scrutiny.

Alterman said coaches have long accepted her insistence on

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Marshall Davis, Los Angeles, made a decision that the play he just observed resulted in a foul. Getting to that decision, however, requires a foundation built on not only knowing the rule, but also the rule’s full intent.

however, it seems to come out of the blue. Resources like the NFHS Football Handbook can be invaluable in shedding light on seemingly obscure rules. In fact, a good online search can provide useful background on “what they were thinking” in many rulebooks.

On the second point, rulebooks are carefully written around consistent definitions.

Hall says the football committee puts great effort into making rule changes faithful to those definitions. He and the others believe learning the definitions first is essential. If, for example, you don’t know the difference between “recover” as it’s used by an NFL announcer versus by the rulebook, you run the risk of not understanding important nuances that would make your life simpler.

Our four authorities were remarkably consistent in their advice. Their approaches obviously paid off both in their own careers and in the performance of the officials they’ve managed. What they’ve offered can be boiled down to the following quick summary that will make studying your rulebook easier to do and justify: • There is no substitute for time and experience in learning the rules. Don’t sell either short but use the available resources to make efficient use of both.

• Don’t study the rules to

pass the test. Learn them to understand how the game is to be played and how you affect it.

• Learn the definitions first. They clarify many rules that might seem obscure or irrelevant otherwise.

• Avoid rote memorization; envision the rules in use.

• Make learning the rules a group effort; don’t try to learn them independently.

• No resource is too trivial to help you learn the rules.

Experts and their platforms are always helpful, but even an official with a fraction of your experience can be priceless if that person makes you think about the same thing in a novel way.

• Reach the point where you can explain any rule confidently to someone else.

This will help you understand the motivation for the rule and the important details of its application. You can then understand how coaches and players might try to (il)legally manipulate the rules and how to deal with the surprises you might encounter.

• Never stop learning.

Keeping up with the rules is like exercising; it’s easier to stay in shape than get in shape.

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

HESTON QUAN

rules knowledge as a “given” among her officials. That means they won’t have to ask her about that much on Monday morning; they instead want to chat about consistency of application. Rice sees the same pattern in Michigan; more often he gets questions about procedure and behavior in games. Football and basketball draw more questions about rules applications for Hall and Levinson, respectively, but that’s probably because those rulebooks have become more convoluted over the years.

Dealing with rule complexity, in fact, is the final piece to learning rules effectively: understanding their spirit and intent.

Volleyball rules provide simple guidance to follow because it’s understood the ball must be batted rather than caught and redirected; the libero can’t be used as a floating attacker (wouldn’t that be nice?). Football, on the other hand, leaves you with gems like NFHS rule 7-4-2, which states, “If a fumble or a backward pass is caught or recovered by any player, he may advance.” Hall points out two important things rules like this call out that are important in learning them.

First, they were often put in place to undo older rules and, second, they are more easily understood by knowing your definitions first. In the case of 7-4-2, it helps to know that American football rules descended from rugby.

In that sport, recovering a grounded fumble is considered a “knock on,” which is illegal, to minimize reckless body contact. Recovery was made legal in football some years ago as equipment improved; the rule was amended the way it was to communicate to the participants, but minimize rewriting of other rules; without that historical context,

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E RE E F E 00 R 1 6 T A 3 E 3 R 7 O 0 M 0 LEARN OR CALL 1-8 May_21.indb 37

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SOCCER

COORDINATOR: JOHN VAN DE VAARST

jvandevaarst@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES

THE LOWDOWN ON LAW 15 Position of Thrower’s Hands and Feet Determines Legality

By Brian J. Moloney

T

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COURTESY OF NISOA

While most throw-ins are executed legally, assistant referee Clint Shibata, Camarillo, Calif., must be prepared to offer assistance on the play’s legality.

Illegal throw-ins allow a team to put the defensive team at a disadvantage.

BOB MESSINA

he most common restart in any soccer match is the throw-in. So common, in fact, that its enforcement is second nature. Often, when a throw-in is about to be taken, the referee is getting into a good position for the resumption of play and may not be fully comprehending what is happening with the throw-in. Such an occurrence is less common at higher level matches where an illegal throw-is rare.

At the youth level and even, at times, the interscholastic level, throw-ins may be made improperly, and the referee must stop play and award a throw-in to the opponents.

However, it might come as a surprise how often it is incorrectly enforced.

Very little has changed in Law 15 over the years. In fact, the last change to the mechanics of a throw-in was in 1931, when the thrower’s feet were allowed to be behind the touchline (before, both feet were required to be on the line). Since that time, the Law has required the thrower to adhere to the following five mechanical elements: • Face the field of play.

• Have both feet on or behind the touchline.

• Use both hands.

• Throw from behind and over the head.

• Throw at the point where the ball left the field of play.

Opponents must retreat the required amount of distance from the thrower. There is another element that’s just as important as any mechanic. At what point in time

COURTESY OF NISOA

must these five mechanics occur?

How long must they be in place?

And most importantly, at what point is the throw-in complete?

Neither IFAB nor the NCAA clearly identify when the throw-in is complete, both defining “the moment of delivering the ball” as the time when all of the mechanics must be present.

The Law does not further define what this moment is, but there is a clue in that the Law uses the word “moment” as opposed to “process.”

For example, the Laws describe a goalkeeper releasing a ball as a “process” but not a throw-in. That’s a moment. By way of comparison, there are two other “moments” in the Laws: the moment the ball is played (to determine offside) and the moment a substitute enters the field. Two very binary events.

Law 15 goes on to indicate that the ball is in play when it enters the field of play. As a result, it seems reasonable that the delivery moment begins when the hands start to move forward and ends when the ball is released from the hands, in most instances already having entered the field of play.

NFHS is a little more specific stating “… the ball is playable when it has left the hands of the thrower and any part of it breaks the plane of the touchline.” The presumption is the throw-in is complete when the ball becomes playable.

Once the throw-in is complete, it stands to reason that the five mechanical elements of a throw-in are no longer relevant.

A commonly called throw-in violation is when the thrower’s foot comes off the ground. This is particularly true in the youth game. It’s an easy call, supported by a clear visual indicator of the kicked-up leg. However, upon closer examination, many of these calls may be incorrect. The thrower is actually kicking up a foot just after the ball is released, as part of a followthrough. But once the ball leaves the player’s hands — presuming it has broken the plane of the touchline — the throw-in is complete. If a player kicks up a leg, even a fraction of a

second after the ball is delivered, there should be no violation. To be illegal, the lifting of the foot must occur prior to the throw-in ending.

It takes courage for lifting the foot to not draw a whistle from the referee, especially when the thrower ends up looking like a skier doing a one-legged backscratcher. Parents and coaches may vocally advise the referee that the player lifted his or her leg. Adding a little verbal and visual context to the no-call can be helpful by pointing to the throw-in location and saying, “The foot came up after the ball was released. No infraction.”

There are all sorts of throwin oddities that appear illegal but adhere to the Law. For example, can a player deliver a ball while bent over sideways or with hands in front and behind the ball? Can they spin it like a top or spike it down at the ground? Can a player do a flip throw? In these instances, a loud, “It’s ugly but proper” acknowledges the oddity while affirming the legality.

Along with the lifting of the leg, parents and uninformed individuals will complain about a throw-in if the ball has some spin on it. This in itself is not an illegal throw-in. The question the referee must answer is, “Was the ball delivered from behind and over the head and were both hands used in completing the throwin?” If the answer is yes, the throw-in was legal despite the little bit of spin.

Ultimately, the spirit of this Law is to make sure there isn’t an unfair advantage in the delivery. A player jumping to gain height is a clear unfair advantage and clearly illegal. It’s harder to discern a clear advantage from a foot raised as a follow-through, but until the Law is revised to include the follow-through as part of the throw-in, play should continue.

Note: The original 1863 throwin rule stated that the first player to touch the ball after it went out of bounds was awarded the throw-in, hence the word touchline.

Brian Moloney, Wilmette, Ill., has been officiating youth, adult and high school soccer for the past eight years. *

QUICKTIP When a goal kick is awarded, it is a good practice for the referee to backpedal toward the halfway line. This will allow the referee to observe the kick when it is taken as well as many of the players. By backpedaling, the referee will be able to see any situations that may develop between opponents before and during the goal kick.

SIDELINE Former NISOA, USSF National Director of Instruction Dies Robert Sumpter, 90, of Homosassa, Fla., and formerly Atlanta, died on Jan. 28. Sumpter began his soccer career with the Georgia Youth Soccer and High School associations. He later joined the Georgia Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association.

In Georgia, he served as State Director of Referee Instruction and was an assessor. He also served as the executive secretary for the Georgia United States Youth Soccer Program and received the Georgia Silver Boot Award in 1980.

He was an inaugural inductee into the Georgia Soccer Hall of Fame.

On a national level, Sumpter served as a United States Youth Soccer Association regional representative, a member of the referee committee, a National Instructor and later became the National Director of Instruction for the USSF. He received the Region III Life Member Award and the USSF Eddie Pearson Memorial Award. He officiated in the North American Soccer League and was assigned to several championships.

As a referee with NISOA, Sumpter officiated two NCAA National Championships and served as advisor to the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Soccer Rules Committee for 18 years.

He was NISOA’s National Director of Instruction for 14 years and national rules interpreter for 18 years. NISOA recognized him by naming the award for instruction the Robert Sumpter Excellence in Teaching Award.

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SOCCER

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

1. Team A is awarded a penalty kick.

Before the kick, the referee observes B2 is outside the penalty area and 10 yards from the goalline. The referee should: a. Signal for the kick to be taken. b. Caution B2 for being in that position. c. Allow the kick to be taken and if a goal is not scored, award a rekick. d. Have B2 move back behind the penalty spot before the signal for the kick is given.

2. An indirect free kick is awarded to team A approximately 20 yards from the goal. The referee holds her hand above her head to indicate an indirect free kick. A3 shoots the ball toward the corner of the goal. The goalkeeper dives toward the ball and barely touches the ball before it enters the goal. a. Award a goal kick since it was an indirect free kick and was not touched by another teammate. b. Award a corner kick. c. Allow the goal since the goalkeeper was the second player to touch the ball.

3. An indirect free kick is awarded for team A outside the penalty area. A3 flicks the ball up in the air with one foot and A2 strikes the ball into the goal. The referee should: a. Award a rekick since the ball was not properly put into play. b. Allow the goal since it was shot by a second player playing the ball. c. Caution A3 for unsportsmanlike conduct since the play is considered trickery.

4. A player is wearing homemade shinguards made of a suitable material, hard plastic and are size appropriate. a. Legal. The shinguard is made of suitable material. b. Illegal. The shinguards must be from a manufacturer. c. Illegal. The shinguard is not approved by NOCSAE and not made by a manufacturer.

5. A2 attempts a pass back to goalkeeper A1. B1 sprints toward the ball. A1 recognizes that B1 may intercept the pass and moves forward and handles the ball. a. Allow play to continue since the goalkeeper had to save the ball. b. Stop play and award an indirect free kick. c. Stop play and award a penalty kick. d. Stop play, award an indirect free kick and eject/send off A1.

Why We Do This

By Karen M. Swanner

A

s the game of soccer continues to grow in this country, so does the need for qualified officials to referee games. Finding qualified officials is not always an easy task.

Since the recruitment and retention of officials seems to be one of the key issues plaguing the current soccer community, it is important to understand what motivates officials and keeps them in the game.

Motivation is a key ingredient to being successful as a soccer referee.

Staying motivated is a critical aspect of longevity in the avocation. After all, soccer referees are asked to make quick decisions under tremendous pressure, make controversial calls, run the duration of the game and spend parts of the match with coaches, fans and spectators screaming at every decision. Being a soccer official can often be both physically and mentally taxing.

Motivation is defined as “being moved to do something.” There are two basic types of motivation. The first is intrinsic motivation, which is when a person does something as a result of passion, love, satisfaction, fun or enjoyment. The second type of motivation is extrinsic motivation, which is when a person does something as a result of perceived outcome. In the case of officiating, this could be in the form of monetary rewards, accolades, travel, achieving a goal, upward mobility or even being in charge or the center of attention.

It’s no secret that many soccer officials start refereeing because they have a passion and love for the game.

Officials might have played some sort of role in the game before becoming an official. A lot of officials are former players, coaches, fans and even parents, who either loved the game and wanted to be a part of it or were frustrated with the referees officiating their games and thought they could do a better job. For many, their initial intrinsic motivation or passion for the game becomes blended with desire for the extrinsic rewards they start to

receive. Officials who remember why they started in the first place and can balance both types of motivation often stay in the game longer.

Jeff Zdrojewski, a former soccer and hockey player from western New York, said his motivation to officiate was intrinsic. “I started to officiate because I wanted to give something back to the games that had given so much to me,” he said. “I got paid a small amount for officiating soccer and nothing for hockey. I decided to stop, however, when a fan picked up a garbage can and threw it at my partner during the middle of a game.

My career as a referee officially ended that week.”

Graeme Florance, a Denver resident and native of Scotland who has made a career as an official in the Professional Men’s Indoor Soccer League, explained that he was motivated to officiate because of his passion for the game. “I wasn’t the greatest player in the world, but I was passionate about soccer,” Florance said. “Besides loving the game, as a teenager it was a great source of income for me and a lot better than coming home every day smelling like a Big Mac.” Florance chose to make a career in indoor soccer because it was fast and exciting, and his mentors were heavily involved in the indoor game.

“Indoor soccer involves rapid and constant decision-making, which allowed me to more easily excel in the outdoor game,” he said. “As a result of my officiating career, I have traveled to many countries, made lifelong friendships and have had the best seat in the house for the sport I love.” All things that keep officials motivated.

Then there are those who start officiating because of their frustration with the perceived lack of effort and presumed motivation from the people who are officiating their games.

“I started officiating because I had a passion for the game, yet despised the officials who didn’t work hard,” said Dmitar Jovic, a 40-year veteran official from Milwaukee. “The last straw for me was when I was a player

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DALE GARVEY

and a referee, who was standing in the center circle at the time, called a handball in the box against me.

“After exchanging some unpleasantries, I asked him how I could get rid of officials like him and he responded, ‘Become one.’ So that’s exactly what I did,” Jovic said.

“Throughout my career I made it my personal goal to respect every game, no matter what that level, by working hard and being as close to the play as I possibly can.”

My own experience began in almost the same way. When I was 14 years old, I was playing a game and was sick of an official’s lack of effort and knowledge. As I was about to be tossed from the game, the official said to me, “If you don’t like what I am doing, why don’t you try it yourself?”

I signed up for an officiating class that month and never looked back.

Tom Smith, a former professional referee and now president of the High School Soccer Referees Association in Eastern Missouri, turned his experience as a soccer official and police officer into leading a very successful high school soccer officials organization, whose philosophy is based on motivation through training.

“Like many others, I started officiating because I did not like the calls officials made when I was coaching,” Smith said. “In response to my complaints about the officials, the site manager said, ‘We need officials. You should be one.’

“With a career in law enforcement, enforcing the rules and Laws came very easy for me,” Smith added.

“Learning the game and the levels of play is very compelling and enjoyable.

Once I learned how to read the play, it was like following a chess game.

Being with players who are also emotional and passionate about the game is addicting.”

For Smith, leading his high school organization is all about giving officials the tools they need to make them successful on the field. The beauty of the organization is that it is not part of what Smith refers to as a “good old boys network.”

The organization does not make assignments. Instead, it provides training, education, mentoring and

Washington state officials (from left) Baboucarr Jallow, SeaTac; Scott Lawrence, Seattle, Kelsey Harns, Stanwood; and Ramónd Mendez, Everett, look motivated to start a match.

Remembering why you became an official in the first place can go a long way during the grind of a season. Consider pausing to reflect on your motivation to officiate. This reflection will likely remind you of the importance each game has to its participants.

other resources for members with the sole purpose of improving members’ experience as officials and keeping them in the game.

“Personally, I have always found officiating relaxing and enjoyable. I love making new friends and learning every time I officiate,” Smith said.

His motivation and quest for his FIFA badge stopped after his son Tom Smith Jr., who was also an official, was killed in the line of duty working as a police officer. His motivation shifted to helping others in their officiating careers. “I try to be a positive role model and influence on young players and officials. After spending over 40 years as a referee, I am still motivated to go out and learn new things each time I am on the pitch.”

Soccer organizations can help officials by doing several things.

First, it is important to give officials the tools necessary to be successful on the field, including training and education, which are two key elements. Creating opportunity for advancement, a social atmosphere, fair and equitable assignments and mentorships are important as well.

Too often officiating soccer becomes more about the numbers, filling game slots and less about the officials themselves. Officials want to feel appreciated by assigners, not be over

used, given too many games in a day or put in a position where they won’t be successful or motivated, including being asked to officiate games that are either above or below their ability.

Officials also need resources that will help them better understand not only the physical but the mental side of their game as well. These tools can help them stay motivated, confident and better deal with stress.

Factors like a strong administration, training, education and a sense of community are things that keep officials in the game, increase retention and help put better quality officials on the field.

Officials can do a lot to keep motivated. Things like setting positive and realistic goals; taking advantage of training and education opportunities; keeping themselves mentally and physically fit so they can successfully manage and enjoy the match; being willing to learn, especially from mentors and peers; and remembering why they became an official in the first place — because they love the game!

Karen M. Swanner, Maryville, Ill., officiated men’s professional soccer. She is a NISOA National Referee Emeritus.

Swanner has master’s degrees in journalism and kinesiology, specializing in sports psychology and is a member of the Association of Applied Sports Psychologists. *

REFEREE May 2021 |

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SOCCER

CASEPLAYS Returning After Injury Play: A12 is bleeding and is sent off the field of play. The certified athletic trainer bandages A12 and the bleeding stops.

A12 re-enters the field without permission while the ball is in play.

Before the referee realizes that A12 has entered the field, A12 attempts to make a tackle on B4. The tackle is not successful and A12 strikes B4 in the ankle. The referee stops play and cautions A12 for entering the field without permission. The referee immediately displays a second yellow card for the foul and then a red card for the second caution for reckless play. Ruling: In all codes, the referee’s decision is correct. A12 committed two infractions — one for entering the field without the referee’s permission and the other for reckless play in the unsuccessful tackle against B4. When a player is shown a second caution, the player must be shown a red card (NFHS 12-8-2c, 12.8.2I; NCAA 12.4.3.1; IFAB 12.3).

A First Goal Celebration Play: A3, a freshman on the varsity team, shoots on goal and scores during the first game of the season. A3 runs behind the goal and removes his shirt in celebration. He continues to run along the touchline waving the shirt as he approaches the team bench. When A3 stops at the bench, the referee administers a caution. The coach states, “That was his first goal. He is just excited.” The referee does not comment but moves to the center of the field for the restart of play. Ruling: In all codes, this is a correct decision. The player was attempting to gain a focus on himself (NFHS 12-8-1f-12; NCAA 12.4.3.5; IFAB 12.3).

Pass to the Goalkeeper?

Play: A3 is retreating toward her own goal. She passes the ball toward the side of the goal, in a direct attempt to play the ball back to goalkeeper A1. A1 stops the ball with her hands. The referee sounds the whistle and awards an indirect free kick for team B. Ruling: In all codes, this is a correct decision. A3 deliberately passed the ball back to A1. A1 is cautioned for handling the ball (NFHS 12-7-3; NCAA 12.3.4.a; IFAB 12.2).

Blurred Lines (Or Any at All?)

By Brian D. Cohen

D

uring the earlier years of soccer, when an official arrived for a match and there were nets on the goals (or even properly sized goals), flags at the corners and the lines were properly marked, the referee was ecstatic! Often there were problems with the markings, nets, etc. There was either something missing or marked incorrectly.

There were public parks that had chain link fence for nets, fields that had limited markings or no markings at all. Touchlines were not always straight and at times looked like ocean waves. Some officials began to carry a can of spray paint to mark the penalty spot before the start of the match. Even at the higher levels, markings were sometimes inaccurate. In one example, a professional league’s field had one penalty spot 11 yards from the goalline and the other 13 yards away. Fortunately, these problems are now few and far between and, almost without exception, fields are properly marked before the match.

Many high school matches are now being played on artificial turf.

The turf fields come with lines premarked in contrasting colors for multiple sports. There are far fewer problems with the markings, but there still are some. If there is a large logo at the center of the turf field, there still needs to be a center circle spot. Since the soccer field is usually wider than the football field, the markings for the soccer field enter into the football team areas. This results in no markings for the soccer team areas. When this is observed in NFHS play, the referee is required to “notify the state association of a deficiency but should not delay the start of play.”

Why is marking the field properly important? You have to remember the lines belong to the areas that they enclose. If the hashmarks 11 yards from the corners of the goallines are in contact with the goalline, the ball would actually

be in play if it rests on this portion of the line. To avoid problems, referee crews must inspect the field before the start of the match. If there are any problems, the on-site administrator must be informed.

The NFHS rulebook also makes it clear that if there are problems with the field markings, “The lines shall be used as marked, but the state association will be advised of the error with corrections to be made before the next game.” For matches played under the NCAA rules, the official must notify the governing sports authority of any issues.

Goals and nets must also be inspected closely to ensure the nets are properly affixed to the goal and there are no holes where the ball can enter illegally. Also, portable goals must be anchored. This is very important since a goal that is not anchored can fall forward and injure the goalkeeper or other players.

This requirement cannot be ignored.

Safety of players is most important.

A match cannot be started if the goals are not properly anchored.

Failure to ensure the goals are anchored can result in liability issues for the referee team.

When a multipurpose field is being used, the football goalpost may be an extension of the soccer crossbar or the football goalpost is very close to the portable goal. In these instances, it is a good mechanic for the referee to advise the captains the referee will determine if the ball struck the soccer crossbar or the football goalpost. If the ball strikes the soccer crossbar it will still be in play. If the ball strikes the football goalpost, the match will be stopped and restarted appropriately, either a goal kick or corner kick.

Overall field conditions must also be inspected by the referee team and must be dealt with before the match as this will prevent problems occurring during the match.

Brian D. Cohen, Robins, Iowa, has been a referee for 39 years and is a NISOA National Clinician. *

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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

Solutions For Your Local Association Problems

M

ost of us belong to a Local Officials Association. It’s where we meet other officials, find game assignments, get training, join crews, attend end-of-theseason-banquets or even have a few drinks with our fellow referees and umpires.

Those associations often struggle finding resources to meet the needs of their member officials.

NASO believes strongly that a well-run local association leads to well-trained, well-evaluated, wellassigned and well-prepared sports officials.

As part of NASO’s Association Advantage program, the NASO staff produces tools and leadership resources specifically designed to help local officiating leaders better run and manage local officials associations. Think of it as providing similar services, protections and educational resources to your local association as NASO does for individual officials.

There are no other resources specifically designed for local officiating associations anywhere else in the world. NASO uniquely provides such resources as: • The downloadable Guide to Local Association Management — The comprehensive “bible” for running a local officials association • The Association Advantage Online Database — Featuring hundreds of topics covering more than 20 years of accumulated officiating association leadership knowledge.

• Monthly editions of the Association Advantage Advisor — The only regularly published newsletter focused exclusively on improving local officials associations.

Your association would receive those great resources at all levels of Association Advantage — including the Titanium level (which also gives all of your association members individual NASO membership), and the Diamond level (which comes with a comprehensive turnkey training program) — but if your local association is interested in becoming a better run organization, you might consider trying out Association Advantage at the Platinum level. The Platinum level provides you with the Guide, access to the database and the 12 monthly issue of Advisor for just $99 per year.

Additionally, as a Platinum Association Advantage member, your association would qualify to receive NASO’s exclusive pricing for association liability insurance.

Go to www.NASOadvantage. com for a complete list of membership benefits. More than 1,000 local associations nationwide have already joined.

Additionally, several state high school associations have purchased the Platinum resources for all or most of their state’s officiating associations.

If you’d like to know more, please feel free to phone NASO at 800-733-6100.

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

THESE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT OFFICIALS

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

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

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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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GETTING IT RIGHT

INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, ELEVATION

By Steven L. Tietz

R

ichard “Cinco” Inzunza of San Diego picked up a strong love for umpiring Little League Baseball from his father, and not even having a foot amputated was going to stop him.

“I’ve been in it my whole life,” said Inzunza, 41. “My dad always told me that he loved to see a kid smile. That it was the best feeling in the world. We both just love the kids’ passion.”

Richard “Cinco” Inzunza, San Diego, continues to umpire Little League Baseball despite having his foot amputated after he contracted a rare, flesh-eating bacteria.

But the 10-year veteran umpire and president of Luckie Waller Little League had his passion tested.

In December 2017, a frightening odyssey began that included about a dozen surgeries and the eventual amputation of his right foot.

“I had been feeling out of it,” he said. “I thought it was a cold or flu. … When my foot swelled up to about four times its normal size, I got really worried.”

He had contracted a rare, flesheating bacteria called necrotizing fasciitis in his foot. Only 600 to 700 cases occur each year and up to 30 percent of the cases can be fatal.

Inzunza went into the hospital immediately and did not leave for 41 harrowing days.

“For my first surgery, one doctor said I’ll be fine and the other said I could die,” he said. “It wasn’t the most encouraging thing I heard.”

But antibiotics and several small “clean-out” surgeries could not save his foot.

“Finally, they gave me an option,” Inzunza said. “I would have my foot amputated, but there was still a very good chance I would be able to walk again.”

Thinking of his wife, Liz, and his three children, Inzunza has his foot amputated just above the ankle in January 2018.

After some challenges, Inzunza got his prosthesis two months later and did a lot of physical therapy.

“They worked me hard,” he said.

But it paid off, because by May 2018, he was again working as a base umpire.

“They needed some help,” he said. “It was hard to bend down, and my mobility was off, but eventually I got used to it.”

Inzunza said his “baseball family,” along with his real family, were his prime motivators. It has been difficult at times (he got a new prosthesis in 2020), but Inzunza has impressed his peers.

Just as many leagues across the country canceled seasons due to the pandemic, Luckie Waller Little League lost its 2020 season as well, but Inzunza is optimistic a 2021 season can be played.

Like his dad, he wants to see the kids smile.

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

Pac-12 Assigns All-Black Officiating Crew On Dec. 19, 2020, Michael Mothershed led the first all-Black officiating crew to work a Pac-12 football game. Stanford defeated UCLA in a double-overtime thriller, 48-47.

Joining Mothershed were Michael Stephens (umpire), Darryl Johnson (head line-judge), Harold Mitchell Jr. (line judge), Gary Reed (side judge), Michael Hall (field judge), Antony Little (back judge), Michael Marsh (center judge), Judson Howard (replay official), Cleo Robinson (communicator) and Javarro “Jay” Edwards (alternate).

The Pac-12 joins the Big Ten and the NFL as having assembled an all-Black football crew during the 2020 season. On Oct. 24, the Big Ten became the first major NCAA conference to have an all-Black football crew for the Michigan-Minnesota game, and NFL referee Jerome Boger led an all-Black crew for a Monday Night game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 23.

College Team Honors High School Referee The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team “saved a seat” in the stands at its Feb. 2 game for a high school basketball referee who collapsed during a game at a nearby high school and later died.

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) referee Tracy Krueger died Feb. 2 after being rushed to the hospital the night before. Krueger blew his whistle in the second half of a game between Richland Center and Mount Horeb to catch his breath.

Shortly thereafter, he collapsed and was attended to by medical professionals.

Wisconsin Coach Greg Gard tweeted he was coached by Krueger in the early 1980s at basketball camps. He said Krueger’s death “leaves an enormous hole, not only in the basketball community in southwest Wisconsin, but athletics in general in that area.”

Krueger was a licensed WIAA basketball official for nearly 40 years.

Have you heard an inspirational or motivational officiating story?

COURTESY OF JON BIGORNIA

Still Standing Tall

Send your ideas to GettingItRight@referee.com

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stay connected, stay informed every day

Referee Officiating News is the most complete source for officiating news from across the country. Hand-picked stories delivered daily will keep you informed and inspire you.

get caught up today

/news

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FOOTBALL

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

NOT A WAIST OF TIME

By Jeffrey Stern

B

y adding a subsection to an existing rule, the NFHS Football Rules Committee clarified the components of a legal block below the waist. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee’s annual meeting took place virtually Jan. 11-12.

According to rule 2-17-2c, a legal block below the waist occurs when:

• All players involved in the blocking are on the line of scrimmage and in the zone at the snap.

• The contact is in the zone.

• The block is an immediate, initial action following the snap.

The last phrase is the new aspect of the rule. Adding that subsection means officials are no longer required to determine the location of the ball when the blocks occur. The timing of

the block as described in rule 2-17-2c is the key.

If the blocker takes a backward step at the snap, he cannot block low.

A block of an opponent lined up in an adjacent gap may be legal in a normal offensive formation; however, if the offensive formation has wide splits, the block is likely to be illegal. The initiation of the block and the block itself must be a continuous motion.

BOB MESSINA

Simplified Blocking Rule Is the Only NFHS Change for 2021

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No player in this photo may legally block below the waist. Under the new NFHS rule, legal blocks below the waist must occur in the free-blocking zone, by players who were on their line and in the zone at the snap and the block must be an immediate, initial action. For all of these players, the window for blocks below the waist has closed.

In the following examples, all players involved in the blocking are on their line of scrimmage and in the free-blocking zone at the snap, and all blocks occur in the free-blocking zone.

Play 1: Immediately after the snap,

A1 blocks B2 above the waist. A1 disengages and blocks B3 below the waist. Ruling 1: A1’s block on B2 is legal. However, it is illegal for A1 to block B3 below the waist because the block was not an immediate, initial action following the snap.

Play 2: A1 is in shotgun formation, seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. After the snap, (a) A2 blocks B3 below the waist and the block is an immediate, initial action, or (b) A2 rises, retreats slightly as if to go in traditional pass blocking protection, then dives and blocks B3 below the waist. Ruling 2: In (a), the block below the waist is legal. In (b), it is an illegal block below the waist because it was not an immediate action.

Play 3: During a running play to the left, A1 crosses through the freeblocking zone and blocks B2 from the side below the waist in leading interference for a reverse. Ruling 3: Illegal block by A1 because the block below the waist was not an immediate, initial action following the snap.

Play 4: Immediately after the snap, A1 and A2 block B3 below the knees from the front. Ruling 4: The combination or multiple block is legal if all contact is an immediate, initial action following the snap.

Play 5: A1 is in a three-point stance.

B2 is positioned in the gap off A1’s shoulder. Immediately at the snap, A1 (a) takes one inside step and blocks B2 below the waist, or (b) needs two steps to reach B2 before he blocks below the waist. Ruling 5: Legal block in (a) but illegal block below the waist in (b).

Play 6: B1 is in a two-point stance in front of A2. Immediately at the snap, A2 blocks B1, whose hands are (a) above, or (b) below his waist. A2 continues the block below B1’s waist.

The action is continuous. Ruling 6: Illegal block below the waist in (a) because the initial block is with the hands, which are above the waist.

A legal block in (b) because the immediate block is with the hands, which are below the waist and the block below the waist immediately follows that block.

Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor. He officiated high school and collegiate football and umpired high school baseball. *

SIDELINE (Not) Many Happy Returns By adjusting rules regarding free kicks, the NCAA hoped to decrease the number of returns, aiding in risk management. Statistics for FBS games through Nov. 21 showed that 44 percent of kicks ended in traditional touchbacks and 13 percent resulted in fair catches with the ball next snapped from team R’s 25 yardline. Returns occurred on 40 percent of kickoffs. Kicks out of bounds and onside kicks accounted for the remaining percentage.

BY THE NUMBERS

318-12

Results of a vote (with six abstentions) by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) that opened the door for state championship games for the first time. The first games could come at the end of the 2022 season. In 1931, the NJSIAA voted not to sponsor a state football tournament, even though it does in every other sport it sponsors. Attempts to change the constitution failed in the past, including in 2011 and 2015.

SOURCE: NORTHJERSEY.COM

DID YOU KNOW? The NCAA was first to offer the option for the team winning the coin toss to defer its option to the second half.

The rule was instituted in 1983. The NFHS followed suit the next year. But the rule is fairly new in the NFL, which didn’t adopt the rule until 2008.

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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. Fourth and 10 for team K from its own 20 yardline. K1’s punt is tipped

by R2 at team K’s 22 yardline. The ball rolls to team K’s 25 yardline, where K3 recovers it. a. It’s team K’s ball at its own 25 yardline. b. It’s team K’s ball at its own 21 yardline. c. It’s team R’s ball at team K’s 25 yardline. d. It’s team R’s ball at team K’s 21 yardline.

No Connection, But There’s Still an Ejection I

n most cases, it is not illegal to fail in the attempt to do something. Fighting is an exception.

Even if a punch fails to hit the mark (PlayPic A) or an attempted kick misses (PlayPic B), the player attempting to contact the opponent is guilty of fighting (NFHS 2-11; NCAA 2-32-1a).

Fighting is a personal foul, as opposed

to an unsportsmanlike act.

The penalty is 15 yards.

In NCAA, the player is ejected.

Team B fouls include an automatic first down. Depending on when the act occurs, discipline may carry over to the next game. The player is disqualified in NFHS. League or state discipline may follow. *

2. Between plays, the umpire notices that linebacker B1 is wearing something metallic on his wrist.

Upon inspection, the umpire sees that it’s a medical alert bracelet. a. B1 must leave the game until the item is removed. b. B1 is ejected (NFHS) or disqualified (NCAA). c. Team B is penalized 15 yards. d. No problem if the item is properly taped.

3. Team A is in shotgun formation with A1 six yards behind the snapper and in position to take a snap. As he is calling signals, A1 places one foot in front of the other and slowly rocks back and forth on his lead foot. a. No problem as long as A1’s movement doesn’t simulate the start of a snap. b. If A1 is still rocking when the ball is snapped, it’s illegal motion. c. False start. The officials should prevent the snap and penalize team A. 4. An NCAA game goes to extra periods with the score tied, 10-10.

On its first possession, the home team kicks a field goal to go ahead, 13-10. On the first play of the visiting team’s possession, an intercepted pass is returned for a score. What is the final score? a. 13-10. b. 15-10. c. 19-10. d. It depends whether the home team is successful on the try.

5. K1’s untouched free kick goes out of bounds. Team R chooses to take the ball at the out-of-bounds spot and requests that the ball be spotted in the middle of the field. a. The request is granted. b. The request is denied.

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Sideline Officials Cannot Just Wing It

By Judson Howard

R

BOB MESSINA

eferees have a great deal on their plate. Before the opening kickoff they perform organizational duties, and conduct the pregame meeting and onfield tasks to get everyone ready to officiate the game.

But referees in a crew of five need help with several aspects of the game once it starts. Much of that assistance can come from wing officials who can verbalize or signal information to referees to help them make proper rulings and get administrative procedures correct.

Here are things wing officials can do before the snap.

Down number. While holding up the down number on your hand, keep it up a little longer and make eye contact with the referee. That confirms you all are in sync for the next down. That is especially helpful after a game stoppage such as for penalty enforcement, timeout or after an injured player exits the field.

Double stakes signal. That’s a reminder the line to gain is more than 10 yards from the snap and no one stops the clock when a play ends past the back stake.

Clock status. A wing official may be tasked to tell the referee if the clock should next start on the ready or on the snap. Ensure that duty is assigned in the pregame meeting so the referee knows which official has that job. A suggestion: Crossed arms at waist level says clock starts on the snap and an index finger winding rotation says clock starts on the ready. Use whatever is required in your area.

Pass direction. During a play, you can signal the direction of a pass (forward or backward). That helps the referee and other officials react accordingly. If forward, rule an incomplete pass if it hits the ground.

If backward, everyone knows the ball is live should it contact the ground, no whistle should be sounded and the play should continue.

There is possible communication after a play ends.

First down. Let the referee know

Mark Clayton, Woodland Hills, Calif., communicates to crewmates including the referee that he counts 11 players.

if a first down was made. That can follow your stop-the-clock signal, or if your dead-ball spot is close to the line to gain, alert the referee to take a look to see if a measurement is required. In your pregame meeting, ask if you or the referee should stop the clock when a decision to measure appears necessary.

Player count. Depending on local practice, a wing may share counting responsibilities with the referee. Decide in the pregame which signals will be used to indicate the count. An upraised thumb is commonly used to signify 11 players.

Penalty reporting and verification.

If you have a flag down, after calling timeout, give the referee all the data needed for proper penalty enforcement.

Help with penalty administration by monitoring the signals and announcements. Do that even if you have penalty walkoff duty. Also ensure the referee correctly states special enforcement aspects such as loss of down, automatic first down or possible carry over to the next kickoff or period, etc.

Clock correction. If you have positive knowledge the clock is wrong and needs adjustment, point that out to the referee. Get the onfield official who is timing the game involved to find out the correct time.

Intentional grounding. Referees need help to know if an eligible receiver was in the area where a forward pass landed. Because referees monitor fouls against the passer after the ball is released, they might not see where the incomplete pass landed.

In NFHS, tell the referee whether or not an eligible receiver was in the area.

If so, point to that receiver. Shaking the head can indicate no eligible in the area. In NCAA, two things create an exception to intentional grounding — the passer is or has been out of the tackle box, and the pass landed beyond the neutral zone or neutral zone extended. The referee determines the tackle box aspect while you rule if the pass crossed the neutral zone. In that case, receiver location does not matter.

Touching of a pass. Your ruling of a pass touched behind or beyond the line is a factor in determining whether or not there may be a foul for pass interference or ineligibles downfield.

Timeouts. During a team timeout stoppage, confirm with the referee and your crewmates how many timeouts each team has remaining.

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. *

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FOOTBALL

CASEPLAYS Forward Progress Play: Airborne A1 receives a pass one yard deep in team B’s end zone and is immediately contacted by B2. A1 lands on his feet at team B’s one yardline, runs and is downed at team B’s five yardline. A1 would have come down in the end zone if not for B2’s contact. Ruling: Touchdown in NFHS. The ball is dead when A1 touches the ground with both feet and his forward progress is in the end zone (2-15-2, 4-2-2a, 2.15.1). In NCAA, the ball remains live and the play stands. The catch is completed when A1 touches the ground, but the ball does not become dead unless he is down by rule. If he lands on his feet, regains his balance and attempts to advance, the play continues (2-8-2, 4-1-3a, 5-1-3, AR 5-1-3 I-II).

Both Teams Foul Play: First and 10 for team A from its 20 yardline. Team A is illegally in motion at the snap. A1’s legal forward pass is intercepted

by B2 at team A’s 40 yardline.

During B2’s return to team A’s 10 yardline, B3 blocks below the waist at team A’s 30 yardline. Ruling: Although both teams committed live-ball fouls, the fouls do not automatically offset. The foul by B3 followed a change of team possession. If team B declines the penalty for team A’s foul, team B will retain possession, but the 15-yard penalty for blocking below the waist must be enforced from the spot of the foul. If team B accepts the penalty for illegal motion, it is a double foul and the down will be replayed (NFHS 10-13, 10-2-1b; NCAA 10-1-4 Exc. 1).

Foul on Punt Play: Fourth and five on team K’s 35 yardline. K1’s punt hits the ground at team R’s 20 yardline and is rolling when R2 illegally blocks below the waist at his 18 yardline. The kick stops moving and is blown dead on team R’s 10 yardline. Ruling: Post-scrimmage kick enforcement applies. The penalty is enforced half the distance from team R’s 10 yardline.

It will be team R’s ball first and 10 from its five yardline (NFHS 2-162h, 2-41-6, 10-3-2, 10-4; NCAA 2-30-3, 9-1-6c, 10-2-2d-4).

On the Flip Side I

t’s an old joke among officials: The best referees see to it that the first or third quarter ends with the ball squarely on the 50 yardline (a bonus is first and 10). That, of course, makes setting the ball for the next quarter a breeze. When you’re not that lucky, however, remember when

you “flip the field” the ball is placed not only on the same yardline, but on the same longitudinal plane as well. As seen in the MechaniGram, that means the right hashmark going north to south is the opposite hashmark going south to north. *

Start of 2nd Quarter

End of 1st Quarter

Ain’t Over ’Til Knee’s Down

By George Demetriou

W

hen a game is decided and a team can run out the clock, there is strategy and tradition for the quarterback to simply take the snap and down the ball. A tight formation is used and many teams refer to the play as “victory.” For the officials, it may not be as easy as it sounds.

The tradition has its origin in sportsmanship. The team that has won the game does not want to run up the score, so it graciously does not make an effort to advance the ball.

But then there was “The Miracle at the Meadowlands.”

In the Nov. 19, 1978, NFL game between Philadelphia and New York, the Giants led, 17-12. The Eagles were out of timeouts. The Giants only had to run one play to preserve the victory. Instead of taking the snap and kneeling, quarterback Joe Pisarcik

botched an attempt to hand off to Larry Csonka. Eagles cornerback Herman Edwards picked up the ball and ran 26 yards for the winning score.

And that becomes the first lesson for officials — don’t expect the coaches or the players to recognize it is time for “victory.” It is prudent to politely ask if they intend to take a knee. With a 40-second play clock, a team with a first down and an opponent with no timeouts remaining can run out the clock starting at about the two-minute mark.

There are ill-conceived policies in some leagues that enhance playoff qualifications based on points scored or margin of victory, but coaches must strive to remain above that.

If a coach cites such a policy as the reason for continuing normal play, the officials just have to grin and bear it. In a local game several years ago, the quarterback smugly announced

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he was going for a touchdown with a 21-point lead and 10 seconds remaining because “we want to make the playoffs.” When they did score, the defensive coach came onto the field and unleashed a profanity-laced tirade against his counterpart.

When “victory” is announced in the NFL, it is handled as a professional courtesy and becomes a ceremony. Do not expect prep players to understand that. There is great debate among officials as to what alerts should be given to and observed by defensive players. If the kneel-down is to be used, the quarterback should immediately kneel with no more than one step backward.

Any further delay or unnecessary movement will only entice the defense to charge.

Quarterbacks have been known to lie to the referee regarding their intent and some have faked taking the knee and attempted to run a play. Under NCAA rules, the ball is dead if a ball

carrier simulates placing his knee on the ground (4-1-3o). In prep play, the referee should blow his whistle to end the play if a falsehood was tendered.

Officials should not underestimate emotions at the end of a game.

In another game, the home team had effectively won the game and everyone was out of timeouts. The first-down play was a run up the middle. For second down, “victory” was announced.

The surprise came on third down when a pass was thrown into the end zone. The pass was premature; it whizzed by the receiver who had not yet turned. The incomplete pass left the clock stopped with eight seconds remaining. The home team had negated its opportunity to run out the clock. Taking a knee would let the visitors run another play. Although the visitors could not have won on a remaining play, the egos prevailed with a determination to not let the visitors have another play.

On fourth down, the quarterback took the snap and ran laterally. The defense charged. A defender grabbed the runner’s facemask and brutally pulled him to the ground. Both benches emptied. Fortunately no blows were struck. The melee was limited to shouting and shoving.

When order was restored, the referee ran the remaining three seconds off the clock.

After the second-down play, the home team felt disrespected, believing the visitors rushed too hard on the previous play, and decided to teach them a lesson by trying to score. Not a single official picked up on the brewing storm.

The kneel-down play can be a gracious and fitting end to a game, but it is not danger-free and the officials must be prepared to manage the players just like any other play.

George Demetriou has been a football official since 1968. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. *

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TESTING P by brent killackey

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PATIENCE It was a season with many tests — and lots of COVID-19 testing — as college football officials navigated through the pandemic’s hurdles to play.

T

here was nothing that could have prepared college football officials for the type of season they would face in the fall of 2020. But then again, who really anticipated the type of worldwide disruption caused by COVID-19?

Amid the pandemic, many expected there wouldn’t even be a 2020 season. All signs initially pointed that way. In early July, the Ivy League became the first conference to call off football and other fall sports. On Aug. 5, the NCAA Divisions II and III fall championships were canceled. By the next week multiple conferences, including the Mountain West and MidAmerican (MAC), had announced the cancellation of the fall season. Maybe they’d play in the spring, they said.

But there had not been agreement among the Power 5 conferences.

While the Big Ten and Pac-12 initially canceled, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big 12 and Southeastern (SEC) started their seasons in September.

“It was difficult to watch,” said Chris Coyte, a referee in the Pac-12.

It gave him a taste of what retirement from football officiating will eventually feel like — games going and he’s not on the field — and he said it wasn’t something he looked forward to.

But for the Mountain West, MAC, Big Ten and Pac-12, being sidelined wouldn’t last for long. With other

Power 5 conferences showing a path forward, and with administrators and medical experts figuring out ways it could be safely done, all announced a return to play in shortened fall seasons. But a return to the field didn’t mean a normal season.

“Flexibility was the key throughout the last six months,” said Bill Carollo, coordinator of football officials for the Collegiate Officiating Consortium, which serves the MAC, Big Ten and Missouri Valley conferences. “It was challenging. It was something new in trying to find solutions to the problems every week and how do we handle it.”

Officials like Big Ten back judge Robert Smith had to be more flexible than others.

“I don’t know if anybody had the up-and-down experience I had,” Smith said.

Getting Underway For Smith, the season started on a high note. The Waterloo, Iowa, resident was among the officials assigned to the first all-Black officiating crew for a Power 5 football game — Michigan at Minnesota on Oct. 24.

“That’s how the season started, to be part of something unique and special,” Smith said.

The following Saturday, he worked the Ohio State-Penn State matchup.

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All was going well, but it was definitely a different season.

There were no fans in the stands. Officials had to wear masks. There were no in-person pregame meetings; those were conducted over Zoom. And, of course, officials had to take COVID-19 tests.

Each conference had its own testing protocols. Pac-12 officials did a self-administered, mid-week mail-in test and an in-person antigen test a certain amount of time before the game, according to David Coleman, vice president of officiating for the Pac-12. Big Ten officials were tested upon arrival at the game site Friday night and again Saturday ahead of the game.

On Nov. 6, Smith arrived at Nebraska for the game against Northwestern the next day.

He got the news no official wanted to hear in 2020 — his rapid test came back positive.

In the Big Ten, officials received a rapid response test on Friday, which provided results in 20-30 minutes. A positive result triggered a more accurate PCR test, which took hours to process. If clear, the official would take the rapid response test again Saturday morning. If that was negative, the official was cleared to officiate.

In the Collegiate Officiating Consortium, approximately 15 to 16 percent of officials tested positive at some point during the season, Carollo said. Add false positives into the mix and the number was about 20 percent.

Smith got the news Saturday morning that his PCR test was negative. But as he was getting ready to hit the field, his rapid response test from that day came back positive.

Without time to get PCR results back before the game, protocol required Smith to head home.

“That was so disappointing when I first went through it,” Smith said. “It was like I was

Big Ten back judge Robert Smith started his season with a game at Minnesota on Oct. 24, 2020, that featured the Big Ten’s first all-Black crew.

letting the conference down, letting Bill (Carollo) down, letting my crew down.”

But he said Carollo was understanding and his crewmates were and supportive. “Everybody was texting as I was driving back.

It was heartfelt, it really was,” Smith said. “You talk about a bond.”

A second PCR test would come back negative.

But testing positive in any fashion had implications outside of the college football world. Smith was required to inform his employer — the University of Northern Iowa, where he works as executive director of the Center of Urban Education — that he had a positive COVID test.

And his employer’s COVID protocols didn’t factor in any later negative tests. A positive result meant he would have to quarantine.

“I had to tell my staff I couldn’t come in,” Smith said.

“It didn’t just affect me in that arena as an official refereeing, it affected me in my personal life as well.”

He quarantined at home for 10 days. “I can’t remember being that drained,” he said. “I wanted to get on the field and I couldn’t.”

There were protocols that had to be followed and, unfortunately, it wouldn’t be the only time his season would be disrupted by a false positive. The second time, he was at Purdue. Again, sent home, but cleared by the PCR test results.

“Mentally, I was so frustrated,” Smith said. He said the conference took care of him for his time and travel, but with every future test, there was always that element of uncertainty.

“You talk about being on needles,” he said.

Smith said the season started and ended on a good note — no further positives other than the two false ones, and wrapping up the season with the Rose Bowl. “But during the middle, I don’t recall in my lifetime being that mentally and physically drained because of the unknown,” he said.

Testing Toll Throughout college football, whether or not an official would be working that week was something that always loomed on his or her mind. Each stage of testing was another step that could force

JESSE JOHNSON USA TODAY SPORTS, COURTESY OF ROBERT SMITH JR. (INSET)

TESTING PATIENCE

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them off the field for a stretch.

Coyte described the impact as such: “We were jumping lily pad to lily pad in a minefield with overhead artillery fire and trying to stay dry in the rain.

“The challenge was being in mental game condition even though there were all these things you had to be concerned about that could take you out of the game,” he said.

And while the Pac-12 — like every other conference — had a number of officials who tested positive during the week and couldn’t work, they only had one instance of an official testing positive at the game site. And fortunately, it was at a site near where the official lived, so someone could pick him up and take him home, Coleman said.

Coyte was one of the few officials who didn’t lose a game due to testing positive or having teams test positive and canceling, although he missed the latter only by a bit of luck. His regular crew had a game canceled 90 minutes before kickoff, but that was a week he had been assigned to a mixed crew that was created when other officials had tested positive and couldn’t work. He ended up working eight games, including the Cotton Bowl.

Cancellations JEFFREY BECKERUSA TODAY SPORTS, MICHAEL ALLIO/ICON SPORTSWIRE/NEWSCOM (INSET)

Ron Snodgrass, a referee in the Big Ten, wasn’t as fortunate, however.

“I had a string of bad luck, that’s what I had,” Snodgrass said. “It could have happened to anybody.”

Snodgrass lost half his schedule — what would have been 10 games ended up being five — due to COVID disruptions that resulted in cancellations.

“I got hit by the cancellation bug,” Snodgrass said. “It was hit and miss. Almost every other week for a while. Work a game. Lose a game.”

In the Big Ten, 13 of the 63 scheduled games were canceled during the season. In the MAC, five of the 37 scheduled games were canceled. No FBS college football program that played in the fall was immune. In total, 139 games were canceled or rescheduled due to pandemic disruptions. And even the number of bowl games was cut by more than one-quarter.

While Snodgrass bore a heavier burden of game cancellations than most, it was a situation many officials encountered during the season.

At least in Snodgrass’ case, the cancellations all occurred during the week — he had some luck in that he didn’t learn of cancellations upon arrival at the game site, unlike Coyte’s crew.

Snodgrass was poised to close out the season with a bowl assignment — the Orange Bowl in Miami. But the pandemic would dog him all season.

“Not only did I get hit by the cancellations, I got hit by the virus at the end of the season,” he said. After he tested

positive in the week before the bowl, Larry Smith instead worked as referee on that game.

Alternate Experience Big Ten referee Ron Snodgrass officiates a Nov. 7 game between Michigan State and Iowa.

Snodgrass may have lost half his season to the fates — but as luck would have it, the delayed start to the Big Ten season provided a different officiating opportunity.

It gave Snodgrass a chance to do something he hadn’t for roughly 25 years — officiate at the high school level. Aware that local assigners in Missouri were facing a shortage of officials, as some sat out the season and schedules were more chaotic than usual, Snodgrass registered with the Missouri State High School Activities Association and spoke with a local assigner.

“I told him I don’t want to take games away from anybody,” Snodgrass said.

Amid COVID and opt-outs, the assigner had a need for officials this season. Snodgrass filled in on crews for four games — twice as referee, once as a back judge and once as

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TESTING PATIENCE

tested positive, Carollo could look at his list and immediately see who was available. The list featured officials in the consortium, not just Big Ten officials.

In a few cases, it meant an official who didn’t normally work in the Big Ten got that opportunity.

But a shortened season in some conferences and cancellations throughout college football meant fewer game checks for officials.

“People lost money, but at the same time it was their decision to work,” Carollo said. About 6 to 7 percent of the consortium staff opted out of working the season, and he made it clear that was fine: “I told everyone up front, no one is going to lose their spot.”

Assigner Challenges Last-minute changes to schedules and losing officials to positive COVID tests added to the work and stress on officiating leaders.

Carollo said he aimed for regional assignments, but with a staff that includes officials from all parts of the country, assigning purely regionally just wasn’t possible.

It led to one case of an official testing positive right

Pac-12 referee Chris Coyte finishes his season at the Dec. 30 Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas.

before a game at Nebraska needing to make the long drive home to Oregon — flying was no longer an option after a positive test.

“We still compensated our officials when that happened,” Carollo said. “We covered their game fees for that. That was the right thing to do.”

A regional assigning approach was considered in the Pac-12, but Coleman said both he and his officials wanted crews to stay together — and regional assigning just wasn’t going to be an option anyway, not with where officials hailed from, including five of seven white hats living in Southern California.

In the Pac-12, one crew always had a scheduled week off — its members ready to fill-in if there was attrition elsewhere.

Carollo created a list of officials by position, noting which game sites each official could reach within a fourhour drive. If an official

Game changes Testing wasn’t the only change for the season. There were no in-person pregame meetings. Instead, officials turned to Zoom, sometimes meeting before leaving for the game site, other times meeting from hotel rooms. It was a year without carpooling, crew dinners or family members accompanying officials for the weekend. Officials often got dressed at the hotel and then a caravan of officiating vehicles — 11 or 12 cars with the eight onfield officials, two replay officials, an alternate and sometimes a timer — headed to the empty stadiums.

At least parking was never an issue.

Stepping into the empty stadiums was different at first, but for officials used to focusing on the game and tuning out background noise, it wasn’t a huge deal.

“Frankly, I never noticed it,” Coyte said, noting many stadiums pumped in crowd noise.

TIM HEITMAN USA TODAY SPORTS, BILL NICHOLS (INSET)

a line judge. “I had a great time,” he said. “I got to meet some of the local guys that I didn’t know. It was fun being out there.”

It was football, but it wasn’t the same pay rate as working a Power 5 conference. Between a shortened season, losing games to COVID and additional travel expenses because rooms and rentals couldn’t be shared, many officials faced a smaller paycheck.

“It’s a financial hit obviously, but again it’s out of your control,” Snodgrass said.

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2020

(Fall) College Football Season Data Total number of regular season games canceled or postponed –

139

Canceled or Not Rescheduled –

89

Bowls Canceled:

Redbox Bowl Sun Bowl Guaranteed Rate Bowl Independence Bowl Birmingham Bowl Military Bowl Texas Bowl Music City Bowl Gasparilla Bowl

Bahamas Bowl Celebration Bowl Fenway Bowl Frisco Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Hawaii Bowl Holiday Bowl Pinstripe Bowl Quick Lane Bowl

SOURCE: CBS SPORTS

Officials in the SEC suited up with an additional sensor to wear: Kinexon SafeZone tags, according to John McDaid, coordinator of football officials. The devices were the same as those used by the NFL and inside the NBA’s bubble during the summer and fall of 2020.

The wearable devices provided a precise measure of proximity and duration of contact with other people, making contact tracing easier.

Officials also had to wear masks. Prior to the season, Carollo took an hourlong brisk walk and even mowed his lawn in 80 degree temperatures wearing a mask just to get the flavor of how officiating with the masks would work.

It took a few weeks for everyone to get into the desired habits with the protocols, but it became

second nature as the season continued, Carollo said.

Officials said it quickly became second nature to pull masks up and down as the situation demanded.

Some conferences tried electronic whistles during the early days of the season, but after a few weeks went back to traditional whistles that were louder and allowed more varied cadences.

Despite all the additional demands on officials, there were no complaints.

“I have to say we were all happy to be doing it,” Snodgrass said. “Nobody complained about all that stuff. Just like the players wanted to play, the officials wanted to officiate. We would have done anything.”

Carollo and Coleman both called the season a success.

And at least one thing brought about because of the pandemic

might be here to stay: Zoom training. It was a summer and fall of online training for officials — and Carollo said they had never been better prepared for a season. While not a substitute for in-person training or experience in a game, online training may have found a place in a postpandemic world.

And technically, college football isn’t yet done. Many conferences that opted not to play in the fall are doing so this spring, many heading toward a FCS championship in May.

Eyes on the Fall Looking to the fall, there’s hope for a normal season with vaccines making their way into the population and fans starting to return to sports stadiums.

“Even if we have to continue taking some of these measures ensuring health and safety of officials and studentathletes, coaches, everyone who is involved, we’ll have the experience of being able to do it and being able to do it even better because we know what’s going on,” Coleman said.

If the pandemic has shown anything, it’s that we don’t know what’s around the corner. For Coyte, that’s a critical thing learned.

“We had control over how we were prepared mentally as individuals,” Coyte said. “We also matured as people and officials to become a lot more patient and a lot more flexible, which I’m not. I wouldn’t describe myself as a superpatient guy or a super-flexible guy. I had to learn to do that.

“In the end, we all just tried to do the best that we could to work through what was a very unique, unexpected season.”

Brent Killackey is a former high school baseball umpire and Referee’s managing editor. *

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VOLLEYBALL

EDITORS: BRAD TITTRINGTON

btittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

A LOT MORE COLORFUL NFHS Allows Officials More Uniform Options

By Brad Tittrington

D

One of the major rule changes for NFHS volleyball this year allows officials to wear blue or gray shirts. Camille Valenzuela, Commerce, Calif., works a match while wearing the blue shirt.

Officials’ Uniform 5-3-1a; 5-3-1 NOTE The committee amended rule 5-31a, which now allows officials to wear a white, blue (cyan) or gray collared shirt, as determined by each state association. Previously, a white shirt was required. Officials must dress in like colors in order to maintain uniformity and states may choose to have white as the default color for officials. The rule change, however, gives state associations, and therefore officials, more color options.

“Several states were already allowing some combination of the colors available to NCAA officials,” Atkinson said. “The decision to allow state associations to determine the color options was an important

HESTON QUAN

ue to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee conducted its annual meeting Jan. 10-12 in a virtual setting and recommended three rules changes that were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Those rule changes specifically address officials’ uniforms, religious headwear and the penalty for late submission of lineups.

“The changes that were made this year really reflect the state of the sport,” said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the volleyball rules committee.

“Volleyball participation continues to grow and the annual questionnaire continually reflects the satisfaction coaches, officials and administrators feel with the decisions made by the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee.

The three changes passed by the committee were important changes to reflect both societal and sport specific trends.”

Below are the rule changes in perceived order of importance.

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distinction in the implementation of the rule. The committee did not want to place a financial burden on officials, especially those in states with limited competition in 202021. Allowing states to determine the color(s) of the officials’ uniform will allow local decisions based on current trends while providing two additional options.”

The rule still allows state associations to make a temporary adjustment to the officials’ uniform to accommodate varying conditions within the competition facility, provided those accommodations adhere to the colors stated in 5-31a and 5-3-1b. Those modifications may include allowing an official to wear a sweater if the conditions are exceptionally cold or wearing shorts if the conditions are exceptionally warm.

Play 1: The officials arrive to the playing facility and one official wants to wear a blue (cyan) collared shirt and one wants to wear a white collared shirt. Ruling 1: Officials must wear colors that are alike. The officials must match whether or not the state association allows officials to wear the blue (cyan) or gray collared shirt.

Play 2: On an exceptionally hot day, the officials arrive to the playing facility and notice the air conditioning is not working inside the gymnasium. Both officials would like to wear black shorts because of the warm temperatures. Ruling 2: Provided the state association allows for the officials to wear shorts, they may since they meet the color requirements.

Late Lineup Submission 7-1-4 PENALTIES; 9-9-1b Last year, the rules committee changed the penalties regarding late roster submissions. This year, the committee went one step further and changed the penalties for late lineup submission to align with the late roster submission penalties.

Failure to submit a written, accurate numeric lineup to the second referee no later than two minutes prior to the end of the timed prematch warmup results in an unnecessary delay/

administrative yellow card at the start of the set. If the lineup has not been submitted by the end of the timed prematch warmup, an unnecessary delay/administrative red card shall be assessed to the offending team at the start of that set.

If, prior to sets two through five, a written, accurate numeric lineup is not submitted to the second referee no later than one minute remaining in the timed interval (or intermission, if used) an unnecessary delay/administrative yellow card is assessed. If the lineup is not submitted by the end of the timed interval (or intermission), an unnecessary delay/ administrative red card shall be assessed to the offending team at the start of the set.

In the past, at the two-minute mark of the prematch warmup or at the one-minute mark of the interval or intermission between sets, failure to supply a lineup automatically resulted in a loss of rally/point being awarded to the opponent.

The rationale is this change lessens the severity of the penalty for a late lineup while aligning it with the penalty for a late roster submission.

“In addition to the appropriateness of the penalty, it also allows officials to build a rapport with coaches and open lines of communication without the harshness of penalizing with points before the match or set begins,” Atkinson said. “One of the points of emphasis this year is ‘Coach and Official Communication’ and key to that is working together to ensure smooth administration of the match.”

Play 3: With the clock showing (a) 1:59, or (b) 0:00 remaining in the prematch warmup, team A has not submitted its written lineup to the second referee. Ruling 3: In (a), the second referee notifies team A’s coach that the team will be assessed an unnecessary delay/ administrative yellow card at the beginning of the match. The second referee ensures the delay warning is recorded in the comments section on the scoresheet. The first referee indicates the delay warning before beckoning for serve to begin the match by showing a yellow card on

BY THE NUMBERS

3 The number of states that will sanction high school girls’ beach volleyball during the spring 2022 season. In February, the California Interscholastic Federation Federated Council voted unanimously to approve girls’ beach volleyball to its roster of sports for the 2021-22 school year. California joins Arizona and Florida as the only states sanctioning girls’ beach volleyball.

Florida announced in 2020 it would start playing during the 2021-22 school year as well and Arizona began competition in the spring of 2012.

DID YOU KNOW? The NCAA announced all rounds of the 2020-21 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship will be held in Omaha, Neb., in April this year due to the COVID19 pandemic. The University of Nebraska and Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority were already set to host the semifinals and final at the CHI Health Center, but the Division I Competition Oversight Committee approved a proposal to have all 48 teams selected for this year’s tournament to play every round in Omaha.

SIDELINE FIVB Rule Changes In February, the FIVB (the international governing body of volleyball) announced rule changes for 2022. They include allowing the libero to be a team or game captain; allowing a substitute to replace a player removed due to expulsion or disqualification, even if the team has used its six allowable substitutions; removing an allowance that the ball can be recovered by the team over the scoring table, but only on the half of the table that is on its side of the court; and allowing simultaneous contact by the blocker and attacker on the attacker’s side of the net.

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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. In the first set, A3 receives a red card penalty for arguing judgment calls. In the second set, A3 once again argues with the first referee about a ballhandling decision. What is the correct decision? a. Individual yellow or red card at the discretion of the referees. b. A3 is expelled from the set and loss of rally/point awarded to team B. c. A3 is expelled from the set and there is no loss of rally/point awarded to team B. d. A3 is disqualified from the match and loss of rally/point awarded to team B. 2. Which of the following team jersey combinations is illegal? a. The libero and her teammates are all wearing solid-colored jerseys.

The jerseys clearly contrast in color. b. The libero is wearing a multicolored jersey and her teammates are wearing solid-colored jerseys. The solid-colored jersey clearly contrasts with the predominant colors on the multi-colored jersey. c. The libero and her teammates are all wearing multi-colored jerseys.

Neither jersey contains any of the predominant colors of the other jersey. d. The libero and her teammates are all wearing multi-colored jerseys.

The two jerseys contain the same predominant colors, but in different patterns. e. All of the above are legal.

3. At the conclusion of the match, the first referee signs the scoresheet to verify the final results. a. True. b. False.

4. Which of the following actions is illegal when the ball is completely on the opponent’s side of the net? a. Blocking a ball simultaneously with the opponent’s attack-hit. b. Blocking a ball after the opponent’s attack-hit. c. Blocking a ball that is falling near the net when no member of the attacking team can make a play on it. d. Blocking a ball after the opponents have completed their three hits.

the wrist on the side of the offending team (team A). In (b), the second referee notifies team A’s coach the team will be assessed a subsequent unnecessary delay/administrative red card at the beginning of the match. The second referee ensures the delay penalty is recorded in the comments section on the scoresheet.

The first referee indicates the delay penalty before beckoning for serve to begin the match by showing a red card on the wrist on the side of the offending team (team A). Team B will be awarded a point and will serve to start the match.

Religious Head Coverings 4-1-6 The final rule change amends rule 4-1-6, which notes that head coverings worn for religious reasons are not considered hair devices. The rule means state association approval of religious headwear is no longer required. However, head coverings still must be made of non-abrasive or soft material and fit securely. Head coverings worn for medical reasons, however, still require state association approval.

“Historically, state associations have wanted to approve of any item worn that fell outside of the approved uniform for the purposes of risk minimization,” Atkinson said.

“The unintended consequence was that anyone wanting to maintain the traditions of their religion would have to, in essence, ask for permission.”

Last November, a student at a high school in Nashville, Tenn., was disqualified from a match due to the lack of paperwork necessary per NFHS rules to compete.

According to Atkinson, the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee reacted by proposing all NFHS sport rules committees present language specific to that sport to eliminate the waiver requirement for religious headwear.

The NFHS Board of Directors agreed.

Volleyball became the first sport to approve the new language and Atkinson hopes no other studentathlete has to feel the humiliation of being singled out due to religious beliefs.

Play 4: During warmups, the officials notice a team A player

wearing (a) a hijab, (b) a yarmulke, or (c) a helmet made of polyethylene foam. Ruling 4: Legal in (a) and (b), provided the religious headwear is made of non-abrasive or soft materials and fits securely. In (c), the helmet is worn for medical reasons. The player must have state association approval in order to wear the helmet during the match.

Points of Emphasis In addition to the rule changes, the committee also came up with four points of emphasis for the 2021-22 season: line judge basics; coach and official communication; state association adoptions — team benches; and addressing uniform concerns.

Line judges. There is a lot of inconsistency in who schools secure to work as line judges. They could be paid officials, paid adults from the school, unpaid volunteers or players who have either already played or are waiting to play the next match. The committee felt it was important to remind officials to go over the basics with line judges prior to each match in order to communicate expectations as well as to start the match with everyone on the same page.

Communication between officials and coaches. It is important to have open lines of communication between officials and coaches. This starts during the pregame and continues throughout the match.

Officials should introduce themselves to the coaches before a match, but also must be cognizant not to spend too much time with one coach over the other, which may give the perception of familiarity. During the match, it is important for officials to listen to coaches and a good second referee can use good communication to defuse any potential situations.

After the match is over, the second referee should sign the scoresheet, gather all officials’ belongings and meet the rest of the crew at a predetermined location. There should be no discussions with coaches, fans, etc., after the match.

Team benches. A rules consideration for the 2020-21 season — the elimination of rotating benches

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between sets — was universally well received and the committee chose to make the communication of this state association adoption a point of emphasis for this season.

Uniform concerns. Uniforms are constantly evolving and the committee wants there to be consistency enforcing the uniform rules and communicate ways to avoid penalties. Know the rules regarding manufacturer’s logos,

numbers and style of uniform bottoms. Officials should make every effort to notice uniforms that violate the rules prior to the match. An official should notify the coach of the offending team and give him or her an opportunity to fix the issue prior to the match. If the issue cannot be fixed and a team does not have six players wearing legal uniforms, the match still occurs. A loss of rally/ point is awarded to the opposing

team at the beginning of the match and the state association is notified to help correct the situation. The goal is to have two teams compete and allow state offices to correct the issue.

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. *

Be a Sub Above

By Marsha Goodwin North

W

hile referees have several responsibilities during a match, most of these duties take place in the heat of the action — on the court.

However, one of those responsibilities happens when the ball is out of play — substitution requests. Although substitutions are an interruption of

play, in no way should the process delay the match or take so long as to disrupt the flow of the match. It is paramount that the second referee handle this process diligently and efficiently.

Knowing the intricacies of substitution will prove to be invaluable and an indispensable part of a referee’s tool bag.

Why might a substitute be needed? Lineup issue — prior to the start of a set, it is discovered there are duplicate numbers. A substitution is used to correct the starting lineup if the duplicate number is to be the libero; lineup issue — a team submits a lineup that has a starting number no team member is wearing. The team must substitute a player wearing

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• Caseplays covering all the nuances of the libero position to help you make fast, correct decisions.

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A

CASEPLAYS Net Cable Contact Play: After attacking the ball, A11 loses her balance and touches the net cable between the net and the net post. The first referee allows play to continue.

Ruling: This is correct for NCAA and USAV. Under these two rule codes, contact with the net cables is not a fault provided the contact doesn’t interfere with play (NCAA 15.2.1.2; USAV 11.3.2). In NFHS, this is a fault and should be whistled immediately. It is a fault to touch any part of the net, including the net cables (9-6-7a).

Line Judge Interference Play: As a team A player pursues a teammate’s errant pass, a line judge makes contact with the player and knocks her off balance. The player is unable to play the ball, which falls to the court. Ruling: In all codes, if the referees determine the player had a legitimate opportunity to play the ball had the line judge not interfered and the team still had a team hit remaining, a replay should be awarded. If the referees determine the player would not have been able to play the ball or the team had no team hits remaining, a loss of rally/point should be awarded to team B (NFHS 9-8-1f-1; NCAA 4.2.4; USAV 8-4-2f, 17.2).

Third Contact Hits Ceiling Play: Team A’s third team hit contacts the ceiling, approximately 20 feet above the playing area and directly over the center of the court, and then continues over to team B’s side of the court. The first referee allows play to continue. Ruling: Incorrect in all codes. In NCAA and USAV, if a team’s third hit contacts the ceiling or any obstruction after the hit, it is dead and a loss of rally/ point is awarded to the opponent (NCAA 4.2.3.2.3; USAV 8-4-2b-4).

In NFHS, a ball only remains in play after contacting an overhead obstruction or the ceiling if it contacts the ceiling or obstruction on the side of the net extended that is occupied by the team that last played the ball, and the ball is legally played next by the same team. Since it was team A’s third team hit, it can’t make a legal fourth contact and the ball should be whistled dead once it hits the ceiling (2-2).

a legal number; during the team’s normal rotation, the middle rotates to the back row triggering a substitution by a defensive specialist, and vice versa; passing formation adjustments are not working; one team has a run of points and the coach does not want to use a timeout or is out of timeouts; it is Senior Night — all seniors are playing and might be subbed out at any point during the set; an injured player cannot continue playing; blood is found on a player’s uniform — the player cannot change in a reasonable amount of time; or a player is disqualified.

Where does the substitution take place? The substitution must be carried out within the substitution zone (the area between the imaginary extensions of both the attack line and center line, the sideline and the scorer’s table.

Substitutions must happen while the ball is out of play and before the

B

authorization for serve. All rules codes follow the same procedure for handling a substitution request during a timeout or if the substitution is requested during the same dead ball as a timeout request. It is administered at the end of a timeout after the team(s) has returned to the court.

Who can request a substitute?

A coach or playing captain (only NCAA and USAV) may request a substitution either verbally or using the appropriate signal for substitution.

An incoming substitution entering the substitution zone is considered a coach’s substitution request. Multiple players can substitute during the initial substitution request. The substitutions must be made in succession, one pair of players after another, but only one substitute may enter the sub zone at a time, as shown in PlayPic A. The substitution must be completed immediately without delay. If the player(s) is not ready, the substitution(s) is not granted, and the team is sanctioned for a delay.

How is a substitution administered? The second referee authorizes and handles the substitution process by whistling and signaling for substitution (as shown in PlayPic B), authorizing the substitute entry to the court, and confirming the substitution with the scorer. As of 2020, all rules codes use the same hand/arm signal and whistle technique.

During club volleyball, high school preseason play or because of a shortage of officials, the first referee might be working alone. Under these

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COURTESY OF JO AUCH

circumstances, the referee should explain to the coaches and captains the substitution procedure to be used.

Let the scorer and libero tracker know they will be given the time needed to get the substitutions recorded correctly so they should not indicate that they are ready to resume until they are truly ready. This helps to avoid illegal substitutions.

Players in the starting lineup may leave the set and re-enter, but only in their previous position in the lineup.

If a substitute attempts to enter in the wrong position, the substitution is illegal. If a substitute attempts to enter and the entry would result in an excess team substitution, the substitution is illegal (NFHS allows 18 team substitutions per set, NCAA permits 15 per set and USAV allows 12 per set).

Should a player be found illegally on the court (an illegal substitute discovered in the set), he or she must be replaced by a legal player.

An exceptional substitution is permitted for an injured or ill player when no other legal substitute is available, or a team has exhausted its limit of substitutions. An exceptional substitution is not counted as a team substitution in NCAA and USAV, but under NFHS rules, an exceptional substitution is counted if the team has not exhausted its 18 team substitutions.

The injured player is not permitted to re-enter the set and is replaced in the following priority by: the starter or substitute who has played in the position of the injured player or by any substitute who has not already participated in the set; any substitute player on the bench regardless of previous position played; the libero.

Since volleyball is a game of tempo and momentum, maintaining that tempo is vital. By understanding all facets of substitution, referees will gain confidence in their abilities to ensure that any legitimate “pause” to the flow of the match is but a “minor” interruption of play.

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

5 MINUTES WITH JO AUCH Assistant executive director for the SDHSAA discusses first year as NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee chair.

Residence: Pierre, S.D. Experience: Currently in 13th year as an assistant executive director for the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA). Responsible for girls’ volleyball, competitive cheer and dance, boys’ and girls’ tennis, boys’ and girls’ basketball, girls’ gymnastics and sideline cheer. Responsible for licensing, supervision and training programs for officials. Prior to SDHSAA, was an educator and athletic director for 26 years. Coached high school volleyball, basketball and track and field, and officiated basketball and volleyball. Has served on the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee since 2016 and is currently in her first year as chair. Also serves on the NFHS Spirit of Sport Committee.

REFEREE: How did you feel your first year went as chair?

AUCH: I had served on the committee four years prior to, so I had a pretty good understanding of what the committee was all about. Serving as chair is a little different. You’ve got a little more responsibility to keep things moving. The tough part, we all know that being in person is so much better than having to do something over Zoom. I was very, very proud of our committee in the means in which they took the bull by the horns and we just got things done. I can’t say enough about the committee. I can’t say enough about the leadership that we have from the NFHS. I thought for the first time of doing it, we did OK. We did really well as a matter of fact. I am happy with that.

REFEREE: With the pandemic, how important was it for the committee not to add any extra burden to the schools this year?

AUCH: I think that was a main focus that we had talked about early on, that we wanted to make sure that everything that we did was not going to financially impact our schools, our memberships and things of that nature. I thought we did a really nice job of keeping that in mind and reining it in so there wasn’t going to be any additional cost to our schools or to our memberships. No huge decisions that they’re going to have to make to combat anything we did as a committee, so I was very proud of us in that respect.

REFREEE: How is the committee trying to get matches started off on a good note?

AUCH: Last year, we did some kinder, gentler things, so to speak, with our rosters, so it made perfect sense that if we were going to treat the roster one way, that we treated our lineups very similar. So, to try and bring things into a balance where that was concerned, we took a good, hard look at it. No official likes to stand there and give a loss of rally or a point to the opposite team to start. That’s just not a great way to start a match. Anything that we could do to help that just simply made sense.

REFEREE: Where do you feel the game of high school volleyball is at right now?

AUCH: I feel really good about where volleyball is at. We’ve made some minor changes to kind of get us more in balance with some of the things we are trying to accomplish in that kinder, gentler means. I don’t think we are looking to make changes that are going to be outlandish, that are not going to put us in other rule codes as we move forward as well. Obviously, we are still high school, and we feel our high school game is our high school game. We look at other rule codes as well every year and try to be as similar as possible, but that is not our main goal. Our main goal is to make sure that we provide opportunities for kids at the high school level and make sure that the game is moving forward in the direction and keeping up with the current trends that we have as we move forward. The people that served on this committee well before me have done an excellent job in getting us where we are so we don’t have to make major adjustments to volleyball every year. We look at things that can improve the game and hopefully help us in the long run.

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EDITOR: SCOTT TITTRINGTON

stittrington@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

TO ‘T’ OR NOT TO ‘T’

Unsporting Behavior Often in the Eye of the Beholder

By Scott Tittrington

I

When having a conversation with a player, Kevin O’Neill, Havertown, Pa., must be able to discern when the dialogue crosses a line into unsporting behavior that may need to be punished with a technical foul.

JACK KAPENSTEIN

t’s often said great basketball officiating requires striking the proper balance between art and science.

That’s due, in part, to the fact that the rulebooks governing NFHS, NCAAM and NCAAW in some instances provide a perfect blueprint for how an official should operate, and just a few pages one way or the other leave enough room for individual interpretation through which you can drive a semi-truck.

Fouls against a ballhandler? It doesn’t get any more cut and dried.

Each rule code specifically spells it out: If a defender does X, Y or Z with the hands or arms and makes contact, it’s a foul. The science has been well established. Officials know what constitutes a foul. Coaches generally know what constitutes a foul. Players also generally know what constitutes a foul. (Fans do not know, but that’s an entirely different story.)

However, a perfect counterpoint to this science is the art of the technical foul, especially in the domain of “unsporting acts,” “unsporting behavior” or “misconduct.” What exactly does that mean? The rulebooks attempt to provide some additional clarity, using phrases such as “disrespectfully addressing or contacting an official,” “gesturing in such a manner as to indicate resentment,” “using profane or inappropriate language,” “baiting or taunting an opponent” and more.

The challenge is these phrases often lead to individual

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interpretations. What one official may deem as nothing more than a high school kid being a smart mouth, another official may decide crosses a line and must be punished with a technical foul. Who is right?

Who is wrong? Does it depend on the situation and the setting? The level of play (a high school freshman game vs. a men’s college game)? Is an assigner/supervisor/coordinator going to have the official’s back, whichever way he or she rules? So much for science … we now have a whole lotta art going on, and while you may enjoy Picasso, I may prefer Van Gogh.

My motivation for exploring this topic, in addition to hopefully educating officials and bringing about an important rules-based and philosophical discussion about unsporting behavior and technical fouls, is admittedly selfish: During my just-completed 2020-21 high school basketball season, I issued 16 technical fouls in 80 games from freshman to high school varsity.

It became a bit of a running joke around the office: “How many people did you whack last night?”

Chances are I handed out more technical fouls than any other official in southeastern Wisconsin.

Of that 16, one was an administrative technical for a wrong uniform number in the scorebook. So that doesn’t count in the “unsporting behavior” realm. The remaining 15 included five against coaches and 10 against players. None were for fighting, a no-brainer category of its own. So that means I had 15 opportunities to decide whether the behavior was worthy of a technical foul based on the rules as written, and voted in the affirmative. There were undoubtedly additional situations where I decided some manner of squirrely behavior did not cross the line.

Now, keep in mind, I am not bothered by my “T” number. I’ve heard it often said officials are much more prone to beat themselves up for the times they did not give a “T” and should have instead of the other way around, and I would say I fall into that camp. As I sit here writing this,

I am replaying situations from this past season where I did not penalize behavior when I maybe should have, not the other way around.

That said, I certainly understand others’ mileage may vary, as evidenced by the number of officials with whom I worked this season who confessed they could count on one hand the number of technical fouls they had issued during their 20-plus-year careers. That tells me one of three things: said officials define unsporting behavior differently than I do, I attract the bad apples like moths to a flame, or there are many officials out there who quite simply are not taking care of business because they don’t want others to view them as “T” happy.

All that said, I am going to offer up five different situations I encountered this season and will let you know how I ruled and the reasoning behind my decision.

As you read each situation, try to envision yourself as the official and whether you would deem the described behavior as “unsporting behavior” worthy of a technical foul.

Play 1: A1 is holding the ball on the perimeter. As soon as A1 begins to dribble, B1 places two hands on the ballhandler. As the trail official, I rule a hand check on B1. While reporting the foul to the scorer’s table, team B’s head coach expresses his displeasure with the call, at which point I tell the coach, “Two hands on a ballhandler is an automatic foul.” The coach turns his back, stomps away and yells loud enough for everyone in the sparsely populated gym to hear, “That’s a terrible call!” Ruling 1: Technical foul. The coach asked why he was not warned, believing his behavior did not warrant a “T” because he did not “make it personal.” I believe unsporting behavior is not just a matter of what is said, but how it is said. Screaming at full volume checks a lot of boxes related to an unsporting foul under NFHS rules.

Play 2: A1 is cutting through the lane on an inbounds play from the endline. Feeling as though an opposing player is getting too handsy with her, she says loud

.3

BY THE NUMBERS

The magic number for whether or not a player can legally catch a throw-in or missed free throw and shoot at the end of a half, period or quarter when the game clock displays tenths of seconds. If 0.3 or less remains on the clock, a player may only tap and score without ever gaining control of the ball (NFHS 5-2-5; NCAAM/W 5-1.19).

DID YOU KNOW? Are you someone who likes to support the offcourt ventures of your fellow officials? If so, you may want to check out Brothers Chops, Seafood and Spirits the next time you visit the Norfolk, Va., area. NBA official Tony Brothers, a 27-year veteran, and two business partners opened the fine-dining establishment featuring live jazz in January.

THEY SAID IT “One thing these guys all had that really made them successful was a little edge. … The game’s not going to run them. So if you’re running the league, you want to make sure you put someone out there you can trust, someone who will take care of all the junk.”

— Ed Rush, former NBA supervisor of officials, on the strong Philadelphia connection in the NBA officiating ranks SOURCE: INQUIRER. COM

REFEREE

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BASKETBALL

TEST YOURSELF In each of the following, decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA men’s and NCAA women’s rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.

1. All of the following are true of the replacement of a disqualified player, except which? a. The head coach shall replace a disqualified player within 20 seconds. b. The head coach shall replace a disqualified player within 15 seconds. c. A warning horn shall be sounded with 15 seconds remaining before the disqualified player shall be replaced. d. A second horn shall be sounded if the substitute for the disqualified player has not reported to the scorer.

2. What is the last point at which a free-throw violation can be recognized in order for it to be penalized? a. Before the free throw ends. b. Before the game clock properly starts. c. During the first dead ball after the game clock properly starts. d. Before the second live ball.

3. Which of the following results in a double foul? a. Two opponents commit personal fouls against each other at approximately the same time. b. Two opponents commit technical fouls against each other at approximately the same time. c. Two opponents commit flagrant fouls against each other at approximately the same time. d. All of the above are double fouls.

4. When a head coach has been ejected, the assistant coach who replaces the head coach shall inherit which technical fouls that were charged to the head coach? a. Direct technical fouls charged to the head coach. b. Indirect technical fouls charged to the head coach. c. Class A technical fouls charged to the head coach. d. Class B technical fouls charged to the head coach. e. No technical fouls charged to the head coach shall be inherited by the assistant coach.

enough for everyone to hear, “Get your hands off me.” Moments later, after the ball has been inbounded, A1 ends up in front of me, the center official, and says loud enough for me and her team bench behind me to hear, “She better not (expletive) do that again,” at which point I tell her that any additional such language will not be tolerated. A team A assistant coach then says, loud enough for me to hear, “She can say whatever she wants.” Ruling 2: Technical foul on the assistant coach. To me, this falls under the “disrespectfully addressing an official” portion of the NFHS unsporting rule. I am not OK with a coach contradicting an edict I have delivered to a player. If I don’t punish this behavior, I feel it opens the door to additional problems throughout the remainder of the game.

Play 3: A1’s actions clearly identify him as a game-wrecker, as he picks up two early fouls and complains about several rulings throughout the first half. Late in the first half, he fouls a shooter for his third foul. As the trail official, I am standing near his team bench/ the scorer’s table when the first free throw is missed and A1 is replaced by a sub. As A1 leaves the floor, he says only loud enough for me to hear, “The ball don’t lie.” Ruling 3: I chose to ignore the remark. Yet as I mentioned already, this is one of those situations where I believe I should have issued a technical foul.

We all have heard players utter the “ball don’t lie” line after a missed free throw, but this was specifically meant by this player to indicate that I made up a call. My thinking in the moment was that I was the only person who heard it, and I did not want to put a fourth foul on A1 in the first half.

Play 4: I give a team A assistant coach a technical foul for arguing a foul call. I inform the head coach she must remain seated as she has lost access to the coaching box due to the bench technical foul against her team.

The head coach argues she does not have to sit because the first technical foul was not against her. I explain

the rule to her and tell her again that she has lost the coaching box. She yells out loud enough for everyone to hear, “The game is about the kids. It’s not about you!” Ruling 4: Technical foul. This is a clear case of a coach trying to embarrass me and being disrespectful when all I was trying to do was enforce a rule. Such behavior cannot go unpunished. A possible solution would have been to allow one of my partners to handle the head coach since I was responsible for issuing the the first technical foul, removing myself from an ongoing, escalating situation.

Play 5: During the second half of a tightly contested playoff game, A1 drives through the lane and creates space with her extended off arm. As the center official, I rule a playercontrol foul. A1, who is not in my general vicinity, is frustrated by the call and pulls down her pandemicrequired mask and expresses her displeasure. I see the mask pull, but have no idea what she said. Team B’s coach argues that I need to give her a “T” for unsporting behavior.

Ruling 5: No penalty assessed. I have no idea what A1 said, and she did not address me directly. Given the stakes of this particular game, I could not be sure that she was not simply expressing frustration in a key moment versus disrespecting me as an official. The optics in these COVID-19 times may not have been ideal given the mask pull, but I did not feel the behavior rose to the level of a technical foul.

I know that words on paper do not do justice to having to experience these situations in the moment and make real-time decisions. And I do not expect everyone to agree with my decisions. I only hope they open a window to you, the reader, to examine your own philosophy when it comes to unsporting behavior and technical fouls and whether you are satisfied with your own attempts to marry the art of such situations with the science that has been provided to us as officials.

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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Command of Control

By Tim Sloan

T

RALPH ECHTINAW

he concept of team control is an old one in the game of basketball. Except for situations before the opening tip is possessed, when a try or tap for goal is in flight or the ball is dead, one team or the other is in team control of the ball. That includes when the ball is in player control, loose on a fumble or being passed between teammates. Some might greet this vital knowledge with, “Big deal,” but it sets the framework for logically applying rules for restarting play from the point of interruption and determining the penalty for fouls caused when the ball is not in player control.

Things became more complicated when the concept of a team-control foul was first introduced. It might be like trying to summarize War and Peace in a couple of sentences to say the team-control foul was designed to prevent the team on offense from receiving a double penalty in a block/charge situation. The rationale was that it did not make sense for the penalty for a foul committed by a player in control of the ball to be less severe than the penalty for one committed by a teammate without the ball — for instance, when a Team A player would drive the lane, pass the ball to a teammate, then crash into a Team B player with legal guarding position.

Anyway, it also made it hard on officials — alert to the potential unfairness of their ruling — to distinguish whether the ball left team A’s hands on the pass just before or just after the collision. Rules committees hence put chisel to stone and reasoned that the nuance was immaterial to the central issue that the offense should only be penalized once for the player’s illegal contact.

This would be defined, thereafter, as a team-control foul, carrying the same penalty as a player-control foul, even though there are plenty of other scenarios of fouls during team control that have nothing to do with

Amanda Bender, South Bend, Ind., gives the signal for a team-control foul. Understanding team control will help officials avoid correctable-error situations related to the awarding of unmerited free throws or failing to award a merited free throw.

the block/charge. (In NCAAW, there are no player-control or team-control fouls. Both fouls are simply offensive fouls.)

There’s enough grist in the previous paragraphs to write a book, but let’s cover some of the concepts in some handy examples: Play 1: The opening jump ball is tipped by jumper A1, (a) directly out of bounds, (b) off A2’s foot and then out of bounds, or (c) to the floor, where B2 dives for it but only bumps it out of bounds. Who is entitled to the ball? Ruling 1: Team control is established when player control is established (NFHS 4-12-5; NCAAM 4-9.5; NCAAW 4-8.5), which means holding the ball in this example. In all three scenarios, player control was not established after the jump ball, so the ball will be awarded on a throw-in to the opponent of the player who last touched it. More importantly, since there has been no

team control, the possession arrow will be set in favor of the opponent of the thrower once placed at his disposal (NFHS 4-3-3a; NCAAM/W 6-3.4).

Play 2: Team A is in control in the frontcourt. A1 passes to A2 near the division line. A2 jumps from her (a) backcourt, or (b) frontcourt, catches the ball while airborne and passes to A3, who is in the frontcourt, before returning to the floor. Ruling 2: A team A player in this situation may not be the first to touch the ball in the backcourt since it was in team A’s control in the frontcourt (NFHS 9-9-1; NCAAM/W 9-12.4).

Airborne A2’s location is where she last touched the court (NFHS 4-35-3; NCAMM 4-23.2; NCAAW 4-18.2), which was her backcourt in (a) and frontcourt in (b). Therefore, (a) is a violation by team A, with a throw-in for team B nearest the backcourt spot from where A2 jumped, while (b) is

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CASEPLAYS Free-Throw Violation Play: Team A is down two points and A1 is shooting the second of two free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining in the game. A1 plans to purposely miss in hopes team A can get an offensive rebound. B5, who is in a marked lane space, knows A1 is going to miss on purpose, and intentionally violates by stepping into the lane before A1 releases the try. A1 then releases the try, and (a) the ball strikes the ring and is rebounded by A4, (b) the ball only hits the backboard and is rebounded by A4, or (c) the ball strikes the ring, but A1 had crossed the free-throw line prior to the ball striking the ring.

Ruling: B5 committed a freethrow violation by entering the lane prior to A1 releasing the try.

There is no additional penalty to B5 for intentionally violating.

When B5 violates and the free throw is unsuccessful as in (a), A1 will be awarded a substitute free throw. When B5 violates, and A1 also violates when the free throw fails to strike the ring or flange as in (b), or A1 crosses the free-throw line prior to the ball striking the ring as in (c), both free-throw violations shall be penalized. Play will resume with an alternating-possession throw-in at the out-of-bounds spot on the endline nearest to where the violations occurred (NFHS 9-1-3a, 9-1-3d, 9-1-3e, 9-1 Penalties 2b, 4b; NCAAM/W 9-1.1.a, 9-1.1.c, 9-1.1.e, 9-1 Penalties b.2, d.2).

Face Guarding Play: A1 is being guarded by B2. B2 places and keeps his or her hands in front of A1’s face which restricts A1’s ability to see. A1 (a) is holding the ball, or (b) does not have the ball. Is B2’s act illegal? Ruling: A player is prohibited from purposely obstructing an opponent’s vision by waving or placing hands near the eyes. The result is a player technical foul (NFHS), Class B technical foul (NCAAM) or player/ substitute technical foul (NCAAW) assessed to B2 (NFHS 10-46d, 10.4.6A; NCAAM 10-4.1.a; NCAAW 10-12.3.a.3).

legal and play continues.

Play 3: Same as play 2 except A1 makes a throw-in from the frontcourt endline. Ruling 3: This is legal in both scenarios described in play 2 and play continues (NFHS 9-9-3; NCAAM/W 9-12.10). Some would argue that the rule citations in play 2 and play 3 conflict, but the critical words in NFHS 9-9-1 and NCAAM/W 9-12.4 are “… if it was in A’s control in the frontcourt … .”

The throw-in area at the endline is outside the frontcourt, so these rules are not relevant.

Play 4: A1 drives the lane and passes to A2 (a) just before, or (b) just after forcefully contacting B2, who is in legal guarding position. Ruling 4: This is a player-control foul in (a) and team-control foul in (b) on A1 in NFHS and NCAAM, and an offensive foul in NCAAW (NFHS 4-19-6, 4-19-7; NCAAM 4-15.2.a.1, 4-15.2.a.2; NCAAW 10-1.a.1, 10-1.a.2).

Either way, team B is awarded a throw-in only (NFHS rule 10 Pen. Summary 1b; NCAAM 10-1 Pen. a2 and a3; NCAAW 10-10 Pen. a2.).

Play 5: A1 drives the lane and, while an airborne shooter, shoots (a) just before, or (b) just after forcefully contacting A2, who is in legal guarding position. Ruling 5: Same deal as in play 4 except both are considered player-control fouls in NFHS and NCAAM, and offensive fouls in NCAAW. This is because during a try for field goal that is in flight there is no team control, but A1 must still account for his or her crime. A player-control foul (NCAAW offensive foul) is committed by a player in control of the ball or by an airborne shooter (NFHS 4-19-6; NCAAM 4-15.2.a.1, NCAAW 10-10.1.a.3).

Play 6: A1 is attempting a three-point try. A2 is contending for rebounding position near the basket and displaces B2 to a spot underneath the basket (a) before, or (b) after A1 releases the shot. Ruling 6: In (a), it’s a team-control foul in NFHS and NCAAM because the ball becomes dead before the shot.

A throw-in is awarded to team B (NFHS 4-19-7, rule 10 Pen. Summary 1b; NCAAM 4-15.2.a.2, 10-1 Pen.

a3). It’s an offensive foul in NCAAW because a foul has been committed by a player of the team in control of the ball. A throw-in is awarded to team B (10-10.1.a.2, 10-10 Pen. a2).

In (b), it’s a common foul in NFHS and a personal foul in NCAAW as there is no team control. Team B is awarded a throw-in or, if in the bonus, appropriate free throws (NFHS 4-19-2, rule 10 Pen. Summary 1a, 3a and 3b; NCAAW 10-10.1, 10-10 Pen. a and c1). It’s a loose-ball foul in NCAAM because the foul is committed after the ball has been released on a try for goal. A throw-in is awarded to team B, unless it is in the bonus (4-15-2a3, 4-24, 10-1 Pen. c and d3).

One final play. Let’s go back to our assertion that one team or the other is in control of the ball, as stated at the outset.

Play 7: Both teams are in the bonus with seconds remaining in the game and the score tied. A1 is holding the ball in the frontcourt and B1 grabs it so that both are holding it. While trying to rip away the ball, B1 shoulders A1, committing a foul.

Now what? Ruling 7: Were both teams in control of the ball? Let’s check the rules: A player is in control of the ball when he/she is holding a live ball (NFHS 4-12-1; NCAAM 4-9.1; NCAAW 4-8.1). A team is in control of the ball when a player of the team is in control (NFHS 4-12-2a; NCAAM 4-9.2.a; NCAAW 4-8.2.a).

Team control continues until an opponent secures control (NFHS 4-12-3b; NCAAM 4-9.3; NCAAW 4-8.3). Can two teams control the ball at the same time? One answer results in a throw-in for team A while the other results in free throws. Your best bet? Call the held ball before there’s a foul until someone figures that out.

Understanding team control and its consequences is an element of knowing your definitions. Learn rule 4 before you try to master the rest of the rulebook. You’ll be able to rule on a lot of situations with much more certainty.

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

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seeing is believing Basketball officials have their own special language. And sometimes, it takes a little while for newer officials to get the hang of it.

A perfect example is the discussion of an official’s positioning on the floor and the effort to obtain the best look at a play or matchup. Veteran officials know exactly what you are talking about when you say you were “stacked” or “straightlined.”

However, a new official sitting in on a varsity pregame might not have any idea what you are talking about. Even the phrase “open look” may result in a quizzical stare for a relative novice.

In the photo, Dan McGlasson of El Paso, Texas, finds the perfect position to observe what both the offensive and defensive player are doing in this matchup. This spot on the floor allows him to have an “open look” at the two players and rule on anything that may transpire. If the offensive player starts a dribble and then uses her off arm to push off and gain separation from the defender, he can see it. If the defensive player uses her hands to make illegal contact, he can see it. With this view of the play, there should be no guessing — he has a great angle for observing all the action.

Conversely, if McGlasson is two steps to his right, he runs the risk of

VICTOR CALZADA

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being stacked or straightlined behind the offensive player. Instead of looking into the open space between the two players, he would be looking through the offensive player’s back. At that point, he would not be in position to rule on anything happening to the front of the offensive player — he would be guessing versus having definite knowledge.

Say the offensive player were to lose control of the ball after a swipe at the ball by the defender. Clean play with no illegal contact? A foul because she got swiped across the forearm? If the official is straightlined, the official cannot offer a credible ruling.

With 10 players on the floor moving at varying rates of speed and quickness, officials are going to get stacked. It’s just a fact of basketball officiating life. The key is to recognize when you are and take a step or two or “position adjust” to create an open look, develop an angle and put yourself in the best position to officiate.

To steal from the famous quote by astronaut Neil Armstrong, it’s one small step for the official, one giant leap for officiating.

HUNDREDS OF FREE BASkEtBALL & OFFICIATING ARTICLES ON

3/18/2021 9:06:47 AM

PROFILES

PERSONALITIES PLUS

‘Regis, Put Your Money on Notre Dame’

By Jeffrey Stern

R

egis Philbin’s death last summer had special meaning for collegiate football referee and retired dentist Jack Winters of Findlay, Ohio. Winters remembered a spring day 26 years earlier when he and six colleagues were introduced to the host of such programs as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

Working Notre Dame’s spring football game in 1994 led to the officiating crew meeting with longtime TV personality Regis Philbin. From left are Dennis Jackson, Sid Rodeheffer, Jack Winters, Larry Snyder, Philbin, Norm Eubanks, Brent Durbin and Jim Thomas.

In 1994, Winters was a referee in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Winters was asked by thenMAC officiating coordinator John Nealon to put together a crew to travel to South Bend, Ind., to work Notre Dame’s intersquad spring football game. Nealon, a Notre Dame alumnus, had come to know Fighting Irish Coach Lou Holtz during his days as a Big Ten football official.

That connection led Holtz to call Nealon to arrange officials.

Winters happily accepted the assignment. He’d had the same assignment the year before, but this year’s visit would give him a chance to see the renovations at storied Notre Dame Stadium, where

such notables as Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian and Frank Leahy had coached and Heisman Trophy recipients Paul Hornung, John Lujack, Leon Hart and other great players had performed.

The rest of Winters’ crew that day consisted of field judge Dennis Jackson, Marion, Ohio; head linesman Sid Rodeheffer, Findlay, Ohio; back judge Larry Snyder, Indianapolis; side judge Norm Eubanks, Leo, Ind.; field judge Brent Durbin, Kendallville, Ind.; and umpire Jim Thomas, Fort Wayne, Ind. “When we entered from the player’s tunnel, the sports information director came to me with a request,” Winters said. “He said, ‘Could we get the crew together for a picture with a very special alumnus who is on campus for the weekend?’”

Winters and company agreed, and soon were introduced to Philbin, who was decked out in a Notre Dame jacket. “At that moment, I did not realize he had graduated from Notre Dame,” Winters said.

After the photo was taken, Winters said Philbin told the crew, “Good luck today. Don’t screw it up!” To which Winters replied, “Rest assured. Put your money on Notre Dame. We guarantee you a win today.” Since spring games are intrasquad scrimmages without an actual winner and loser, that was a pledge Winters couldn’t break.

Several weeks later, the sports information director sent Winters a copy of the photo. Winters sent it on to Philbin who returned it autographed. The inscription reads, “To Jack. Who are these guys? My best, Regis Philbin.”

“I never sent an answer to his question,” Winters said.

Winters noted Philbin’s love for Notre Dame was so deep that his ashes were scattered on the campus.

Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor. He officiated high school and collegiate football and umpired high school baseball. 

Still Going Strong Marchel Krieger Age: 56 Jamestown, N.D.

Marchel Krieger’s officiating career began soon after he graduated from high school. Almost 40 years and more than 3,000 games later, he still finds the same enjoyment as when he started.

“It’s a lot of pairs of shoes, it’s a lot of miles on the car,” Krieger told the Jamestown (N.D.) Sun. “But it makes the winters go faster.”

Although all of those games have taken a toll on his knees, retirement isn’t in his sights just yet. “When I first started, I always said I wanted to give something back that either I didn’t get as a player, or I did and I wanted to let other people experience the same thing in a fair game,” he said.

The Retiring Type Keith Pender Age: 47 St. John’s, Newfoundland

At 47, Keith Pender seems too young to retire as umpire-inchief for Softball Newfoundland Labrador (SNL). But considering he worked his first game at the tender age of 16, Pender’s decision is more understandable.

During his 30-year career, Pender worked the Canadian Fastpitch Championships 11 times, served in various administrative roles for the Metro Umpires Association over an 18-year period and served as an umpire-in-chief for nine years.

Pender was twice named SNL umpire of the year and was named Softball Canada umpire of the year in 2011.

A statement from SNL noted, “There is no denying that Keith has a passion for the game of softball and his contributions on and off the field will have a lasting effect on the game for years.”

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

Send info to us at profiles@referee.com

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NASO.ORG/JOINRENEW OR CALL 800-733-6100 This is not medical insurance. If you come into contact with someone with COVID-19 or contract the virus during a contest you were officiating, you must rely on your normal medical insurance.

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YOU ARE THERE

ROCKIN’ ROBIN I

Nolan Ryan’s final hit batter left quite an impression.

By Ken Allan n his illustrious 27-year career, Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan hit 158 batters.

“He did not have a reputation as a headhunter,” said retired MLB umpire Larry Young. “But he definitely had a reputation of working inside.”

The overwhelming SECTION ROW SEAT number of hit-batter 116 6 14 situations were fairly routine. That was not so with the last batter he hit in his career, Chicago White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura.

It was game three of a four-game series between the White Sox and the Texas Rangers, Aug. 4, 1993, in Arlington, Texas.

Working the contest were Dale Ford, plate; Young, first base; the late Chuck Meriwether, second; and crew chief Rich Garcia, third.

The two teams had met eight times earlier Arlington Stadiu m in the season, with the Arlington, Texas White Sox winning six, including a three-game august 4, sweep in Chicago in June.

MLB currently SECTION ROW SEAT has a “heads up” 116 6 14 procedure which requires a crew chief to notify the league office whenever a situation occurs that has the potential for future trouble between two teams. MLB then contacts the appropriate crew the next time the two teams meet. However, Young, who is now an MLB umpire supervisor, pointed out, “Apparently, there had been some tensions between the two

vs.

1993

teams, but we did not have that program in 1993, so we had no way of knowing if there were issues between the teams.”

Garcia agreed. “Back then, the league hardly got involved with umpires,” he said.

“However, we did hear a rumor that the White Sox made a pact that if Ryan hit someone during the series, that batter would charge the mound. I was aware of that, but didn’t think much of it.”

The White Sox got off to a fast start, scoring two runs in the first inning, including one on an RBI single by Ventura. In the second inning, Rangers’ leadoff hitter Juan Gonzales was plunked by Alex Fernandez. No harm, no foul as he was erased on the front end of a double play.

With one out in the third, Ventura was up again.

This time, Ryan, who never hesitated working the inside of the plate, hit Ventura with the first pitch. Ventura took three steps toward first base, then made a hard left and reached Ryan in just under three seconds.

And it was on.

Garcia smiled when he recalled, “I always wondered if Ventura started toward first base, then remembered the pact.”

Unfortunately for Ventura, he ran right into a headlock and Ryan began raining punches to the top of Ventura’s head. It was only the second time in Ryan’s career that someone charged the mound on him. The first time was when Ryan was playing

with the Houston Astros and San Diego Padre Dave Winfield came out to express his displeasure of being hit.

“It was just selfpreservation,” Ryan was quoted as saying after the game. “I didn’t expect that to happen. I was just trying to pitch him inside. I am not a big believer in fights but we’ll do what it takes to win.”

Ventura didn’t quite see it that way. “If you don’t think he did it on purpose, you don’t know the game,” he said.

In seconds, both dugouts emptied, which resulted in mostly pushing and shoving.

Rangers’ coach Mickey Hatcher seemed to get the worst of it with a cut above his right eye.

“First of all, a batter charging the mound is an automatic ejection,” Young said. “And when both teams get into it, we are told to just get back and take numbers.”

Ventura’s exit was obvious and was administered by Ford.

“Robin was not someone who was known to get into a lot of fights, either as a player or later in his six-year stint as manager of the White Sox,” Young recalled. “He had a good disposition and rarely had problems with umpires.”

Garcia felt the same. “The last guy I would pick to charge the mound would be Ventura,” he said.

Also ejected was White Sox Manager Gene Lamont.

It seemed that things had quieted down when Lamont had some choice words for Ryan, and that reignited the scrum. Lamont was also highly

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Robin Ventura decided to charge the mound and Nolan Ryan after getting hit with a pitch. Ryan quickly put Ventura in a headlock.

AP PHOTO

animated in his conversation with Garcia, claiming Ryan should have been ejected for throwing at Ventura.

“No way that was going to happen,” Young related. “We discussed it as a crew and we all concluded that Ryan was not deliberately throwing at Ventura.”

There were some questions about why Ryan was not ejected for fighting. “The crew wasn’t even considering that,” Young said. “Ryan never left the mound and we are not going to eject someone for standing there and defending himself.”

From Garcia’s viewpoint, that was definitely the right thing. “We are not going to have people charge the mound and get the pitcher thrown out of the game,” he said. “That’s just not fair. We try to be as fair as we can, although it may not always look that way.”

According to Garcia, Lamont was ejected for saying

something he should not have said. That was as far as Garcia would go in explaining Lamont’s departure.

“It might have looked like Lamont was calm, but take my word for it, he was not,” Garcia remembered.

Some people might have thought that because of Ryan’s onfield intimidating manner, umpires would be reluctant to eject him for throwing at a hitter. That is not true in the case of Garcia. Ryan had one ejection in his entire 27-year career. That was Aug. 6, 1992.

Garcia ejected him for throwing at Willie Wilson of Oakland.

There was an amusing incident involving Young and Lamont. They had been friends for years. During the melee, Lamont started hanging on Young. “Gene, let me go, stop hanging on me,” Young begged the White Sox skipper. “I can’t,” came the reply, “I just threw my knee out and I can’t stand up.”

Young was asked how this

“THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS WAS THAT RYAN GOT VENTURA INTO THAT HEADLOCK AND STARTED POUNDING HIS HEAD.” — LARRY YOUNG

hit-batter situation compared with others in his career.

“The unique thing about this,” Young replied, “was that Ryan got Ventura into that headlock and started pounding his head.” There was no evident harm to Ventura, who escaped from the pileup at the mound, stood back and watched his teammates go at it with the Rangers.

Texas and Ryan wound up winning the game, 5-2. The White Sox went on to win the AL West by eight games over the Rangers, but lost the AL Championship Series to the eventual World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays, four games to two.

So, it was the 46-yearold Nolan Ryan against the 26-year-old Robin Ventura.

And the winner? Nolan Ryan.

By a head.

Ken Allan, Diamond Bar, Calif., a retired 30-year D-I umpire, is the California state rules interpreter for high school baseball. 

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ALL SPORTS

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

FOR ALL SPORTS, ALL LEVELS

Umpire Eric Nilson, Kirkland, Wash., treats both coaches with the same level of courtesy and professionalism at the pregame meeting. In that way, neither coach will have a reason to feel the opponent is somehow favored.

MEET OF THE MATTER By the Referee editors

P

at the referee arrives at Hometeam High School for a basketball game. With Chris, the inexperienced partner, in tow, Pat approaches Hometeam Head Coach Johnson. “Hi, Coach Johnson,” says Pat, giving the coach a vigorous handshake and a slap on the shoulder.

“Pat! Great to see you!” replies Coach Johnson, returning the shoulder slap.

“How’s the team look this year, Coach?” Pat asks. “Not bad. Not

bad,” Coach Johnson replies. “Hey, Pat, I don’t know if you’ve heard anything about it, but see number 30 warming up over there?” Coach Johnson points to a visiting team player. “Big trouble. Dirty player.

Got a bad reputation. Mouths off all the time to the referees and they let it go because of all the college scouts showing up every night.”

“Oh, thanks for letting me know,” Pat says. Their conversation continues for several more minutes.

Never does Pat introduce Chris, the inexperienced partner, who has

been a spectator to the conversation.

Another interested spectator to the reunion is visiting team Coach Smith.

When Pat approaches him, there’s no familiarity. Pat only exchanges a brief greeting, gains the required information and offers a quick, “Good luck,” while walking away, again leaving partner Chris in a lurch.

Coach Smith is not happy. The game hasn’t even started and Pat and Chris are already in for a long night.

Take care of business. So what did Pat do wrong? Pat was congenial and approachable with both coaches.

DALE GARVEY

Be Cordial but Professional During Pregame Visits

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JACOB KUPFERMAN/CAL SPORT MEDIA/NEWSCOM (VALENTINE)

Unfortunately, Coach Smith saw way more cordiality and familiarity with Coach Johnson. Not to mention Pat twice putting the less-experienced and less well-known partner in an uncomfortable position.

Officials should introduce themselves to each coach equally.

Some coaches will engage in friendly comments toward an official he or she knows during the pregame meeting.

It is important for an official to downplay that relationship.

You may like some coaches more than others. But you want to convey the message that once the game starts, all that friendliness means nothing and you are just going to call the game the way you see it. That helps establish your credibility.

After introductions, officials should complete sport-appropriate pregame duties, such as reviewing ground rules and obtaining coach confirmation regarding legality of player equipment and uniforms.

Keep them out of your head.

Many coaches will attempt to warn officials in pregame meetings of certain characteristics regarding the opposing team. For example, a football coach may tell a referee that review of game film reveals the opponent is prone to holding along the offensive line. A good response to such a comment might be, “Coach, we always watch for holding.” After that, if the coach wants to continue the discussion, it’s best to cut him or her off and disengage from the conversation. If the coach persists, calling the opposing coach over to include him or her in the conversation will most times quickly bring an end to the discussion. While you don’t want to dismiss such warnings out of hand, you don’t want to promise extra vigilance.

Coaches may ask about the legality of certain plays or strategies.

That may or may not be a backdoor method of dishing dirt on the opponent. A good reply might be, “The rule on that is …” without pledging to call it one way or another.

Coaches will sometimes manipulate the situation to their benefit or leave out a key element in order to trick you.

May_21.indb 75

Other potentially inappropriate subjects a coach might broach include promises or attempting to glean information on how you’ll call the game. A coach might say, “If you do a good job tonight, I’m sure you’ll get more games next year,” or “The last crew we had called things really tight.

How are you going to call it tonight?”

For less-experienced officials, let your partner or crew chief handle the pregame meeting with the coach.

You only need to introduce yourself and listen as your more-experienced partner conducts the meeting.

Early in your career, you may still be a novice official, but you might find yourself the senior member of your crew, especially in lower-level contests. When that happens, keep your meetings brief and don’t let the coach draw you into a drawn-out conversation.

Meeting the game manager.

Just as important as your pregame meeting with coaches is meeting with game management personnel. Ideally, the game manager will seek out the officials when they arrive. The game manager is often the school’s athletic director or other administrator, but in some cases — particularly at the lower levels of competition — that person may be the home team coach. Or there may be no game manager at all.

The game manager’s three basic responsibilities pertaining to officials are security, communication and support. When you meet with the game manager, you should cover the following: • Introduce yourself and your partners or crewmates.

• Confirm the game’s start time.

• Find out where the game manager will be during the game so you can locate him or her quickly if need be.

• Inform the game manager that if there are any problems with fans, the game will be halted and the game manager will be asked to take care of the problem.

• Inform the game manager he or she may be called upon to help remove any coaches or players who are ejected.

• Thank the game manager for his or her support. *

SIDELINE A Berry Good Year

Charlie Berry had quite a year in 1958: He officiated the NFL Championship Game and the World Series. On the gridiron, Berry was the head linesman as the Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants, 23-17, on Dec. 28 in what many historians believe was the greatest pro game of all time. Earlier that year, Berry worked the Fall Classic as the New York Yankees defeated the Milwaukee Braves, four games to three.

QUICKTIP Officials are an integral part of the competition. Just as the athletes are expected to hustle, so should the officials. But the officials have a different responsibility than players and must use controlled (good) hustle as opposed to running all over the field or gym (false hustle). The difference is clearly noticeable.

DID YOU KNOW? NCAA Division I men’s basketball referee Ted Valentine has been in his share of run-ins with coaches.

But the shoe was on the other foot and he got the boot in 1979 as an assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team at Weston (W.Va.) Junior High. He took over for one game when the head coach took maternity leave. Valentine drew three technical fouls and was ejected before halftime. As Valentine left the gym, he passed Weston’s principal, who said, “You just coached your last game.”

3/18/2021 9:07:03 AM

ALL SPORTS

Tourney Crew Has Much to Do By the Referee editors

I

t’s finally here: The day of your big postseason assignment. You’re physically and mentally ready. You walk into the locker room and see … strangers. Sitting there are two (or more) people you’ve never met before. But in the next hour or so you’re going to take the court or field and work one of the biggest games of the year.

While some tournament games are worked by officials who are familiar with each other from the regular season, it’s not unusual for state, regional or national events to bring together officials from places near and far. If you find yourself in that situation, here are some tips to make the experience less daunting.

• The pregame is extra important.

It’s up to the referee or plate umpire to make everyone comfortable.

That person needs to create an environment in which officials understand their roles. That means taking a team approach, asking questions and listening. Follow up to

make sure what you said was heard.

Ask the same question in a different way to ensure the messages get through.

• Tournament time often means more officials on the court or field.

The first time most baseball or softball umpires work the threeumpire system is in the state tournament. The same goes for a crew of six or seven football officials.

One pregame topic to cover could be, what happens when a play isn’t covered? All officials need to be aware of what is happening on the court or field and either alert the partner who’s responsible for the play to cover it or fill the gap and deal with the mechanics flaws in a postgame discussion.

• Set the tone. It starts in the pregame and continues through the early part of the contest. Decide what you will allow in terms of contact.

How much jersey grabbing will you allow among offensive linemen?

How much leeway will you give pitchers before you call a balk? Seek consistency. If you stray early, confer

with your partners to get back on the same page.

• Once the game starts, look for adjustments or tweaking. Get together if necessary, and keep your concentration and focus. Don’t expect officials from different parts of the state or district to immediately jell.

Get everyone involved. Use the Michael Jordan motto, “Seek to make everyone around you better.”

• Keep in-game conferences to a minimum, but confer when necessary. By rule in most sports, officials cannot substitute their judgment for that of another official.

But if you have definite knowledge a call is incorrect by rule, you can go to that official, provide the necessary information and allow the calling official to correct the mistake.

• The ending moments of a game are about sustaining intensity and finishing strong. People tend to remember the last few minutes or innings, so communicate to be in the best position to make the most accurate calls. *

STEWART WEST

All for one and one for all. That’s the attitude displayed by tournament umpires (from left) Bruce Musburger, San Antonio, Texas; Kerry Cripe, Goshen, Ind.; Michael Lechnar, Mukilteo, Wash.; and Troy Kipe, Lake Wales, Fla.

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Is It OK to Coach Players?

T

he saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.” Nowhere is that more true than when an official tries to advise a player. The difficulty is compounded when you consider officials are taught from Day 1 to employ preventive officiating.

How much an official can or should “coach” depends on the level of competition. The higher the level, the less acceptable.

A generally accepted theory at the lower levels is it’s OK to prevent a player from committing a non-safetyrelated rule infraction. At those levels, games should be about participation, learning the sport and having fun.

Coaches have a say in what they’ll accept in the way of coaching from an official. If an official crosses the line, or if an official doesn’t provide the same assistance to each team, many coaches will be quick to point out the transgression.

May_21.indb 77

Another, perhaps better, option is to go to the coach and tell him or her what needs to be corrected. Most coaches will be grateful if a heads up can avoid a penalty or violation.

A sensible place to draw the line at all levels is playoff games. Offering advice of any kind in a game where the losers’ season ends makes the wellintentioned official an easy target for postgame blame.

Another thought is to desist when the coaching becomes more strategic than practical. For example, telling players where to stand, how to rebound or how to set their feet go well beyond what an official should be talking about during a game.

Safer are comments that help prevent problems — the true preventive officiating types of statements. A common example in football is to tell a lineman he would have been flagged for holding but the

play went to the other side of the field.

As long as such help is made to both teams in limited quantities, you won’t encounter many problems.

At all levels, the amount of coaching an official gives the players during a game should never be at the expense of a consistently officiated game. What was a warning for one team must be a warning for the other.

What is a foul for one team must be a foul for both.

It’s common for people to become officials after having coached a number of years. It’s sometimes difficult to leave that part of the game when the job changes. But it’s essential to do just that if you intend to advance in officiating.

To quote another well-worn phrase, “Coaches coach, players play and officials officiate.” There really is no better formula for a successfully played game. *

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FOR THE RECORD AWARDS, ROSTERS, NOTABLES

POSTSEASON ASSIGNMENTS

HIGH SCHOOL • The following officials were selected to work the 2020 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association fall state championships: Cross country (In order: meet referee, starter, starter, starter) — Division 1 – William Semmens, Thomas Johnson, William Haury, Robert Kern. Division 2 – William Stuessel, Paul Rozak, Ron Klinner, Barry Brubaker. Division 3 – Scott Sponholz, Timothy Lee, Jon Hegge, Tim DeJardin. Boys’ soccer — Referees – Eric Bayer, Campbellsport; Peter Bernardy, De Pere; Barrett Britt, Delavan; James Friel, Waukesha; Parker LeMire, Eau Claire; Jon Payne, Wausau; Jon Schrantz, Waukesha; Dylan Seitz, Elkhorn; Steve VanDeurzen, Kaukauna.

Assistant referees – Tom DeMers, Hartford; Dave Grable, Oshkosh; Thomas Gritton, Neenah; Dean Gumz, Eau Claire; Mark Herdeman, West Bend; Alex Hofstetter, Verona; Eric Kim, Edgerton; Lionel Kimmel, Menomonee Falls; Brian Kriese, Green Bay; True Lor, Wausau; Matt Matus, Brookfield; Jim McNamara, Waterford; Touly Moua, Weston; Eric Orlowski, Waukesha; Rod Ottens, Green Bay; Tom Rosenow, Bloomer; Ted Tyma, Waterford; Max Unger, Sussex. Girls’ swimming and diving — Bruce Barbee, Hartland; Scott Hertting, Appleton; Thomas Miller III, Menomonie; Steve Surprenant, Oregon; Susan Wagner, Brookfield. Girls’ individual and team tennis — Sharon Terry (meet referee, Division 1); Liz Danner (meet referee, Division 2). Umpires – Anthony Asta, Williams Bay; Matt Bauman, Madison; Elizabeth Danner, Oneida; Coskin Fink, Madison; Janet Graf, De Pere; Jon

Nicoud, Fond du Lac; David Shorr, Stevens Point; John Shananhan, Sturgeon Bay; Sharon Terry, Janesville; Mark Vander Zanden, Appleton; Adriane Welker, Elgin, Ill.; Kris Williams, Green Bay. Volleyball — James Arts, Oconomowoc; Brian Babiash, West Salem; Nicolas Been, Hammond; Steven Billings, Sun Prairie; Jed Block, Appleton; Jen Connell, Kenosha; William De Groot, Oshkosh; Diane Doden, Appleton; David Huening, Rochester; Joel Jerominski, Greenfield; Richard Jones, Janesville; Michael Kirschbaum, Holmen; Michael LaGrassa, Milwaukee; Kelly Lehman, East Troy; Teague Prichard, Middleton; Jason Rieck, Glendale; Larry Schoenick, Waukesha; Jeff Sears, Appleton; Alexis Sheldon, Janesville; Kane Shutter, Arena; Adam Swanepoel, Glenwood City; Kevin Voge, Milwaukee.

• The following officials were selected to work the 2020 Georgia High School Association fall state championships: Football (referee, umpire, head linesman, line judge, side judge, field judge, back judge, game clock operator, play clock operator) — Class A Private – Robert Young, Qunetin Hutchins, Marquez Thomas, Marcus Cade, Mark Gresham, Kelvin Murphy, Cedric Lawrence, Titus Moore, Desralyn Rodgers. Class A Public – Patrick Ingram, Gahmal Walton, Sheldon Smith, Benny Hickman, Lewis Lawhorn, Jeff Williams, Adam Causey, Anthony Bass, Rashard Lewis. Class 2A – Tommy Toms, Andre Lipscomb, Henrietta Powell, Joe Threats, Deuce York, Otis Jackson, Bernard Tarplin, Marvin Bell,

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John Copeland. Class 3A – Doug Helling, Ed Koschewa, Lee Pearson, Quintez Smith, Troy Olson, Marc Wilson, DJ Doss, Will Blatt, Steven Bailey.

Class 4A – Joshua Sellers, Brandon Woods, Delano Dryden, Keith Stuart, Haven Thomas, Duncan Blankenship, Clifton Puckett, David Doehla, Brian Smith. Class 5A – Todd Downes, Ashton Wilkerson, David Reynolds, Robert Cunningham, Alford Arnold, Clyde Allen, Robert Hampton, Daylyn Thomas, Danny Everett.

Class 6A – Chris Moore, George Thomas, Antwoine Stewart, Freddie Stewart, Theo Lamar, Byron Berryhill, Rodrick Wright, Robert Walker, Cheryl Stewart. Class 7A – Mark Staton, Bo Hairston, Bryan Stradley, John Heath, Will Anglin, Darimus Glasper, Eric Staton, Barry Woodall, Derry Collins. Girls’ flag football (In order: referee, line judge, side judge, back judge) — Division 1 – Ben Smith, Michael Gurley, Danny Everett, Shawn Schumacher. Division 2 – Ian Burcy, Sheldon Smith, Brandon Janco, DJ Doss. Softball — Anthony Brown, Roger Burton, Tonya Cash, Thomas Chesnut, Lynn Church, David Gilliam, Lee Gray, Robbie Guest, Davide Haulman, Shane Head, Henry Hill, Scott Hogdin, Larry Hughes, Brent Korn, Mike Little, Dexter Morgan, Reggie Pettus, Chris Phillips, Jill Poole, Kenny Rogers, Rickie Sexton, Shawn Schumacher, Charlie Stevens, Steve Wenner, Jason Williams. Volleyball — Stephanie Abraham, Richard Alexander, Michael Aoa, Jim Barrow, Rena Brumbleow, Cody Freeman, Mike Freeman, Larry Griffiths, Mark Hallenbeck, Martin Hallock, Jason Hanes, Bruce Knighton, Walter Kolis, Gary Landon, Khiah Lynch, Kevin McClure, Sean Muhammad, Daniel Ozment, Larry Payne, William Pond, Jakob Prater, Mark Prater, Danny Rager, Matthew Shelton, Brad Tafoya, Scott Thompson.

• The following officials were selected to work the 2020 Montana High School Association fall state championships: Boys’ soccer — Class A – Darryl Byle, Kalispell; Guy Lavoie, Kalispell; Pete Metzmaker, Whitefish; Mike Stebbins, Kalispell. Class

AA – Kyle Thompson, Belgrade; Jordann Brown, Big Timber; Jack Dockery, Bozeman; John Pugh, Bozeman. Girls’ soccer — Class A – Mike Woodring, Billings; Shawn O’Brien, Billings; Chad Kriskovich, Billings; Mark Weber, Billings. Class AA – Ryan Swenson, Helena; Keith Noem, East Helena; Dan Jankowski, Helena; Shannon Walker, Helena. Volleyball — Class C – Melissa Evans, Chinook; Arron Franzen, Glasgow; Nichole Gamas, Glasgow; Tim Hagen, Havre; Katie Heath, Havre; Patrick Sargent, Malta. Class B – Gail Davis, Cut Bank; Gail Hofstad, Cut Bank; Bill Nansell, Shelby; Lea Potoczny, Great Falls; Scott Donisthorpe, Great Falls; Bonnie Cook, Fort Benton.

Class A – Sherrie Bawden, Sidney; Marnee Averett, Sidney; Tracy Gabbert, Glendive; Jackie Armstrong, Miles City; Nicole Smith, Miles City; Joanna Horsburgh, Cartwright.

Class AA – Marilyn Tobin, Butte; Susan Huckeby, Butte; Charmayne Kaminski, Helena; Larry Sickerson, Helena.

Football — Six-player – Jason Frederick, Poplar; Craig Smith, Wolf Point; Jeff Kent, Wolf Point; Dan Schmidt, Poplar; Eric D Peterson, Wolf Point.

Eight-player – Roger Spring, Great Falls; Joe Potoczny, Great Falls; Lance Boyd, Great Falls; Ben Jaques, Great Falls; Kody Lambert, Great Falls; Patrick Ryan, Great Falls. Class B – Joel Fuhrmann, Charlo; Damian Droessler, Missoula; Marc Brekke, Missoula; Richie Borden, Hamilton; Brandon Ihde, Lolo; James Anderson, Missoula. Class A – Jim Gannon, Bozeman; Jared Silvey, Belgrade; Kevin Bethke, Bozeman; Wynn Krauss, Bozeman; James Christ, Belgrade; Byron Mckinney, Belgrade. Class AA – Travis Huntsinger, Bozeman; Matthew Heckel, Bozeman; Jared Bennett, Belgrade; Will Ralph, Bozeman; Michael Bell, Belgrade; Daniel Holland, Belgrade.

OBITUARIES • Russ Zoll, 62, of Canastota, N.Y., died Sept. 13, 2020. Zoll was a member of

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a football officiating chapter in Syracuse for 30 years. He worked two high school state championships and worked semi-pro football.

• Jon Duckworth, 67, of Punta Gorda, Fla., died Oct. 8, 2020. Duckworth was a softball umpire with USA Softball (formerly ASA) and USSSA for more than 20 years in the Champaign and Urbana park districts in Illinois. He

was assigned to numerous state tournaments and USSSA national tournaments. He was also a basketball referee.

• Frank Neves, 61, of West Suffield, Conn., died Oct. 22, 2020. Neves attended the Al Somers Umpire School in Florida and began his professional umpiring career in Minor League Baseball’s New York-Penn League. After a 10-year journey that ended in

the Eastern League, he became an NCAA D-I umpire in the ACC, A-10 and Big East. He also officiated high school and college football.

• Joe Patrenets, 70, died unexpectedly at his Racine, Wis., residence on Oct. 25, 2020. He worked high school and semi-pro football for more than 30 years and was a timekeeper for youth soccer games.

• Warren Allen Kramer, 77, of Sioux Falls, S.D., died Oct. 26, 2020. Warren began umpiring fastpitch softball in 1973 and was named to the South Dakota Softball Hall of Fame in 2008.

Do you have any rosters, assignments or awards that warrant mention?

Send info to us at ForTheRecord@referee.com

ROSTERS NHL The 2020-21 NHL officials’ roster — with each official’s uniform number, name, birthplace and year of NHL debut — is below.

Referees 2 Jon McIsaac, Truro, Nova Scotia, 2013 3 Chris Schlenker, Medicine Hat, Alberta, 2016

19 Gord Dwyer, Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2005 20 Tim Peel, Toronto, 1999 21 TJ Luxmore, Timmins, Ontario, 2013

4 Wes McCauley, Georgetown, Ontario, 2003

22 Ghislain Hebert, Bathurst, New Brunswick, 2009

5 Chris Rooney, Boston, 2000

24 Graham Skilliter, La Ronge, Saskatchewan, 2013

6 Francis Charron, Ottawa, Ontario, 2010 7 Garrett Rank, Kitchener, Ontario, 2015 8 Francois St. Laurent, Greenfield Park, Quebec, 2016 9 Dan O’Rourke, Calgary, Alberta, 1999 10 Kyle Rehman, Stettler, Alberta, 2008 11 Kelly Sutherland, Richmond, British Columbia, 2000 12 Justin St. Pierre, Dolbeau, Quebec, 2005 14 Trevor Hanson, Richmond, British Columbia, 2013

25 Marc Joannette, Verdun, Quebec, 1999

Linesmen 50 Scott Cherrey, Drayton, Ontario, 2007 51 Andrew Smith, Kitchener, Ontario, 2017 52 Shandor Alphonso, Orangeville, Ontario, 2014 53 Bevan Mills, Surrey, British Columbia, 2016 54 Greg Devorski, Guelph, Ontario, 1993

75 Derek Arnell, Port Colborne, Ontario, 1997 76 Michel Cormier, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, 2003 78 Brian Mach, Little Falls, Minn., 2000 79 Kiel Murchison, Cloverdale, British Columbia, 2013 81 Ryan Daisy, Newton, Mass., 2016 82 Ryan Galloway, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2002

26 Jake Brenk, Detroit Lakes, Minn., 2015

58 Ryan Gibbons, Vancouver, British Columbia, 2015

27 Eric Furlatt, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, 2001

59 Steve Barton, Vankleek Hill, Ontario, 2000

28 Chris Lee, Saint John, New Brunswick, 2000

60 Libor Suchanek, Stod, Czech Republic, 2017

29 Ian Walsh, Philadelphia, 2000

61 James Tobias, Buffalo, N.Y., 2017

89 Steve Miller, Stratford, Ontario, 2000

30 Kendrick Nicholson, Stratford, Ontario, 2015

64 Brandon Gawryletz, Trail, British Columbia, 2015

92 Mark Shewchyk, Waterdown, Ontario, 2003

33 Kevin Pollock, Kincardine, Ontario, 2000 34 Brad Meier, Dayton, Ohio, 1999

15 Jean Hebert, Bouctouche, New Brunswick, 2011

36 Dean Morton, Peterborough, Ontario, 2000

16 Brian Pochmara, Detroit, 2005

37 Pierre Lambert, St. Hubert, Quebec, 2016

17 Frederick L’Ecuyer, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, 2007

38 Peter MacDougall, Regina, Saskatchewan, 2020

18 Tom Chmielewski, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2014

40 Steve Kozari, Penticton, British Columbia, 2005

65 Pierre Racicot, Verdun, Quebec, 1993 67 Travis Gawryletz, Trail, British Columbia, 2017 70 Derek Nansen, Ottawa, Ontario, 2002 71 Brad Kovachik, Woodstock, Ontario, 1996 73 Vaughan Rody, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2000 74 Trent Knorr, Powell River, British Columbia, 2013

83 Matt MacPherson, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, 2011 84 Anthony Sericolo, Troy, N.Y., 1998 87 Devin Berg, Kitchener, Ontario, 2015

94 Bryan Pancich, Great Falls, Mont., 2009 95 Jonny Murray, Beauport, Quebec, 2000 96 David Brisebois, Sudbury, Ontario, 1999 97 Kory Nagy, London, Ontario, 2016

Minor League Referees 39 Brandon Blandina, Centennial, Colo., 2019

42 Corey Syvret, Millgrove, Ontario, 2018 43 Mitch Dunning, Tecumseh, Ontario, 2019 44 Furman South, Sewickley, Pa., 2017 45 Dan Kelly, Morrisonville, N.Y., 2020 46 Brandon Schrader, Sanborn, N.Y., 2019 47 Michael Markovic, Scarborough, Ontario, 2019 48 Beau Halkidis, Indian Trail, N.C., 2019 49 Reid Anderson, Calgary, Alberta, 2018

Minor League Linesmen 55 Kyle Flemington, Parkhill, Ontario, 2019 56 Juilen Fournier, Gatineau, Quebec, 2019 86 Jesse Marquis, Bouctouche, New Brunswick, 2018 88 Tyson Baker, Thorndale, Ontario, 2018 90 Travis Toomey, Leduc, Alberta, 2019

41 Conor O’Donnell, Hamilton, Ontario, 2019

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LAW

ISSUES AFFECTING OFFICIALS

Penalty Box for Officials

By Donald C. Collins Officials associations may penalize members provided they set out the penalties clearly in their bylaws. The bylaws are a contract between the association and the members. Officials associations and many other businesses have economic incentives and disincentives in their contracts.

Penalties can be necessary.

Officials associations sometimes need to incentivize members to meet association obligations. However, poorly executed penalties and heavyhanded association actions can create a wide array of problems.

First, ineffective penalties can create angry members. An association can get bogged down with low-level grumbling and complaining. Sometimes, an association will even face an occasional lawsuit — not because penalties are inherently bad, but because the association is heavy-handed and a member eventually lashes out.

Second, ineffective penalties create problems with clients. An association’s clients expect certain things. If penalties don’t link to the association’s obligations, the association can be vulnerable to lawsuits claiming the association didn’t deliver well-trained officials. It’s hard to defend untrained or unprepared officials when, for example, a player is injured.

An association has to engage in effective communication. Members need to know the objectives. Penalties are a tool to incentivize members to meet those objectives — and to make them better officials. We all want to be good officials so a bit of buy-in goes a long way.

Associations should give their members agency. Involve the members in the decision-making process. They’ll have some good ideas on how to make members comply with association needs and obligations — and yes, sometimes they’ll have some bad ideas, too. The key is that the members will be involved. That’s better than having the members feel they’re not involved.

When members don’t feel involved, penalties can make officials look more

like low-level employees than skilled independent contractors.

Associations have lots of tools to involve members. Associations can disseminate reports and information, have board members solicit member input and even hold direct membership votes on policies and bylaw amendments.

Informing and involving members can go a long way. An informed member is more likely to understand the reason for a penalty. An informed membership may provide feedback and even push back against a penalty early in the process. This feedback and pushback can help an association see when a penalty is no longer necessary; it can even let an association know fines and penalties that worked when the association had 10 members may not be needed now that the association has 30, 40 or 50 members.

Finally, groups that fine and penalize need to keep good records.

Keep the documentation behind the penalty. Keep records of any hearings.

Don’t let your procedures make matters worse, though. Use closed sessions when you have hearings on penalties, fines and other personnel items. Keep the records and take minutes, but keep personnel notes, minutes and files private — i.e. “closed.” Don’t embarrass your members by letting the membership see minutes of personnel matters — you’ll undo all your good work by inviting employment law and defamation lawsuits from the embarrassed member.

A well-run association understands that good management minimizes legal risks. The issue isn’t the avoidance of penalties. Rather, it’s finding the incentives and disincentives that encourage members to do what’s needed, and getting rid of incentives, disincentives and penalties that don’t link to the association’s or client’s needs.

Donald C. Collins is executive director of the San Francisco Section of the California Interscholastic Federation. He is a longtime basketball official and lawyer.

This material is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. *

Board Duties Bring Additional Liability Serving on the board of directors of your local association is a great way to give back to the officiating industry. It means a commitment of time and energy and accepting new responsibilities. It also means the possibility of increased liability exposure, which is why it’s important for association officers to have additional liability protection. That additional insurance is intended to protect a board member’s personal assets if the association is subject to legal action.

NASO members have general liability coverage that provides protection from claims of bodily injury and property damage.

Board members also need directors’ and officers’ (D&O) liability insurance, which covers wrongful acts, real or perceived, by the association itself. D&O insurance is generally something associations purchase for the board.

SOURCE: 3/19 NASO ADVISOR NEWSLETTER

Negotiating Officials’ Pay While amateur officials aren’t looking to get rich from officiating, they still want to get paid what their services are worth. Here are three things that can be done to help make sure pay rates don’t get stuck in a long-term freeze: 1. Select leadership for your association with negotiation experience and the understanding of the interests of association members. If your association puts quality leaders in place, it’s likely to end up with acceptable terms that meet the needs of members.

2. Associations may want to avoid agreeing to long-term deals with leagues without having the officials’ fee increased periodically throughout the contract.

3. Keep the lines of communication open.

Negotiations between leagues and amateur associations need not be lengthy. Open communication will help each side understand what the other side wants and help reach an agreement quickly.

SOURCE: 8/15 REFEREE LAW COLUMN

PRESENTED BY

Go to www.naso.org and click on member benefits for more on MICP.

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CLASSIFIEDS MAY

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 refereetrainingcenter.com.

MISCELLANEOUS * Follow Referee magazine on Facebook and Twitter Get officiating-related news from around the country, participate in conversations with Referee staff and fellow officials, and find out about new products and special offers from us and our partners.

QUIZ ANSWERS SOCCER

1 — All – d (NFHS 14-1-2, 14.1.2; NCAA 14.2.3; IFAB 14.1) 2 — All – c (NFHS 13-3-4; NCAA 13.1.3.c; IFAB 13.1) 3 — All – b (NFHS 13-3-2; NCAA 13.2.5; IFAB 13.2) 4 — NFHS, NCAA – c (NFHS 4-11; NCAA 4-1-15); IFAB – a (4.2) 5 — All – b (NFHS 12-7-1; NCAA 12.3.2; IFAB 12.2)

BASEBALL

1 — NFHS – a (3-1-4b); NCAA, pro – c (NCAA 7-2d3a; pro 5.11a(4)) 2 — NFHS – c (3-3-1f-6 Pen.); NCAA, pro – a (NCAA 3-3; 5-15; pro 5.03 Pen) 3 — NFHS, pro – c (NFHS 3-1-1 Pen.; pro 510d); NCAA – a (NCAA 5-5j1) 4 — NFHS – d (3-1-4b); NCAA, pro – a (NCAA 7-2d5; pro 5.11a(4), (6), (12)) 5 — All – a (NFHS 6-2-4f; NCAA 9-3L; pro 6.02a(1) Cmt.)

FOOTBALL

1 — Both – c (NFHS 2-28, 6-2-6; NCAA 6-3-1b) 2 — NFHS – d (NFHS 1-5-3c-6); NCAA – a (1-3-7; 1-3-8b) 3 — Both – a (NFHS 7-1-7a; NCAA 7-1-3a, 7-1-4b) 4 — NCAA – c (3-1-3e, 8-3-2a) 5 — Both – b (NFHS 4-3-1; NCAA 6-2-1)

SOFTBALL

1 — All – b (USA Softball 8-5g Eff.; NCAA 12.12.8.3 Eff.; NFHS 8-4-3e Pen.; USSSA 8-14c-3, 8-15c) 2 — All – a (USA Softball 1 – Foul Ball, 7-6f; NCAA 11.5.1.1; NFHS 2-25-1f; USSSA 3 – Foul Ball, 7-9) 3 — USA Softball, NFHS, USSSA – d (USA Softball 8-2h Eff.; NFHS 8-2-5 Pen.; USSSA 8-17g); NCAA – c (12.5.7, 12.10.4 Eff.) 4 — All – b (USA Softball 8-5g Exc. 1; NCAA 12.12.7.4 Eff.; NFHS 8-4-3e Exc. 1; USSSA 8-14d-2)

FLASHBACK 40 YEARS AGO …

1981

• Greek soccer referee Mikos Litsas is jailed and fined for ejecting a player during a game. Litsas was sentenced by an Athens court to 40 days in jail and ordered to pay a $100 fine after the ejected player and his teammates initiated legal action.

30 YEARS AGO …

1991

• NFL referee Jim Tunney works his last game in a 51-3 Buffalo rout of the Raiders in the AFC title game.

Tunney penned a letter to Commissioner Paul Tagliabue writing in part: “I love professional football and will stay involved in it … I am pursuing opportunities in broadcasting.”

20 YEARS AGO …

VOLLEYBALL

1 — NFHS – d (12-2-9c Pen. c); NCAA – a (6.1.2); USAV – c (21.3.2.3) 2 — All – d (NFHS 4-2-2; NCAA 7.1.1.2; USAV 19.2) 3 — NFHS, NCAA – b (NFHS 5-53b-19; NCAA 19.4.6); USAV – a (23.3.3) 4 — All – a (NFHS 9-6-4; NCAA 14.6.4.2; USAV 14.6.1) BASKETBALL 1 — All – a (NFHS 2-12-5; NCAAM/W 2-10.9) 2 — All – a (NFHS 4-20-3, 9-1, 9.1.2B; NCAAM/W 8-1.4, 9-1).

3 — NFHS – d (4-19-8); NCAAM – d (4-15.2.b, 4-15.3.c); NCAAW – a (10-11.1) 4 — All – e (NFHS 10-6; NCAAM 10-3 Pen. Note, 10-4 Pen. Note; NCAAW 10-12.4 Pen. Note)

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.

2001

• The NFHS and Referee sign an agreement to mutually produce training aids for high school sports officials.

Baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball, volleyball and wrestling were impacted as the NFHS Preseason Guides were produced by Referee. Overhead transparencies were produced for preseason officiating meetings as well.

10 YEARS AGO …

2011

• Michigan’s Downriver League (DRL) is forced back to three officials for girls’ high school basketball games.

Budget concerns were cited when the 10-school DRL mandated two-person crews for girls’ games while still using three-person crews for boys’ games. Two member schools and the American Civil Liberties Union complained the DRL treated student-athletes differently based on gender.

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LAST CALL

A PERSONAL STORY BY TODD AUSTIN

Resur-wreck-tion The coaches, players and sparse fans in attendance at a recent December smallcollege basketball game had no idea what they were witnessing. To them, it was just a high-scoring shootout with the home team eventually prevailing.

What they didn’t know was they were witnessing a comeback, a miracle, a resurrection.

The referees that night were three friends who had refereed numerous games together: David Carter, Jason Creek and me. All three of us had worked our way through the ranks to eventually work NCAA Division I games, so a midseason NAIA game would not typically be the high point of our season. But this night was different.

As the months and years passed, Jason prepared his mind for a possible return to officiating.

were overlooked. Another surgery and more rehab followed.

As the months and years passed, Jason prepared his mind for a possible return to officiating. He started running again, but he had to be careful not to overwork his body. He refereed a few local rec league and high school JV games. He kept in touch with his many referee friends to discuss new rules and to just stay a part of the fraternity he loved.

With the start of the 2020-21 season, Jason was cautiously eager to get back onto the court. With early assignments getting canceled because of COVID-19, Dec. 15, 2020, would be his return to college basketball.

That day, David and I picked up Jason and Lana and we rode the final two hours to the game together. We reminisced and “pregamed” all the way to the gym. David and I secretly planned to have Jason throw up the opening toss, then David was going to “blow it back” as a “welcome back” prank. But when Jason executed the toss, it was so perfect that David looked at me across the court and just shrugged his shoulders. It was a perfect start to the game and the perfect restart to Jason’s journey.

In all honesty, I was surprised by how well Jason refereed that night, considering his four-year hiatus. He got booed one time by the 30 or so fans in attendance, and we all smiled at each other. The game went smoothly and we stopped for a celebratory meal on the way home.

In a most uncertain and abnormal year, the most normal thing I did was referee a college basketball game with my friend. Whether in his newly resurrected career he referees another five games or 500, his return to the floor should remind us all to be thankful for what we have and give us hope that tomorrow is a new and better day.

Todd Austin is a college basketball referee from Lafayette, Tenn. * Do you have a personal officiating story to tell?

Send your story or queries to lastcall@referee.com

SHUTTERSTOCK

You see, Jason had not refereed a college basketball game since December 2016. On Jan. 2, 2017, while driving to referee a D-I game, his SUV was struck head-on by an impaired driver on I-75 in Georgia. In the mangled wreckage, Jason suffered numerous internal injuries and broken bones, including a broken femur and collarbone. Jason was fortunate to survive the accident and was rushed to a major trauma hospital north of Atlanta.

The first few days, Jason’s prognosis was critical. He underwent surgery on his femur, as doctors placed a metal rod in his leg to repair what they said was one of the worst injuries they had ever seen. His lungs struggled to function even with the help of breathing machines. After a few uncertain weeks in the ICU, he slowly but steadily improved.

Jason’s wife, Lana, was by his side during the entire hospital stay, leaving their two young sons back home with family a few hours away in Manchester, Tenn. The couple began dating in college, and she had always been supportive through his officiating journey as they both began their careers in education administration. Jason’s first officiating endeavor was in baseball, where he excelled to umpire in the minor leagues and worked all levels of college baseball. As he and Lana began making plans for their future and a family, he decided his other officiating passion, basketball, was where he wanted to focus.

Jason worked his way through the beginning levels of high school and college basketball and the summer camp system to eventually be rewarded with a solid D-I schedule. In the 2016-17 season, his future looked bright, as he was hopeful to soon add a major D-I conference to his resume.

Then the accident and …

Jason spent 47 days in the hospital and rehab facilities before returning home. He remembers nothing about the accident and only has sporadic memories of the weeks in the hospital.

Over the next several months, he slowly returned to his job and resumed simple tasks such as walking without assistance or pain. However, as he attempted a return to exercising and running, he experienced pain in his knee. Doctors initially told him it was just soreness he would have to work through, but upon further examination, it was discovered he had suffered ligament tears in his knee.

His injuries from the accident were so extensive that torn knee ligaments

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