Referee Magazine - February 2017

TH THE 20 AT S 16 MA TOR TT IES ER ED

BASKETBALL

SUB WAY

SOFTBALL

SWING VOTE

SOCCER

ROOKIE CLASS

BASEBALL

PICKOFF PLAYS

February 2017 // referee.com

VOLLEYBALL

you in or you out?

That Was Then

this is now p.40

G-WHIZ WHIZ p.18

FOOTBALL

COACHES OUT OF THE BOX

ALL SPORTS

first impressions WRONG-CALL THERAPY

BLOWN AWAY p. 70

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CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2017 Volume 42, No. 2 Issue 484 18

FEATURES 18

G-MAN

Gediminas Petraitis’ name may be difficult to pronounce, but his talent as an NBA referee speaks for itself.

40

THEN & NOW

50

YEAR IN REVIEW

70

Our approaches to officiating games have evolved over time — we do things differently now than we did then.

From the rise in suspensions to the increased use of technology — these are the stories that mattered in 2016.

LET IT GO

Technology has placed officials under more scrutiny and pressure than ever before. Rather than work against it, officials should embrace it to overcome mistakes.

SPORTS

COLUMNS

12

4

PUBLISHER’S MEMO

6

THE GAG RULE

8

THE NEWS

24

ON THE COVER SCOTT FETTERLY Renton, Wash.

GEDIMINAS PETRAITIS AND BOB DELANEY, COURTESY OF GEDIMINAS PETRAITIS, COVER: DALE GARVEY, PROFILES: COURTESY OF MIKE MEIER

Occupation: Finance analyst.

Officiating experience: Longtime high school and college basketball official having worked NCAA Division II games and 21 high school state tournament games. Has served on the board of directors for the Pacific Northwest Basketball Officials Association (PNBOA) for more than 25 years. The best part of his career: “Meeting my wife, an accomplished official,” Fetterly said.

32

44

BASKETBALL

No Substitute for Awareness: Knowledge Is Power With Every Substitution Horn; Hot Spots; A Line-Force Decision

BASEBALL

Pick Up the Pickoff: How to Get the Right View to Get the Call Right; NFHS Clarifies 2017 POE; Much Ado About Working With F2

SOFTBALL

Check, Please: Holes Need to Be Filled in CheckedSwing Appeal Process; Right Here, Right Now; 5MW: Jim Sanderson

42

VOLLEYBALL

Collaboration: Big Word — Bigger Benefit; Schmoozing Professionally; Fine Line of Distinction

58

FOOTBALL

64

SOCCER

74

ALL SPORTS

56

Educator Is Honored; Green and Growing Quickly

A Seat at Our Table

Letters: Uniform World; They Get It; Say What?; They Like Us; Snap Shot: Costumed Calls; Referee. com Poll Judge Rejects Bid to Overturn Playoff Game; PRO Names MLS Referee and AR of the Year; Mexican Referee Dies After Player’s Punch

78

FOR THE RECORD

80

LAW

81

CLASSIFIEDS

GETTING IT RIGHT

Topper Tourney a Terrific Tribute; WWUA Gets a Financial Boost; FatherSon, Former Star Player Team Up

PROFILES

Meier Paddles to Rio;

82

Minor League Baseball: Fall Instruction League and Winter League Umpire Rosters The Well-Formed Local Association; Check Weather Conditions; Silence Can’t Be Misquoted Camps/Clinics/Schools; Equipment/Apparel; Training Resources; Leadership Resources

LAST CALL

Healing Power: At that moment, I wasn’t the base umpire working a game.

I was part of something larger.

PROFILES HIGHLIGHT THIS MONTH

Accept or Decline?

Multiple Choices Can Complicate Enforcement; You Must Remember D’s; Thinking Outside the Box Into the Fire: The Very First Laws to Know; Position Statement; 5MW: Hilario ‘Chico’ Grajeda First Things First: So Many Chances to Make a Good Impression; Eight Is Enough (Well, Too Many); Right Way to Turn Back a Game

Mike Meier, far right, of San Diego umpires the Men’s Class 9 Singles gold medal match between players from the Netherlands and Belgium during the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Meier was the only American selected to umpire in the games. “It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as table tennis umpires rarely work an Olympics or Paralympics twice,” said Meier, who is sitting across from umpire Raimundo Barjonas of Brazil.

FOR MORE, GO TO PAGE 56

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

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

A Seat at Our Table Each end-ofyear we hold a celebration. It is the Referee company dinner. Held at the Racine Country Club, here in Racine, Wis., it is always a night of celebration and recognition.

The 2016 dinner had a large complement of both. If you can imagine, out of a staff of 22 people, we recognized four who had 30, 25, 20 and five years with us: Marylou Clayton, Bill Topp, Jeff Stern and Jim Arehart. In fairness to Jim, he actually

has been with us for a total of 14.5 years. He left to work for a national bowling group and then came back — whistles more fun than bowling balls.

He is a football official, by the way.

This year we had almost 80 people on hand. That included staff, spouses/ significant others, invited vendors and guests. The agenda is tight and the results are sweet. Cocktails, welcome to guests and new staff members, and then we eat. After that, the program begins. As a small part of the program, I am expected to say something — something sage but succinct. I thought you would not mind if I shared those remarks with you here:

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 Todd Korth Justin Marien Content Production Coordinator Chris Szolyga Copy Editor Jean Mano Director of Design, Digital Media and Branding Ross Bray Publication Design Manager Matt Bowen Graphic Designer Dustin Brown Video Coordinator Michael Dougherty Interactive Media Developer Michael Kielas

Referee started as a rebel. It made enemies and it made waves. It lashed out against authority. We traded punches. We came to blows. Then we grew up. Got smarter. Got wiser.

We came to a junction and took a different more thoughtful path. We began listening more than talking. We kept fighting for officials, but in a more level-headed way. We became advocates. For both Referee and NASO, that is the single most important fact of our history.

With more than 40 years of publishing behind us, we can look back in pride that we have, in some measure, been the instrument of building a national officiating community. At the same time … it seems to me we now enter troubling times.

We officials and officiating itself have become fodder. Coarse stuff thrown into the grist mill of a relentless sports media. A diet of fast food with unsavory ingredients. Our assignment, in so far as it is possible, is to be relentless ourselves in framing this developing discussion.

Pictures shout a thousand words but then, all the more, words matter! We are to provide context, reason and consensus on behalf of the men and women who work the games.

Our reality today is not the one of yesterday. The new one requires us to be courageous. We won’t lose sight of the fact that “without us, the rules are just ink on paper.”

When they say we stink, we know better. When they say we favor this team or that team, we know better. When they say we aren’t being held accountable, we know better.

Being part of this officiating community warms the heart and enriches the spirit. The group in this room tonight well deserves credit for helping officials feel good about themselves and of what they accomplish on the floor, field, pitch and diamond. If not us, then who?

Peace,

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Director of Audience Development Dan Olson Event Planner/Marketing Coordinator Nancy Short Comptroller Marylou Clayton Data Analyst/Fulfillment Manager Judy Ball Director of Administration and Sales Support Cory Ludwin Office Administrator Garrett Randall Customer Service Support Specialists Michelle Murray Lisa Burchell Transportation Services Assistant Bob Wemmert Editorial Contributors Jon Bible, George Demetriou, Alan Goldberger, Jerry Grunska, Judson Howard, Peter Jackel, Jay Miner, Tim Sloan These organizations offer ongoing assistance to Referee: Collegiate Commissioners Association, MLB, MLS, NBA, NCAA, NFHS, NISOA, NFL, NHL, Minor League Baseball Umpire Development and U.S. Soccer.

Their input is appreciated.

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

Postmaster: Send address changes and undeliverables to REFEREE, P.O. Box 16447, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6447. Direct subscription inquiries, other mail to REFEREE, P.O. Box 16447, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6447. (818) 487-4549. © 2016 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

SNAP SHOT

Uniform World

Costumed Calls

I am a longtime soccer official. I still have my U.S. Soccer Football Association referee patch that was sewn onto my (very) old iconic black shirt with the white collar and cuffs.

I still have my NISOA black-and-white striped uniform and my NISOA alternate orange shirt with black collar and cuffs. I still have my goldenrod, fuchsia and gray USSF shirts. I also have my NISOA blue, green, red, teal and black soccer referee shirts.

Of course I am still using my green, blue, yellow, red and black U.S. Soccer shirts. These were also changed to accommodate a new stripe design. This is potentially another 10 uniforms.

Did I neglect to mention that I have both long- and short-sleeve versions?

Now that there is a new logo, there is (what a surprise) another uniform design change. We do, of course, see our new favorites — yellow, green, blue, black and red — but with different hues and stripe patterns.

We can now look forward to awarding our favorite uniform supplier with orders for 10 more shirts.

When I officiate in Florida, of course, I have my Florida High School Athletic Association purple referee shirt.

If you officiate professional or international games, there are other unique designs.

For the record, that is at least 40 different soccer referee shirts, not counting new warmup designs, spare shirts or old Gore-Tex/rain-resistant versions. Each shirt costs roughly $50. My soccer uniform wardrobe alone has set me back quite a pretty penny.

I have an old friend who commented that when we changed to the fuchsia design we were caught in a fashion show revolving door that was more important than officiating.

Does any sport other than soccer require five different colors, long sleeves, short sleeves and new designs every five years or so?

No. So why are we soccer officials so lucky? Why does the U.S. Soccer Federation do this?

To discourage new referees? To help uniform manufacturers?

I have no idea, but it is really crummy.

This is wrong. If I said how I really feel about this, indeed, I would earn a red card for foul and abusive language.

Stuart Zwang Highland Park, Ill.

Teams participating in the Monster Mash softball tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., dressed in costumes for the late October 2016 games — and some of the umpires joined in the fun, too. Dan Estill of Hutchinson, dressed as a rodeo clown, was the first-base umpire.

We are not quite sure, however, how he signaled safes and outs.

REFEREE.COM POLL

make-up call

blown call

58%

3%

Which officiating-related term would you most like removed from the vernacular?

THEY GET IT “I just wanted to give him a hug, let him know that everybody makes mistakes and let him know that I love him. …

“He just said it wasn’t the right call. Everybody makes mistakes. We miss shots. People miss plays. Y’all misspell words sometimes. It’s a part of life. You have to keep moving.”

— Dwight Howard, Atlanta Hawks center, on an interaction with NBA referee Bill Spooner.

home cookin’

31%

consistency

8%

SOURCE: ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

SAY WHAT? “All of the umpires are out here at the highest level doing their best. ... They’re out here working their tails off for 162 (games) like we are. There’s no home for them. They’re on the road the entire season.”

— Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs first baseman.

SOURCE: USA TODAY

“Tough loss for Louisville football tonight … Hard to beat a team that had 18 players on the field in first half … Great game … No quit either side.”

— Matt Bevin, Kentucky governor, referring to what he thought were 11 Clemson football players and seven officials teaming up in a close loss.

SOURCE: SEC COUNTRY

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

COURTESY ADAM STEWART OF THE NUTCHINSON NEWS

THEY LIKE US

6 | REFEREE February 2017

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NEW FOR BASEBALL

2017

GOT 9 MINUTES? Getting better doesn’t have to take longer than your next work break. Quick-hitting insight and rule breakdowns as only Referee can do with exciting graphics and punchy design that makes it fun to examine each of these misunderstood rules in 9 minutes or less.

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THE NEWS Judge Rejects Bid to Overturn Playoff Game said in the statement. “The crew also understands that there will be an assessment of their performance and consequences from the IHSA as a result of this error.”

Fenwick had sought a temporary restraining order and for a declaration that the game had ended when the clock had first reached zero.

David Bressler, an IHSA attorney, argued that the courts would be flooded with lawsuits if Fenwick won its legal battle.

Fenwick attorney Peter Rush argued that officials did not have the authority to continue the game and by doing so violated IHSA bylaws directing that rules will be enforced.

Rush also cited two other instances where the IHSA had changed game outcomes.

The judge ruled that the school had agreed to follow the IHSA bylaws, which state only the agency’s board had the authority to overturn a game’s outcome. In denying to hear Fenwick’s appeal, the IHSA had cited its bylaw which states, “the decision of game officials shall be final; protests against the decision of a game official shall not be reviewed by the Board of Directors.”

Fenwick said it would not appeal the judge’s decision. Plainfield North played in the Class 7A championship game a few days later, losing to East St. Louis High School, 26-13.

NEW YORK — The Professional Referee Organization named its Referee and Assistant Referee of the Year in November 2016.

Alan Kelly was named MLS Referee of the Year for the second straight Kelly year, receiving nearly 63 percent of the votes from media, MLS players and club management.

Kelly refereed 23 regular season Anderson MLS games in 2016 and made his MLS Cup playoffs debut.

“My focus has always been just to referee games to the best of my ability,” Kelly said in a PRO article announcing the award. “If, along the way, recognition for how I go about my work comes in the form of an award, then I am thankful and grateful for that recognition.

“I have always been passionate about refereeing and still continue to learn See “PRO” p.10

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES: CHICAGO TRIBUNE, ESPN

THE WIRE Olympic Volleyball Official Dies

Dan Apol, an international beach volleyball and NCAA referee, suffered an aneurism and collapsed while officiating a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball match in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 15, 2016. Apol, 44, was taken to a nearby

hospital where he died the following day. Apol worked the 2016 Rio Olympics, serving as the second referee during the men’s gold medal match. The Denver native had also officiated at the London Games in 2012.

“We, the volleyball family, are all grieving this huge loss and our thoughts are with his wife Bonnie and their family,” FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission Referee Representative Jose

Casanova said. “More than a very competent and highly esteemed referee, we have lost a great friend and colleague.”

Michigan Coach Fined for Postgame Outburst

Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh was reprimanded by the Big Ten for a postgame rant about officiating following the Wolverines’ double-overtime loss to Ohio State on Nov. 26,

2016. The school was also fined $10,000. Harbaugh said he was “bitterly disappointed in the officiating” and said there were multiple inconsistencies in the game. Harbaugh’s conduct at one point during the game, which involved throwing his play card and smashing his headset to the ground, drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Big Ten said Harbaugh’s comments violated

COURTESY OF PRO (KELLY AND ANDERSON), COURTESY OF PAVO (APOL)

CHICAGO — A judge in Illinois rejected a high school’s lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of a playoff football game that had incorrectly continued into overtime because of an officiating error.

Cook County Judge Kathleen Kennedy ruled that she had no authority to change the game’s outcome and cited an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) bylaw that stated officials’ decisions shall be final.

Fenwick High School filed the lawsuit after the IHSA refused to hear an appeal of the Nov. 21, 2016, loss to Plainfield North High School.

With four seconds left in the fourth quarter, Fenwick led the game, 10-7. On the next play, the Fenwick quarterback heaved the ball downfield to run out the clock.

Officials ruled intentional grounding.

Due to penalty enforcement for that situation, the game should have ended there. However, officials incorrectly awarded an untimed down, on which Plainfield scored. Plainfield prevailed in overtime, 18-17.

The IHSA issued a statement shortly after the game acknowledging the error.

“There is no doubt that the crew assigned to officiate this contest by the IHSA should have known this rule and they were forthcoming about the error in conversations after the game,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson

PRO Names MLS Referee and AR of the Year

8 | REFEREE February 2017

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NEW FOR

softBALL

2017

GOT 9 MINUTES? Getting better doesn’t have to take longer than your next cup of coffee. Quick-hitting insight and rule breakdowns as only Referee can do with exciting graphics and punchy design that makes it fun to examine each of these misunderstood rules in 9 minutes or less.

4.95

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NASO MEMBER PRICE: $3.96 SIZE: 5.5” X 8.5” PAGES: 24

referee.com / 9RULES •February_Magazine.indb 9

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THE NEWS

Mexican Referee Dies After Player’s Punch TULACINGO, Mexico — A referee died after being punched by a soccer player in an amateur Mexican league game in November 2016.

The incident reportedly occurred in the match between Canarios-Rojo Gomez and Lindavista in a stadium in Tulacingo, Hidalgo, Mexico.

After issuing a red card, referee Victor Trejo was immediately surrounded by several members of Canarios-Rojo Gomez.

Ruben Rivera Vazquez, who played for Canarios-Rojo Gomez, apparently punched or headbutted the referee. Paramedics on site could not revive Trejo.

The player ran off following the attack, but was located and arrested by police after posters were put up on social media, according to an article published in the British tabloid Mirror.

An autopsy showed Trejo died of a traumatic brain injury, according to the article.

Alejandro Monzalvo of the Referees Association of Pachuca said officials were “exposed.”

“If a player is going to hit you, he will hit you, there’s no way to stop them,” Monzalvo said.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES: DAILY MAIL, SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, THE (U.K.) MIRROR

High School Referee Assaulted OKEMAH, Texas — A 44-year-old Holdenville man was arrested after entering the field and pushing a referee during a Nov. 4, 2016, game between the Holdenville Wolverines and Okemah Panthers.

According to media reports, Brian Len Giles entered the playing area of the Pecan Bowl, charged a game official and pushed him. The official sustained a reddened area to his neck on the left below his collarbone.

Giles was arrested for assault and battery upon a referee and

taken to the Okfuskee County Jail before being released on his own recognizance. He told authorities that he was not thinking straight and his actions were that of a “concerned father.” His son was injured during a previous play.

On Nov. 8, Giles was charged with one misdemeanor count of assault upon an athletic official. The judge entered a plea of not guilty on Giles’ behalf and ordered him to return to court on Dec. 13.

PRO

continued from p.8

and develop. This is where I again thank my colleagues for creating an environment which promotes professionalism, learning, competition and camaraderie.”

Kelly, a native of Ireland, has refereed around the world, including the UEFA Champions League.

He was one of three finalists for the league’s top honor, along with Jair Marrufo and Baldomero Toledo.

Frank Anderson picked up Assistant Referee of the Year honors. Anderson, in his 11th MLS season, refereed 23 MLS games this year and worked the 2016 MLS All-Star game.

He also officiated an MLS playoff game.

“When you are working back-to-back weeks, or just regularly, you’re better prepared for your next decision,” Anderson said. “I found a good rhythm during the season and got into a comfortable groove each week.

“I am extremely happy to have won this award and that my hard work, focus and consistency were rewarded. I have had a successful season to this point but I don’t linger on it. I’m ready for whatever comes next.”

CONTRIBUTING SOURCE: OKEMAH NEWS LEADER

THE WIRE the conference’s sportsmanship policy. “Coaches are teachers as well, and there is an expectation that they set the example for students and others in the area of sportsmanship,” the Big Ten said in a statement.

NBA Player Fined for Referee Altercation

Washington Wizards Jon Wall received a $25,000 fine for an altercation with a referee during

a Nov. 7, 2016, game against Houston. Video showed Wall, who had previously received a technical foul, bump referee Marc Davis. The NBA said Wall was fined for “inappropriate interaction with an official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner” after he was ejected.

Davis told the media about the contact: “I wasn’t certain of his intent. I told him to watch himself.

He looked over his shoulder and

used vulgarity and inappropriate language and was ejected on his second technical foul.”

Warriors Coach Fined for Comments

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was fined $25,000 for public criticism of officiating, the NBA announced Nov. 19, 2016. The fine comes for comments made during a radio interview a few days earlier where

Kerr complained that Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan got away with traveling late in a game.

“I can literally put together a blooper reel of plays that are embarrassing travels that are just not called. … It’s a shame,” Kerr said. “Guys are getting away with murder out there. And fans see it. My favorite is when you see the visiting team travel and you see like a thousand fans in the background all doing the traveling

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League Suspends Play After Arson Attack ATHENS, Greece — The Greek football federation indefinitely suspended all league games in November 2016 after a suspected arson attack damaged a referee’s home.

The Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) said in a statement that the cause of the blaze at Giorgos Bikas’ empty home was “suspicious.”

The statement said the federation will take further action once the fire department issues an official report.

Neither Bikas nor any of his family were at the property, which suffered major damage, according to several news articles.

“Following an extraordinary meeting, the EPO announces its decision for the suspension of all national football championships until the conclusion of the investigation

into the causes of the fire by the fire services,” the EPO said. “The EPO expresses its full compassion to Mr. Giorgos Bikas, whom we will support in every way possible.”

Greece’s top clubs have rallied behind the refereeing committee, condemning the violence and calling on the government to bring those responsible for the suspected arson attack to justice.

“Olympiakos suffers more damage than most from this latest criminal and disgraceful act,” the Greek champions said in a statement.

“It is shocking organized crime in football not only remains in place, but is now putting human lives at risk,” PAOK Salonica said in a separate statement.

The incident was the latest of

persistent fan violence and allegations of corruption and match-fixing that has plagued Greek football for years.

According to reports, a member of the refereeing committee, Giorgos Tsachilidis, was threatened by two men at his home in late October. The incident prompted three members of the committee to resign.

The government briefly delayed the start of the top division in September because of a long-running dispute over the selection of referees between Greece’s top clubs, the EPO and the government.

One team executive called for the Super League to be suspended until an investigation into organized crime and Greek football is completed.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES: ESPN, THE GUARDIAN, THE SUN

Johnson, Former MLB Umpire, Dies at 65 KAILUA, Hawaii — Mark Johnson, one of the MLB umpires who lost his job in the failed resignation strategy of 1999, died Oct. 26, 2016.

He was 65.

A native of Louisville, Ky., Johnson worked his first AL game in 1979. During his 20-year career,

signal with their hands. If those people saw it, how come the refs didn’t?”

NFL Player Fined for Towel Throw

COURTESY OF MLB

Call it a $25,000 towel. That’s approximately the fine that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce received after throwing a towel, which had been stuffed in his pants, at the referee during a Nov. 6, 2016,

he was assigned to an AL Division Series, an AL Championship Series, the 1993 World Series, and two AllStar Games.

During a contentious labor issue in 1999, Johnson was one of the umpires who followed the advice of umpire union leader Richie Phillips and turned in his resignation.

Most of those umpires rescinded their resignations but only 19 were rehired. An arbitrator later ordered

game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kelce was upset with a pass interference no-call and his initial objections drew an initial unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Throwing the towel prompted a second flag, ejection and, later, the fine.

Kings Player Fined for Language to Officials

Kings forward Matt Barnes was fined $15,000 by the NBA on

nine others to be rehired.

Johnson was not one of those and he never worked in the majors again. He did receive severance pay as part of a contract settlement in 2004.

Johnson retired to Mt. Washington, Ky., before moving to Hawaii in 2011.

Survivors include his wife, Lilia, and son, Kyle.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCE: HONOLULU ADVERTISER

Nov. 3, 2016, for inappropriate language toward game officials following Sacramento’s overtime loss at Miami, 108-96, two days prior.

Referee Injured During NCAA Football Game

College football referee Ron Cherry left the Nov. 26, 2016, Notre Dame-USC game after accidentally receiving a hard hit from a USC player. Medical

personnel from both teams immediately rushed to his aid.

After spending a few moments on the ground, Cherry got up and left the field with help.

The longtime Atlantic Coast Conference official was taken to a nearby hospital where he was evaluated for a concussion. He was released later that same evening.

SOURCES: USA TODAY, FIVB, SPORTING NEWS, BLEACHER REPORT, FOX SPORTS, ESPN

REFEREE February 2017

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BASKETBALL

EDITOR: JUSTIN MARIEN

jmarien@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

NO SUBSTITUTE FOR AWARENESS

Knowledge Is Power With Every Substitution Horn

By Albert J. Battista

T

Coaches may be confused by abnormal substitution situations, such as a player attempting to return without time off the clock, or the coach may want a question answered about a recent ruling. Officials need to ensure the substitution procedure is timely and efficient. Do not become distracted by a coach. Work to have the substitution process started prior to engaging a coach. Bruce Moss, Alma, Mich.

RALPH ECHTINAW

here is more to know than just foul or violation. Commonly astute officials might have heard once to have an awareness to what type of offense and defense each team is using. All of which is good, but officials can go deeper with more knowledge about the game and how it changes every few minutes. Two of those deeper understandings are picking up on the personality of each game and the substitution patterns. Knowing each separates the good from the great.

Game personality. We know that individual games have their own personalities. There are conference rivalries, non-conference rivalries, blowout games, games where every possession matters, games that are very chippy, etc. Going into the game, it is helpful to have a sense of what personality the game may take beforehand. If not, you have to identify the game’s personality right away.

For example, Xavier and Cincinnati is an intense rivalry. The crosstown teams know each other, given the universities are within a few miles of each other. Often in these types of match-ups, the game will have started before it actually starts — social media can be used beforehand to stew emotions. In these games, officials need to be aware of dead-ball situations and an increased likelihood for unsporting behavior.

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Conversely, you may be involved in game that is going really well with everyone behaving very sportingly.

Then out of the blue someone gets a little excitable on the bench. In those cases it may not be beneficial to immediately issue a technical foul.

In either situation, officials need to know the personality of the game and be aware of the context of the game so they understand when something is out of character for the game. Lacking an understanding of the context of a game and adding fuel to a fire with a technical foul will not help the game. It wakes everyone up and can make the game more challenging for the crew.

Substitutions. As the game goes on, dig deeper to figure out why a substitute is coming in the game. Some reasons a substitute may be coming into the game include: to shoot threes, block shots, play defense, disrupt, give or take a foul, playing time, etc.

Every time a substitution occurs, ask yourself why. Sometimes it may be that the player is in foul trouble. Or it may be the team’s normal substitution pattern for that player to get a rest.

However, be aware of abnormal situations. When a starter leaves the game three minutes into the first quarter (or half) with no fouls, a red flag should go up in your mind.

Throughout the game, be aware of the normal substitution patterns of the teams. Awareness of patterns can allow a better understanding of what may be required of you and your coverage.

Know each team’s first player off the bench. Who is the team’s spark plug?

Who is the team’s post presence?

Some substitutions to look for: } First substitute into the game. } Player goes out for foul trouble. } Impact substitutions. } First substitute of second half. } Post player gets substituted with no foul trouble.

The team’s stats help to provide likely scenarios for who and what those players may be. Past experience with a team can also be helpful. In a pregame, discuss who has had the teams before and what they picked up from that previous experience. Who is the key scorer, the key defender, the key substitute, etc. Additionally, know the

makeup of the players’ personalities.

Is a certain player going to be someone who has a calm head and can be used as an ally or is a player going to be someone who has a hot head and may need more awareness?

Take a situation where a team quickly gets behind, 14-0, and the coach substitutes all five players. Be aware of the psychological makeup of the entire team following that type of substitution. The team may be upset and become increasingly frustrated.

No player enjoys being taken out of a game, especially after falling quickly behind. Further, the coach may take the team’s struggles out on the crew. Those are all important context situations for the crew to be aware of and to aid them in carrying out their duties.

A significant substitution situation that crews must pick up on is when a team substitutes out a post player who is not in foul trouble. The team may be trying to pick up the pace of the game, to start running or to start pressing.

Another possibility is the player is a team’s sixth player who is good enough to start but is used as a spark plug off the bench. That can be picked up when you have had a team before.

Others, like former North Carolina coach Dean Smith, played their entire bench in the first half. Coach Smith was believed to have done that to get meaningful experience out of players and to wear the other team down.

Be sure to monitor the beginning and end of the substitution process.

Not having the appropriate number of players on the court after a substitution can rear its ugly head for officials.

Each crewmember is wise to count the players before resuming play, whether that is a substitution, timeout, quarter break or halftime intermission.

Further, you must know the substitution rules. When a player is replaced, he or she cannot re-enter until the clock has legally started and time has gone off the clock. In order to correctly officiate, know who was subbing in and who the substitutes are.

There is more to awareness than properly judging fouls and violations.

Albert J. Battista, Washington D.C., is a longtime high school and college basketball official, an IAABO rules interpreter and an NBA observer. £

THEY SAID IT “If you take care of business and call the first foul, you do not have to worry about calling a second foul. Then it will be an adjustment to what players in the post will have to do. I would like to think that a double foul is going to be far less the default call than getting the first foul and cleaning it up. If we set better guidelines on what people can do in the post, offensively and defensively, I think it will help so players can understand what they can and cannot do. It was successful in the NBA from back in the ’80s when they applied the guidelines that are now in place. …

The players in the NBA clearly know what they can and cannot do.”

— Joe DeRosa, NCAA Division I men’s basketball official and former NBA official, discusses prior to the season the emphasis in college basketball for reduced physicality.

SOURCE: THE ROUNDBALL REFEREE

BY THE NUMBERS A few numbers regarding the experience of the 2016-17 NBA D-League’s roster of officials with the number in parenthesis signifying last year’s info.

268 (213)

Total years in NBA D-League

73 (64)

Total NBA D-League officials

3 (3)

10 (9)

average years of experience

years for official with longest duration in league

15 (11)

15 (17)

officials with seven-plus years of experience

24 (19)

officials with four to six years of experience

officials with three years or less of experience

19 (17)

rookie officials

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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. Solutions: p. 81.

1. Which is true of the foul for unsporting (NFHS) or unsportsmanlike (NCAA) behavior? a. It can be a personal foul. b. It must be a technical foul. c. It must be a flagrant foul. d. It must be an intentional foul.

Hot Spots

By Justin Marien

M

ost basketball games are played and officiated within the normal halfcourt setting. What exactly do you typically see in the

halfcourt? What can be expected and where? Follow along with the MechaniGram the most likely type of action in these hot spots to incorporate into your next pregame.

Your preparations will pay off. £

1 and 5 (corner)

2. During A1’s interrupted dribble, which of the following could occur? a. Granting a timeout request

by A2. b. A player-control foul by A1. c. A closely guarded count on A1. d. A team-control foul on A2.

In the corner areas of the floor, officials should be aware of jump shots and endline drives to the basket. This area is almost exclusively going to be covered by the trail in crews of two and the center in crews of three. In two-person mechanics, the lead will be responsible for the strongside corner.

In three-person mechanics, give the trail responsibility for the corner, and the lead should maintain peripheral awareness to assist or prepare to see the start of an endline drive.

3. Which of the following results in a violation? a. A1, while dribbling, touches A2, who is standing out of bounds. b. A1, while dribbling, touches B2, who is standing out of bounds. c. A1 is dribbling and the ball touches A2, who is standing out of bounds. d. A1’s pass to A2 rolls along the top edge of the backboard.

2 and 4 (low-post)

4. To which team and where is the throw-in that follows a double technical foul that occurs while team A has control of the ball? a. Team A at the point of interruption nearest the spot where the ball was located. b. Team A at the point of interruption nearest the spot of the double technical foul. c. To the team with the alternating-possession arrow nearest the spot where the ball was located. d. To the team with the alternating-possession arrow nearest the spot of the double technical foul.

5. Team A has just scored a field goal. As the ball is dropping to the floor, A2 bats the ball away toward the sideline opposite from where team B is preparing to begin the ensuing throw-in. That is the first time any player on team A has committed that type of action.

What should the officials do? a. Team A is assessed a technical foul. b. A2 is assessed a technical foul. c. A delay-of-game warning is assessed to A2. d. A delay-of-game warning is assessed to team A.

The closer the play is to the free-throw lane/play-at-the-ring area, the greater the likelihood of post-up action. The contact is generally judged by the lead official. Secondary responsibility for trail and center officials occurs with violations by the offensive player posting up. The closer the play is to the corners/areas 1 and 5, the higher the likelihood of plays similar to that of areas 1 and 5. The intersection of areas 1 and 5 with 2 and 4 is often referred to as the short corner. When play is in the opposite low-post area from the lead, the lead should position-adjust or rotate to get a good look at the play. Curl plays may begin in the low-post area and require awareness from secondary officials.

3 (play at the ring) Area 3 is the hardest area of the floor to officiate because of high volume/frequence of plays occurring, the close proximity of opponents and the greatest concentration of players. A high percentage of drives to the basket end here and it is at this point the play requires a decision from the officials. The majority of plays are finishes and plays at the ring. Many rules and judgments (i.e. verticality, legal guarding position, basket interference, etc.) occur here. Curl plays are also possible here.

Note: In games with a restricted area, crashes are pushed out closer to areas 8, 9 and 10.

6 and 11 (wing) The wing area is often an evaluation area for the offense as it works to read and react to the defensive team’s actions. Be aware of screening action occurring off ball to free up other actions. For example, a screen may be set prior to the ball entering the wing area to open up a good look at a jump shot.

Drives to the basket will often start in this area, requiring awareness of the secondary official (lead).

7 (top of the key) The top of the key is generally reserved for an area of intersection or shooting of open jump shots. Offensive teams try to avoid starting possession within this area. There can be a high frequency of screening action within the top-of-the-key area, both with on-ball and offball screens. Coverage is going to be gray at times in a crew of three depending on which official is overloaded with action — mostly falling on the trail to have on-ball action and the center official may be extending to assist with secondary action off ball.

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12 and 14 (high 28-foot perimeter)

Besides area 3, the elbow areas are the most difficult to officiate. Dribble-drives/penetrations and plays that go to the ring can start from these areas. High-low post plays occur there with multiple players involved. The difficulty mostly comes from the elbow areas being the greatest intersection of demand on multiple officials. Often the primary official can only see half of the player’s body and is responsible for a decision.

The elbow areas often demand coverage from all officials.

In early offense, as the offense crosses the division line, these areas can be presented as trapping areas. Defenses like to use the sideline and division line as extra defenders confining the offensive player’s space to get out of a trap successfully.

With play in the opposite area of the lead, position-adjustment should be at minimum at the closedown position, if not in a pinch-the-paint position. The lead should evaluate if a rotation (crew of three) puts the crew in a better position. Discussions are occurring about if it is best practice for a center official to initiate a rotation.

Peripheral vision is needed to watch for high-post players coming up to set screens.

9 (high-post/lane)

13 (no-man’s land) No-man’s land is generally an easy area of the court to officiate because teams try to avoid this area when pressured and at the beginning of an offensive possession. In light-pressure situations the ballhandler may begin the offense within the area and on-ball screens may be set to trigger an offensive set/play. All officials in crews of three need their antennas up so that there does not become two trails if and when the lead rotates.

12

13

14

6

7

11

8 2

3

10 4

5

VISITOR

1

9

X

SCORER & TIMER

The high-post/lane area is often the start of a team’s dribble drive to the basket. The area can have a high frequency of block/charge decisions as the action gets closer to area 3, especially when ballhandlers have no fear of creating contact.

Skilled offensive players will avoid the collision by stopping to pull up and execute a jump shot here. That stop-and-pop action quickly changes the coverage the primary official needs to have on the play. The higher the play is in area 9, the less likely the lead has a good look. Jump shots in this area often require coverage from the trail or center official. Area 9 becomes something of a wrestling match when defenses turn to zone coverage, especially in 2-3 or 1-3-1 zone defenses.

HOME

8 and 10 (elbow)

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CASEPLAYS Attempting to Avoid a Backcourt Violation Play: While in team A’s frontcourt, A1 makes an errant pass that is bouncing toward team A’s backcourt. A2 runs quickly and dives toward the ball. Before the ball reaches the backcourt, A2 kicks the ball back toward A1 who picks up the ball. Ruling: This is a violation and should be ruled on A2. A player may not intentionally kick the ball. Team B shall receive the ball for a throw-in nearest the point where A2’s illegal contact occurred (NFHS 4-29, 9-4; NCAA 9-6-1).

Enters Basket From Below Play: A5 is posted up on the block and moves a step toward the basket. A1 fires a pass to A5, but A5 is unable to control the pass and it is deflected upward toward the basket. The ball passes through the basket from below and falls back through the basket after having been completely above the basket. Ruling: A violation has occurred as a player shall not cause a ball to enter the basket from below, whether or not it was an intentional act. The ball should become dead immediately, no points shall be awarded and team B shall receive a designated-spot throw-in on the endline (NFHS 9-4, 9.4; NCAA Men 9-6, AR 200; NCAA Women 9-6, AR 214).

A Line-Force Decision D efenses commonly use boundary lines as an aid in coverage situations. Those lines can include sidelines, the division line and endlines. The defense’s goal is to turn the line into an extra defender. A few things to keep in mind: • Legal-guarding position. In order for players to have legalguarding position, they must be inbounds. White number one, therefore, does not have legalguarding position. Any significant contact by an opponent with white one is illegal contact on white one — a blocking foul.

• Gray area. In transition, these trap areas (both in the frontcourt and backcourt near the division line) can be extremely difficult to cover.

In a crew of three, any official may have the best look depending on the angle and position of the other crewmembers; the center must be

prepared to officiate sideline to sideline.

• Out-of-bounds violation. When play is this close to the sideline, an out-of-bounds violation is highly likely. With the play not in a normal frontcourt situation, the boundary line becomes a dual-coverage area and either the trail or lead official can rule the violation. With that, officials need to recognize these situations and have an understanding that a partner may also be sounding the whistle. Do not be too quick to signal a direction, thus avoiding conflicting signals.

• Backcourt decisions. With the division line in play, multiple factors can increase the difficulty and demand of the crew. In these situations, proximity to the play is not always helpful. Officials may want to be farther away but still with an angle to see all items at play. £

Backward Save Play: A1’s errant pass is heading toward the boundary line. A2 jumps from inbounds and, while airborne, catches and controls the ball to keep it from going out of bounds. A2 throws the ball to the floor inbounds.

Momentum causes A2 to land out of bounds. A2 returns to the court and recovers the ball by grabbing it and then dribbling. Ruling: A2’s recovery is legal. Since A1 caught the ball while airborne, no pivot had been established. When A2 threw the ball to the floor, returned inbounds after legally being out of bounds, and was the first to touch the ball, A2’s original throwing motion started a dribble. However, since A2 grabbed the ball prior to dribbling, a violation occurs upon the second dribbling act (NFHS 4-15-3, 4-44-3c; NCAA Men 4-13.2, 9-5.5.b, AR 196; NCAA Women 4-14.2, 9-5.5.b, AR 210).

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SUCCESS IS

Not a Second Chance

By Scott T. Doberstein

Y

BOB MESSINA

ou see it at every basketball game.

Both teams are at their benches and the officials are either conferring with each other or standing alone awaiting the end of a timeout. Then a horn sounds and things begin to happen again. Or do they? There often appears to be some confusion by officials, coaches and players on what should or should not happen after that first horn and the ensuing resumption of play.

For the sake of this article, all of the following refer to timeouts but many of these principles can be applied to other dead-ball periods (replacement of disqualified or injured player, etc.).

First, let’s define “warning horn.”

Both the NCAA and NFHS codes are similar in that a warning horn is signaled 15 seconds before expiration of a timeout, replacement of an injured or disqualified player, etc. That seems pretty simple, but is it? The rules in both codes continue to say that once the warning horn is signaled, “immediately players shall prepare to resume play … and play shall be resumed immediately upon the sounding of the second signal.” The latter portion of the rule is what most coaches do not fully understand and comply with, or some officials do not enforce.

The official should come to the huddle and both verbally announce, “First horn” and visibly show it with a vertical index finger. A good practice is to solicit the help of an assistant coach who will be more likely to get the huddle broken rather than you trying to get the attention of the head coach.

Before we leave the huddle, officials usually clap, yell and try to persuade the huddle to break as soon as possible.

Once you accomplish that, quickly leave the huddle and get to your next spot for the ensuing play. By getting to our spots, it sends a message to everyone that we are about to resume play at the second horn. Coaches are supposed to know what the horn means, and if we have done our job in notifying them of such, let’s lead by example and get ready for play.

The codes have some differences on how to handle a team(s) if they do not come out of the huddle, so this is where the resumption-of-play (ROP) procedure comes into effect. In NFHS, when a team is not ready to play after a timeout, the ROP procedure is in effect and play is resumed with the ball being either given to the throw-in team/freethrow shooter or placed on the floor at the throw-in spot or at the free-throw line. The procedure is done every time either team fails to be ready for the ROP. In NCAA Women’s, an ROP warning is issued on the first offense and noted in the scorebook before the ROP procedure can be utilized on subsequent timeouthuddle delays. In NCAA Men’s, following the warning on the initial delay, a Class B technical foul is charged to the head coach every time it occurs.

Obviously, these procedures are an advantage for one team and can cause a variety of violations after the ball is placed at the team’s disposal. However, using this tool, allowed by rule, usually works well for its intended purpose: getting the teams to resume play in a timely manner.

Another issue is what the officials do during timeouts. All codes are specific about where to stand depending on the timeout length. A problem exists when the mechanics are ignored. The official with the ball for the ROP should never leave that spot. That way everyone in the gym, including coaches, knows where the ball will be put in play. If the official(s) need to chat, do so at the ROP spot. Do not converse for the sake of something to do or because you might not want to stand alone. Only get together if important information needs to be shared or asked. Frequent and long gettogethers can be perceived in a negative light and must be kept to the necessary.

All codes give the mechanics/ procedures in how to end timeouts and resume play. When we consistently enforce the rules, the teams will be more apt to comply. If done correctly, there will be continuity after long, and at times awkward, dead-ball periods.

Scott T. Doberstein, La Crosse, Wis., is a women’s Division II and III college official. £

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G M

BY PETER JACKEL

18 | REFEREE Febuary 2017

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MAN GEDIMINAS PETRAITIS’ NAME MAY BE DIFFICULT TO PRONOUNCE, BUT HIS TALENT AS AN NBA REFEREE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

t

he 5-year-old boy gazed at his new Lego building blocks, a gift from his mom and dad from across the Atlantic Ocean in Rockville, Md., and conceptualized a unique creation. Just as his physician parents, Vidmantas Petraitis and Ruta Petraitiene, saw possibilities by relocating to the U.S. a year earlier, little Gediminas Petraitis saw possibilities with his prized Legos back home in Kaunas, Lithuania. He was going to construct himself a helmet — more than two decades later exactly what type of helmet he had in mind escapes him — not realizing that solving a Rubik’s Cube in the dark was more realistic than what he was envisioning.

“A helmet is round and it’s really hard to make something round from blocks,” Ruta said. “He tried to make

the helmet from blocks. That’s what his grandma was telling me. And then he would try again and he would try again. It was funny, but I think it shows also that he was very persistent on achieving because he was a little boy who wanted to have a helmet out of Lego blocks.”

There must be something to that persistence in Gediminas’ DNA. Because just 20 years later, at the age of 25, he was starting to make a hell of a lot of himself as a non-staff NBA official. One year later, a kid who used to awaken at 4 a.m. back in his basketballcrazed homeland to watch an aging Michael Jordan tap into his diminishing supply of magic during the NBA Finals, was a regular and more than holding his own among the likes of Joe Crawford, Monty McCutchen and Violet Palmer. OK, so he once project-

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G-MAN

VIRTUALLY EVERYONE HE KNOWS REFERS TO HIM SIMPLY AS, “G,” OR, “G-MAN,” RATHER THAN TRYING TO PRONOUNCE HIS NAME.

ed such a passive persona on the court during his ascent to the top that NBA official Scott Foster used to kiddingly refer to him as, “Surfer Boy.” Virtually everyone he knows refers to him simply as, “G,” or, “G-man,” rather than trying to pronounce his name. Beneath that placid exterior is a driven young man who progressed from middle school girls’ basketball to LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant with a Usain Bolt-like burst out of the blocks within a half-dozen years.

“There are two very distinct sides of his personality,” said Matt Shoe, a friend since 1998.

“First, he is one of the most disciplined and committed people I have ever met. On the other hand, he is one of the most funloving and goofy people I have ever met.”

Yes, the guy can be goofy.

Like when he started rowing his bride, Juste, to their wedding in a rowboat at Trakai, Lithuania, on Aug. 6, 2016, minutes before threatening clouds opened into rain showers. Her laughter at the sheer lunacy of it all gradually eroded Gediminas’ exasperation until he was laughing with her in the rain. By the way, that was after their boat was stuck on shore and didn’t become dislodged until their wedding photographer set them afloat with a little shove. We’re also talking

about someone who has an endless supply of ready quips, who has dabbled with the accordion and who long ago perfected his cha-cha step as an accomplished ballroom dancer. And then there was the evening in 2015 when Gediminas gleefully jumped on Juste’s bed, just after he had taken a call informing him that he was being hired as a staff official in the NBA. But the driven side of Petraitis emerges once he walks onto an NBA floor with a whistle around his neck.

“From a technical point of view, he’s always looking to improve,” said Mike Millione, who officiated high school basketball games with Petraitis in Maryland. “Ever since we started doing this, he’s somebody who watches a lot of tape and is very critical of himself. He’ll send me plays and he’ll ask my opinion of things. He was at a preseason game in New York two seasons ago — it was the Wizards against

the Knicks — and at the end of the game, he had a very impactful call on the game. After the game, we went out to dinner. We watched the play multiple times. It was a preseason game and it really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but that’s how seriously he takes what he does. He wants to get the play right and he’s willing to dissect all the different aspects of the play.”

When it comes to Petraitis‘ potential, those who have worked with him will submit that not only is anything possible, it’s probably inevitable.

“He will be an NBA top official and, I’m sure, a crew chief some day,” said Joe Marosy, Petraitis’ former high school assigner in Maryland. “His next goal is to become a crew chief in the NBA and I see nothing stopping him.”

Al Battista, eastern regional scout for officials with the NBA, takes it a step further. “I think he could be the best official in the world. That’s just my opinion,” Battista said. “I think ‘G’ will someday be there.”

It’s G-Man’s persistence that leads Bob Delaney, the NBA’s director of officials, to believe Petraitis has unlimited potential as an official.

“Gediminas, like all officials, obviously has very good officiating skills and that’s the reason he is at the highest level of basket-

Gediminas transported Juste to their wedding ceremony in a rowboat.

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Left: Gediminas and his sister, Egle Petraityte, posed with his parents during his wedding in Trakai, Lithuania on Aug. 6, 2016.

Right: Early in his career, Gediminas officiated games with his father.

ball,” Delaney said. “I tell each referee the same thing: There are no finish lines and no shortcuts.

Discipline and hard work are the core of every elite team and that is the expectation for each NBA referee. I am confident ‘G’ will meet the challenge for years to come.”

The winds of change were at a gale force in Lithuania, located on the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea in Eastern Europe, in the early 1990s. The USSR was crumbling. On March 11, 1990, one year before the USSR officially passed into history, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to declare itself independent from what had been an oppressive bloc.

“In Eastern Europe, everything was under the Soviet regime for so long that once it broke apart from the Soviet regime, it took time for the economy to grow and for the country to develop,” Petraitis said.

“When I grew up there, you had limited opportunities for a lot of stuff because it was such a small country and the market for anything was non-existent.”

Through that change, Vidmantas and Ruta, both respected physicians in their homeland, did their best to raise their daughter and son with an income of about $80 a month.

They rented a tiny upstairs apart-

ment from a woman in her late ’80s in a picturesque area surrounded by green fields and farms.

“He used to tell everyone he was going to be in the NBA one day,” said his sister, Egle Petraityte. “Whenever someone would ask him what he was going to be when he grew up, he would just respond with, ‘NBA.’ Everyone thought it was very cute, of course, since he was so little and that dream seemed like light years away from becoming

around. “I always had to break that up because he wouldn’t give up and I hated those boys’ games,” Egle said. “He was my baby brother and I was protective.”

How could anyone blame Gediminas at a time when genuine dreams started to take flight in his newly liberated land?

Basketball was his passion.

Fellow countryman Arvydas Sabonis, a six-time Euroscar Player of the Year who was then starring with the Portland Trail Blazers, was a dangling carrot of supreme achievement that convinced countless boys in Lithuania that anything was possible.

In 1998, he DELANEY would relocate permanently to the U.S. after he and Egle mostly lived with their maternal grandparents in Ukmerge the previous four years. But the NBA Finals were a spectacle he wouldn’t think about missing.

“I used to wake up watching the NBA Finals between the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls,” Gediminas said. “My grandfather would wake me up at 4 or 5 a.m. to try to catch the game. ” When Gediminas and his sister were finally reunited permanently with their parents in 1998, he was a sharp-shooting guard just starting to learn English.

Petraitis went on to play for Montrose Christian High

“I AM CONFIDENT ‘G’ WILL MEET THE CHALLENGE FOR YEARS TO COME.” – BOB reality.”

It was that mindset that helped instill within little Gediminas his mojo. He was a little boy who once refused to return from a lake with his grandfather until Gediminas caught his first fish, a commitment that took most of the day. There were the word games started by his grandmother, a teacher, in the car during long trips that Gediminas insisted on taking to the limit.

“He wouldn’t stop until everyone else was tired of it,” Egle said. And he threw himself into neighborhood wrestling tournaments even when he was still one of the scrawniest kids

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G-MAN

School in Rockville as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Northwest High School after his parents relocated to Germantown, Md. As time passed, it became apparent that Petraitis didn’t have much more to offer as a basketball player than a reliable outside shot.

Vidmantas had started officiating in Maryland and continues to work at the college level. He saw officiating as a way for his son to earn some money while Gediminas was attending the University of Maryland (where he made the Dean’s list and graduated with a degree in accounting and finance in 2011).

“His understanding of basketball in general was very high,” Vidmantas said. “So I think it was good for him to try that field. I think his development itself is something that is very interesting. We worked multiple games together and when you went on the court with him in the very beginning, you worried about him not making mistakes.

Later, you worked with him and now you’re getting to the point where you don’t worry about him because he’ll take care of himself. And then you get to the next step where you don’t worry because now he’ll take care of you.”

As much of a natural as Petraitis was, he endured the

Petraitis had his career breakthrough into the NBA in 2014.

“It’s very uncommon to move up that quickly,” Petraitis said.

But those who worked with him insist he earned everything along the way. Even if it sometimes took a little time to truly appreciate his immense gifts.

“When I first met him after he was in the D-League for a little while, I wasn’t sure that he could talk,” said George Toliver, the director of D-League officials.

“He was so quiet and anything he said he sounded like E.F. Hutton.

When ‘G-Man’ speaks, there’s going to be something significant that comes out of his mouth because he’s just such a quiet guy.

“The one thing I discovered from observing him early in the D-League is that he had a manner that was unflappable,” Toliver said. “His composure was so good that any time he was engaged in conversation with a coach during a heated moment, only the coach was heated during that time. And, generally, whenever ‘G-Man’ said whatever he said, everything seemed to calm down.”

It’s a demeanor that initially fooled Brooks. “He was too laid back for my tastes,” Brooks said.

“I used to always tease him (at officiating camps) and say,

same growing pains anyone else in his field experienced.

He attended Crawford’s officiating camp in Philadelphia in 2010, trying to make an impression on the likes of Steve Javie, Mike Callahan, Ed Malloy and Mark Lindsay even though his experience at that time consisted of about 20 middle school girls’ games. There was the time Lindsay politely reminded

PETRAITIS WANTED IT AND HE WENT OUT AND GRABBED EVERY OPPORTUNITY. Petraitis, who was officiating in a three-person crew for the first time, to blow his whistle to call a foul.

“It’s humbling when you think about that to realize how far you’ve come,” Petraitis said. “I went back to the camp for three years and it was an extremely important part of my development.”

Petraitis wanted it and he went out and grabbed every opportunity. His ascension through the ranks took him from high schools in the IAABO Board 12 to junior college in 2011 to the NBA D-League and the NCAA Division III level in 2012. Then it was Division II and Division I. He worked for Joe Forte in the Big South Conference before

Petraitis’ ascension through the ranks took him from IAABO Board 12 to junior college, NBA D-League, various levels in college and finally the NBA.

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‘What’s going on, Surfer Boy?’ and I didn’t think somebody who didn’t have that intensity could be as good as he’s become. I just have never met anybody who could be as successful at this job and have that air about him.”

One reason is that Petraitis burns to improve, even if his demeanor suggests otherwise.

Criticism? Go ahead and lay it on Petraitis, because not only can he take it, he welcomes it.

“He knows what he wants to get done and he goes about it in a professional manner and in a calm manner,” Forte said.

“He doesn’t brag about any of it.

He just does it. The other good thing about him is he’s really good with accepting criticism.

He welcomes it and appreciates it. And that’s why he’s grown to be a really good referee.”

NBA official Aaron Smith, who roomed with Petraitis in

Charlotte, N.C., during the winter of 2013-14, while both were working in the Big South, remembers Petraitis well.

“It was something we were both working for and sacrificing for,” Smith said. “Just going down there and going through the two-, three-, four-hour car rides getting to games, it was very clear from the work I saw him put in that this is what he wanted to do.”

It gets even better than that for Petraitis. On Dec. 23, 2015, he took time out from his full schedule of NBA games to attend a ceremony in Baltimore that represented one of the most meaningful days of his life. With his family proudly watching, Petraitis was naturalized as a U.S. citizen along with 70 other people. Among those looking on was Delaney, who saw “G” selected as the leader of the group becoming U.S. citizens.

That role including Petraitis reading the Pledge of Allegiance as Vidmantas proudly snapped photographs. “‘G’ was selected probably because he was a well-dressed, good-looking guy who had a presence when he walked into the room,” Delaney said. “It was the kind of presence that referees need when they walk out on the floor — well-groomed, serious yet approachable, confident yet not arrogant. ‘G’ displayed all those qualities when he walked into the room and people organizing it saw it and selected him. I headed to the airport thinking, ‘How cool was that? I just witnessed an NBA referee become a U.S. citizen and he was selected to lead his group of U.S. citizens.’”

Petraitis had arrived. And in grand fashion, as usual.

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

T I M COM

R U O TO Y

S C I N A H C ME Improving your mechanics is the fastest way to improve your overall performance. store.referee.com/baseball

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Pages: 208 Price: $19.95 NASO Price: $15.95

or call 800-733-6100 REFEREE February 2017

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BASEBALL

EDITORS: BRENT KILLACKEY

bkillackey@referee.com

CHRIS SZOLYGA

cszolyga@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Lauro Bond of El Paso, Texas., takes a step and pivots to get a good angle on the pickoff play at first base.

PICK UP THE PICKOFF

By Mike Droll

“T

hat umpire’s always on the ball. Never gets fooled.

Head’s always in the game.” Are these some of the overheard phrases used in labeling you as an umpire?

Most umpires would love to hear themselves described in such fashion.

One way to develop that kind of reputation is to always be prepared for pickoff plays on the bases. I have learned three important standards that tend to guide my thinking in those situations.

Anticipate the play, not the call.

That is great advice for umpires to keep in mind for any play in baseball.

However, pickoff plays manifest the

importance of the principle better than most situations. Pitchers with good pickoff moves can really catch a baserunner off guard. Our job is to make sure that it doesn’t do the same thing to us. When the runner gets fooled, he will often look like a “dead duck” leaning the wrong way when the pickoff attempt begins. However, the throw still has to be made and the tag applied for an out to occur. Don’t decide until the entire play has been completed. Great timing is necessary to get the call right.

The fielder may drop the ball after attempting to apply the tag. No umpire wants to make the infamous double call of “Out! No, safe!” Good baserunners can avoid what might

look like an obvious out with a great dive or slide back into the bag.

Additionally, the quality of the throw from the pitcher will have a lot to do with how close the play is; even if it appears initially that the runner will be easily out. Another important reason for slowing down to see the entire play is the possibility that the fielder may obstruct the runner attempting to return to the bag. That is a more common occurrence at first base, but it can occur at any base.

A bad throw from the pitcher may require a read-step to get you the proper angle to see the end of the play.

In anticipating the play, never turn your back on the ball. A quick

VICTOR CALZADA

How to Get the Right View to Get the Call Right

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pickoff move from a pitcher may not always be followed by a throw to the base you are expecting. With multiple runners on, the quick inside-spin move toward second base may not be designed to get the runner at second.

If you turn your head to see the play you are expecting at second, you may be too late to see the pitcher’s throw to a different base trying to catch another runner off guard. The “31” move (legal in NCAA and NFHS), involving a fake to third followed by a quick spin and pickoff throw to first, will also require your eyes to stay with the ball.

Proper positioning is crucial.

That is another guideline that proves true for any call. However, base umpires can really avoid being caught off guard by pickoff plays if they start out in the right position. In three- and four-umpire systems, with a runner at first base an umpire will always be in position A. That umpire needs to be in foul territory straight up the first-base line 6 to 10 feet from the first-base bag.

A better guide for positioning than estimating your distance from the bag is to find the place on the line where you can see the pitcher through the space between the runner and the first baseman. I like to place the toe of my inside foot tangent to the foul line with my body slightly angled toward the pitcher’s mound.

In the two-umpire system, you will be making pickoff calls from position B or C, depending on the location of runners. It is critical to make sure that you are not too deep in those two positions, especially for pickoff plays at first. It is very difficult to see a tag placed on a runner diving back into first base when you are looking straight up his backside. Base umpires in the two-umpire system need to be good at quick pivots and read steps when pickoff plays occur. However, positioning your body at a slight angle toward the possible pickoff play at first will help in this regard.

Those situations call for acceptance of the philosophy that good angles are more important than close proximity in making the right call.

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When a pickoff attempt occurs, it is always a good idea for partners to take a look at the play through its completion. In recent years, “getting the call right” has required umpires to provide missing information to their partners when it is necessary.

A pickoff attempt is a very viable situation for application of that rule.

If the ball comes out of the glove of the fielder or a hand slips off the bag unbeknownst to the calling official, partners need to be able to provide that information. That could be picked up as easily by the plate umpire as by other base umpires, especially at first base. If you are fortunate enough to have a three- or four-umpire crew, your partners on the bases should always keep their eyes on your play when they can.

Don’t miss the balk. One of the really tough situations to deal with as a base umpire is catching a balk that is followed immediately by a tight pickoff attempt. Base umpires need to be able to focus their attention on the pitcher’s actions just prior to his attempted pickoff throw. If no balk occurs, the attention now must shift immediately to the play at the base.

High school umpires have a little easier time of it as NFHS rules dictate that a balk causes the ball to become immediately dead. That allows high school umpires to focus intently on the potential balk situation, and kill the ball immediately when it happens.

However, at the NCAA level, a balk that is followed by a pickoff play is a delayed-dead ball. The balk will only be enforced if all runners fail to advance one base, or if all runners advance on a wild pickoff throw; and only after all playing action has ceased. That allows the runners to attempt to advance more than one base on the wild throw, if possible.

Remember that the runner(s) will be attempting that additional base at risk of being thrown out regardless of the balk call.

In three- and four-umpire systems, the left-handed pitcher’s move to first base and the ruling of the 45-degree angle used to be shared responsibility of the plate umpire and U1. With a highly skilled pitcher on

QUICKTIP When a ball goes into the air on a high pop up in the middle of the infield, look out, but don’t look up. The fielders will ultimately take you to the ball, and it’s more important that you look out for them — yielding the way if necessary — rather than you looking up to find the ball. The only time an umpire should look up is during an infield fly situation with a momentary glance to confirm an infielder can make the play with ordinary effort.

DID YOU KNOW? Under MLB rules, for purposes of making a tag, the hanging laces don’t count as part of the glove. The rule language, added for the 2016 season, was needed because of things the human eye couldn’t see in real time, but were now being spotted thanks to high definition replay images.

SIDELINE The Eighth Umpire MLB named a seven-person crew to umpire the World Series, but there was actually an eighth umpire involved. Umpire Todd Tichenor (pictured below) served as an assistant replay official, remaining in the replay room in Chelsea, N.Y., throughout the series. Having two officials in the replay room was part of the recent labor agreement between the umpires and MLB. The umpires who worked onfield and rotated into the replay room were (in order of plate appearances during the seven-game series): Larry Vanover, Chris Guccione, John Hirschbeck, Marvin Hudson, Tony Randazzo, Joe West and Sam Holbrook.

SOURCE: THE GARDEN CITY TELEGRAM

12/15/16 2:30 PM

BASEBALL

In each of the following you are given a situation and at least two possible answers. You are to decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA or pro rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.

1. Which of the following result in a dead ball? a. A thrown ball hits loose equipment near a dugout. b. A fielder tosses his glove at a thrown ball but misses it. c. A thrown ball hits an umpire in fair territory. d. A thrown ball hits an umpire in foul territory. e. A thrown ball hits a runner. f. None of the above.

2. With R2 on second, the catcher tries to return the ball to the pitcher after a pitch, but F2 bumps the plate umpire and the ball sails over F1’s head. R2 breaks for third but is thrown out on a close play. a. R2 is returned to second. b. The out stands.

3. With R1 on first, R3 on third and one out, R1 is stealing when B1 grounds to the shortstop.

F6 throws home and retires R3, but F2 is contacted by R3 (not maliciously). When F2 regains his feet, he sees R1 headed for third; the play at third is close but R1 is out. BU then announces F4 obstructed R1 between first and second. a. R1 is awarded home. b. R1 is awarded third. c. R1 is returned to second. d. The out is canceled. e. The play stands because the obstruction had no effect on the play.

4. With R2 on second and no one out, F5 plays in, expecting a bunt. B1 swings away and the ball deflects off F5’s glove, remains in the air, and floats toward third where F6 is coming to cover the bag. Just as F6 is about to grab the ball, it hits R2 and drops to the ground uncaught. Both R2 and B1 are safe. The umpire judges that R2 did not deliberately interfere with the batted ball. a. The ball remains live. b. The ball is immediately dead. c. Only B1 is out. d. Only R2 is out. e. Both B1 and R2 are out. f. The play stands.

the mound, that could be really tough on U1 to focus on both the step and the pickoff play. In recent years, the CCA manual was changed so that U1 no longer has responsibility for that call. In three- and four-umpire systems with an umpire in position A and a runner at first, that task now

belongs solely to HP. That gives U1 the ability to focus on the possible close pickoff play at first that may come from a great move from the lefthanded pitcher.

Mike Droll, Coralville, Iowa, has umpired for more than 20 years and works in the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences. *

NFHS Clarifies 2017 POE O

n Nov. 3, 2016, the NFHS issued a clarification to the 2017 point of emphasis, “Umpire Asking Assistance From His Partner.”

As has been the longstanding practice at every level of baseball, the umpire who asks for help — whoever that may be — should make the final call, the NFHS said.

The POE outlines that sometimes during the course of a game, the head coach may request that a calling umpire get help from his or her partner on a particular call or situation. Commonly, that occurs on a checked swing, but it also can happen on a pulled foot or swipe tag at first.

If the umpire feels he or she has all the necessary information, he or she does not have to ask for

help from a partner. But if he or she feels his or her view or perspective did not provide all the necessarily information, he or she should get together with the other umpire(s).

After conferring, the calling umpire will make the final call.

For example, if the base umpire confers with a partner about a potential pulled foot on a force play at first, the base umpire would ultimately make the final call.

The language within the point of emphasis created some confusion over who had final determination for calls. The NFHS said it did not intend to imply the plate umpire would serve as the final determination point in every case. A plate umpire reference was meant as an example. *

Anthony Maynor from Pembroke, N.C., gets together with Jeremy Hall of Fayetteville, N.C., to discuss a play during a game. The NFHS issued a clarification to a 2017 POE regarding umpires asking assistance from a partner.

KEN KASSENS

TEST YOURSELF

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Much Ado About Working With F2

By Bill Madden

W

University. “Sometimes I even asked umpires in the beginning of the game what I could do to help them see pitches because I wasn’t aware of their favorite lines of sight.”

Flaherty cited veteran MLB umpire Jim Joyce as the role model for how umpires should work with catchers.

“When I think of the top plate umpires in the major leagues, Jim Joyce comes immediately to mind,” Flaherty said. “Jim always told me that he would work around me wherever I set up. I had a lot of great conversations with him back there. If I thought he missed a pitch, I’d ask him about the location and he would respond. ‘If you liked it, I will take a longer look at it next time.’ That is the ideal working relationship between a catcher and an umpire.”

KEN KASSENS

hen it comes to the subject of umpires and catchers working together on the field, a veteran Division I umpire and a 14-year MLB catcher agree on the most important factor — communication.

In the craft of baseball officiating, there is nothing more critical than learning how to deliver consistent performances behind the plate. An important skill in working the plate is negotiating the area immediately behind the catcher to achieve the best positions to judge pitches. The first step, according to the experts, is establishing a rapport with the catchers of both teams.

“During first-inning warmups, I always talk to my catchers and get on a first-name basis with them,” said

Greg Kubis, who has worked the A-10, Big East, Big Ten, Patriot, Ivy and Metro Atlantic Athletic conferences during his 20-year umpiring career and was also a college catcher during his playing days. “I want to establish a working relationship with him. Most of the better college programs have their catchers talking to me on a firstname basis. It is a very professional atmosphere.”

John Flaherty, who played with the Red Sox, Tigers, Padres, Rays and Yankees from 1992 to 2005 before joining the New York Yankees broadcast team in 2006, agreed wholeheartedly.

“My goal in every game was to start a dialogue with the plate umpire during warmups in the first inning,” said Flaherty, who also played three years at George Washington

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BASEBALL

CASEPLAYS Hop, Skip and Jump Play: B1 hits a high pop foul.

F3 hops over the short fence into the dugout and catches the ball. Ruling: No catch, F3 was in dead-ball territory when he touched the ball (NFHS 2-9-1, 2.9.1C Cmt.; NCAA 2-16e; pro Catch Definition).

Foul Fielder Play: F1, from the rubber, attempts to pick off R1 but his throw goes over the fence.

Before the throw, F3 had moved onto foul ground. Ruling: NFHS: The play stands; R1 is awarded one base. Fielders are required to be in fair territory only at the time of the pitch. NCAA: The play stands and would be nullified only if the defense benefits. Pro: The play stands, but the umpires should not have allowed play to continue with F3 in foul territory (NFHS 1-14, 1.1.4; NCAA 5-4c Pen.; pro 5.02c, PBUC 3.16).

Batter Interferes Play: With R1 on first attempting to steal on an 0-1 count and one out, B1 swings and misses and interferes with F2’s attempt to throw out R1.

R1 is initially safe at second, but overslides and is tagged out. Ruling: In all codes, the interference is ignored because the catcher’s initial throw retired the runner. R1 is out and B1 remains at bat with an 0-2 count (NFHS 7-3-5 Pen., 7.3.5B, 8.4.2K; NCAA 7-11f Exc. 2; pro 6.03a3, PBUC 7.10).

Steve Baker of New Castle Ind., gets his view of the zone blocked by a catcher who stood up at the last moment. If umpires establish a good working relationship with a catcher, surprises can sometimes be avoided and the job of calling balls and strikes can be smoother and easier.

To work effectively with catchers, Kubis believes it is important for umpires to recognize the techniques of the best catchers.

“The best catchers work low and ‘receive’ the ball versus ‘catch’ the ball,” said Kubis, who is a highly respected umpire clinician in New York. “There is a very big difference between catching the ball and receiving it. The inexperienced catchers stab at the ball and pull pitches into the strike zone. The quality catchers hold their targets and physically pull the pitch into their mitts.”

In the ideal situation, umpires set up in the slot position, which Kubis defines as between the inside left shoulder of the catcher (for righthanded batters) and the batter with the umpire’s chin at the top of the catcher’s helmet. “Our number one priority is always to set up in the slot because it allows you to see pitches east and west as well as north and south,” Kubis said.

After catching in more than 1,000

big league games, Flaherty said his mechanics were fashioned in a way to help the plate umpires see pitches.

“My routine was to give my sign to the pitcher and get into my stance earlier rather than later so the umpire could get locked in,” Flaherty said.

“The last thing that I wanted to do was to move my glove or body at the last second. I always felt that the better umpires were right on top of me and sometimes they even apologized for bumping me a little.

The physical contact with the umpire bothered some catchers but it never bothered me. On the other hand, I felt the umpires who were weren’t good on balls and strikes were set up more distant from me.”

In fact, Flaherty and his pitchers often built their game plans around the strike zones of plate umpires.

“When I was with the San Diego Padres, I remember Bob Tewksbury telling me that he wanted to know the umpire’s strike zone on the outside corner by the third pitch of the game,” Flaherty said. “So we’d throw the first

JIM WHITE

Illegal Glove Play: With R3 on third and one out, F9 makes a catch of a fair ball while wearing a glove with dimensions in excess of the legal limit. R3 tags and scores. The offense appeals properly, and the umpire agrees the glove is illegal. Ruling: The glove must be removed. NFHS: B1 is awarded third and the run scores. NCAA: The offensive coach may take the play (one out, one run in), or have the runner returned to third and the pitch replayed. Pro: The play stands (NFHS 1-5-7, 5-1-2g, 8-3-3b; NCAA 1-13c Pen. 2, NCAA 6-1c; pro 3.07c, Interp.).

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work. I work a little deeper and stand a little higher.”

• Crowding the inside corner: “When the catcher moves very far inside, then you need to set up over his head to be able to see the east-west pitches.” Just be careful; you increase your risk of getting hit by foul balls the more you get out of the slot.

Based on Kubis’ experience, recreational and high school coaches are generally amenable to suggestions from umpires about how catchers can improve their mechanics in receiving pitches.

“I think it is our responsibility to know how the catchers operate at all levels, especially with younger players,” Kubis said. “I often talk to youth and high school coaches about their catchers and they are very open to advice. Why shouldn’t they be? It is in their best interest for the catchers to improve and for their teams to get more strikes.”

No matter how much the catcher moves around at any level of baseball, players, coaches and fans are expecting consistent plate work from the umpires. They could not care less about what the catcher is doing.

Consequently, the burden rests with the umpire to develop strategies to overcome all potential obstacles.

“Everybody on the field and in the stands is expecting consistency from us,” Kubis said. “We need to maintain the same strike zone with good positioning, timing and temperament.

It is about making adjustments throughout the game to get the proper looks, and I think it makes our job much easier if we establish a line of communication with the catcher, who can also give the right answers to the coach when he asks questions about the strike zone in the dugout.”

Bill Madden, Stony Point, N.Y., is a high school baseball umpire and a former sports editor of a daily newspaper. *

JIM WHITE

few pitches on the outside corner to see how far the umpire would give us that game. Generally, umpires give more on the outside corner than the inside corner.”

But the ideal situations can be rare, especially in recreational and high school play. In the lower levels, catchers can make the job of plate umpires very difficult by not catching pitches and using poor mechanics.

“I tell all of our new umpires that the first issue that needs to be addressed is their personal safety behind the plate,” Kubis said. “I urge them to spend as much money as they can on their chest protector and facemask because the young catchers are inexperienced and do not protect you.”

Kubis offered specific advice for the two most common mistakes by inexperienced catchers: • Frequently moving from side to side: “I give them a lot of room to

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BASEBALL

No Runners on Base, Overthrow at First A

n overthrow at first base with only the batter-runner to worry about means both the plate umpire and base umpire will be on the move during much of the playing action.

With no runners on, when the ball is hit in the infield, the base umpire will move from the A position into a position to initially call the play at first — moving to obtain a 90-degree angle on the throw. But when that throw breaks down and the ball gets by the first baseman, the base umpire will ideally move into the infield ahead of the runner. However, if the runner makes a quick turn, it might not be possible to move inside the diamond

without first allowing the runner to pass.

U1 will have responsibility for the runner going to second base — or even third base depending on how playing action transpires.

The plate umpire will move up the line to initially be available to provide help on a pulled foot or swipe tag. On the overthrow, the plate umpire will have responsibility for ruling on the ball entering deadball territory. If necessary, the plate umpire can move into foul territory to observe where the ball goes on an overthrow.

In the event of continued throws in the infield and attempts by the

U1

U1

BR

OVERTHROW U1

GROUND BALL

BR

runner to advance, the plate umpire will have responsibility for any plays at the plate. *

Out of Line 1

3

In all codes, if a batter hits the ball — fair or foul — while his foot is on the ground entirely outside the batter’s box, the ball is dead and the batter is out. If any part of the batter’s foot is still on the batter’s box lines (even if it’s just a tiny part of the batter’s heel), he is still considered in the box. Also, if the batter makes contact with the ball while the foot is in the air and then it lands completely outside the batter’s box, there is no infraction — the foot must be on the ground at the time of contact with the ball for a violation.

2

The same rules as in No. 1 apply to the batter’s foot closest to home plate. However, in NFHS and NCAA rules, there is an additional wrinkle. If any part of the batter’s foot is touching home plate at the moment he makes contact with the ball, the ball is dead and the batter is out. In pro, stepping on home plate when hitting the ball does not trigger a violation — only if the entire foot is out of the box. Depending on how the batter steps, it’s possible to have part of the foot on the batter’s box lines and part of the foot touching home plate.

What if the batter makes contact with the ball with a foot entirely outside the batter’s box and a foul tip occurs? In all codes, the ball is dead and the batter is out (NFHS 7-3-2; NCAA 7-8; pro 6.03a1, Wendelstedt interp.).

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DALE GARVEY

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SOFTBALL

EDITOR: TODD KORTH

tkorth@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Plate umpire Steve Steiner of New Holstein, Wis., points to the first-base umpire for help on a checked-swing appeal request.

CHECK, PLEASE

By Jay Miner

I

gained invaluable experiences during a long career umpiring softball and baseball at all levels and refereeing basketball. I’ve been a rules interpreter-instructor, assigner, executive board member, liaison, adviser, consultant and writer-historian-editor for nearly as long. Early in my career I was fortunate to have brilliant Hall of Fame instructors.

Of all the rules that I have encountered over the years, shockingly, only NCAA rule 11.12.5

seriously addresses batter checkedswing situations after a ball call by the plate umpire. Other codes, at one place or another, say the plate umpire should or may request help on a possible swing after a ball call.

Yet no solid, mandatory guidelines or definite procedures to follow are presented. That can result in some chaotic situations arising on checked swings.

With today’s high-speed risers, change-ups, drop balls and breaking ball assortments, along with the arm and wrist strength of batters, checked-swing rules should be

better addressed in rulebooks.

Here is my suggested wording for a true and binding rulebook procedure: “Checked Swing: If the plate umpire calls a pitch a ball and the catcher requests help, the plate umpire will ask for help from the base umpire. The base umpire will respond with, ‘Yes, that’s a swing’ (or other similar wording), while signaling a strike, or call, ‘No swing’ (or other similar wording) while extending their arms horizontally in a safe signal.”

Base umpire mechanics. I have seen too many softball base umpires

REFEREE

Holes Need to Be Filled in Checked-Swing Appeal Process

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not do well while responding correctly on checked-swing appeals.

That may be because of a lack of experience, not being prepared and not focusing in the right area.

Most base umpires incorrectly track pitches all the way to the catcher’s glove though they will never have to call a pitch unless it is a checked swing.

To rule correctly on checked swings from the bases, the base umpire must track the pitch with his or her eyes to 25 feet from the plate and then use the flash technique.

With that technique the umpire will flash their eyes to the end of the barrel of the batter’s bat while maintaining peripheral vision with the ball. Once mastered, the flash technique is like riding a bike.

You will have the necessary skills and you will consistently provide accurate information on checked swings by simply focusing in the right area.

Voluntary strike mechanic.

Normally, the base umpire will withhold his checked-swing decision until the plate umpire formally requests help. Gone are the days of secret checked-swing signals between umpires. No more belt grabbing to show a swing or automatically agreeing with your partner’s call.

However, new mechanics are greatly needed for when a batter is legally entitled to run to first on a dropped third strike that the plate umpire calls a ball when the base umpire has a swing for strike three. A batter is entitled to run for first base on a dropped third strike anytime when first base is unoccupied or when first base is occupied with two outs.

To avoid any chaos, both teams need to know the final status of the pitch immediately as explained in plays 1 and 2. Play 3 explains when the base umpire withholds his or her checked-swing decision until asked for help by the plate umpire.

Play 1: R1 occupies first base as right-handed batter B1 bats with two outs and a 1-2 count. On a pitch at the knees near the outside

corner, B1 checks her swing and the plate umpire calls “ball” as F2 drops the ball. The base umpire has B1 definitely offering at the pitch. Ruling 1: The base umpire will immediately respond upon a checked-swing appeal request from the plate umpire and call, “Yes, she went! That’s a strike.”

With that procedure both teams will immediately know that B1 is charged with strike three and B1 is entitled to run for first base.

Play 2: R2 occupies second base as right-handed batter B1 bats with one out and a 1-2 count. On a pitch at the knees near the outside corner B1 checks her swing and the plate umpire calls ball as F2 drops the ball. The base umpire has B1 obviously offering at the pitch. Ruling 2: The base umpire will immediately respond without a checked-swing appeal request from the plate umpire and call, “Yes, she went! That’s a strike.”

With that procedure both teams will immediately know (or should know) that B1 is entitled to attempt to advance to first base. No guessing games. No confusion.

Play 3: R1 occupies first base as right-handed batter B1 bats with one out and a 1-2 count. On a pitch at the knees near the outside corner, B1 checks her swing and the plate umpire calls ball as F2 drops the ball. The base umpire has B1 offering at the pitch. Ruling 3: The base umpire will withhold the checked-swing information until the plate umpire requests help on the checked swing since there is no legal opportunity for B1 to advance to first base. Whenever a batter is not entitled to run, the base umpire will withhold his checked-swing decision until the plate umpire asks for help.

Tracking the pitch. Some UICs may object to the base umpire using the flash technique to focus on a batter’s bat to rule on checked swings. Some UICs want the base umpire to focus on the pitch to rule on a legally caught third strike or trapped third strike.

There is some validity to the UIC’s contention. However, my

QUICKTIP A good strong voice is essential in umpiring. The voice tone, pitch and volume help to make calls more convincing; a voice that is clear, positive and authoritative is an asset in communicating. Never use more words than necessary or hurry your speech because you will appear to be out of control and less than intelligent. Use a slightly deeper voice when umpiring than you do in your everyday life.

BY THE NUMBERS The dimensions of home plate are consistent, no matter the rules code, in fast pitch and slow pitch.

17

Length in inches of the front edge of the slab nearest the pitching plate.

12

Length in inches for two sides of the slab that come to a point.

8.5 two side edges of the slab Length in inches for the

perpendicular to the front edge.

5 slab of whitened rubber.

Total number of sides of the

SIDELINE Nelson Gets High Honor John Nelson, Dalton, Ga., was one of eight individuals inducted into the ASA/USA Softball National Softball Hall of Fame Nov. 12, 2016, in Shreveport, La. Nelson was the only umpire in the class to be inducted.

Nelson has umpired in 17 national tournaments, ranging from girls’ slow pitch to men’s super slow pitch. He has been a member of the National Indicator Fraternity since 1991.

Others in the class include fast-pitch players Jennie Finch, La Mirada, Calif.; Harry Haroian, Melvindale, Mich.; Peter Meredith, Salt Lake City; Tom Penders, Narrangansett, R.I.; sponsor Terry Petersen, Omaha, Neb.; and meritorious service Mick Renneisen, Bloomington, Ind.

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SOFTBALL

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

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

1. Which of the following are true regarding a declared infield fly situation? a. The infield fly rule should be declared immediately after the ball is batted to give both teams plenty of notice. b. The infield fly rule should never be declared when an outfielder settles under a fly ball. c. If a declared infield fly falls untouched to the ground in foul territory and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is not an infield fly, the batter is not out and a fair ball is ruled. d. If a runner interferes with a declared infield fly in fair territory, the ball is dead and only the runner is out. e. If a declared infield fly is intentionally dropped by a fielder, the ball is live and in play. f. Any runner or runners may tag up and advance on a declared infield fly after the caught fly ball is touched by a fielder.

2. Fast pitch. After striking out two batters, F1 loses her control and walks the bases loaded. With weakhitting F9 at bat and a 3-2 count, B1 holds her bat motionless in the strike zone and the pitch is high and outside the strike zone. a. The pitch is called a ball and B1 walks since B1 did not move the bat toward the ball. b. B1 is considered to have made a bunt attempt and is charged with a third strike if B1 does not withdraw the bat back and away from the ball.

3. Fast pitch. Lefty slap-hitting B1 runs out of the front of the batter’s box and is struck by the pitch, preventing the ball from entering the strike zone. a. A dead-ball strike is ruled. b. No pitch is ruled unless B1 strikes at the pitch.

4. Fast pitch. When B1 is struck by a pitch, which is true? a. B1 is not awarded first base if she does not attempt to avoid the pitch. b. If the ball is entirely in the batter’s box, B1 does not have to attempt being struck but she may not obviously try to get hit with the pitch.

extensive research shows that if the plate umpire properly tracks pitches all the way into the catcher’s glove, the plate umpire has a better view than the base umpire about whether the third strike was legally caught

by F2 or dropped or trapped.

A serious problem does exist for plate umpires afflicted with tunnel vision. Tunnel vision occurs when the plate umpire looks down the tunnel without properly tracking the pitch all the way to F2’s glove.

A good umpire must break the tunnel vision habit they automatically developed as batters and strive with intense concentration to track all pitches when umpiring

the plate all the way into the catcher’s glove. A good tracking plate umpire will get more caught or dropped third strikes correctly than a base umpire will from more than 100 feet away.

With the tracking plate umpire ruling on caught or dropped third strikes, the base umpire can concentrate on focusing on the end cap of the batter’s bat for greater accuracy on checked swings. I am convinced my methods will result in improved accuracy and better umpiring.

Jay Miner is a former longtime umpire and rules interpreter from Albany, N.Y. £

Right Here, Right Now

By Paul Jacoby

I

noticed when I started umpiring that sometimes I would get nervous or my mind would focus on a previous play. At other times as the field umpire, my mind would start to wander. Since then, I have worked through the years to try and stay in the “here and now” so I can be an effective umpire.

A college sports psychology class that I took gave me some keys to help me through many of these situations. Back when I was a pitcher and also on the tennis court I would take a moment when things got hectic to just look down and focus on a little twig, pebble, scrap of paper or whatever caught my eye. Then I would pick it up and either flick it away or put it in my pocket. That distraction seemed to calm me and also bring me back to the present time and I would relax and get back to the game. I do that now as an umpire, especially when I am behind the plate.

That little routine takes all the external “noise” of coaches, teams, fans, past plays or calls and big situations out of my head so I can prepitch (plan) and get ready for the next play. Like many umpires, I use the routine of brushing the plate

before each half inning and after critical plays or timeouts to refresh and regain my focus. I laughed once on a big postgame evaluation when I was criticized for brushing the plate too slow and too often.

Another technique I use is to concentrate on my breathing. Thinking of the air going in and out of my nose brings me right to the present time besides giving my brain some needed oxygen. I really use this technique at the plate. To start each half inning and after a play or delay, I stay out from behind the catcher before I put my mask on and take a deep breath and refresh and focus on what is in front of me. Is there a coach coming? Something I have to proactively deal with (for example, a ball or equipment on the field, a field or uniform issue, the scoreboard is wrong, etc.). I look at the runners and out situations and check my indicator. Then prepitch, give my umpire-to-umpire signals if needed, put my mask on and go.

I have found it is much easier to stay focused behind the plate than out in the field. In the field during some games my mind starts to wander. There was one field I hated to work because, as I took my position at first base, I could

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see a big clock at a bank across the street. Noticing the time, I started to figure how long each half inning would take along with how long the game would last. I’ve done and have heard others talk about needing 39 or 42 outs (depending if the home team was winning) and subtracting outs as the game went along and even figuring what percentages were done and left. Those trains of thought are definitely not good for you as an umpire. For me, that happens less in a three-umpire game as I have more things to prepitch and be aware of. I really have to work while in the field to stay in the present and be an alert and effective umpire.

A good mentor got on me after a long and chilly day with me making some bad calls to remind me to get ample food and drink before and during games to keep my body and brain fueled so I could maintain

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focus. As far as cold weather, I am never cold behind the plate but found I needed a lot more clothing out in the field so I didn’t think about the conditions. Again it’s all about staying in the “here and now.”

What about when you’ve called a borderline “ball” with two strikes and the next pitch is hit for a home run? Or an obstruction play at the plate with two outs and the next thing you know four more runs cross the plate? Decisions you make sometimes turn out to be controversial and critical. That is part of the game and really what you get paid for. Most gut strikes or terrible balls, routine fair-foul, catch-no catch, safe-out anyone at the park could make without you even being on the field. It is your responsibility after you make any call to remain focused while umpiring the game.

I’ve caught myself rehashing in my mind pitches, plays, conversations and other aspects of the game. It is really hard when you know you are working a big game or being evaluated or working with an established superior umpire. On other occasions it is when I am mentoring or doing an evaluation when I am on the field. I have solved those issues by having something to write on, take notes and then forget about it till after the game.

It probably would not hurt all umpires to take notes to help do a better job of postgaming. Taking a moment during a game to reflect is fine but you need to put it away and get back to the job at hand. Find ways to stay in the “here and now” no matter what happens to make yourself a better umpire.

Paul Jacoby is a longtime college, high school and ASA umpire from Wildwood, Mo. £

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SOFTBALL

CASEPLAYS No Three-Foot Lane in NCAA Play: NCAA fast pitch. Why doesn’t NCAA softball mark threefoot lanes on their fields anymore?

Ruling: A 2016 rule change states that the batter-runner is out if she runs to first base in any manner that interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base at any point anywhere from home plate to first base.

Under the old rule interference by the batter-runner on a throw going to first base could only occur on the last half of the distance to first base. Thus, the traditional three-foot lane is no longer necessary. A note following the rule reference number states: Note: A batter-runner has not interfered if a fielder does not throw, hesitates before throwing or makes an errant throw (NCAA 12.19.3.1.2).

Let’s Play Ball!

A

plate umpire should point to the pitcher to put the ball in play at the beginning of the game and also after lengthy dead-ball situations.

The ball becomes live when it is held by the pitcher on the pitcher’s plate, and the batter and catcher are in their respective boxes. The plate umpire should then signal to “play ball,” as shown in the PlayPic, and give a beckoning hand signal.

The plate umpire does not need to point to the pitcher to put the ball in play after every dead ball.

There is no need for that because any baserunners must be on the base and cannot leave until the ball is released by the pitcher to the catcher. But after a timeout or injury delay, it is a good practice for the plate umpire to signal to the pitcher that the ball is live. £

Offensive Team Erases Lines Play: Fast pitch. An offensive coach or the lead-off slap hitter B1 for team A intentionally erases the front batter’s box line. Ruling: ASA and USSSA FP do not address the situation. In NCAA, it is a strike on B1. If an offensive coach commits the illegal act, issue a warning and then eject the coach for a repeat act. In NFHS, B1 is charged with a strike. For a subsequent violation restrict the offender and head coach to the dugout (NCAA 2.16.4 A.R. 2.16.4 Effect; NFHS 3-6-17 Pen.).

Color of Pitcher’s Glove Play: Fast pitch. The opposing team’s head coach complains about the color of the pitcher’s glove. Ruling: In ASA, the pitcher’s glove may be one solid color or multicolored which are not the color(s) of the ball. Stitching and logos are considered part of the glove. In NFHS, it can be a maximum of two colors, excluding laces and manufacturer’s logo colors. The glove cannot be entirely opticcolored nor have optic-colored markings on the outside or inside that give the appearance of a ball.

In NCAA, the glove cannot be the color of the ball but may be any combination of other colors. In USSSA FP, the glove and lacing cannot be the color of the ball.

Logos are not considered part of the glove (ASA 3-4; NFHS 1-4-1; NCAA 3.6.1; USSSA FP 2.9B).

Plate Umpire’s First Priority on Hit to Right T

oday’s players are quicker, faster, stronger and better than ever before. That requires better umpiring.

Many of the most difficult calls — bangers at first, three-foot-lane interference, swipe tags and pulledfoot situations — occur around first base.

Because of skinned and wellmanicured infields and hard shots to right field there must be good crew communication to cover those fast and furious situations. As always clear any new techniques with your UIC or training supervisor. Plate

umpire mechanics will differ between the two- and three-umpire systems.

Balls hit to right field (no runners). On balls lined to right field for a possible catch, U1 will announce, “I’m going.” U1’s first steps will be in foul ground down the right-field line and not directly at the fielder. That method results in two positives; (1) U1 will not be in F9’s peripheral vision as U1 clears the play, and (2) U1 will not be in line with a possible throw to first base.

After U1 moves down the line in foul ground it is acceptable and even

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preferable for U1 to hook in toward F9 as there is a close correlation between closeness to the play and correctness of the call.

The plate umpire will move up in fair territory to make any call at first base. Should B1 attempt to advance, the plate umpire will go with the runner. Optionally, U1 may use the traffic cop hold-up signal, meaning he or she will take the call on catch/no catch and also any play at first base or beyond.

Three-umpire system. In the three-umpire system with no runners and U1 going out to right field, the plate umpire will trail the play to first, glance to be sure that U3 is moving to cover second and watch to see if B1 touches first as in the MechaniGram.

The plate umpire must be ready for any play. If the ball is not caught, the plate umpire will be in a calling position near first base for any throwback to first on B1 after she

takes a wide turn.

With U3 covering second base, the plate umpire will be in a good position for a tag at first base and will have a 90-degree angle to the throw looking directly at the play, which also could occur in a two-umpire system.

On hard ground balls to right field U1 must be ready for a snap throw to first base for a play on the batterrunner. U1 can take a few steps into foul territory for an ideal calling position. ÂŁ

F9

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SOFTBALL

5 MINUTES WITH JIM SANDERSON

45° + 45° =

CCA regional adviser talks about his duties, umpire trends.

By Glenn Waggoner

Residence: Riverside, Calif.

Occupation: High school (Colton) physics teacher Age: 57 Experience: Began as an NCAA softball regional adviser in April 2016; former chairman of the California Collegiate Softball Umpires Association (CCSUA); a member of the CCSUA training committee; has not been an active umpire for three to four years after umpiring various levels of softball, fast-pitch and slow pitch, since 1982; has also worked basketball, football and volleyball.

REFEREE: What are some of your duties as a CCA supervisor?

SANDERSON: They rely on me to identify the up-and-coming umpires and to help out with the postseason.

Basically our job is two-fold: One, provide the umpires training and what is to be expected for the postseason and, two, identify umpires who are postseason-ready.

I observe the different tournaments and the conferences that I have worked with in the past 10-12 years.

The assigners and the Softball Umpire Program people are good to work with. If we need to look at certain umpires, they will assign them to different tournaments so we can look at them.

REFEREE: Are you seeing any trends by umpires at the college level?

SANDERSON: The major trend I see is umpires are doing a much better job working as a team, as a crew. I think the coaches and players see that and I think the respect level has really increased. I think they all honor that they have a job to do and we have a job to do, and that we have a common goal.

REFEREE: In what ways do you see them working as a crew?

SANDERSON: I think their level of commitment in identifying goals that they have for their game. They might say, “I’m not perfect, but this is the aspect of my game that I’m working on” and they share that. They try to help each other become better. I’ve noticed that the communication level is better on the field and even off the field; even before the pregame.

REFEREE: Is it easier now for the crew to communicate because of technology?

SANDERSON: Technology has really helped things along. We can easily pull clips from previous games to see what a team’s trends are.

There is also an added incentive with technology that you want to be the umpire in a training video that did a good thing and not the one who did a bad thing.

REFEREE: Are there other things that you are noticing about umpires improving?

SANDERSON: I’m noticing that umpires are becoming more unselfish.

They are looking at what they need to do to serve the game. They know that if they do that, it promotes them so they can reach their goals. It used to be, “I’ve got this goal and I don’t care who I have to climb over to get to it.”

Today, it’s, “I’m going to get there, and I’m going to take you and you and you with me.”

REFEREE: Are you seeing things in softball that need to be fixed?

SANDERSON: I think the whole trend of the very early recruiting is kind of destroying softball at the grass roots level. We’re seeing fewer and fewer teams trying to play toward championship play. They would just rather go and play the showcases. It’s not so much about playing softball but about winning a scholarship. Many of the club teams don’t even play toward championship play.

REFEREE: Does that affect umpires?

SANDERSON: I think it does because the teams are not playing toward anything in the showcases, so it’s easy for an umpire to get in bad habits. A lot of teams don’t maintain a lineup; there is free substitution. Those are things that umpires need to learn how to manage.

REFEREE: Do umpires work in crews in your area at the college level?

SANDERSON: Some of the conferences have a crew concept, but there might be a crew of five or six people, so you are not always working with the same people. We’re even seeing that in D-II and D-III conferences where they are working two-umpire mechanics, but those two may be from a crew of four or five. £

W

hat is the other 45-degree angle of the 45-degree angle?

Two 45-degree angles equal a 90-degree angle, which is precisely the ideal calling position to make a call in softball. So then, what is the 45-degree angle all about?

In ASA/USA Softball’s umpire manual, Section 1 – Definitions, it states, “Forty-Five Degree Angle — the position at a base which the umpire should strive to gain prior to their movement to the final calling position.” So, ideally, based upon that definition and statement, “strive to gain” is fighting to get to a good position to see the call, including distance and angle, and then adjusting to the other 45-degree angle to make the call. It makes more sense to go directly to the 90 and then adjust if needed. That will require less movement, but there is a difference in a calling position and a position that may or will require adjustment.

Additionally, in ASA 2016 Umpire Manual, Section 1 – Definitions states, the “NinetyDegree Angle — the primary position of observation by an umpire for viewing the required four elements (ball, runner, base and defender) to make a call.”

The difference in position and mechanics is “strive to gain” and “primary” for making a call.

I am of the opinion and notation that most umpires can get to a 45-degree angle first, but they typically stop, read the play and make the call, failing to adjust to the play. The other 45-degree angle, thus

CORRECTION The ruling for play 12 in the 10/16 issue is incorrect. The play addressed the umpires’ inspection of equipment prior to the game, including (a) three bats with a textured taper and (b) two bats with holes in the taper. Both (a) and (b) are legal because the taper of the bats has a conical shape.

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Larry Mills of Canyon Country, Calif., is at a 90-degree angle to the throw, which allows him to see the ball, first baseman, base and batter-runner.

BOB MESSINA

making a 90-degree to the play, is the preferred calling position to see all four elements of the play.

The exception to that includes plays at first base with no runners on base. Since the base umpire is starting from the base line, he or she should not go farther than a 45-degree angle from the line for their primary call. That allows the umpire to be in a better position to adjust to see a pulled foot or swipe tag. Move to the 90-degree angle with the throw, but no farther than the 45 and be ready to adjust when something happens, like a missed base, pulled foot or swipe tag.

Furthermore, there are no secondary positions in ASA as defined in other associations, like NCAA or NFHS. In ASA, a secondary position is “only”

•February_Magazine.indb 39

an adjustment from the primary position if there is continuous action of the play; in other words move and adjust to see the play. Otherwise, stay in your primary calling position.

The 90-degree angle to a tag, throw or base is the utopia calling position for most associations, leagues and umpires, including NCAA and NFHS. Strive to gain the 45-degree angle, then adjust to the other 45-degree angle for the primary calling position by taking a few more steps.

Don’t sell yourself short by making calls from the initial 45-degree angle. There is always room for adjustment.

Glenn Waggoner Jr., Riverside, Calif., is the Eastern District Umpire-In-Chief of the Southern California ASA. He is also an ASA and NCAA umpire. £

12/15/16 2:30 PM

&NOW feree

s of re r o it d e e h t by

O

fficiating has changed quite a bit over time — and we’re talking about more than football officials giving up horns for whistles and baseball umpires moving from balloon protectors to underthe-shirt protectors. Our very approaches to officiating games have evolved over time — we do things differently now than we did then.

Back in the day, it was all about, “It’s my call.” You made it and stuck with it, right or wrong. How you, as the official, saw it, was all that mattered — “your reality” became reality.

y m s ’ t I call crew: t h g i r t i t e g

Today, it’s all about, “Get it right.” If that means getting together with partners, getting additional information and changing the call, so be it — it matters more that the call reflects an “objective” reality.

(PHOTO ON LEFT) JERRY MARKBREIT/DALE TAIT; (FROM LEFT) RODNEY THORNLEY, SEATTLE, DOUG MILLER, BOTHWELL, WASH., TYLER BLAKNEY, ISSAQUAH, WASH./DALE GARVEY

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Just took a hard shot off the mask? Just got your cage rattled when that player accidentally bumped you into the turf? Shake it off and carry on.

There is no replay to back you up. It’s all on you and your crewmates.

t Stick it ou sit it out

e h t l l a C play

Today we know more about concussions. We know it’s sometimes wiser to get off the field and stay off the field until a medical professional checks you out.

We can call things a certain way because we know in doing so, replay can potentially fix it.

o t e t a i c i f of the video

(TOP LEFT PHOTO) JACK TEITZ/DALE BARNES; (FROM LEFT) DON DAILEY, KELLY SELF, JOHN HIGGINS/GREENBLATT; NICK BENCICK/BOB MESSINA; LEVI RIPPY, SEATTLE/DALE GARVEY

At the end of the game, let some of those fouls/calls go — let players decide the game.

Flashing the stop sign. “OK, that’s enough.” Or otherwise telling them to knock it off sufficed as an “official” warning.

he Swallow t , whistle same play same call

l a u s a C s g n i n r wa

Same play, same call — first minute to last minute. It’s more correct to make the call than let things fall where they may.

Some sports specify the exact language officials should use when providing a warning.

“This is your warning.

If you continue …”

e k i l a d n a mir warnings Unless they drew blood, you didn’t blow the whistle if they were going to foul out.

5th e h t e k a M re e h t e b l u o f make every one d o o g a l u o f

If they foul, they foul.

Everything will show up on film, and we need to remain in control of the game from beginning to end.

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GETTING IT RIGHT

INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, ELEVATION

By Rick Woelfel

F

rank Topper gave a lot to the game of softball over his lifetime.

He umpired for some four decades and served as president of the Hanover (Pa.) Umpires Association for 20 years.

At one point, Topper considered creating an invitational tournament involving the top teams in the area’s two largest slow-pitch leagues.

Veteran umpire Frank Topper lost a battle with cancer before seeing his idea for a tournament come to pass. Not only was the tournament inaugurated in 2016, it was named in Topper’s honor.

“He had this vision of taking the best four teams from the TuesdayThursday league,” says Dave Loss, Topper’s friend and umpiring colleague, “and the four best teams from the Monday-Wednesday league and having a tournament.”

Topper did not see his dream become reality because he lost a battle to cancer in August 2015.

But Loss, who succeeded Topper as president of the association, decided to carry on in his stead. The inaugural tournament in Topper’s honor was played last August.

Loss wound up with an eightteam field for the one-day event, although one team had to drop out at the last minute due to being short

of players. Despite temperatures well into the 90s, the event was successful.

Members of the Hanover Umpires Association worked the games without pay. Loss ended up working several games himself when some of his peers were forced off the field by the heat and humidity.

Unfortunately, by day’s end, the conditions affected the players as well. By the time the championship round got under way, tempers were short. “It got a little nasty at the end,” Loss says. “Frank and I were best friends and his wife and kids were there to present the trophy to the winning team. It really had me upset and his family upset also.”

As fate would have it, the teams that met in the championship round were also matched against each other two days later in the Monday night league championship game — with Loss scheduled to work the plate.

“I called both teams to home plate,” he recalls, “not just the managers. I told them, ‘You will send Mrs. Topper an apology. Here’s the card. If you don’t sign the card … you won’t get your league fees.’”

The teams quickly complied and the championship game went forward.

Loss would like to make the Frank Topper Memorial Tournament an annual event. He says Topper was highly respected in the softball community in south-central Pennsylvania beyond.

Loss was a pallbearer at Topper’s funeral and notes that a number of other umpires and ASA administrators attended the service.

As a final tribute, each umpire in attendance signed two softballs that were placed in Topper’s casket before it was closed.

“Frank really enjoyed softball,” Loss says. “Softball was his life.”

Rick Woelfel of Philadelphia is a freelance writer and a high school softball umpire. £

WWUA Gets a Financial Boost AT&T helped Colorado’s Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy (WWUA) with a $50,000 donation. The contribution coincided with Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2016.

Established in 2014, the Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy’s mission is to provide instruction, training, mentoring and placement for U.S. military veterans interested in officiating baseball, softball and other amateur sports. U.S. military veterans receive opportunities to develop sports officiating skills that allow them to obtain employment opportunities through umpiring and officiating.

AT&T’s contribution will support Wounded Warrior Umpire Academy’s Colorado operations and training camp. In addition, the funds will be used for tournaments in Colorado and Las Vegas. The program also helps bring injured veterans back “on the field” and transition to civilian life through baseball umpiring as they begin new careers and engage as paid umpires.

SOURCE: DENVER POST

Father-Son, Former Star Player Team Up The three-person crew that worked a Kentucky high school game between East Carter and South Webster last January presented interesting storylines.

Todd Ruckel, a judge-executive for Lewis County (Ky.), worked with his son, Brett. It was the first time the father-son combo worked a varsity game. They’d worked a middle school tournament the previous year.

The third member of the crew was Terrence Smith. A standout basketball player, Smith’s playing career was interrupted by an auto accident in 2009. His injuries were so severe that he was granted a fifth year of high school eligibility. After high school, Smith played one year of college ball at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio, before transitioning from player to official.

SOURCE: ASHLAND (KY.) DAILY INDEPENDENT

Have you heard an inspirational or motivational officiating story?

COURTESY OF THE TOPPER FAMILY

Topper Tourney a Terrific Tribute

Send your ideas to GettingItRight@referee.com

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VOLLEYBALL

COORDINATOR: MARCIA ALTERMAN

malterman@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

(From left) Manuel Fernandez, Auburn, Wash., (R2); Tim Twiford, Kirkland, Wash.; Don Hough, Kirkland, Wash., (R1); and Jim Stegman, Shoreline, Wash., gather for a prematch briefing.

COLLABORATION

By Joan Powell and Julie Voeck

W

e really only have but one friend out there, so why don’t we take the time to bond, communicate and collaborate with our officiating partner? Collaboration means “the act of working together.” It is imperative to engage in good communication before, during and after an assigned match or tournament.

Pre-event communication. Reach out to your partner a week prior

to your assignment. Make sure to include the match details, including the date, time and site of match. The first referee should check the home team’s website. There are times when site and times change due to conflicts with the facility, other activities or unforeseen circumstances.

Prematch communication. Your prematch briefing is critical to further communication throughout the match.

Even if you have refereed with your partner numerous times, make sure

to go over a well-practiced prematch checklist that is in your head. Besides the established ground rules, you and your partner need to talk about the unusual situations or times where you may need additional help. Your checklist should also include many of the collaborative efforts covered below, and how those will be handled during the match.

Prematch duties. Divvy up the prematch tasks between the two referees. Check your officiating

DALE GARVEY

Big Word — Bigger Benefit

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manual for specifics, but it is typically OK to ask if your partner needs assistance on a particular task. After all, there are many things to check off prior to the game: checking the site, (playing areas vs. non-playing areas); net height and antenna placement; ball(s) pressure, captains’ (and coaches in high school) meeting and coaches’ meet and greet at the collegiate level.

The second referee needs to establish a good rapport with the scorekeeping crew, while the first referee instructs the line judges, including them as part of the officiating team. High school officials need to verify the rosters (done quickly by both officials) and then the lineups must be submitted in a timely manner.

Communication during the match. Each referee has primary responsibilities during the match and certain shared responsibilities. Close collaboration and communication between the referees will help the officials perform their duties like a well-functioning team.

First-referee communication.

There are several ways that the first referee can assist the second referee in performing his or her responsibilities during the match.

When the second referee is working with one team to administer a substitution request or answer a question from the coach, the first referee can assist by monitoring the other team for any requests. Or if the second referee is talking with the scorer or event manager, the first referee should monitor both teams, coaches and benches to be aware of any requests or behavior issues.

The first referee can also assist the second referee as a second set of eyes during play. There may be times when the second referee whistles for a net fault, however is unable to see the number of the player — particularly if the player is closer to the first referee. The first referee can assist by providing the number of the player to the second referee.

Ball out of play. The referees can work together to get the call right when the ball is out of play when one of the referees has an obstructed view of the play.

The prematch conversation should

cover how the referees will collaborate to make accurate calls on balls that go behind one of the referees. It may be that the first referee prefers, “You take the ball behind me and I’ll take the ball behind you.” Although the first referee must determine ballhandling errors, sometimes it is difficult to discern the legality of a contact while determining the location of the ball with respect to the centerline.

Another key situation where the second referee can often provide valuable information to the first referee is when the ball is attacked into the top of net and lands out of bounds near the second referee’s side of the net. During this play, there are times when the first referee’s view may make it difficult to determine whether the opposing blockers touched the ball or not. When that situation occurs, the second referee does not whistle, but should indicate the team at fault by signaling “out” and then indicate to the team that last touched the ball.

Second referee communication.

There are also situations where a second referee can provide valuable input for decisions that are the primary responsibility of the first referee. A second referee that is able to effectively communicate can make for a much smoother match and will help make the officiating team successful, particularly during a heated or very competitive match.

Ballhandling. During play, the first referee is responsible for ballhandling decisions. However there are times when the first referee does not have the best angle to see potential ballhandling faults, such as when the player has her back to the first referee or the play is directly below or near the first referee stand. The referees should discuss during prematch where the first referee’s “blind spots” are and how the second referee can provide input.

Play at the net. The second referee can also provide input on plays close to the net, such as a four-hits decision or illegally reaching beyond the net.

Because each referee has a different angle and view of play at the net, there are times when the second referee may have a better look. If the

SIDELINE USAV Names New Rules Interpreter Bill Stanley of Omaha, Neb., was named as USAV’s indoor national rules interpreter last October. Stanley has been a national referee since 2002 and an FIVB international referee since 2011.

“Bill brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position,” said Paul Albright, USAV director, officials development. “Bill has worked numerous national championship events and has represented USA Volleyball around the world, including events most notably in China and Mexico. He is also an active member of the Great Plains Region.

SOURCE: USAV

QUICKTIP When a substitution is denied due to an illegality or a delayed entry, the scorer must be alert to that decision by the second referee.

The scorer must either avoid recording the substitution, if possible, or correct the written entry quickly if the substitution has already been recorded. In NCAA rules, the scorer doesn’t erase, but writes an “X” over the recorded substitution to reverse it. NFHS rules do not provide guidelines for scoresheet corrections, so either erasures or strikethroughs are permitted.

USAV rules provide for three types of correction: correction tape, an eraser, or crossing out the information with an “X.”

TOOLS PAVO RefSchool PAVO’s RefSchool is an online study tool that helps referees review the entire NCAA rulebook, brush up on both rules and techniques, and prepare for the annual certification test.

RefSchool includes two types of testing — practice exams and rule quizzes — and also features performance tracking, which logs results from each test and quiz.

It costs $10 for PAVO members and $15 for non-members. Go to pavo.org for more information.

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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. What is the penalty if a player from team A is disqualified from the match? a. Team B is awarded a penalty point and the player must exit the playing area. b. Team B is awarded a penalty point and the player is removed from the team bench if supervisory personnel is available. c. The player must leave the playing area with no further penalty. d. Team A must forfeit the match.

2. It is legal for the following individuals to request a timeout: a. Playing captain or head coach. b. Any coach or playing captain. c. Head coach only. d. Playing captain only.

3. If the libero is disqualified while playing, then: a. The team continues play with no libero for the remainder of the set. b. The team continues play with no libero for the remainder of the match. c. The team may redesignate a new libero, and the disqualified libero may not play for the remainder of the set. d. The team may redesignate a new libero, and the disqualified libero may not play for the remainder of the match.

4. A net fault is called when a player: a. Contacts the bottom net cable outside the antennae. b. The net is pushed into a player by a hard driven attack. c. A blocker’s ponytail hits the net as she turns her head. d. None of these is a net fault.

5. It is legal for the following individuals to stand in front of the bench during play: a. Head coach only. b. Head coach and one assistant coach. c. Head coach and multiple assistant coaches. d. Head coach and substitutes.

6. A2 is attempting to contact A5’s errant pass. Just as A2 is about to contact the ball, a line judge interferes with A2’s effort. a. Replay the point. b. Point to team B.

second referee sees one of those faults, he or she should step laterally away from the net pole and visibly provide the information to the first referee.

Illegal attacks and blocks. Both referees share responsibility for illegal attacks and blocks. In most cases, the first referee will be the primary official to whistle these faults. The second referee will provide input, but only blow the whistle when the first referee doesn’t whistle or indicate that the play was legal.

When a play develops that could result in a back-row player attacking from near the attack line, the second referee should focus on the takeoff point of the feet and then quickly transition his or her view to play at the net. The second referee can also help when the libero is setting the ball near the front zone. The first referee takes responsibility for the ballhandling while the second referee watches the libero’s feet during the set.

The second referee can also assist when a back-row setter “dumps” the ball across the net by providing information on whether the height of ball is completely higher than the top of the net. Setters are becoming more deceptive with this play and both referees need to work together to determine whether or not a fault has been committed.

Match administration and behavior. The first referee is responsible for administering sanctions for procedural errors, such as delays, as well as sanctions for unsporting behavior. The second referee’s proximity to the coaches

and team benches means he or she is often in the best position to determine when a sanction is required. The referees should determine during the prematch discussion how the second referee will communicate to the first referee the need for a sanction.

Postmatch communication.

In order to learn from the match, partners should collaborate on a debriefing session following each match. The first referee should orchestrate the discussion. This honest discussion will make the crew stronger and each individual better. Don’t forget to send in timely, accurate, honest match reports, if postmatch reports are expected of you by your assigner. Any unusual situations should be reported that day/night to your assigner. Keep a journal and after each match, write down two things you learned and two things you need to improve upon so you can be better during your next match.

Most importantly, work as a team from the moment of the first communication about the match until you head for home. These collaborative efforts can often make the difference in a closely contested match.

Joan Powell, Colorado Springs, Colo., is coordinator of volleyball officials for the Pac-12 Conference. Julie Voeck, Milwaukee, is president of the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials, which trains and certifies officials for women’s NCAA competition. She is also an FIVB international referee and NCAA Division I women’s volleyball referee. *

Schmoozing Professionally

By Brian Hemelgarn

I

t is one of those “Hallmark Holidays” — you know the ones when you send flowers and a card, or buy lunch, or do something special for your boss, secretary or administrative assistant … or your assigner. Wait, what?! Sure, there’s a Boss’s Day and an Administrative Assistant’s Day, but an Assigner’s Day?

We might think there is an Assigner’s Day by the way some referees schmooze with those who provide match assignments, right?

But, hey, what’s wrong with sending them some flowers, or taking them to dinner, or giving them a gift card?

Well, let’s face it, there is no way to schmooze professionally, but you can professionally schmooze, and some folks have mastered it.

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FINE line OF DISTINCTION

1

T

his photo shows a quintessential example of one of the pillars of line judging best practices — beat the ball to the line. Line judge Caine Jette of Seattle is in good position for seeing the ball contact the endline. His knees are bent, back straight and shoulders are down. Those are all good mechanics for freedom of movement, allowing him to swivel his head and get his eyes focused on the endline ahead of the ball. His flag is poised and ready to snap down the “in” call.

Jette sees the ball hit both the endline and outside the endline.

He relies not only on training and practice, but puts to good use the adage, “If leather touches paint, it’s in.” Great call!

2 This movement of body and eyes takes a lot of practice. At the moment when the ball hits the floor, the body and head are already focused on the endline. Moving the eyes from the net play to the endline just a quartersecond too slowly may mean that this endline shot gets missed. This takes anticipation, knowledge of the game and practice.

3

1

As the ball is hit by the opposing team, the line judge should look for a touch off the blockers at the net, then quickly move his or her eyes to the endline.

3

2

On one hand, it might seem like a nice gesture to offer a special gift as “thanks” for the assignments you get during the season, or maybe even prior to the season when assignments are being completed. But both might seem a little suspect in the eyes of an assigner.

Assigners have an obligation to their leagues and conferences to assign the best officials available on any given match. Sending them cards or flowers or buying dinner doesn’t make a referee any better on the court. Assigners see through those attempts to garner an extra match or two, or to get “bigger, better” match assignments. Remember, they have

an obligation to the organization that hired them, and showering them with gifts doesn’t change that.

In a vast majority of cases, receiving assignments is a direct reflection on the assigner’s knowledge of a referee’s skills and experience. Of course, there are always situations in which an assigner needs a referee to cover a particularly heavy assigning day or to replace a last-minute cancellation, and that can result in a referee receiving an assignment that he or she might not normally get. But since assignments are often made many weeks, if not months, in advance, schmoozing in hopes of getting a

“big” last-minute assignment is often futile. Again, skill and experience will trump the schmooze.

Schmoozing may be viewed as trying to “buy” an assignment or as a political move, neither of which reflects well on a referee in the long run. Or, it may be viewed as an attempt to keep a referee’s name at the top of an assigner’s list for postseason consideration. Some referees spend more time trying to “work the assigning system” than they spend working at mastering their officiating skills and rules knowledge. The bottom line is skill and experience — not gifts — earn opportunities.

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VOLLEYBALL

CASEPLAYS Libero Serves for Two Players Play: Libero A4 served for A11 earlier in the set. Later in the set, A4 moves from position 5 directly to position 1 and prepares to serve for A8. Is that legal? Ruling: In all rule sets, this is considered an illegal libero replacement.

If the referees recognize that the libero has already served in the set, they should correct the illegal replacement and issue a delay sanction (USAV/NCAA) or unnecessary delay (NFHS).

If the referees do not recognize the illegal replacement until after the contact of service, the consequences are the same as for a position fault (NFHS 10-4, Pen. 1; USAV 19.3.2.9; NCAA 12.2.1.2).

Injured Player Play: Team A has only seven players, one of which has been designated as the libero. At the end of a rally, one of team A’s players is injured and is unable to continue. The libero is currently on the court for A15. What is the correct procedure? Ruling: A15 will first need to return to the court to replace the libero.

The libero can then be used as an exceptional substitute for the injured player after changing into a legal team uniform. In NFHS and NCAA, the injured player may not return to the set, and in USAV, the injured player may not return to the match (NFHS 10-4-3b, 10-37c; NCAA 11.3.6.1.2.3, 11.3) Libero Replacement Play: The team A libero is on the court for A5 when team B calls a timeout. At the end of the timeout, A5 returns to the court instead of the libero. The assistant scorer immediately notifies the second referee. What action should the referees take? Ruling: Under NCAA and USAV rules, the second referee should instruct the libero to return to the court and then allow A5 to replace the libero following proper replacement procedures. A delay sanction is assessed to the team (NCAA 6.3.2.11, 11.2.4.2; USAV 19.3.2.9, caseplay 19.15). For NFHS rules, a replacement that doesn’t follow proper procedures is subject to the assessment of an unnecessary delay (NFHS 10-4-2d, 10-4 Pen. 1).

If you are new to volleyball officiating, schmoozing is a pitfall to avoid. Instead, work hard, get experience and look for mentors who set great, professional examples. If you are a veteran, especially one who feels you have learned the “local political game” and have earned the right to fill your schedule with primo matches, consider a new approach: stay current with techniques and rules interpretations, learn something each time you are on the court and be realistic with your expectations. Trying hard to keep your name in front of an assigner can’t replace good, oldfashioned, hard work.

Keep your availability calendar up-to-date, respond promptly to emails and phone calls and don’t double-book yourself. Those three key things are appreciated by assigners. Referees who do them

will benefit by receiving increased opportunities. If you are always late with your replies, don’t fill out match reports timely or your availability calendar is not current, assigners may move your name down the list when it comes time to assign.

So instead of schmoozing, take a more professional approach: be timely, keep your availability current, accept all assignments graciously without expectations, and let your oncourt work speak for itself. And if you feel the need to schmooze a little, perhaps a note at the end of the season to thank assigners for their work and the opportunities they have offered you will suffice. Cards, flowers or dinner are not necessary.

Brian Hemelgarn, LaSalle, Mich., is a longtime NCAA men’s and women’s referee and also referees at the international level. He is on various PAVO and USAV committees. *

Those Panels, Those Swirls T

he 2016 Olympics was a showcase for volleyball, with new technology emphasized and noticeable differences in officiating mechanics, rules and even in the volleyball that was used. The ball used by FIVB is not allowed by NFHS and NCAA women’s rules because the ball has a very different “feel” than traditional volleyballs.

NFHS Rule 3-2-1 states that the ball must have basic rectangular shaped panels, and swirls or other shaped panels are not allowed. The

volleyballs below show the difference in the FIVB-type volleyball versus a standard ball, in terms of the shape of the panels.

The NCAA women’s rules state in Rule 3.1.2 that the ball must have a “flexible, smooth leather or leatherlike cover.” The requirement for the cover to be smooth disallows the FIVB-type of ball, as the surface is slightly dimpled.

USAV rules do not disallow the FIVB-type of volleyball; however, very few events elect to use it. The reason is the significantly different surface and “feel.” Although volleyballs such as the one used

by FIVB may be the future of the sport, at this point the standard volleyballs are still the norm. *

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Zone In on Libero Replacements I n all rules codes, there is a designated area for libero replacements. The rules state that the libero and the player replaced by the libero must enter or leave the court only across the sideline in front of their team bench between the attack line and the endline.

When the libero is the next server, the libero is allowed to stay on the court to replace the server, so two non-libero players may be involved in the replacement; they, too, are required to enter and exit the court in the libero replacement area (see MechaniGram).

Since libero exchanges occur without any referee intervention, the restricted area is intended to allow the assistant scorer (libero tracker) to view and record the replacement.

The two players involved in the replacement do not have to “meet”

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Team Bench

Officials’ Table

Libero Replacement Zone

at the sideline or cross the sideline at the exact same time. However, the exchange must be completed before the next service authorization.

What if the libero enters the court over the endline? The rules codes call for a delay sanction (NFHS — unnecessary delay)

Team Bench

Libero Replacement Zone

in that situation. However, it is reasonable to give a verbal warning the first time it occurs in the match, ensuring that the assistant scorer has recorded the libero replacement. If it happens again, the delay sanction/ unnecessary delay should be assessed. *

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YEAR IN REVIEW

STORIES THAT Suspensions Rise for Officiating Errors

Headlines of officiating suspensions for game errors grew in 2016. Suspensions of sports officials at all levels was a major topic of debate for the industry. The validity of such a method of discipline was questioned during a session at the last NASO Summit, and covered in a Publisher’s Memo and feature story in this magazine as well.

College conferences that publicly announced the suspensions of officials for rules and judgment errors last year included the Big Sky Conference for a women’s basketball rules misapplication, the MidAmerican Conference in men’s basketball for errors in judgment and in football for a rules error. The Big 12, Mid-Eastern Athletic and Southwestern Athletic conferences also suspended football officials for rules errors.

DEATHS Ann Adamchik — The pioneering women’s official died Feb. 11, 2016, at the age of 84. Adamchik, of Manorville, N.Y., was the first woman to officiate in Madison Square Garden for the first NCAA women’s basketball game played there on Feb. 22, 1975. Adamchik officiated D-I women’s basketball, including NCAA tournament games, until the 1980s.

Chad Brown — Brown, a retired NFL umpire, died Sept. 9, 2016. He was 68. Brown officiated in the NFL from 1992 until 2014. He worked more than a dozen postseason games, including Super Bowls XXXV and XLV. Brown played collegiately at East Texas State. In 1969, he was

a seventh-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also spent time with the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints but never appeared in an NFL game. In 1999, Brown authored an autobiography, Inside the Meat Grinder, in which he spun tales from his career.

Former NFL Referee Jerry Markbreit on Brown “Chad clearly controlled the game from the middle of the field,” said Markbreit, Brown’s crew chief for seven years. “He was very unique. As a former player he understood the game and the players. The players respected him.

“Of all the umpires I worked with, Chad was the best.”

Sometimes officials make mistakes when calling game action. Today, more than ever, those officiating errors are leading to suspensions.

THEBIGLEAD.COM

ONE

Cesar Flores — Cesar Flores, a

Ron Wicks — The former NHL

48-year-old soccer referee, was shot and killed by a player who had been dismissed during an amateur match Feb. 14 in Argentina’s Cordoba. The player, who had just been shown a red card, retrieved a gun from his bag and returned to the pitch to shoot Flores.

referee, who worked the ice from 1960-86 — making him the longest-serving on-ice official in the NHL — died April 1, 2016.

He was 75. At retirement, Wicks had the record for the most NHL games officiated — 1,400 regular season games, 175 playoff games, five Stanley Cup Finals and two All-Star games.

Nolan Fine — The former NBA referee died at his home in Virginia Beach, Va., on Sept. 3, 2016. He was 60. At 31, Fine was the youngest referee to officiate the final game of the NCAA Championship. He joined the NBA in 1988 until a back disability prompted his exit in 2004. He continued to help supervise referees in the Big South Conference.

Doug Rhoads — Rhoads, who worked for eight seasons as the supervisor of football officials for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), died May 6, 2016. Rhoads was 71. Rhoads, an FBI special agent based in Charlottesville, N.C., became an ACC football official in 1977. He worked 10 bowl games. When he retired from the

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2016

AT MATTERED TWO

Joe Crawford

Joe Crawford, one of the best officials in NBA history, retired from oncourt officiating. He is currently serving as a supervisor for the league.

Ends Oncourt Career

One of the top NBA referees of all time called it a career. Joe Crawford, whose 50 NBA Finals appearances are second all-time after Mendy Rudolph, ended his 39-year career as an NBA referee. Crawford announced at the beginning of 2016 that he would be retiring after the season, but his rehab from knee surgery didn’t allow for a return to the court. Crawford worked the most NBA playoff games of any official in history with a mark of 374. He ended his career with more than 2,561 regular-season games, second-most to Dick Bavetta.

ALBERT PENA/CAL SPORT MEDIA/NEWSCOM

UPDATE: Supervisory Role Joe Crawford continues to be involved with the NBA’s officiating department as a supervisor. Crawford now works closely with Mike Bantom, executive vice president of referee operations, and Bob Delaney, vice president referee operations development and performance.

Crawford observes the league’s active referees either in person or via video. “It’s been very busy, but that’s good,” Crawford said. “It keeps me close to officiating, so everything is wonderful.”

ACC and Big South Conference, he provided rules analysis for ESPN and NBC Sports.

Julie Johnson — The longtime high school, college, national and international softball umpire from Alexandria, Ind., died April 28, 2016. She was 58. Johnson, an umpire since 1976, served as head clinician and rules interpreter for the Indiana High School Athletic Association for 26 years.

Johnson was inducted into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame in 2011. She worked nine ASA championships, including six women’s majors. In 2006, she was appointed to the ASA National Umpire Staff as the deputy supervisor of umpires. Johnson umpired 14 NCAA championships

in Divisions I, II and III. She also umpired the 1996 Olympics.

Dan Pedersen — Pedersen of San Diego, a longtime baseball umpire and supervisor of umpires for the Western Athletic Conference, died April 18, 2016. He was 57.

Pedersen worked as a minor league umpire from 1978-80. In college baseball, he worked 19 D-I regionals, three super regionals and five College World Series.

Bruce Littrell — The director of professional officiating for the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) and an umpire with the organization for close to 30 years, died in Orlando, Fla., on July 11, 2016. He was 61.

Littrell was a certified gold-badge chief umpire.

John Adams — The secretaryeditor of the NCAA Football Rules Committee from 1991-2008 died June 21, 2016, at the age of 93.

Adams was involved in football as a player, official, coach and administrator. Adams officiated in the Western Athletic (WAC) and Big Eight (Big 12) conferences for 20 years. He was the WAC coordinator of officials from 196893.

Art Demmas — Demmas, who made his mark as a player, official and scholar, died Aug. 6, 2016. He was 82. Demmas began officiating in 1958 and was hired by the SEC the next year. He joined the NFL staff as an umpire in 1968.

He earned four Super Bowl assignments (XIII, XVII, XXV and

XXVIII) as well as five NFC or AFC Championship games.

PRO TRANSITIONS CONCACAF — The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) named former MLS referee Brian Hall as director of officiating. Hall, 54, previously held the post for three years starting in December 2010. He left because of a desire to remain in New York City rather than relocate to Miami, which was required at the time.

Most recently, he was match official development manager for the Professional Referees Organization (PRO). Hall was a FIFA referee for 15 years until 2007. He was a referee at the

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STORIES THAT MATTERED

Unions Unite

to Object to Suspension Reduction Professional officiating unions showed an unprecedented unified stance against an independent arbiter’s decision in mid-March to reduce the suspension of Calgary Flames defensiveman Dennis Wideman for a vicious check to the back of linesman Don Henderson during a Jan. 27, 2016, game. Arbiter James Oldman reduced the NHL’s suspension from 20 games to 10, citing Wideman’s concussed state and lack of disciplinary history. The NHL Officials Association (NHLOA), the NBA’s Referees Association and NFL Referees Association all issued statements against the ruling.

“The message in reducing the suspension that is sent to NHL players, as well as athletes all over the world, including children, is that the code of conduct toward officials has changed.

The NHLOA intends to take all steps necessary so that its members are protected in the future and ensure that this type of conduct by a player against an official never happens again,” NHL referee Dan O’Halloran, president of the NHLOA said as part of a written statement.

2002 World Cup and named MLS Referee of the Year in 2003, ’05, ’06 and ’07.

NBA — Byron Spruell, who played football at Notre Dame and was a leader with an international professional services company, is the NBA’s new president of league operations. Spruell, who began his duties Aug. 1, 2016, will oversee the basketball operations and referee operations departments. That includes the evaluation/training of referees.

WNBA — Longtime NBA executive and referee Don Vaden moved into a position as vice president of referee operations and director of officiating programs for the WNBA. The move, announced in April 2016, gives Vaden responsibility for the WNBA’s officiating staff. He will also continue to serve as a member of the NBA Referee Operations staff, where he has been for more than 10 years.

Vaden worked for 15 seasons as an NBA referee.

AMATEUR TRANSITIONS NCAA — Steve Shaw, coordinator of football officials for the Southeastern (SEC) and Sun Belt conferences, is now the NCAA Football Rules Committee’s secretary-rules editor. Shaw began a four-year term Sept. 1, 2016. Shaw has served on the NCAA Football Rules Editorial Subcommittee since 2013 and has chaired the CCA mechanics manual committee since 2011.

Shaw officiated college football for 21 years, including 15 in the SEC. Notable assignments included the 2000 and 2005 BCS national championship games, three Rose Bowls, two Fiesta Bowls and the Orange Bowl. He also officiated four SEC championship games.

Secretary-Rules Editor Rogers Redding on Shaw “Steve Shaw is an excellent choice,” Redding said. “He has demonstrated over the years a good knowledge of the rules and will be an effective addition to the rules-making process.”

FOUR

Dan Capron

Refuses to Sign Bowl Contract

Big Ten football referee Dan Capron, a Chicago attorney who specializes in worker’s compensation issues, was assigned to officiate the 2016 Cactus Bowl, but he refused to sign the contract after he saw language that put bowl officials at risk. Included in the contract was that an official was responsible for any judgment that might be entered against the bowl game including attorney’s fees and the costs of litigation.

Even though Capron wasn’t able to work the game, his stand brought about change. The Football Bowl Association after the season contacted the 10 conferences and asked them to modify their standard contracts. Nine agreed to a plan under which conferences now pay the officials and bill the bowl for their services.

Referee Dan Capron didn’t work a January 2016 bowl game because he refused to sign the contract.

Mid-Eastern Athletic — The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced on April 28, 2016, the hiring of Taiqua Stewart as the coordinator of women’s basketball officials. Stewart began officiating in the MEAC in 1994-95 and has worked 15 MEAC tournaments. She has officiated games in the NCAA D-I, II and III championships and the Women’s NIT.

Pac-12 — The Pac-12 Conference named Joan Powell as its coordinator of women’s volleyball officiating. She previously served as the NCAA national coordinator of volleyball officials from 201116. Powell was also president of the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials for five terms.

Atlantic 10 — The Atlantic 10 Conference announced June 29, 2016, the hiring of Debbie Williamson as the women’s basketball coordinator of officials. Williamson served as the NCAA secretary-rules editor from 2006-14 and as the national coordinator of officials

RICKY STYRON/ZUMAPRESS/NEWSCOM

THREE

from 2012-14. She is also the coordinator of officials for the American Athletic and the Big East conferences.

Western Athletic — The Western Athletic Conference announced July 12, 2016, the hiring of Dave Yeast as the coordinator of baseball umpires. Yeast, who served as the NCAA national coordinator of baseball umpires from 19962008, recently concluded his first season as coordinator of baseball umpiring for the Pac-12 and the Big West conferences.

AHSAA — Mark Jones, who served as the director of recreation sports for Jacksonville State University for 32 years, joined the Alabama High School Athletic Association on July 25, 2016, as an assistant director overseeing officials. Jones has officiated high school basketball, football and baseball for 30 years and spent eight years officiating NCAA women’s basketball.

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FIVE

Replay Focus

College football and other sports are expanding the use of instant replay. (From left) Jerry Magallanes and Jim Eckl

Increased in Sports

TED OPPEGARD

As part of an increased use of technology, sports are adding even more focus on replay. College Football Officiating (CFO) named Jim Blackwood as the first national director of instant replay. Blackwood most recently served as the instant replay coordinator for the Pac-12 Conference. He has more than 25 years of experience as a college conference coordinator of officials, 10 years as an NFL replay official and also worked as an onfield referee in college football.

The Atlantic Coast and the Southeastern conferences created new positions to oversee replay.

Ted Jackson, who served as an ACC onfield official for 28 years and then 11 years as an ACC replay official, will fill the position for the ACC, and Ben Oldham, who worked 24 bowl games either on the field or in the replay booth, was hired by the SEC. MLS and USL announced Aug. 12 the approval to experiment to with video assistant referees (VAR) during games to address clear errors with goals, penalty decisions, straight red cards and cases of mistaken identity.

ACHIEVEMENTS Boxing Hall — Marc Ratner, who previously served as executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2016. Ceremonies are set for June 12. Ratner, who has experience officiating football and basketball, joined the commission as an inspector in 1983. He was named interim executive director in 1992 and took the job permanently the next year. Ratner left the commission in 2006. He currently serves as vice president of regulatory affairs for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Boxing Referee Richard Steele on Ratner “(Ratner) did more for the state of boxing than anybody who has ever been in that position,” Steele said. “Marc Ratner is the reason why Nevada is rated as the best state for boxing in the United States.

It’s because of Ratner and all the work that he put into it to regulate and make this a great boxing state.

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Jen Pawol — Pawol, 39, of Binghamton, N.Y., was hired to umpire in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and made her debut on June 24. 2016.

Pawol is the first female to work in the minors since 2007 and the seventh in history.

Pawol has been umpiring since 2006.

RETIREMENTS Veronica Perez — The U.S. Soccer assistant referee who worked the 2011 World Cup, announced in mid-January 2016 that she was retiring from the pitch. Perez has been an official for the past 19 years, including eight at the international level.

Andy McElman — The NHL linesman retired after finishing his 1,500th NHL game on April 3, 2016, at the United Center in Chicago. McElman, 54, of Crystal Lake, Ill., started his NHL career in 1993. McElman worked the 2000 playoffs, the outdoor game at Chicago’s

Wrigley Field in 2009, the 2002 All-Star Game and the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Rob Martell — Martell, 52, officiated his 1,000th and final NHL game on Jan. 2, 2016. The Winnipeg native made his debut in 1996.

He was the referee in two Turner Cup finals — the IHL’s championship — as well as the 1996 IHL All-Star Game.

Violet Palmer — Palmer, one of the NBA’s first two female referees, has retired after 19 seasons as an oncourt official. Palmer and Dee Kantner combined to break the NBA’s gender barrier in 1997. Palmer, 52, officiated 919 NBA games during her career. She was the first woman to oversee an NBA postseason game when she refereed a first-round Eastern Conference match-up in 2006.

She officiated nine postseason games in six seasons. Palmer is continuing her ties with the NBA as a manager in referee

operations. Palmer continues to serve as the director of women’s basketball officiating for the Pac-12 and West Coast conferences.

Former NBA Director of Officiating Ed Rush on Palmer “Violet had all the characteristics that you would look for in a trusted, believable official at the NBA level,” Rush said. “It was all there. It wasn’t very long that she wasn’t a ‘female’ official anymore. She was an NBA referee.

“She had a unique way of communicating and demonstrated a great deal of strength. She got very little pushback from the players compared to many first, second, third-year referees.

She carried herself in a very believable fashion.

“When people looked at her, they looked at someone who knew what they were going to do. It was easy to put her into challenging situations because you knew you could trust her.”

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STORIES THAT MATTERED

SIX

Consortium Model Grows in College Hoops

There has been a growing movement in men’s and women’s college basketball officiating toward the consortium model. In 2016, significant alliances were formed in men’s basketball. The Atlantic Coast and the Big East conferences announced on June 28 the formation of a Men’s Basketball Officiating Alliance. The Southeastern, American Athletic and Atlantic Sun conferences announced in late July the formation of a Men’s Basketball Officiating Consortium. The Horizon League announced on Aug. 3 that it’s joining the Men’s Basketball Collegiate Officiating Consortium, which includes the Summit League and the Big Ten, Metro Atlantic Athletic, Mid-American and Northern Sun Intercollegiate conferences. The Atlantic 10 and Colonial Athletic Association will also participate. The Big Sky Conference announced in mid-August that it was joining the Western Officiating Consortium, which includes the Pac-12, Mountain West, Big West, West Coast and Western Athletic conferences. The Missouri Valley Conference announced on Aug. 16 that it was joining Conference USA, the Big 12, Ohio Valley and Southland conferences.

honorable mention States Push for Background Checks Tennessee passed a law in April 2016 requiring all Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association officials to undergo criminal background checks. Illinois is trying to do the same. State lawmakers co-sponsored a bill that will make it mandatory for all Illinois High School Association athletic officials to undergo background checks. Legislation efforts in both states came because officials were discovered to not have provided information about past criminal violations.

College Players Suspended for Referee Attacks Two college players were suspended for attacks on officials during games in 2016.

Bernard Schirmer, a freshman football player from Mount San Antonio College received a fiveyear suspension for knocking out a line judge during a Sept. 10 game. Oregon State suspended basketball forward Jarmal Reid for four games in late January after Reid intentionally tripped referee Tommy Nunez Jr. during a Jan. 17 game at Utah.

International BOXING, Tennis Officials Suspended/Banned International officials in boxing and tennis were suspended or

banned for corruption. Amateur boxing’s governing body announced on Oct. 6, 2016, that all 36 referees and judges who worked the Rio Olympics were suspended pending a corruption investigation. The International Tennis Federation banned Kirill Parfenov of Kazakhstan for life for using Facebook to contact another official in an “attempt to manipulate the scoring of matches.” Uzbekistan umpires Sherzod Hasanov and Arkhip Molotyagin were banned for betting-related offenses. Denis Pitner of Croatia was banned 10 years for working at tournaments without telling organizers he had been suspended for betting offenses.

MLB, Premier League Crack Down on Behavior Both MLB and the Premier League, the English professional soccer league, sent messages to participants in July 2016 to cease inappropriate behavior.

MLB managers received a warning to stop using video to argue balls and strikes.

The Premier League issued a warning that match officials would be taking a harder line on behavior of managers and players, particularly foul language.

Mayor Charged With Battery Monee, Ill., Mayor Jay Farquhar turned himself in after he was charged with two counts

of felony aggravated battery in August 2016 for allegedly punching umpire Tim Nelson during a baseball game for 7- and 8-year-olds. Farquhar was freed after posting bond.

Farquhar, 50, says that he acted in self-defense when he struck Nelson while Farquhar was coaching. Nelson, 57, of Richton Park, Ill., needed surgery to repair his jaw.

NFL, CFL Announce Officiating DEVELOPMENT Program The NFL and Canadian Football League (CFL) announced in late April 2016 that the leagues will work together on the development of officials. The NFL-CFL Officiating Development Program sent NFL officials — primarily deep wing officials (side judges and field judges) — to work as part of CFL crews during preseason and regularseason games in June and July. CFL officials joined the NFL’s Officiating Development Program, which provides training in all aspects of NFL officiating.

College Hockey Referee Dies After Injury During Warmups NCAA hockey referee Oliver “Butch” Mousseaux died March 25, 2016, a week after suffering a tragic accident on the ice during the warmups of Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Final Five

match-up between Ferris State and Michigan Tech at Van Andel Arena. He was 48. Mousseaux, of Erie, Colo., tripped, fell and hit his head on the ice. He was skating with his hands in his pockets and wasn’t wearing a helmet. Helmets were only required during the game. Since the accident, WCHA officials have been required to wear helmets during warmups as well as the game.

N.J. Officials Assaulted in Locker Room After a Feb. 7, 2016, high school hockey game in New Jersey between Manalapan and Howell, a parent burst into the referees’ room and punched 25-year referee David Brown; another parent grabbed Brown and partner Sal Bianco Sr. by the throat, according to reports.

Both referees were taken to the hospital for treatment. Brown filed a complaint of simple assault, and the parents involved were barred from attending school events.

Referee Magazine Turns 40 A special August issue marked Referee magazines’ 40th anniversary with more than 32 extra pages, notable congratulatory advertising and a bunch of extra feature articles.

Referee, a monthly magazine on officiating founded in 1975, is the only magazine written by officials, for officials. *

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PROFILES

PERSONALITIES PLUS

By Todd Korth

M

ike Meier has umpired a number of notable table tennis tournaments around the world, including the 2015 Toronto Parapan American Games, 2014 Tokyo World Team Table Tennis Championships, and 2010 Singapore Inaugural Youth Olympic Games. But his assignment late last summer to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2016 Summer Paralympics was perhaps the most intense tournament that he has ever umpired.

Mike Meier of San Diego was the only U.S. official selected to umpire table tennis at the 2016 Summer Paralympics Sept. 7-18 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“The Rio Paralympics definitely received more worldwide attention than any other tournament I’ve participated in,” said Meier of San Diego. “Because of that, I definitely felt the pressure of the world’s spotlight, the precision of the HD cameras, and the watching eyes of the spectators, coaches and even my umpire peers around the world critiquing my every move.”

Meier, 34, was the only American umpire assigned to the Rio Paralympics. A Blue Badge International Umpire through the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), he earned the certification to be eligible to officiate at the

Paralympics in June 2015. He has been an international umpire since 2010 and an umpire through USA Table Tennis since 2005. Meier launched his officiating career at Texas Wesleyan University while completing his MBA. The school has a storied table tennis program with full-time coaching, athletic facilities and travel budget.

“In table tennis, it’s an opportunity you maybe get once in your life, if not at all,” Meier said.

Meier left for Rio last Sept. 4 and returned Sept. 19. Singles events were held Sept. 8-13 and team events Sept.

14-17.

The Paralympics consisted of athletes from 175 countries who competed in 23 sports and 526 events.

Table tennis showcased 275 athletes from 48 countries in individual and team events. Table tennis competitors are grouped based on their level of disability: wheelchair classes 1-5, standing classes 6-10, intellectual disability class 11.

“Riocentro Pavilion 3, where table tennis was hosted, had a capacity for 7,000 spectators,” said Meier, “and Brazilian spectators are by far the loudest I’ve ever heard. There were matches, especially when the Brazilian athletes were playing, that it felt like I was in a loud soccer stadium.”

Meier worked with umpires from all over the globe, including a few who he has teamed with in the past. “I umpired with officials from Russia, Singapore, Japan, Egypt, as well as Brazil,” he said.

Meier watched other sports as well. “I watched 8-foot-1 Iran sitting volleyball player Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, the tallest Paralympian ever, complete his story of going from outcast and hermit, to gold medalist and superstar,” Meier said.

“I’ve umpired tournaments all over the world, but after Rio, I can say my umpire career is complete,” he said.

Todd Korth is a Referee associate editor and multi-sport official. £

Educator Is Honored Richard Benson Age: 84 Peotone, Ill.

Richard Benson spent 63 years as an educator, including 42 years as a football, baseball and basketball referee.

Illinois State University’s College of Education focused on his career as an educator and civil servant and inducted Benson into its Hall of Fame on Oct. 7, 2016.

He retired from Peotone schools in 1989 and from officiating in 1996.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes (in officiating),” Benson says. “I can remember when we only had three (football) referees. We didn’t have flags. The referee had a whistle, and the head linesman and umpire used horns. In the JV games we only had two (officials, referee and head linesman). We’ve come a long ways.”

SOURCE: DAILY-JOURNAL.COM (KANKAKEE VALLEY, ILL.)

Green and Growing Quickly Jordan Shilt Age: 18 Nogales, Ariz.

Jordan Shilt is off to a great start with his baseball umpiring career.

Since he began calling balls and strikes, Shilt has been named Volunteer Umpire of the Year in 2013, umpired the Juniors State Baseball and Majors Softball in 2014 and has umpired in the Arizona District 8 games for five years. Shilt has also participated in district and regional umpire clinics and attended an MLB umpire clinic in Phoenix. Last summer he worked the Western Regional Tournament, the youngest umpire ever to reach that level of competition in the region.

Shilt grew up playing baseball, but after breaking his arm when he was 13, he took up umpiring as a way to stay in the game.

SOURCE: NOGALES (ARIZ.) INTERNATIONAL

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE MEIER

Meier Paddles to Rio

Send info to us at profiles@referee.com

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/ A L L L E V E L S /// A L W A Y S T H E R E F O R Y O U A L L S P O R T S //

Who’s Looking Out for Assigners? s officials we talk a lot about the need for liability insurance.

Few of us would take responsibility for a game without some sort of liability coverage, whether it’s the premier coverage NASO members automatically receive as part of their membership or liability coverage that a state association might provide for officials working high school games in that state.

But very few people talk about providing insurance protections for the men and women who take responsibility for assigning those officials to games. In the officiating industry, assigners are often dangerously exposed to liability and may not even realize it.

Just a few seasons ago in New York a basketball referee was demoted by his college assigner based on observations and evaluations. The referee sued the assigner and the case went to court.

The assigner soon realized his college conference would not provide any help to him or to an observer who was also named in the suit. The assigner hired an attorney at his own expense on behalf of himself and his observer.

Unfortunately the assigner was insured for up to $50,000. not an NASO member at the time That $50,000 protection is in of the occurrence. If he had been a addition to NASO’s premium $3 member, he would million per have been eligible occurrence for the unique liability insurance JOIN OR RENEW TODAY assigners coverage protections, Go to our website at naso.org/ NASO provides which provides JoinRenew and make sure your to every member, excess coverage membership is current. Or just write, which would have for claims for phone, fax or e-mail us at: covered the cost of bodily injury, National Association of Sports Officials his attorney. property damage 2017 Lathrop Ave., Racine, WI 53405 That protection and personal is referred to injury during Phone: 262-632-5448 as “Assigners your officiating Fax: 262-632-5460 and Game Call” activities, E-mail: naso@naso.org insurance and it including working We’ll send you the necessary comes free as a games, running or membership information by return mail. benefit of NASO attending camps membership. The and clinics or insurance provides $50,000 coverage assigning activities. specifically to protect assigners and If you do any assigning work assigning activity. That means that whatsoever, you can’t afford not to if you are an assigner or performing carry the protections provided by the duties of an assigner, and you NASO membership. * are sued because an official claims you discriminated against him or her, under most insurance policies JOIN coverage would be denied as bodily injury or property damage was not Attention Referee involved. With NASO protection, Magazine Subscribers: TO DAY assigners acting in good faith are Attention Referee Magazine

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FOOTBALL

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Per NFHS mechanics, Phil Christensen, Mountlake Terrace, Wash., explains penalty options to a captain. If the enforcement is complicated, the referee may want to get the coach involved in the decision. In college ball, the referee is empowered to make obvious decisions without consulting the captain.

ACCEPT OR DECLINE?

By George Demetriou

W

hen a foul occurs, the offended team usually has two options: either accept or decline the penalty. In the vast majority of cases, the choice is obvious. There are several types of fouls which will always be accepted.

One example is a dead-ball foul.

Since the replay of a down is not in

question, the distance is gratis. There is no reason for a team to decline the penalty. Of course, there are rare exceptions.

Fouls after a change of possession via a kickoff, punt, interception or fumble are similar to dead-ball fouls in that there is no down to replay.

The interests of the game are best served by immediately walking those

off. If there is more than one foul against the same team, the referee can easily figure out which penalty will yield the greatest benefit to the offended team.

Fouls that negate scores, turnovers and first downs are also simple, as are “tack-on” fouls. A tack-on foul is a live-ball foul that adds yardage to the end of a play. Examples include a

DALE GARVEY

Multiple Choices Can Complicate Enforcement

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defensive facemask foul on a running play and roughing the passer on a completed pass.

It would be most unusual for a team to not want a penalty that carries loss of down or an automatic first down. There are many other situations in which acceptance of the penalty is obvious. One example is pass interference on an incomplete pass. Declination of a penalty can also be a palpable choice, such as when a play results in a first down and the penalty would not.

There are situations that can occur where there are three or more options. It is essential that the referee recognize the choices and explain them carefully. Of course, it’s possible that there will still be an obvious choice, but if the referee were to overlook the best alternative, it would be an egregious error.

Play 1: Team K’s kickoff from its 40 yardline is touched at team K’s 49 yardline by K8 who had returned inbounds after going out of bounds on his own. The ball is untouched by team R when it goes out of bounds at team R’s 29 yardline.

Under NFHS rules, there are five choices. Team R may: • Have team K re-kick from its 35 yardline (penalty acceptance for a free kick out of bounds).

• Have team K re-kick from team K’s 25 yardline (penalty acceptance for illegal participation).

• Take the ball, first and 10 at its 35 yardline (penalty acceptance for a free kick out of bounds).

• Take the ball at its 29 yardline (result of the play).

• Take the ball at team K’s 49 yardline (spot of first touching).

Under NCAA rules, there are also five choices. Team R may: • Have team K re-kick from its 35 yardline (penalty acceptance for a free kick out of bounds or team K player out of bounds).

• Take the ball, first and 10 at its 30 yardline (penalty acceptance for a free kick out of bounds).

• Take the ball at its 29 yardline (result of the play).

• Take the ball at team K’s 49 yardline (spot of first touching).

• Take the ball at its 34 yardline

(penalty for the out-of-bounds player, which is enforced from where the ball belongs to team R).

Play 2: First and 10 for team A from team B’s 45 yardline. The game is tied. During the last timed down of the fourth quarter, B2 intercepts a pass at his 10 yardline and runs to his 30 yardline, where A4 pulls him down by the facemask. During B2’s run, B3 blocked low at the 20 yardline.

There are three possibilities, but the prerogatives of the teams differ between the two codes. Because team B was in possession of the ball when the play ended, it has the first choice.

Until team B chooses, team A has no options.

Under NFHS rules, team B can only choose to accept or decline the penalty for A4’s facemask foul.

If team B accepts, team A can also accept the penalty for B3’s illegal block. The fouls would then offset and the down replayed. If team B declines the penalty for A4’s facemask foul, team A can either accept or decline the penalty for B3’s illegal block. If team A accepts, team B would have a first down at its 10 yardline and the period would be extended with an untimed down.

If team A declines the penalty for B3’s illegal block, the game goes to overtime.

In NCAA, where a normal kickoff is from team K’s 35 yardline, team B may choose offsetting fouls, which would extend the period with an untimed down. Team A would have no say in the matter.

If team B declines offsetting fouls, team A can either accept or decline the penalty for B3’s illegal block. If team A accepts, team B would have a first down at its 10 yardline and the period would be extended with an untimed down. If team A declines the penalty for B3’s illegal block, the game goes to extra periods.

Play 3: Fourth and 10 from team K’s 20 yardline. K3’s punt is high and K4 bumps into R1 at team R’s 45 yardline. R1 muffs the ball but R2 recovers and advances to team K’s 42 yardline. Team K had five players in the backfield at the snap.

In NFHS, Team R may:

SURVEY SAYS …

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel polled readers on the question, “Which overtime format is better — the one used in the NFL or the one used in college football?” The results, with 361 responses:

College football - 76% nfl - 24%

THEY SAID IT “You have a bunch of rocket scientists writing rules for a simple game. Like I said before, they say they ask coaches and players about rules and rule changes but they really don’t take what they say into account because the game is entirely too difficult to officiate.”

— Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks defensive back

BY THE NUMBERS On Oct. 30, 2016, the Oakland Raiders set a single-game NFL record by having 23 penalties accepted by the opponent. In addition, Tampa Bay declined three penalties and another foul was offset by a Buccaneer penalty. A breakdown of the accepted penalties:

4 Unnecessary roughness 3 Offensive holding start, illegal use of 2 False hands, illegal formation, 12

men on the field

intentional 1 Taunting, grounding, defensive holding,

delay of game, offensive pass interference, ineligible downfield, defensive pass interference, illegal block

REFEREE February 2017 |

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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 at team K’s five yardline. K1 is standing in his end zone when he punts. The ball crosses the neutral zone and strikes R2 in the helmet at team K’s eight yardline. The ball then rebounds back into team K’s end zone, where K1 recovers it and carries it to team K’s 10 yardline. a. First and 10 for team K at team K’s 10 yardline. b. Touchback. First and 10 for team K at team K’s 20 yardline. c. Safety. Team K will free kick at team K’s 20 yardline.

2. Team K punts on fourth and 12 at team K’s 25 yardline. Team K is flagged for an illegal shift. R1 makes a fair catch at team R’s 40 yardline.

During the kick, R2 blocks below the waist at team R’s 45 yardline. a. Offsetting fouls — no option. b. If team R refuses offsetting fouls (NCAA) or declines the penalty for team K’s foul (NFHS), the accepted penalty for blocking below the waist is enforced at the end of the kick, team R’s 40 yardline. c. If team R refuses offsetting fouls, the accepted penalty for blocking below the waist is enforced at the spot of the foul, team R’s 45 yardline. d. The initial option lies with team K to accept or decline the penalty for the foul by R2.

3. After K1 is the first to touch a punt beyond the neutral zone at team R’s 30 yardline, R2 recovers at team R’s 25 yardline. R2 fumbles at team R’s 35 yardline. While the ball is loose, R3 clips at team R’s 40 yardline. K4 recovers and carries the ball across team R’s goalline. a. The illegal touching and the clipping offset and the down is repeated. b. First and 10 for team R at team R’s 30 yardline, the spot of the illegal touching. c. The touchdown counts and the penalty for R3’s clipping foul is enforced either on the try or the succeeding kickoff.

4. Right guard A1 catches a forward pass behind the neutral zone. The penalty is: a. Five yards and a loss of down. b. Loss of down only. c. Five yards only.

• Have team K replay the down from the 10 yardline (penalty acceptance for kick-catch interference).

• Replay the down from team K’s 15 yardline (penalty acceptance for illegal formation).

• Take the ball, first and 10 at its 40 yardline (penalty acceptance for kick-catch interference).

• Take the ball at team K’s 42 yardline (result of the play).

Under NCAA rules, team R may: • Have team K replay the down from its 15 yardline (penalty acceptance for illegal formation).

• Take the ball, first and 10 at its 40 yardline (penalty acceptance for kick-catch interference).

• Take the ball at team K’s 42 yardline (result of the play).

Finally, here are a couple of

situations which may seem obvious, but maybe not so. The penalty for a team B foul on a try will move the ball to the 1-1/2 yardline. If team A is not considering going for two points, it may very well want to stick to its normal routine and kick from the spot from which it has practiced a thousand times.

Another scenario involves a fourth-down play when the offense commits a delay of game foul (perhaps intentionally) when it is just out of field-goal range. The strategy is to have five more yards to avoid the touchback and punt the ball out of bounds deep in team R’s territory.

The opponents may be aware of the strategy and thus decline the penalty.

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

You Must Remember D’s

By Jon Bible

T

exas has Big D (as in Dallas) and a successful football team has a good D (as in defense). Steve Shaw, coordinator of football officials for the Southeastern Conference, has a list of qualities starting with D that, if employed, can help any official improve. I thought I’d pass them along.

Desire. Without a desire to improve, we won’t be willing to do the little things and invest the time it takes to get to the top of the heap.

I plow through the rulebook and casebook and watch training videos week after week from late spring through the end of the season. I figure if I don’t stay ahead, I’ll fall behind.

Early in my football career, I did what I minimally could to get by.

Somewhere in the late ’70s a couple of veteran officials woke me up to the fact that I was selling everyone short — myself, crewmates, players and coaches — with my laissez-fare attitude. Once I “got religion,” I got after it in terms of rules study and attitude, and I did a 180-degree turn so that I came to feel it is a crime to go out on the field ill-prepared. Because

I had been there myself, it was easy to recognize when others didn’t have the desire to be the best they could be; that they really didn’t give a damn showed in their attitude and work.

Two other aspects of desire deserve attention. Over the years I’ve encountered officials who had the skill set to get into the collegiate ranks, but for whatever reason were never able to catch the break they needed to get a foot in the door. Some handled it well and did the best they could at the levels where they worked.

Others, however, were so eaten up by their failure to move up that they did little more than put in the time.

They gave a half-assed effort, devoted no time to preparation, sat through meetings absorbing nothing, marking time until they could go to the beer joint and bored everyone to tears with their “woe is me” attitude. If objective self-analysis leads you to see that might describe you, I suggest an attitude adjustment. Be thankful for what you have and devote yourself to being the best you can be at that level, especially given that our onfield careers end all too quickly. Or do everyone a favor and just quit.

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At the other end of the spectrum, some folks have no desire to go beyond a certain level, be it high school or Pop Warner. To not have loftier goals is fine, but it can’t be an excuse for not preparing to do the best job at that level. The participants at every level deserve our best, not the 50 percent effort of the guy (or gal) who’s content to be a lifer and thinks it’s OK to just go through the motions.

Dedication. Desire and dedication go hand in hand. Dedication means attending clinics, watching videos of plays you’ll see at your position, dissecting rules and interpretations and staying in shape year-round, not just running a few sprints in the weeks before the season starts.

Many college and pro officials get together regularly in study groups in the offseason, and some have become “video junkies” because they are always watching videos of

correct and incorrect foul calls and solid (and not-so-solid) mechanics.

Video is so ubiquitous now that anyone with even a modest amount of want-to can find some, and there is no better way to learn. Yes, I realize that there is more exposure and compensation at the college and pro levels and thus more of an incentive to be so thorough in preparation.

But the aspiring official or the one who just wants to take his game to the next level regardless of where he is working would do well to adopt the year-round-nose-in-thebook-and-video approach taken by top-shelf officials. That will pay huge dividends in terms of your performance as well as the prospects of your moving up the ladder.

Deliberation. It’s trite but true to say that when we’re working a game we have to concentrate 100 percent on each play. We can’t take a play off.

I can’t tell you how many times I

have been in a game where someone, including myself, lost focus for a split second and we butchered a rule, were not ready for an onside kick, didn’t see a runner step out of bounds en route to a touchdown, etc.

In a game last season, the crew had a play where flags were down and once they worked their way to the point where the penalty was declined, no one had the correct spot. They ended up playing fourth and 10 rather than fourth and seven, which didn’t matter because team A was going to punt anyway. But in a different scenario, the mistake could have been a game-changer and negated everything good that the crew had done beforehand. Everyone forgot the principle of Officiating 101 that says that someone needs to hold the spot and if you have to leave it to report a foul, get someone else to hold it before you do.

In another game, a team was down

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FOOTBALL

CASEPLAYS ‘Covered’ Receiver Play: Team A’s line has five players numbered 50-79. A1 is a split end on one side of the line.

On the other side of the line, A2 is a tight end covered by split end A3. The split ends and tight end are wearing eligible numbers. Is the tight end eligible? Ruling: A2 could legally catch a backward pass, but not a forward pass (NFHS 7-2-5a, 7-4-2, 7-5-6; NCAA 7-1-4a-3, 7-2-2a, 7-3-3).

Foul in the End Zone Play: B1 intercepts a pass in team B’s end zone. While the ball is still in the end zone, B2 clips A3 in the end zone. B1 returns the ball to team B’s 10 yardline.

Ruling: The basic spot is the end of the run. Because the foul occurred behind the basic spot, and the spot of the foul is in team B’s end zone, team A will score a safety (NFHS 8-5-2c, 10-3-2, 10-4-4; NCAA 8-5-1b, 10-2-2c-3).

Knee Pads Play: Before the game, an official notices that team A’s receivers are not wearing knee pads. Ruling: According to NFHS rules, knee pads unaltered from the manufacturer’s original design/ production must be worn over the knee and under the pants (1-5-1d2). NCAA rules mandate that knee pads must be covered by pants.

It is strongly recommended that they cover the knees. No pads or protective equipment may be worn outside the pants (1-4-4d).

Punt Problems Play: Fourth and 10 on team K’s 30 yardline. R2 attempts to catch K1’s short punt at team K’s 40 yardline, but instead muffs it.

The loose ball is recovered by K3 at team K’s (a) 35 yardline, or (b) 28 yardline. Ruling: In NFHS, situation (a) results in the ball being declared dead when team K gets possession. Team K will have the ball, first and 10 at its own 35 yardline. However, in (b), team K may advance it. Team K will have a first down whether or not K3 advances beyond the line to gain.

Under NCAA rules, in both cases, the ball is dead when team K gets possession and will have the ball at the spot of the recovery for a new series (NFHS 4-2-2f, 6-2-3, 6-2-4; NCAA 4-1-3e, 6-3-3).

by a touchdown and driving with slightly more than two minutes left. A seemingly innocuous off-tackle play gained a first down. The Southeastern Conference uses the crewcommunication system, so I heard the defensive coach ask an official on the field if replay was looking at that play upstairs. We called the TV producer to ask for different angles and, sure enough, the ball was loose before the runner was down. The runner and ball rolled over. There was no scrum like there usually is on a fumble, so it never caught my attention. I stopped the game and we ended up awarding the ball to the defense, which ran out the clock. Had it not been for the crew-com system, my momentary lack of focus might have cost that team a victory.

One last word about concentration. I’ve written before about the fact that I think officials — especially young, eager ones — err if they grab every game they can.

That can have an adverse effect on family lives. I’ve seen divorces result from guys always being on a field somewhere. But I don’t think there’s any way we can maintain the concentration level we need if we work virtually every day of the week.

Determination. The will to improve every day. Even those of us who have been doing that awhile will never achieve perfection. It’s an unattainable goal. I’m still waiting to be in that “perfect game,” and I know I’ll still be waiting the day I retire. But we can’t afford to let that realization prevent us from having the attitude that we can always get better.

Pro and college officials study rules and mechanics and watch videos year-round. During the season they take weekly rules quizzes. The crews meet the night before their game to go over the written critique of the previous game and watch selected plays in which they might have done things better. Usually the referee has done his own tape review even before the grader has.

Often a crewmember shows film clips highlighting offensive and defensive tendencies of the teams playing the next day. On game day the officials spend roughly two

hours watching the training tape and reviewing their responsibilities. They discuss kicks, passing and running plays, etc., as well as communication with the sidelines, how to handle measurements and sundry other things that will help them turn in a solid performance that day.

Time constraints may prevent officials at other levels from going about things that intensely, but there is no reason why you can’t do a lot of those things. If you’re in crews, you likely can get video of games you’ve worked and pick them apart. Develop quizzes to take every week (or get them elsewhere) and work them through individually or together. Talk with other officials or use other sources to learn the tendencies of the teams you’ll be officiating so that you’ll be better prepared. The goal of all of that effort is to try to get just a little bit better, individually and as a crew.

If you stay stationary, you move backward.

Defendable. Call the stuff that matters. No ticky-tack foul calls that have no material effect on the play.

Now, I admit that what qualifies as a quality foul may not always be readily apparent, especially to younger officials. But that needs to be the goal.

I’ve always said that to be called, a foul should be so obvious that my wife, who doesn’t know if the ball is pumped or stuffed, should be able to spot it. When in doubt, err on the side of not throwing a flag. The exception is when player safety is involved. In that case, the converse is true. One of the few black-and-whites in officiating is that the participants will forgive a flag not thrown when it should have been rather than they will a “phantom call” (a flag thrown that shouldn’t have been).

The only way that we can turn in the kind of performance that should be our goal is by preparing as thoroughly as we can, concentrating 100 percent from start to finish and having the guts to do what’s right.

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

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Thinking

Outside the Box

The fellow in the blue polo shirt emoting about the Cowboys having scored a touchdown in this 2013 game is none other than Jason Garrett. Since Garrett is head coach of the Cowboys, his joy is not surprising. The fact he is expressing himself at the five yardline is notable, however.

Having seen a number of coaches meandering down the sideline led the NFL Competition Committee to issue a point of emphasis for 2016. Coaches leaving the team area for reasons other than to get the attention of an official to call a timeout or issue a challenge, or to check on the welfare of an injured player, were to be penalized 15 yards.

NFHS and NCAA rules also address the issue of team personnel outside the team areas.

According to NFHS rule 9-8-3, a nonplayer shall not be outside his team box unless to become a player or to return as a replaced player. A maximum of three coaches may be in the restricted area (the two-yard belt between the sideline and the team box), but that area must be clear when the ball is live. It’s a warning for the first violation, a fiveyard penalty for the second and a 15-yard penalty for subsequent violations.

In NCAA, when the ball is in play, the “white area” between the sideline and the coaching line must be free of all coaches and other team personnel. Coaches may be in that area only when the ball is dead. There is a second two-yard belt in front of the team box specifically for coaches. It’s a warning for the first violation; a five-yard delay-ofgame penalty from the succeeding spot for the second and third violations; and a team 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from the succeeding spot with an automatic first down for team B fouls for the fourth and any subsequent instances (9-2-5 Pen.).

Mark Hittner, Kansas City

BILL NICHOLS

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EDITOR: JUSTIN MARIEN

jmarien@referee.com

RULES, MECHANICS, PHILOSOPHY

Rookie officials might be intimated by procedural things, such as a coin toss and pregame conference. When working with partners, the rookie official can lean on the experienced officials to help guide those areas. In situations where the rookie official will be working solo, the official may want to chat with a mentor prior to the game. (From left) Sya Magee, Seattle, Dan Comption, Redmond, Wash., and Thad Hoover, Bothell, Wash.

INTO THE FIRE

By Don Muenz

Y

ball is kicked at the taking of a penalty kick. They monitor substitutions and enter the field to enforce the required distance or to assist during massconfrontation situations.

The crew should arrive at the field no later than 30 minutes before kickoff to inspect the field, goals, nets, players’ equipment and match balls.

The referee has discretion to take action according to the Laws of the Game (LOTG) and the “spirit of the game.”

The referee’s decision on points of fact, including whether a goal was

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ou just passed the exam(s). Now, as a rookie official, how can you translate that knowledge into judgment and action on the pitch?

Who and what: Laws 5 and 6. As referee, you are responsible for the match. Laws 5 and 6 are the blueprint for building the match on the pillars: safety, equality and enjoyment.

The referee controls the match in cooperation with assistant referees (ARs), Law 6. Assistants are vital,

allowing the crew to function with a minimum of intrusion into what is the players’ game.

ARs assist in accordance with the referee’s prematch instructions, but the final decision is the referee’s. ARs indicate fouls or misconduct for which they have a clearer view.

ARs indicate when the ball has completely left the field, which team is entitled to a throw-in, corner kick or goalkick, when offside should be penalized and when the goalkeeper moves from the goalline before the

DALE GARVEY

The Very First Laws to Know

COURTESY OF PRO

scored and the match’s result, are final.

The referee can only change a decision before the ensuing restart, which is why a caution or send-off during an advantage situation must be given before the restart and why the referee must double check with both assistants and, if applicable, the fourth official, before whistling for the kickoff after a goal. Once there has been a restart, nothing that happened before it can be changed. The referee also cannot change a decision after termination of the match or after signaling the end of any half and leaving the field.

The referee is timekeeper and scorekeeper, filing any required report.

The referee may allow play to continue where the offended team benefits and penalize the original violation where advantage does not materialize within two to three seconds. This is the anticipated advantage.

The referee may discipline from entry of the field for prematch inspection, through leaving the field at the end of the match.

The referee may expel team officials for irresponsible behavior in the technical area and take appropriate action for lesser misconduct.

The referee must act on the advice of other officials concerning incidents the referee has not seen, e.g. a player punches an opponent behind play.

The referee must indicate and supervise restarts.

The referee allows play to continue if a player is slightly injured, but stops play if a player is seriously injured.

When uncertain of the severity, especially at the younger levels, play should be stopped immediately.

The referee prohibits entry of the field by unauthorized persons.

The referee immediately suspends play on hearing thunder or seeing lightning and resumes play only in accordance with the rules of the competition, state or local law.

Law 12: Misdemeanors, high crimes and capital offenses. A free kick may be given only for an offense or infringement committed while the ball is in play. A restart cannot be changed due to what occurs while the ball is out of play.

An offense involving handling or

contact with an opponent is penalized by a direct free kick or penalty kick.

The severity of the following fouls is judged as: careless (a simple foul), reckless (cautionable because committed with disregard for danger to, or consequences for, the opponent) or with excessive force (a send-off where necessary force is exceeded and opponent’s safety is endangered): tripping or attempt, kicking or attempt, striking or attempt, charging, jumping at, pushing, tackling or challenging.

For handling, holding, impeding with contact or spitting at, mere commission of the foul is sufficient.

Indirect-free-kick offenses involve no contact: dangerous play (must endanger opponent or offender or prevent opponent’s playing the ball due to fear of injury to self or offender); impeding without contact; preventing goalkeeper’s release of ball; kicking ball (or attempt) when goalkeeper attempts to release it; any offense not mentioned in LOTG where play is stopped to caution or send-off; goalkeeper controls ball for more than six seconds (verbally warn before blowing the whistle); goalkeeper retouches ball with the hand after releasing it to play and before it is touched by another player; goalkeeper touches with the hand a ball deliberately kicked by a teammate or thrown directly to goalkeeper by a teammate.

In FIFA, only a player, substitute or substituted player, may be carded. In NFHS and NCAA, a player, coach or team personnel can be carded.

Cautionable offenses: delaying the restart, dissent by word or action, entering, re-entering or leaving field of play without permission, except during normal course of play; failure to respect the required distance; persistent infringement of the LOTG (e.g., player commits several fouls within a short time, against the same opponent or several fouls of the same kind), unsporting behavior (e.g., reckless jumping at).

Mandatory cautions: feigning injury, foul simulation, changing places with goalkeeper during play or without referee’s permission, reckless directfree-kick offense, fouling or handling to interfere with or stop a promising attack; handling (successfully or not)

SIDELINE Championship Assignments The following crews received assignments during the fall 2016 soccer season for a variety of events: NWSL: Referee Matthew Franz with assistant referees Alicia Messer and Nick Urange. Fourth official Margaret Domka and reserve assistant referee Francisco Bermudez.

USL Cup Final: Referee Armando Villarreal with assistant referees Brian Dunn and Nick Uranga.

Fourth official Henrick Kalsson and fifth official Justen Lopez.

NASL Championship Final: Referee Allen Chapman with assistant referees Kyle Atkins and Cameron Blanchard. Fourth official Robert Sibiga and fifth official Eric Weisbrod.

SOURCES: PRO

SIDELINE Herrera Retires for CONCACAF Post First-year referee Jaime Herrera has retired from the MLS and PRO staffs. His onfield career closes with a new chapter as he takes over as the CONCACAF Refereeing Department Manager.

Herrera made five appearances in his first season on the referee list.

When asked about the decision, Herrera said, “While I will not whistle anymore, my passion for officiating and my love for the sport remains unchanged. I am extremely fortunate that I will be able to pursue those loves. …

Undoubtedly this represents for me one of the most important challenges of my life. It will be an honor to work for my Confederation, and to do it with the best referees in the area.

It will be a big challenge to help young referees achieve their dreams as I have achieved mine.

I am fully committed to them.”

SOURCES: PRO

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TEST YOURSELF Decide which answer or answers are correct for FIFA, NFHS or NCAA rules.

Solutions: p. 81.

1. After a pushing foul, team A will be awarded a penalty kick. What is the referee’s procedure thereafter? a. Whistle the foul and indicate to stop the clock, then point to the penalty spot. b. Whistle the foul and then point to the penalty spot. c. Whistle the foul, point to the penalty spot and then indicate to stop the clock. d. Whistle the foul while simultaneously pointing to the penalty spot and then indicate to stop the clock.

2. What is required of the referee’s pregame with coaching staffs? a. The referee is not required to introduce him- or herself to the coaches or hold a pregame meeting.

It is recommended to introduce yourself and address any concerns. b. It is recommended that the coaches introduce themselves, should they want to, to the officials. c. The officials and head coaches interact as they conduct a pregame conference about proper equipment and good sportsmanship. d. Communication typically coincides when game rosters are exchanged 30 minutes beforehand.

3. B9, unaware A4 is behind, attempts to bicycle a ball at shoulder height. A4, not seeing B9 prepare to kick, leans in to head the ball.

Contact occurs with the foot and head. a. No infraction. Restart with a dropped ball — since neither player knew what the other was about to do.

Stop play for any injuries, if needed. b. Award team A an indirect free kick — B9 made a dangerous play. c. Award team A a direct free kick — B9’s contact is a careless foul. d. A4 committed a reckless foul and should be issued a red card.

4. A1 takes a direct free kick from inside the penalty area and A6 plays the ball while the ball is still a yard inside the penalty area. A6 loses the ball to B9, who shoots and scores. a. A valid goal — no infringement. b. There is an infringement, but the referee should consider it a legal play (NFHS) or a trifling infringement (FIFA and NCAA) and allow B9 the goal. c. The referee must stop play, order a retake of the free kick and signal that no goal was scored. d. The referee must stop play, order a retake of the free kick, signal that no goal was scored and issue a red card to B9.

to score a goal, unsuccessful handling to prevent a goal, showing lack of respect for the game, verbal distraction of opponent during play or at a restart and improper goal celebration, such as pulling jersey off or over the head.

Capital offenses: Denial of a goal or obvious goal-scoring opportunity by handling; denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to opponent moving toward goal unless committed within the penalty area and penalty kick is awarded; offense is holding, pulling or pushing; offender does not attempt to play the ball or has no possibility of playing it or offense itself is punishable by a red card, such as serious foul play or violent conduct.

The referee must consider distance between offense and goal, general direction of play, likelihood of keeping or gaining possession of the ball, and location and number of defenders.

Serious foul play: a tackle or

challenge which endangers safety of an opponent or involves excessive force or brutality, including a lunge from any direction with one or both legs and which involves excessive force or endangers opponent’s safety.

Violent conduct: use or attempted use of excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against any person, regardless of whether contact was made. A player, when not challenging for the ball, who strikes an opponent or any person on the head or face with a hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct, unless force used was negligible.

That should make some sense of it.

Don Muenz, Columbus, Ohio, is a youth and high school soccer official and former college official. He is also a USSF instructor, high school assigner and president of the Licking County Soccer Officials Association Inc. £

Position Statement

By Gary LeMay

“B

e sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm,” said Abraham Lincoln.

President Lincoln was not talking about officiating when he made this statement, but the adage is just as true for officials as it is for politicians. As officiating success is literally tied to being in the right place at the right time, it seems natural to provide fledgling officials with as much guidance on this subject-matter as possible. Let us examine the phrases “normal patrol area” and “extreme position.”

Normal patrol area. There was once a time not too long ago when the caricature of the ideal referee was one who stepped on nearly every blade of grass on the field. Wherever play was on the field, our idealized referee would not be far away. Times have changed: Today’s players have better speed and aerobic capacity than their 1990s predecessors, prompting the international and national governing bodies to issue new guidelines on

referee positioning in recent years.

The recommended patrol area is from the top of each penalty-area line to approximately 10 yards from each touchline, as shown in MechaniGram A on p. 68. Does this mean that the referee cannot venture outside this area? Absolutely not! In the course of normal play, the referee should remain within the rectangle unless there is good reason to venture out of it. Positions outside the black box, whether inside or outside the field, are considered extreme positions, and referees are advised to avoid these areas unless the situation requires it.

Middle versus attacking. In MechaniGram A, the red lines divide the field (not the rectangle) into three equal pieces: a defensive third, a middle third, and an attacking third.

In the middle third of the field, a series of diagonal (yellow) lines are 10 yards apart, creating isosceles triangles (triangles with legs of equal length) on the longer and shorter sides of our rectangle. Whenever the ball is in one of the diagonal lanes, the referee should endeavor to be one lane over

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COURTESY OF PRO

from where the ball is. The referee may be positioned two lanes away from the ball in some scenarios, but the referee should never be three lanes away from the ball when play is in the middle third of the field. Maintaining a position in the lane adjacent to the lane in which the ball is helps ensure that the referee will not inadvertently have a negative impact on play or occupy space that the players need to formulate an attack or muster a proper defense. It also helps prevent the referee from getting hit by the ball or from getting bumped (intentionally or unintentionally) by a player challenging for the ball. The center circle is a prime transition zone for teams who attempt to build an attack from the back, therefore referees are advised to avoid passing through whenever possible or to move through it quickly when avoiding it is not practical (e.g. tracking a counter-attack).

Providing steadfast guidelines for officiating in the attacking third is nearly impossible because what occurs in this part of the field largely depends on the attacking team’s style of play.

An indirect attacking style, whereby the ball is passed to a winger who strives to serve the ball back into the middle, requires the referee to not only rely more on the lead AR, but also to take a wider position to see players making near- and far-post runs. On the other hand, consider a team utilizing the direct-attack approach, whereby a single player dribbles the ball toward goal from a central position or such as when a small group of attackers make several short, quick passes among themselves to achieve a shot on goal.

Scenarios such as these require the referee to take a more central approach.

As with the center circle, the penalty arc is space on the field that is frequently used by players. Attackers typically make runs through this space and often shoot from here; defenders often clear the ball through this space — with that, referees should avoid this area when possible.

The L and M guidelines. Officials should be mindful of the L and M guidelines when selecting what position to take. The “L” reminds us that, whenever possible, referees should be to the left of the ball, unless taking

5 MINUTES WITH HILARIO ‘CHICO’ GRAJEDA Officials are best served using a preventive officiating strategy.

Resides: Dayton, Ohio Occupation: Fitness center owner Experience: FIFA referee for MLS and PRO; made pro debut in 2004 in the MLS; MLS playoff official in 2006, 2011 and 2012; worked MLS Cup in 2011, 2012 and 2014 as fourth official and was the MLS Cup referee in 2013; worked the 2013 MLS All-Star game; selected the 2013 MLS Referee of the Year.

REFEREE: What does preventive officiating mean to you?

GRAJEDA: It is like a game of chess — anticipating the players’ movements and actions before it is too late, trying to get in their heads as the temperature of the game increases and trying to prevent some sort of an action that could lead to a deteriorating game.

REFEREE: How can preventive officiating be used to an official’s advantage?

GRAJEDA: Use it as a form of communicating with the players. It goes back to the attacker that likes to hold on set pieces. Go in there and acknowledge to the attacker that has committed the foul and to the defender that is getting held, or vice versa, “Next time this happens I am going to take this action. It is clearly up to you if you continue this behavior.” This will give them a bluff. I go in and let them know what I am going to do: “The next time this happens, it is going to be an offensive foul coming out.” Hopefully they can modify their behavior. If they do not, then it will be an easy call. I told you I was going to make this call.

REFEREE: Would you agree this is more an art than a science?

GRAJEDA: It takes many years and many games to feel the game. It is not comedy. Some referees like to use comedy to their advantage. That is fantastic. But, it is not going to work all the time. Some referees like to be very strict. That is fine. But it is not always going to work. You need to have a feel for the game, and only experience can teach you that. No games are the same.

It is like a fingerprint. It could be similar but it is not going to be the same.

REFEREE: How do you improve your preventive-officiating skills?

GRAJEDA: Do not ignore the little things. The fact that we let it flow, the fact that trivial fouls are not being called.

Go back and acknowledge what just happened. “You know what, I know you are being held,” or, “I know you

are being fouled. I let you play. But maybe next time I will call the foul.”

Just so the players know you did not miss it. Sometimes referees say, “Well, I let them play and they continued with possession.” Well that is fine but the player does not know that. You have to go and acknowledge, “I let you play. I saw the foul, but I did not call it because of x, y and z.” This is the quiet conversation we have with players.

“What do you think? Do you want it next time?” Sometimes the players say, “You know that we are good. I am OK. At least you know.” A lot of times the player is like, “That’s OK ref, I am OK.” When we ignore and say nothing, the player gets frustrated and it is a retaliating foul.

REFEREE: Can teammates or captains be used to help prevent?

GRAJEDA: Yes, find a friend. It does not have to be the captain. It could be someone who is level-headed but is going to be on your side. Use that alliance. Build that relationship with the player. Have a constant dialogue. “You know what? It is getting a little crazy. It is getting a little out of control. Help me with your teammates.” Or, “Help me with your goalkeeper and the time wasting, otherwise I am going to have to deal with him.” Typically that goes a long way.

REFEREE: What is a tip officials could implement today to their games?

GRAJEDA: Acknowledging what is going on. Once you ignore, the referee gets into trouble. Have a quiet word with one or two players. Then take action.

Because if you are saying you saw it, and then you ignore it, the players are going to be frustrated and take action into their own hands. £

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CASEPLAYS Offside Restart Play: A4, while within the defensive third, plays the ball toward A11 just short of the midfield line. A11 runs from an offside position in team A’s attacking half to receive the ball just outside the center circle on team A’s defensive half. The assistant is standing two yards from the midfield line even with the second-to-last defender.

The assistant raises the flag and indicates an offside restart in the middle of the field and two yards from the midfield line. Ruling: The assistant is correct to signal an offside infraction. However, the assistant should move to the location where A11 received the pass. This is the location where A11 has violated Law 11 and is the proper restart location for team B. Note - this is a change in the 20162017 LOTG Once arriving to the offside-touch location, the assistant then should indicate a middle-ofthe-field restart (FIFA 11.4; NFHS 11-1 Pen.; NCAA 11.2 Pen.).

Assistant Helps Restart Play: As A9 attempts to take the corner kick, B4 moves within six yards of A9. The assistant moves B4 10 yards from the corner arc before the kick. Ruling: That is proper mechanic if both the referee and assistant are “on the same page.” Defenders must remain at least 10 yards from the corner arc at the time of the kick. During the pregame, the referee should discuss giving a signal before the assistant moves onto the field to move players (FIFA 17.1; NFHS 17-1-2; NCAA 17.2, AR 17.2.d).

Waved Down Play: The assistant referee signals offside, but the referee waves off the signal. Is that permitted? Ruling: Yes, it’s permitted for both offside flags and flags signaling a violation, although it should be done sparingly.

Players, coaches and fans will try to divide the crew when they see a number of waved-down flags. You risk losing the “best efforts” of your assistants if you constantly wave them down, whether for fouls, offside or infringements. Multiple wave-downs might occur when the assistant is not used to seeing that level of competition. But usually it is a single incident in a contest (FIFA 5.3; NFHS 5-3-2h; NCAA 6.1.5).

A

B Often needs help

Sometimes need help

Referee rarely needs help

Sometimes need help

Often needs help

up such a position would require the referee to leave our rectangle. This will not always be possible when a team changes fields, especially from right to left, or when players are dribbling down the left wing on the referee’s diagonal. The “M” reminds the referee to always position the body to see as many players as possible. That means avoiding turning your back to the field at throw-ins and when dealing with situations outside the field, including problems inside the technical area.

General patrol area. MechaniGram B (above) illustrates the referee’s patrol area and responsibilities.

Fine-tuning: 10 – 20 – 90 revisited.

Several years ago some bright lad coined the phrase “10-20-90” as a guideline for referees. It is nice and simple. On an international regulation field and as a general rule, the referee should not be closer than 10 yards or farther away than 20 yards. This convention fell out of favor in recent years because of its problematic application in the attacking third; nonetheless, it is a good rule to follow in the midfield. The astute reader will note that staying between 10 and 20 yards away is a different way of saying to stay in the adjacent lane. The last part of the rule — the 90 — is important. No matter what the sport, any experienced official will tell you that viewing an incident from the correct angle is just as important (if not more important) than being nearby. The “90” refers to being oriented 90 degrees to the direction

of the challenge, enabling the referee to see separation. To determine if you are in the correct position, simply ask yourself if you can see the ball. If you cannot, you will not have a good view of a challenge for the ball.

By way of example, consider these three views of the same challenge (p.

68). Photo 1 illustrates the perspective an AR and the challenges near the touchline. In such situations, the AR frequently does not have the necessary perspective to make the correct decision. Photo 2 is a potential perspective of the “lazy” referee, who also does not have a good view of the challenge. Photo 3 illustrates the perspective every referee should strive for. In this photo, the referee is standing 90 degrees to the challenge and can clearly see that red 3 is guilty of going over the top of the ball — a nasty foul. For the average youth referee, the difference between the position in photo 2 and photo 3 is about 10 steps.

“Ahead of play” versus “trailing play.” A major debate continues over whether it is better for the referee to move ahead of play and allow play to move toward him or her or to follow behind play. With the FIFA referee committee advocating the former approach, the debate has intensified in recent months. As a general rule, the referee is always ahead of play whenever the attacking team has possession in its defensive third. It is common sense to realize that regardless of their speed, any referee who takes up

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1

2

3

The assistant referee cannot determine the position of number three’s right leg relative to the ball and the defender. With that, the referee cannot rely too heavily on the AR, even when play is closer to the AR.

Blue number one is in the referee’s line of sight, which will make it difficult for the referee to make an accurate decision. Too many referees only get this perspective.

The referee’s position in this photo would be most ideal. To have perspective, as opposed to the position in photo two, referees must have the speed and stamina necessary to run the extra distance.

a position behind play when the ball is in the attacking team’s defensive third is eventually going to find themselves out of position. When the ball enters the middle-third of the field, the dynamics change quite a bit and the best position becomes less obvious. A referee who runs deep into the middle third or attacking third when a team in possession of the ball either cannot maintain possession of the ball because of low-skill level or is pressed in their defensive third by the opposing team, is practically guaranteed to end up out of position. In these situations, the referee should trail behind play in the middle and attacking third.

Conversely, if the attacking team is highly skilled and continues to have success maintaining possession through the midfield, then taking up a position high in the middle third or even the attacking third becomes less risky and can be advantageous. The key is to quickly analyze the skill level and tactics of both teams early in the game to determine the best approach.

Angle over distance. Officiating pundits can be heard uttering “angle over distance,” meaning that when it is not possible for the referee to both get as close to play as liked and achieve the correct angle, the referee should sacrifice distance to achieve the correct angle. While good advice for most situations, I have seen officials misapply the advice. Consider when a quick counter-attack leads to a striker and goalkeeper challenging for the ball just outside the penalty area.

C CONTACT VIEW

R

If the referee is in the middle-third of the field during the seconds that precede the challenge, the referee will not be able to get wide enough to be 90 degrees to the challenge. It is basic geometry. The wider the referee runs from the starting position (as shown in MechaniGram C), the longer the hypotenuse of the triangle becomes and the further the referee has to travel to achieve a position that is 90 degrees to the challenge. It is a better strategy for the referee to narrow the approach, as moving in closer actually provides a better angle than trying to go wide. It is only in the middle third of the field that the “angle over distance” maxim actually works most of the time.

The common sense approach.

Officials who want steadfast guidelines that can be applied without fail are going to be rather unhappy on the pitch. The beauty and challenge of officiating this game is that the LOTG and positioning guidelines give referees a considerable degree of latitude in plying their trade.

Individuals who embrace the inherent

challenges presented by uncertainty and like to think on their feet will enjoy and thrive, whereas their steadfast colleagues will be frustrated by the lack of a go-to strategy that can be applied to any scenario. The best advice is to watch the teams they normally officiate when not officiating and to watch higher-level games and the referees who officiate them. Search for patterns in a team’s attack and try to identify key areas of the field where things are happening.

Referee positioning goes far beyond the simple diagonal you were shown when you went through the entry-level referee course. There are many factors to consider: (1) Which third of the field the ball is in, (2) How close you are to the ball, (3) What space is likely to be used by the offense or defense, (4) Consideration to sacrifice angle over distance to achieve the best view, and (5) Is it better to be ahead of play or behind it? Like the teenager who feels overwhelmed by all the things to do nearly simultaneously when first starting to drive a car, an inexperienced official may feel overwhelmed as well. With practice and effort, making the decisions will become as easy as driving a car in heavy traffic.

Gary LeMay is a NISOA clinician and regional assessor from Columbus, Ga. He is a retired USSF National Referee and officiated for 10 years at the professional level. Thanks to Tony Frankovich and the CFC Red Star boy’s 2004 team for their assistance with the photos. £

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let it Technology has placed officials under more scrutiny and pressure than ever before. Rather than work against it, officials should embrace it to overcome mistakes.

By Dr. Peter Sacco, Ph.D.

I

t has been one of those days. You know — the kind where anything and everything that could go wrong went wrong!

You forgot where you left your keys, which set you back 20 minutes in order to find them. After you found them, you forgot where you put your phone. Another 10 minutes wasted.

Then on the way to the stadium, the highway was shut down and you needed the fastest route possible. Your GPS wasn’t working; well, at least you didn’t know how to use it properly. Short of a miracle, you were on time. You had enough time to go over officiating plans with your crew. After all, you were crew cheif for the game, so it was your duty to facilitate. Only your plans and ideas were on your iPad that you forgot to charge, and you didn’t bring your adaptor. Really? All was well until the fourth quarter when you completely missed a call — the icing on top of your day’s cake. A small number of fans saw in real time what you missed. Eventually, the majority of them saw it repeatedly via instant replay. You just wanted to crawl under a rock. Isn’t technology awesome?

No matter what sport you officiate, or even at what level, technology has become an integral part of sports.

You have heard the popular expression, “Get with the times!” Well the times are all about technology, and sports are not any different. Teams — coaches, athletes, athletic trainers, scouts, managers, doctors, owners, etc., are using technology in a variety of ways for the improvement and betterment of their teams. Leagues and officiating crews have had to follow those leads, accepting and using technology in order to adapt to changes in their sports. And

of course, the fans of those sports have stayed in tune with the changes, and in some respects are better armed than some of the teams and sports. That is when things can get hairy and even scary for officials at live games.

Today’s fans can see more than the officials can, which can make the officials’ lives a living hell for the rest of a game should they make an incorrect call or miss something.

On June 2, 2010, MLB umpire Jim Joyce made an incorrect call at Comerica Park in Detroit. That game is known as the “28-out perfect game.” Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga, vying to pitch a perfect game, retired the first 26 batters. Then Joyce ruled that Cleveland’s Jason Donald reached first base safely, despite irrefutable evidence he should have been out. Galarraga should have been credited with tossing a perfect game. Joyce would later acknowledge his blunder and was apologetic for his mistake, even fighting back tears. Even though Galarraga was forgiving, and Joyce handled the situation in a professional manner, Joyce has to live with that error forever.

One of the issues that officials face in today’s world when it comes to technology is the pressure of getting things perfect. Humans make mistakes and technology makes mistakes more obvious. It is as if technology in its own way has raised the bar when it comes to human error — always get things right. How can there not be pressure on officials, especially when almost everyone in attendance at games has access to Internet on their phones, and can watch things in replay from many different angles? That is a whole lot of scrutiny to deal with if you are an official.

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let it go Dealing with Scrutiny One of the best ways for dealing with scrutiny is to prevent it if at all possible by using technology to your advantage. Most sports at all levels have incorporated it into their protocol before, during and after games to improve officiating.

Yet, there are still some officials and umpires who are “old school” and would rather not use technology, or when they do, use it to a minimum.

Yes, there are many detractors of technology who wish that sports did not use technology; after all sports were never meant to be video games,

where you go, you take you with you.

Why hold on to mistakes?

Have you ever felt like no matter what you are doing or how hard that you are trying to let go of your mistakes, you just can’t seem to?

Ironically, the harder that you try to let go, the more that you feel stressed out. Whether the call had a major impact or minor impact that you missed, you just can’t let it go, or worse yet, will not let it go. Why? Simple! Your ego keeps getting in the way.

humans make mistakes and technology makes mistakes more obvious. right? Whether or not you embrace technology in sports, it can definitely be used to your benefit when you are open-minded.

One of the most difficult things with being an official is making an incorrect call by missing things on the field or court, or letting your emotions influence you. Whenever you have the opportunity to use technology during the game, use it. It is better to get things right, even if it means slowing down the game to use instant replay to assist. It is definitely not fun being wrong, especially when teams and fans can see the replays on screens as well as their phones. Some officials can be stubborn and stand by their call even though it is wrong.

Check with your crew of officials, as well as instant replay whenever possible and get it corrected.

The biggest thing to know and always remember is that you are human and that you will make mistakes. Other people may get angry and be unforgiving, and that is their right. You have the right to move on — not necessarily forget it. You can use it to not only make you a better official in how you respond and react to your critics, but also in how you deal with stressful situations in your life. No matter

The term or concept “ego” is a psychological term associated with Sigmund Freud’s aspects of one’s personality — ID, ego and superego.

For the purpose of this article and the way ego is often portrayed or conceived in the world outside of Freudian psychology is more about control … feeling the need to be in control of self and/or others. Ego is often based on focusing on one way only. When you do that, it becomes extremely detrimental and usually leads to overwhelming stress in one’s life.

Today’s society places a big emphasis on being right and knowing how to do something efficiently 99.9 percent of the time.

Yes, you guessed it — technology has a lot to do with that. Furthermore, one’s ego is often equated with level of competency. If there is another way to do something outside of the way you know or have been taught, or the way you’ve become fixated on (another Freudian term equated with being obsessed about something), then that must either make someone else’s ways of doing things wrong or you incompetent.

Guess what? If you are an old-school official, technology in officiating goes against most of

what you believed about sports.

Moreover, you are an official — your opinions and judgments matter, because that is what you are doing: making judgment calls. Then along comes technology, forcing you to compromise and even question your judgments. That is where the ego comes in.

Your ego must prove that it is correct to protect itself from feeling inadequate, insufficient, wrong and worthless. So, it tries at all costs to hold onto something, even if it is wrong, because you embrace it as both you and your integrity. When you can’t or won’t let go, you then possess what is called an enflamed ego and that is when stress (the distressing variety) starts to make you anxious, doubting yourself and judgments, and leads to you lacking confidence in what you are good at — officiating.

Most people who have a difficult time letting go of their mistakes get stuck in “all or nothing” ways of thinking. They operate in a mindset of polarized thinking, which is at the root of their ego, preventing them from just letting go. For them, everything is either right or wrong, black or white, good or bad, etc. Of course their egos desire to be on the “right” side, so they try to play things over in their minds until they can make it right for themselves.

Furthermore, the ego will take whatever it can to prove itself worthy and righteous, even if it means going against admitting defeat and seeking help. When you are driven by ego and get trapped, the stressed ego moves into a state of tunnel vision and it only sees one way.

Let go of mistakes The best way to let mistakes go and unburden yourself from brooding about incorrect calls and imperfections is to not take everything personally.

Being led by your ego is all about taking things personally. We tend to place people’s actions and thinking/ talking about us into our way of thinking and perceiving which causes continual rumination on our past errors. As soon as you are able to

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stop taking things personally, you stop being egocentric. Too often we hope and look to others to understand us, and accept everything we do or say.

The reality is most won’t.

Some great minds in self-help and self-esteem building have stated, “Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.” That is so true. One official can have the most stressful game he or she has ever officiated and not be fazed. Other officials can have something so minutely influential happen in their game that they fly off the handle. Often that stress is caused by their perception of what is

your ego must prove that it is correct to protect itself from feeling inadequate, insufficient, wrong and worthless. going on around them and knowing how (or not knowing how) to handle it. Perception is all based on the choice for how you respond to any and all situations.

The key to responding, coping and letting go of mistakes is to look beyond the situation. That means seeing yourself outside of it. What that situation means to you may mean something different for someone else.

That means it is not the situation that matters most, rather your perception of the situation. You first need to collect your thoughts before responding to any situation.

Officials who continually allow stress to get the better of them are more likely to handle situations

during a game, or thereafter from a knee-jerk reaction based on prior stressful experiences. Those prior experiences are often driven by emotions that were based negatively on previous outcomes. Unfortunately, officials who get caught up in negative mindsets develop habits of carrying emotionally charged perceptions and memories forward with them and use them to handle present and future game situations, and life for that matter.

Getting over it The key to coping or overcoming negative officiating experiences is to look at each situation as different from others because they are — different games, stadiums, casts of characters involved, etc. Each game you officiate should have its own sets of concerns, and those concerns should have you focused in the present moment and treat the moment as a unique experience. Only after you have treated the current experience as a unique situation do you explore the possibilities for dealing with it based on past perceptions that were favorable and applicable. What is most important here is to remember that your past perceptions from games are not the same as your current perceptions, so avoid living in the past!

Does technology belong in today’s sports? The millennials are all about technology, and since they are the current and future fans of sports, then perhaps the answer is yes. Can technology be helpful for officials? You bet it can. The key is to allow it to work for you, rather than trying to work against it. Moreover, should you make mistakes because of technology, or it “shows you up,” remember that before technology came along, officials made mistakes because they are human.

Dr. Peter Sacco, Ph.D., of Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a psychologist university professor, freelance writer, psychotherapist and author of several popular books including What’s YourAnger Type? He is also an awardwinning executive producer and host of documentaries on relationships, psychological issues and child issues. £

Dealing With Technology Properly You can use technology to your advantage, even when you don’t really like it or want to. Here are three types of technology with positives to make officiating experiences better.

Video replays Video replay systems are obviously used in most sports today. The key is using replay properly, whenever you are in doubt. Yes, there are detractors who assert that it interrupts the flow of the game, but better to get the calls correct, than be second-guessed by technology.

Communication technology Communication technology is used so officials can share information and get other members of their crew’s opinions. If you missed something, or did not get a good view, there is nothing wrong with having more than one set of eyes, and slowing down the game to get calls correct.

Videos Use videos to learn about teams and athletes, and their styles, while preparing for games. You can also use videos for your own education—learn from your prior games or learn new skills from other officials.

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ALL SPORTS

EDITOR: JEFFREY STERN

jstern@referee.com

FOR ALL SPORTS, ALL LEVELS

Instructing auxiliary personnel, such as the chain crew at a football game, increases the chances the game will go smoothly. Hal Prukop Jr., Issaquah, Wash., employs a cheat sheet — a wise precaution — to ensure he covers all necessary points. Such thoroughness and a good presentation result in a positive impression of you and your crew.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

By Jeffrey Stern

F

or eons, officials have been told they have only one chance to make a first impression. Certainly opinions about you are formed when you are first seen walking onto the field or court: that’s the visual first impression.

Do you stride confidently, looking as if you’ve done this before and are ready for any situation that may pop up? Or does it appear a team of invisible horses is dragging you to the scene?

How’s your uniform? Does it fit properly and make you look like you

stepped out of an ad for an officiating gear supplier? Or do you look as if it’s been a while since you updated or washed your apparel? Are those pants a little tighter this year than they were last season?

There is no denying that the visual first impression is important.

But it is actually one of several first impressions you’ll make. As a game progresses, each of those impressions adds up and forms the opinion people will take away when it’s all over.

Take your first contact with game managers. Be on time and go to the predetermined meeting place. Game

managers have plenty of other duties.

Running errands or taking halftime beverage orders for the officials shouldn’t be among them. We know some of the locker rooms assigned to officials are comically substandard.

Griping to someone who may have not been involved in deciding such things is unprofessional. Those comments should be directed to the host school or officiating coordinator after the game.

Your first interaction with players could be at home plate to go over the ground rules, at the coin toss or at the captains’ meeting. How you present yourself matters. You should be

DALE GARVEY

So Many Chances to Make a Good Impression

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perceived as confident but not cocky, authoritative but not gruff, thorough but not over officious. Let those team leaders know through your words and actions that the game is in good hands and that you’re keeping open the lines of communication.

A positive attitude when meeting with scorers, timers and chain crew members before the game will help make for smooth sailing once the action begins. If those auxiliary personnel are made to feel like they’re part of your team rather than a nuisance, they’ll be more apt to help you in a sticky situation.

You make another first impression with your initial ruling in the contest.

If you blow your whistle, make it a strong and confident blast. Verbal calls (e.g. ball or strike) should be loud enough to be heard by those who need to hear them but not so loud you seem clownish.

Another opportunity to impress comes during timeouts or similar game stoppages. Are you an observer even when the teams are at the sidelines, or do you take that opportunity to chitchat with a partner or crewmember? That’s the time a coach may ask a question. If it’s presented in a sportsmanlike manner, answer it. When a player is injured, don’t play doctor. Move away and let the professionals do their jobs. That isn’t the time for joking around. Don’t be perceived as making light of a serious situation.

How do you react the first time your judgment is challenged? Each official has his or her own level of tolerance. The trick is being neither a hothead nor a punching bag. Most commentary from coaches (and all commentary from fans) is unworthy of response. If a penalty or ejection is called for, so be it. But being too quick with the thumb, the flag, the card or a penalty will mark you as being too sensitive.

Your final chance to make a first impression comes after the contest.

Hanging around to elicit praise from the coaches is unseemly. Additionally, you invite those who were less than thrilled with your performance to share their feelings, verbally or (heaven forbid) physically.

Leaving your locker room in the same or better condition than how you found it makes an impression as well. If towels are provided, don’t leave them lying around on benches; place them in the proper receptacle or at minimum form a pile on the floor.

You may think that because you’ve worked at a school several times your first impressions were made long ago. Not true. Because players, coaches and fans come and go, each game is a new opportunity.

Make it count and you’ll enjoy the dividends long beyond the game.

Jeffrey Stern is Referee’s senior editor.

He officiates high school football and is a former high school baseball umpire and college football official. £

Eight Is Enough (Well, Too Many)

By Ralph Carey

I COURTESY OF EMILY ALEXANDER

‘m almost positive the number was eight. The exact year has been lost in my memory, but during that fall season I worked an average of eight football games a week.

Add to that my time committed to a weekly association meeting, pregame conferences, rule and video study and travel to and from

those games and my enthusiasm for officiating nearly turned into an allencompassing passion.

While I chased my dream, my wife was left to manage our preschool children, a house and much of the daily grind that comes with parenting. It was a lot to ask of her.

Passion has been defined as “a strong and barely controllable

THEY SAID IT “It quickly became apparent to me that I was a much better umpire than I ever was as a ballplayer.

I knew the rules well enough …

I knew when to tell my manager when to question the umpire if it was a rule and things like that.

Eventually, it like obsessed me. It became a driving passion, really.”

— Gold Whistle recipient and longtime softball umpire Emily Alexander, on how she transitioned from player to umpire.

QUICKTIP Hustling is working hard to get into proper position and handling penalty assessment with dispatch. Rushing is over-hustling, outrunning plays for the sake of breaking a sweat or showing off.

Don’t let being correct become secondary to how you look to others. Your games will flow better if you hustle, but never rush. Still, you must realize that no matter what you do, some games will be as smooth as new sandpaper. Don’t let that deter you from working hard to do the job.

TOOLS Conflict in officiating is inevitable.

When you have the right words and phrases at your command, you can quickly resolve any disagreement and prevent it from spreading into an uncontrollable fire. Perfect Phrases for Conflict Resolution

by Lawrence Polsky and Antoine Gerschel has hundreds of ready-to-use phrases, dialogues, and practice scripts to help you rise above the conflict and focus on solving the problem, whether it’s with a coach, player or crewmate. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retailers. It sells for $8.08.

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ALL SPORTS

emotion.” It is often a word associated with officiating and with relationships. Rightly so, both require an individual to commit large amounts of time and effort in order to be successful.

Most officials struggle with finding a balance between their avocation and their relationships.

Many have been successful at reaching an equilibrium, others less so. Those who have succeeded have found ways to connect with their loved ones despite the demands of officiating their sport.

The success factors for maintaining home-front happiness in-season are not unlike those experts say make any relationship successful. Understanding the impact of your absence and prioritizing time management when scheduling officiating commitments are keys to keeping family togetherness.

So what can you do to maintain familial and marital bliss? For years in our home we jointly tracked officiating expenses then celebrated “Officiating Amnesty Day.” It was the date game fees for the season surpassed the combined cost of preseason clinics, association dues and equipment fees. It was decided

that all game fees earned past Amnesty Day were only to be spent on my spouse or children. It worked for us.

Others have found success in simpler ways. Scheduling regular family dinners allows you to reconnect with daily activities.

Setting up a calendar that carves out time for your children and “dates” with your spouse can help maintain emotional engagement, while creating a special time for those important to you.

Officials strive to put ourselves in a position to be working a contest whenever possible. We tend to schedule games whenever we can get an assignment. Many times that is done at the expense of our partners and children. Why not consider taking a weekend off during the season? Professional teams have all-star breaks and bye weeks for a reason. The benefits of resting, recharging and reconnecting with loved ones cannot be overestimated.

Experts stress the importance of clear communication in managing relationships. Understanding expectations and maintaining an ongoing dialogue with your significant other about the

commitments you have made to officiate can go a long way toward avoiding conflict. Creating a calendar that maps when and where you are officiating allows the important people in your life to know where and when you are committed to officiating a game. Our family uses a shared Google doc. Doing so is easy and allows all to plan for your absence as well as to know when you might be available for family events.

My eight-game-a-week officiating habit is now a distant memory. So too are the number of missed birthday parties, family gatherings and other events where I chose to work a game vs. spend time with my spouse or kids. Looking back, I know now many of the games I worked added minimal value to my officiating skills and bank account.

There’s nothing wrong with establishing officiating goals and then doing the work necessary to accomplish them. Sacrificing relationship time to achieve your objectives will be required. It’s what you do with the rest of your time that becomes most important.

Ralph Carey has been an NCAA football official since 1995. He lives in Glen Ellyn, Ill. £

Right Way to Turn Back a Game I

n most aspects of life, there is a right way and a wrong way. Such is the case when turning back a game.

Knowing the difference goes a long way in determining how you are perceived and in how the affected assigner will deal with you in the future.

While each assigner may have his or her own rules, the following tips will aid you as you travel the turnback trail.

• Do it early. The more notice the assigner gets, the less heartburn you will cause. Injuries, illness, deaths of family members and similar events result in last-minute panic. But in cases when you have advance notice, get on the phone with the assigner as soon as possible.

• Offer a replacement. Don’t simply hand the game over to another official without getting approval. The assigner may not wish to use your proffered replacement for any number of reasons.

• Don’t lie. Honesty is a must in turnback situations. What seems like a harmless fib can prove damaging or fatal to your career.

Sometimes a better game is offered on the same date as an already accepted assignment. Only the most cold-hearted assigner would refuse to release an official from, say, a high school game if the opportunity to work a college game came up.

But if the answer is no, get back to the college assigner and explain you are already committed. The college

assigner will respect you for living up to your contracts.

What really grinds an assigner’s gears, though, is a parallel move.

If you ask to be released from one high school varsity game to take another simply because it figures to be more competitive, pays better or is closer to home, don’t expect reverse cartwheels on the other end of the phone.

• Pay it forward. If an assigner helps you out, return the favor. If you have an open date, let the assigner know you are available. That can be a godsend at a time when the schedule is especially heavy due to weatherrelated makeup games. Your phone call could make the assigner’s day, which helps you in the long run. £

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ONLY

$ 12.95 Total Pages: 88

Discover the rules, philosophy, judgment and mechanics involved with issuing warnings and ejections as well as how to handle tough situations better and report on them after the fact.

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FOR THE RECORD AWARDS, ROSTERS, NOTABLES

POSTSEASON ASSIGNMENTS

PROFESSIONAL • The New York Cosmos defeated the Indy Eleven, 3-2, to win the North American Soccer League title. Officials assigned to the championship were: Allen Chapman (referee), Cameron Blanchard (assistant referee), Kyle Atkins (assistant referee), Robert Sibiga (fourth official) and Eric Weisbrod (fifth official).

• The New York Red Bulls II defeated the Swope Park Rangers, 5-1, to win the USL Championship on Oct. 23 in Rochester, N.Y. The officials assigned to the championship were: Armando Villarreal (referee), Brian Dunn (assistant referee), Nick Uranga (assistant referee), Henrick Karlsson (fourth official) and Justen Lopez (fifth official).

• The Western New York Flash defeated the Washington Spirit in a shootout to win the NWSL Championship on Oct. 9 in Houston.

The officials assigned to the championship were: Matthew Franz (referee), Alicia Messer (assistant referee), Nick Uranga (assistant referee), Margaret Domka (fourth official) and Francisco Bermudez (fifth official).

POSTSEASON ASSIGNMENTS

HIGH SCHOOL • The following officials were assigned to the fall championships for the Indiana High School Athletic Association: Girls’ volleyball: Class A — Mark Guard, Rising Sun; Eldon (Pete) Poppe, Peru; Brian Humphrey, Rushville; Dan Richard, Warsaw. Class 2A — Gary Weideman, Bloomington; John Rodewald, Fort Wayne; Deborah Glass, Valparaiso; Michael Zehr, Dubois. Class 3A — Chad Sievers, Indianapolis; Kirk

Robinson, Akron; Dan Matz, Elkhart; Tom Mecklenburg, Lafayette. Class 4A — Steve Morris, Terre Haute; Jennifer Leffler, Shelbyville; Suzanne Broughton, Marengo; Pam Shively, Shelbyville. Girls’ soccer: Class A — Heinz Pedolzky, Floyd Knobs; John Elliott, Lafayette; Mark Theroff, Washington. Class 2A — Jon McDaniel, Lafayette; Gregory Bowes, Indianapolis; Bob Filipek, Chesterton. Boys’ soccer: Class A — David Howard, Indianapolis; Todd Merickel, Muncie; Juan Leyva, South Bend. Class 2A — Rodney Tucker, Lafayette; Ron Harnage, Indianapolis; Eric Bozeman, Shelbyville.

• The following umpires worked the state baseball championships for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association: Louis Gaudio, Westchester; Tom Hamilton, Mid-Hudson; Barry Brown, ColumbiaGreene; Gerry Wheeler, Columbia- Greene; Dan Morgan, Syracuse; Jim Lutz, Watertown; Hank Neubart, Ithaca; Fred DuMond, Schohanna; Tom Kaminski, Endicott; Nate Siebert, Allegany; Mike Rapan, Allegany; Tow Law, Cattaraugus County, Jerry Capozzi, Cattaraugus County; Paul O’Connell, Lyon Mountain; Cy Labatore, Westport; Bob Player, Nassau, Bryan Lang, Nassau; Keith Waldron, MidHudson; Anthony Mazella, Mid-Hudson; Ken Gardner, Massena; Joe Binion, Massena; Willie Crespo, Western Suffolk; Joe Codispoti, Western Suffolk.

• The following umpires worked the spring baseball state championships for the Georgia High School Association: Chris Phillips, West Georgia; Chris King, Albany; Jason Flynt, Heritage; Caleb Smith, Multi-Co; Ricky Sexton, Chattahoochee; Reggie Pettus, Central Georgia; Tim Helms, Albany; Conrad Sikorski, Marietta; Joey Cushing, Albany; Anthony Brown, Central Georgia; Robert Daughtry,

Houston Co.; Scott Morgan, Lanier; Ted Miller, Augusta; Dan Mehrkens, Rome; Mike Little, Central Georgia; Ira Sheppard, Atlanta; Matt Broome, Heritage; Ernie Campbell, Deep South; Willie Allen, So. Eagle; James Gorden, West Georgia; Gary McPhail, Middle Georgia; Kenny Sharp, North Georgia; Steve Bavilaqua, Northeast Georgia, JC Warren, So. Eagle; Brian Henry, Lanier; Bob Culbreath, Augusta; Kedrin Wright, Capital City; Michael Gill, Marietta.

• The following officials were assigned to the football state championships for the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association: Jerry Chepil, Ladysmith; James Cunningham, Chetek; Mark Angell, Rice Lake; Andrew Krahenbuhl, Cameron; Kurt Huseth, Cameron; Ron Quirk, Oak Creek; Jerry Wood, Kenosha; Steve Luebke, New Berlin; Todd Korth, Racine; Tom Turckes, Milwaukee; Michael Beck, Fond du Lac; John Hemauer, West Bend; Todd Jahns, Cedarburg; Tim Kemnitz, West Bend; Al Hochmuth, Germantown; Doug Laurent, Waukesha; BJ Ligocki, Waterford; Vince Diplaris, Waukesha; Robert Popp, Waterford; Gary Neibuer, Waukesha; Jeff Welk, Three Lakes; Scott Spencer, Rhinelander; Michael Monson, Antigo; Steven Vandervest, Rhinelander; Michael Laggis, Rhinelander; Lee Kornaus, New Franken; Tim Nies, De Pere; Mark Jandrin, Luxemburg; Todd Gutzman, Oneida; John Van Den Lanenberg, De Pere; Pat Hammond, Eau Claire; Phillip Fieber, Eau Claire; Ryan Nelson, Eau Claire; Casey Eckardt, New Richmond; Tyler Nelson, Eau Claire.

• The following officials worked the Illinois High School Association fall sport finals: Football — Randy Jones, Scott Benge, Michael Jones, Steve DeClerck, Brian Jones, Steven Spivey, Tad Johnson, Michael Yepsen, Daniel Russell, Randy Manuel, Ricky Johnson, Mark LeClair, Shane Moline, Brad Cosgrove, Micah Luebchow, Jeffrey Bert, Arthur Crowley,

Scott Soberski, Tony Nudo, Paul Hayes, Mark DiMarzio, Kent Holsopple, Michael Wiley, David Williams, Travis Guess, Thomas Pallardy, Frank Enda, Steven Fisher, Micahel Brown, Steve Hammerstien, John Kelly, Mark Cheshareck, William Jones, Kenneth Kollath, Scott McLaughlin, Robert Smith, Larry Campbell, Tony Gualdoni, Jay Miller, Brent Garrison. Boys’ soccer — Rodney Schaefer, Al Khouri, Raymond Schutzenhofer, Daniel Trost, Mike McDermott, Steve Osbourne, Steve Jablow, Mark Folta, Tony Martinez, Tom Schaefer, Chris Rudolph, Bret Richter, Rafal Zielinski, Rick Geati, Mike Moore, Jimmy Stout, John Martelin, John Bouc. Girls’ volleyball — John Hoelzer, Connie Scott, Gina Fey, Darnell Jones, Dave Sands, Mark Febonio, Judy Stark, Janice McGeary.

The following officials worked state championships for the Iowa High School Athletic Association. Football — Jay and Joel Grabinoski, both from Armstrong; Kenneth Sabin, Swea City; Chuck Stetzel, Algona; Kevin Wegner, Estherville; Brad Battani, Urbandale; Duane Duncan, Des Moines; Jorge Harwood, Altoona; Jason Mertes, Urbandale; David Swanson, Nevada; Charles Brittain, Waverly; Ryan Hannam, Cedar Falls; John Jaspers, Cedar Rapids; Michael Stewart, Cedar Falls; Jeffrey Trost, Nashua; Christopher Girres, Council Bluffs; Jim Pfeifer, Milford; Cory Spangler, Le Mars; Mitchel Stoulil, Sloan; Keith Wohlers, Council Bluffs; Jay Flora, Marshalltown; Randy Heimerman, Ankeny; Rob Stiles, Des Moines; Kevin Welsch, Ankeny; Andrew Woodley, Johnston; Ronnie Blocklinger, Cedar Rapids; Daniel Hilby, Center Point; Rob Noble, Cedar Rapids; Shane Remington, Marion; Jerry Winter, Cedar Rapids.

Baseball — Terry Allison, Fairfield; Richardo Alverio, Norwalk; Heath Banks, Prole; John Bartolo, Algona; Joshua Baxter, Carlisie; Kevin Blunt, Stanton; Mike Botts, Davenport; William Boyd, New Hampton; Peter Broome, Waverly; James Bruck, Harlan; Scott Busch, Creston; Ritchie Chieves,

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Huxley; Marshall Cotton, Mount Pleasant; Ryan Eklund, Cedar Falls; Kevin Ferris, Moline; Jay Flora, Marshalltown; Jeff Frese, Norway; Pete Hansen, Storm Lake; Mark Harris, Moville; Joel Harthoorn, Sully; Scott Hoppel, Osage; Jeff Horst, Clinton; Larry Jacobus, Des Moines; Paul Keitel, De Witt; Michael Kelly, Waukee; Richard Matzen, Clinton; Patrick McIlhon, Elkhart; Jim Molitor, Carroll; Matthew Nauman, Cascade; Joe Nelson, West Des Moines; Chris Oberbroeckling, Marion; Jim Pfeifer, Milford; Derek Philips, Ottumwa; Travis Pike, Mason City; Dan Pomeroy, Coon Rapids; Trent Powers, Newton; Jared Rahe, Lake Park; Steve Schmidt, Williamsburg; Brian Scrimager, Des Monies; Steven Shantz, Greenfield; Micah Shull, Mount Pleasant; Tim Smith, Urbandale; Tony Steen, Clinton; Bob Sweeney, Atlantic; Scott Whitehill, Mason City; Nicholas Willenborg, Waverly; Andy Wolf, Okoboji.

AWARDS & HONORS • Jim Jorgensen, Sacramento, Calif., was inducted into the California Interscholastic Federation

Sac-Joaquin Hall of Fame on Oct. 16, 2016. He was a baseball, basketball and football official for more than 30 years. He moved up the ranks to where he officiated Division I football, basketball and baseball for more than 10 years. He served on the NCAA and CIF football and basketball rules committees. He was the commissioner of the Northern California Athletic Conference from 1984-98. He was on the NASO board from 1992-96.

• Carol Hamilton, Henniker, N.H., was inducted into the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame on Nov. 13, 2016. She served as president of the New Hampshire Women’s Basketball Officiating board for many years. She also was an official for more than 15 years in lacrosse, basketball and field hockey.

• Elliot Parnes, Lansing, Mich., was inducted into the USSSA National Hall of Fame on Nov. 18, 2016. He has been umpiring softball for the past 48 years. He umpired in Men’s Professional Slow Pitch League from 1977-82 and umpired three World Series. He also worked numerous men’s and

women’s world tournaments throughout his career.

• John Black, of Blackwood, N.J., and Bruce Carter, of Lawnside, N.J., were inducted into the South Jersey Hall of Fame on Nov. 26, 2016.

Black officiated baseball for more than 40 years in every level from youth to college. He served more than 30 years as president of the New Jersey Baseball Umpires Association.

Carter has been a member of the South Jersey Umpire Association since 1992. He has umpired multiple state games and playoff games.

• Alden Donston, of Sheridan, Wy., was honored by the Wyoming High School Activities Association for his 30 years of service in officiating football and basketball. He has officiated multiple state football and basketball championships.

OBITUARIES • Joe Mundy, of Barling, Ark., died on Aug. 30, 2016, at the age of 72. Mundy officiated multiple sports and levels for the Arkansas Officials Association (AOA) for more than 50 years. He received the lifetime achievement award

from the AOA for his years of service.

• Ray Duke, of Arkdelphia, Ark., died on Oct. 24, 2016, at the age of 76. Duke officiated high school basketball and football for more than 35 years for the Arkansas High School Athletic Administrators Association and Arkansas Officials Association.

• Eddie Parra, of Appleton, Maine, died on Oct. 24, 2016, at the age of 73. Parra umpired multiple levels of baseball and softball games. He umpired the Senior League Baseball and Little League Softball World Series.

• Kent Kurtz, of Columbia, Mo., died on Nov. 1, 2016, at the age of 86. Kurtz officiated football and basketball at the high school and collegiate level for more than 30 years.

SOURCES: INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, IOWA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATION, WISCONSIN INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, CALIFORNIA INTERSCHOLASTIC FEDERATION, NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, WYOMING HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION, NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE, NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE, UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE, AHSAA.ORG, LEGACY.COM, USSSA

Do you have any rosters, assignments or awards that warrant mention?

Send info to us at ForTheRecord@referee.com

ROSTERS Minor League Baseball Listed below are the fall instructional league and winter league umpires, along with their hometowns: Arizona Fall League Ryan Additon Davie, Fla. Ramon De Jesus Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Roberto Ortiz Hopkinsville, Ky. Garrett Patterson Scottsdale, Ariz.

Alberto Ruiz Las Vegas

Travis Eggert Pine, Ariz.

Ronnie Teague Cypress, Texas

John Libka Port Huron, Mich.

Tom Woodring Las Vegas

Shane Livensparger Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Arizona Instructional League

Nicholas Mahrley Phoenix Gabriel Morales Livermore, Calif.

David Attridge Grimsby, Ontario Erich Bacchus Germantown, Md. Brandon Butler

Vista, Calif.

Grant Conrad Carl Junction, Mo. Jonathan Felczak Bonney Lake, Wash.

Derek Gonzales Orem, Utah Richard Grassa Lindenhurst, N.Y. John Mang Poland, Ohio Jacob Metz Edmonds, Va. Tyler Olson Overland Park, Kan. Richard Riley Alexandria, Va.

Christopher Scott Davidsonville, Md.

Florida Instructional Leagues

Patrick Sharshel Highland Ranch, Colo.

Isaias Barba Hawthorne, Calif.

Skyler Shown Owensboro, Ky. Jason Starkovich Greeley, Colo.

Nathan Tomlinson Ogdensburg, Wis. Alexis Trujillo Stockton, Calif.

Kyle Wallace San Antonio

Matt Brown Conway, S.C. Trevor Dannegger Ballwin, Mo. Lorenz Evans Morton, Ill. Darius Ghani San Jose, Calif.

Tom Hannahan Mentor, Ohio Jude Koury Youngstown, Ohio

Brandon Mooney Lakeland, Fla. Chris Presley Modesto, Calif.

Ben Sonntag Tampa, Fla. Mark Stewart Jr. Royal Palm Beach, Fla. Derek Thomas Cedar Rapids, Iowa Brian Walsh San Pedro, Calif.

Justin Whiddon Savannah, Ga.

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LAW

ISSUES AFFECTING OFFICIALS

The Well-Formed Local Association

By Brandon Leopoldus Officials at all levels belong to, participate in and receive benefits from associations. While many associations are set up and run properly, others face problems and can cost their members dearly if care is not taken when first set up, and as the association grows.

Before an association begins having its members work games, it needs to decide which (if any) legal structure it wants to take. While many (if not most) associations are non-profits, that is not always the best option. Each association should seriously consider its options when starting out.

The second item associations need to consider is how the association will be structured. Will one person run the association, or will there be a board of directors? Will there be officers?

Associations should obtain proper insurance coverage.

Those are many of the considerations a new association must determine before it gets going, but why does all of that matter?

As with most things, the devil is in the details. If an association is not set up correctly, its members are not adequately trained, or the association’s corporate documents and relationship with its members clearly established, the association could be called for legal fouls costing the association and its members dearly.

Properly trained officials are a benefit to the association as well.

When officials take the field or court, they must exercise reasonable care and proficiency when applying the rules to avoid being held liable in a negligence suit. If an association allows an official who does not meet the standard of a reasonable

official for the level of play and a player is injured because of the poor training, an association as well as the offending official may be at risk of being held liable for damages.

While verdicts like that are rare, the possibility exists, and an official and the association may have to bear the expense of defending themselves in a lawsuit.

Another area where associations can get in trouble is if there is a reasonable debate as to whether or not a member official is an independent contractor or an employee. In general, the less supervision and direction a person has received from the entity for which he or she is working, the more likely that worker is an independent contractor. Generally, outside of professional sports, officials belonging to an association and accepting game assignments from it are considered independent contractors. However, in states such as California with employee-friendly employment laws, that issue is being raised more and more. With questions regarding the classification of officials as employees or independent contractors arising, legal issues, including minimum wage claims, workers compensation and employee liability may be raised.

Despite the best intentions of those creating or running an association, it takes proper administration of the association itself and training of the members to protect the association and its members fully. Associations should obtain proper insurance coverage, set rigorous standards for their officials and hold their members to those standards to best protect the organization. Officiating should be fun, and it is the most fun when the association is safe from being called out in court.

Brandon Leopoldus, Los Angeles, is an attorney and former minor league umpire. This material is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. £

Check Weather Conditions Officials are charged with the responsibility of making sure that the weather conditions for outdoor sports are safe to begin play. Many lawsuits have been filed alleging that game officials acted unreasonably in exercising their general supervision of the game by allowing play to begin on a wet field or while it was raining.

During the pregame conference, a discussion should be held about a wet field, rain or the forecast.

If officials believe, following inspection of the playing area, that a player might get injured due to its condition, delay the start or do not play the game. Err on the side of safety. The decision should be reached in consultation with the game manager.

Silence Can’t Be Misquoted Generally speaking, anything officials write or say can be used against them in court.

In responding to a seemingly innocuous request for information about the circumstances surrounding an injury that occurred in a game worked, officials could talk themselves into being sued. An offhand comment about a dangerous condition on the field, a remark about fouls committed and warnings issued or an admission that things didn’t go quite right all can be used as reason enough to bring the officials in as lawsuit targets.

Reality Check One general principle that may be difficult to understand is that a claim can be made against you or your organization by a player, coach, fan, company, state government or a fellow official, and you will be required to defend yourself even if you acted properly. Remember that, as a group, officials are just as likely to be victimized by the law as many other groups in society. Life is not free of all risk. The chance your performance and decisions may be challenged is part of the new reality in society in general and officiating in particular.

PRESENTED BY

Go to www.naso.org and click on member benefits for more on MICP.

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CLASSIFIEDS CAMPS/CLINICS/ SCHOOLS

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MISCELLANEOUS

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Follow Referee magazine on Facebook and Twitter Get officiating-related news from around the country, participate in conversations with Referee staff and fellow officials, and find out about new products and special offers from us and our partners.

QUIZ ANSWERS BASKETBALL

1 — All – b (NFHS 4-19-14, 10-24, 10-4-6, 10-2-1; NCAA Men 4-15.3.b, 4-15.3.d.2, 10-3.1, 10-3.d; NCAA Women 4-16.3.b, 4-16.3.e.2, 4-16-3.g, 10-3.1, 10-4.1) 2 — All – d (NFHS 4-15-6; NCAA Men 4-9.2.d, 4-13.6, 4-15.2.a.2, NCAA Women 4-10.2.d, 4-14.6, 4-16.2.a.2) 3 — All – c (NFHS 7-1; NCAA 7-1) 4 — All – a (NFHS 4-36-2a, 7-5-3b; NCAA 4-29-3e, 4-53-2a, 7-4-1i, 7-5-8) 5 — All – d (NFHS 4-47-3, 10-2-1e, 10.1.5d; NCAA 4-17.1.f, 4-17.2, 10-2.5.b)

SOFTBALL

1 — All – e, f (ASA Rule 1 Infield Fly, 8-2K Effect-3; NFHS 2-30, 8-2-9, 8-2-10 Pen.; NCAA 11.17, 11.18; USSSA FP 3.Infield Fly, 8.17H Effect, 8.17C Note; USSSA SP 3-Infield Fly, 7.H Note, Effect, 7-J Effect) 2 — ASA – a (R/S 10); NFHS, NCAA, USSSA FP – b (NFHS 2-8-2; NCAA 11.7.2.1; USSSA FP 3-Bunt Attempted)

3 — ASA, NFHS, USSSA FP – a (ASA 7-4L Effect; NFHS 7-2-1h; USSSA FP 7-5B); NCAA – b (11.15.3.4) 4 — ASA – a (8-1F Effect, Except.); NCAA, NFHS, USSSA FP – b (NCAA 11.15.3.1 Effect; 7-3-2 Pen.; USSSA FP 8.4D)

BASEBALL

1 — All – f (NFHS 5-1-1, 5-1-2; NCAA 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; pro 5.06b4E, 6.01f, 6.03) 2 — All – a (NFHS 5-1-2c, 8-3-6; NCAA 6-3a; pro 6.01f Cmt) 3 — All – b, d (NFHS 8-3-2; NCAA 8-3e; pro 6.01h2) 4 — All – a, f (NFHS 8-4-2g, 8.4.2I; NCAA 6-1c, 8-5k; pro 5.06c6)

FOOTBALL

1 — Both – c (NFHS 8-5-2b; NCAA 6-3-6, 8-5-1a, 8-7-2, AR 8-5-1-II) 2 — Both – b (NFHS 10-2-2; NCAA 10-1-4 Exc. 2) 3 — Both – c (NFHS 6-2-5, 8-2-3; NCAA 6-3-2, 10-2-5a-1) 4 — NFHS – a (7-5-13); NCAA – c (7-3-11)

FEBRUARY

FLASHBACK 40 YEARS AGO…

1977

• The Major League Umpires Association (MLUA) enters serious negotiations with NL President Chub Feeney and AL President Lee MacPhail about pay and per diem increases.

The MLUA is seeking a 30 percent pay increase and an additional $10 per diem.

30 YEARS AGO…

1987

• Former NHL linesman Ron Foyt is named the supervisor of officials for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, an eight-school conference which includes teams such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Colorado College.

20 YEARS AGO…

SOCCER

1 — FIFA – b (5.5); NFHS, NCAA – a (NFHS 6-2-3a, 7-41; NCAA 5.4.4, 6.3.5.8) 2 — FIFA – a (5.3); NFHS – c (5-22d); NCAA – d (3.2.1) 3 — All – c (FIFA 5.3, 12.1; NFHS 12-1-1; NCAA 12.1.2) 4 — All – c (FIFA 13.2; NFHS 13-32; NCAA 13.2)

VOLLEYBALL

1 — NFHS – b (12-1-Pen. 1c); NCAA – a (6.1.2.3); USAV – c (21.3.3.1) 2 — NFHS, USAV – a (NFHS 11-21; USAV 5.1.2.3, 5.2.1); NCAA – b (5.2.3.3, 5.2.4.3) 3 — NFHS, NCAA – a (NFHS 10-43d; NCAA 12.3.1.2); USAV – d (19.4) 4 — NFHS – a (9-6-7a); NCAA, USAV – d (NCAA 15.2.1; USAV 11.3) 5 — NFHS – a (12-2-6); USAV – b (5.2.3.4, 5.3.1); NCAA – c (5.2.4.1) 6 — All – a (NFHS 2-4-1a; USAV 17.2; NCAA 4.2.4)

MISSION Referee is a magazine written from an officiating perspective, blending editorial credibility and business viability.

It educates, challenges and inspires officials at the youth, recreational, high school, collegiate and professional levels in all sports, with 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.

1997

• NCAA Division I women's basketball referee Dee Kantner is named the first supervisor of officials for the WNBA. • Darlene May loses her fight to cancer at the age of 56. May was the first woman to officiate international men’s basketball.

10 YEARS AGO…

2007

• FIFA is experimenting with a microchip ball to help with goalline decisions.

Four high–resolution cameras will be placed 66 feet above the corner flags facing the goallines. The referee will have access to the video if a decision is in doubt.

• Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is fined $25,000 for complaining about the officials following the Lakers' 114108 loss to the Utah Jazz. The officials were Derrick Stafford, Derek Richardson and Leroy Richardson.

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LAST CALL

A PERSONAL STORY BY DAN FERRY

Healing Power There are many things about sports that I have always found to be enjoyable, beneficial and even gratifying. As a player, there was the exhilaration of physical competition, using your body and your mind to outperform your opponent. As a coach, there was the mental challenge of designing and implementing strategies best suited to the skills of your players, and the satisfaction and pride you felt when your players were able to execute and succeed.

And officiating not only affords those of us who aren’t getting any younger

At that moment, I wasn’t the base umpire working a game. I was part of something larger.

father would struggle to hold back his emotions as he shared his memories of his daughter, and his appreciation for how the team, the school and the community had reached out to him and his family in the aftermath of the tragedy. Her father said many powerful and moving things, but I was struck not only by his words, but also by his actions, and by the ceremony itself. Allow me to explain.

After he had finished sharing his thoughts with everyone, the father of the girl who had died, this man who was forcing himself, allowing himself, to re-experience the grief he had felt years ago when he first learned of the loss of his daughter, walked up to my partner and me.

He shook my hand, and with both a sincerity and sadness in his eyes, he thanked me. He didn’t know me and I didn’t know him, but what I felt was that he wanted to show his gratitude to me because I was serving as a representative of the game that his daughter had loved so very much.

At that moment, I wasn’t the base umpire working a game. I was part of something larger. This softball game, this one athletic competition, represented the absolute best that sports has to offer. It represented community. It represented camaraderie. It represented unity. It represented the human spirit. At this moment in time, at this one school in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania, sports represented a vehicle of healing for a family suffering the unimaginable and heart-wrenching pain that is the loss of a child.

At that moment, I realized how extremely fortunate I was to have been assigned the game and to have made the drive to that field on the blustery and cold day. And I was reminded of the wonderfully positive and often beautiful interplay of sports and the human condition.

Dan Ferry of Central Valley, Pa., officiates high school softball and football. *

Do you have a personal officiating story to tell?

SHUTTERSTOCK

the opportunity to still be involved with competitive athletics, it also gives us the incredibly rewarding feeling of being an integral part of the game as an arbiter of the rules and defender of the integrity of the sport.

But there are moments where I find that sports transcend the mere aspects of competition and athleticism; where the game goes beyond a mere demonstration of physical and mental prowess, and finds a way to touch our soul. This past year, I was fortunate enough to experience just such a moment.

I am a softball umpire, and in the beginning of the 2016 season, I worked a varsity game at East Stroudsburg North High School in Pennsylvania.

Truth be told, this assignment was not one that I prefer, not because of the school or anything having to do with the team or the facilities, but because it’s a 90-minute drive for me, each way. And in the first week of April, there was an added disincentive to make such a trip to work this game: It was incredibly cold!

But as my partner and I were preparing for the contest, after we had inspected both teams’ equipment, and while we were standing off to the side and behind the backstop going through our pregame routine, reviewing various possible situations and discussing how we would handle these scenarios, a ceremony began.

The head coach of East Stroudsburg North had informed us earlier that there would be a ceremony before the game, so we were not surprised.

But despite being prepared for the ceremony, I was in no way prepared for the emotions that would follow.

Approximately two years ago, one of the players for East Stroudsburg North had been killed. The manner in which she died was not mentioned, and out of a sense of decorum, neither I nor my partner inquired as to the cause of her death. On this day, the team was having a brief memorial ceremony in her honor.

The coach of East Stroudsburg North informed us that it had taken two years to have any kind of remembrance for this young lady because the family had said they weren’t quite ready to handle all of the emotions that would go along with such a ceremony. For whatever reason, the family had made it known to the A.D. that now was the time.

All of the players and coaches from East Stroudsburg North lined up on the first-base line, and all the players and coaches from Dieruff High School lined up on the thirdbase line. In the pitcher’s circle was the family of the girl who had died, and over the next few minutes, her

Send your story or queries to lastcall@referee.com

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