We express our thoughts on the world of officiating.
36 HEASER STEPS UP
SEC referee Jeff Heaser has succeeded thanks to his willingness to learn.
52 A B1G DEAL
The Big Ten is bringing all of its in-game reviews to one place at its new high-tech replay center.
70 LOOKING FOR ‘IT’
High school organizations are embracing observer programs for the development, retention and selection of officials.
ON THE COVER
Ross Charles Palmdale, Calif.
Age: 37
Occupation: Kinesiology instructor
Officiating experience: Officiates men’s basketball at the NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA, JUCO and high school levels.
COLUMNS
12 BASKETBALL
All The Right Moves: Avoid Behaviors That Will Derail Your Officiating Journey; Delay Warnings; Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?
24 BASEBALL
You’ve Got a Job to Do: Umpires Can’t Be Afraid of Taking Care of Business; Mastering Mound Visits; NFHS 2024 Points of Emphasis
30 SOFTBALL
Opening Day Coming in Hot: Prepare Now, Succeed Later; Safe or Out?; Deviation Communication
44 FOOTBALL
All Buttoned Up: Know the Rules for HorseCollar Tackles; It May Be Elsewhere in the Rulebook; Scrimmage Kick Formation; Zeroes on the Clock Don’t Mean It’s Over
56 SOCCER
TATORS: Pondering the Different Types of Officiating Personas; Get ’Em Set; Dealing the Cards
64 VOLLEYBALL
Be Ready to Role: Volleyball Officiating Demands Unique Attention; 2 or 4?; Breaking the Habit
74 ALL SPORTS
Type Casting: Classify Coaches — Then Deal With Them; Officiating Mind Health Timeouts; Are These Qualities in You?
6 THE GAG RULE
Letters: New Officials; They Get It; Survey Says; They Said It
8 THE NEWS
MLB Umpire Larry Vanover Retires; NHL Hires New Officials; Paronto Inducted Into College Baseball HOF
42 GETTING IT RIGHT Forever Young; Support for Parasports Officials; Pepe Paved the Way
62 PROFILES
Friday Night Lights: A Family Affair; Big League Aspirations; NFL Referee Gets New Gig
78 FOR THE RECORD Little League World Series Umpires; NHL Officiating Roster
80 LAW Deal With Discipline; I.C. Discipline; Employee Discipline
81 CLASSIFIEDS Camps/Clinics/Schools; Equipment/Apparel; Leadership Resources; Training Resources
82 LAST CALL Not a Thankless Job: “Each member of the home team lined up to thank me and shake my hand. The first player in line was the bunter I had called out a few minutes before.”
BASEBALL HIGHLIGHT THIS MONTH
Trabuco Canyon, Calif.,
PUBLISHER’S MEMO
Standard Bearer
You arrive at your assignment. It is a sub-varsity football game. Your three crewmates each arrive in separate vehicles. You are standing by your car and one crewmate comes over to chat. He lets you know that the other two officials on the game are actually not very good. He walks away. A bit later, one of the other officials walks over to chat and he does not have positive things to say about the other two. Both officials came over to talk to you because you have earned a reputation as a leader on the field. It turns out you know all three of these crewmates and not a one of them has the kind of officiating bio that instills confidence. But there they are and this game must be played. It begins and quickly you understand these crewmates do not know the rules, they do not know proper mechanics and they seem oblivious to the situations they are about to encounter. During this game, two of them choose to blow their whistles on every play, even if the play is not theirs to whistle. Hmmm …
Yet one is an official with more than 15 years of experience, one has worked a few years and one is fresh out of the box. All of them are registered officials but are situated in the lowest tier of the state’s classification system. That tier has few requirements. Register, pay the annual fee, receive a license to officiate. You’re expected to watch a training video which, in reality, is more appropriate for coaches and administrators than referees. You’re expected to take the rules test but you don’t have to. Yes, you can park yourself at the lowest classification level. You register, you pay and you referee.
The question to ponder is this: How has the “administrative state” gotten us into such a situation? What situation am I talking about? This one: That the shortage of officials has led to a lowering of the standard that defines what acceptable officiating must be. That lowering of the standard has led to serious harms: First, to the games
being worked; second, to the fans emotionally invested in the games; third, and critically, to the officials assigned expressly for the purpose of shoring up the overall crew. The burden on them can be immense.
Look, I understand what the shortage means to schools, players and assigners. The games gotta go on! Yes, but facilitating games by using nonqualified and grossly under-qualified sports officials is not smart.
There have to be agreed upon minimum standards that define the essential knowledge and skill sets and requirements to officiate any assignment. I ain’t no expert but allow me to offer some general basics:
1. Passing a rules-based test every registration period.
2. Passing a mechanics-based review every registration period, which includes proven game-management practices.
3. Physically being able to consistently fulfill the mechanics of the sport(s) you work, and looking the part.
4. Wearing only the approved, current, officiating uniform while fulfilling any assignment.
5. Attending and participating (in-person or online) in meetings of a local officials association for the purpose of training and interaction. (The local association must be “recognized” by the sports-governing bodies served by the association.)
6. Never dissing other sports officials publicly — ever!
7. Becoming engaged in the industry-wide officiating community through digital media and national memberships.
We can do this. We can help those who govern us do this. Together we will best serve the games and officiating.
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THE GAG RULE
LETTERS
Juggling Act for New Officials
Let’s set aside having to deal with coaches, players, parents and fans for a moment. Is it possible that new, and maybe some existing, officials are having a hard time just understanding and enforcing the rules?
I officiate soccer, but reading through some articles in other sports sections, I would certainly understand the apprehension some officials may have. Good knowledge of the rules is tantamount to being a fair and impartial official. He or she also needs to be a psychologist, hairdresser, equipment manager, medic, jeweler and, of course, a mind reader.
Also, what I have seen in many cases is that laws and rules change between youth, high school, college, amateur and pro. How frustrating it must be to have to remember what is right in one code isn’t correct at another level. And, of course, they deal with the rules changing and being amended every year.
It’s no wonder to me why there is a shortage of officials. Poor sportsmanship is just a part of it. And I’m just curious if anyone else feels the same way I do.
Barry Weinstein North Wales,
Pa.
THEY GET IT
“As in U.S. television, the typical commentary pair consists of a lead commentator who didn’t play at a high level and an analyst who played professionally. These analysts generally had solid playing careers and should have a broad understanding of what goes through players’ minds as they play the games. They are generally not referees. So why do they spend so much time attempting to provide insight on refereeing rather than playing?”
– Writer Beau Dure in an article titled “Judging the Refs: Not English Premier League TV’s Strong Suit” on socceramerica.com
SURVEY SAYS
do you feel officials are treated unfairly by these interest groups?
“Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission announced a final rule to combat fake reviews and testimonials. For years, false testimonials have infiltrated social media sites and other websites. Consider the 2017 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, during which University of Kentucky fans left false reviews for ‘Rooferees,’ a Nebraska roofing company. Why did basketball fans in Kentucky submit fake reviews for a roofing company in Nebraska? Because a college basketball referee owned ‘Rooferees,’ and Kentucky fans were unhappy with the way he refereed their game against the University of North Carolina.”
– Excerpt from an article by Clayton Friedman and Blake Christopher on regulatoryoversight.com
LAST-MINUTE CHAOS
This summer league basketball game was tied, 96-96, with 23.1 seconds left when the ball rolled out of bounds, unclear which player caused it to do so. Every official is faced with 50-50 calls every so often, but the chaos that ensued here was certainly a challenge for this crew.
THE NEWS
Paronto Inducted Into College Baseball HOF
LUBBOCK, Texas — Longtime college baseball umpire and NCAA baseball secretary-rules editor Jim Paronto was selected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame. He will be inducted posthumously as part of the 17th class. Paronto was 80 when he died in December 2023 and is survived by his wife, three children and five grandchildren. Services were held last year in Grand Junction, Colo.
Paronto enjoyed a long career in education and athletic administration. He taught and coached high school baseball and football in Southern California and south-central Colorado before becoming head baseball coach at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo., in 1972, a job which he held for nearly a decade.
Paronto served stints teaching and coaching at Brigham Young University from 1981-85, then as an assistant football coach at Oregon State University from 1985-87.
In 1990, Paronto became the head football coach and assistant athletic director at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo., then served as its athletic director from 1994-98.
Paronto’s proficiency in college
THE WIRE
CIF Section to Penalize Unruly Fan Behavior
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sac-Joaquin Section is cracking down on poor fan behavior. The section is implementing a policy that will hand unruly fans red and yellow cards at high school sporting events. A yellow card is a warning and a red
baseball rules led to his onfield umpiring career that spanned multiple decades and his role as NCAA baseball secretary-rules editor from 2003-15.
His rules duties with the NCAA paralleled his conference administration. He was the coordinator of baseball umpires for the Mountain West Conference from 2003-21, and for the Scenic West and Rocky Mountain Athletic conferences from 2015-22.
During his onfield umpiring career, Paronto called games mostly in the Pac-12, Western Athletic and Mountain West conferences, in addition to working 15 JUCO World Series and five Connie Mack World Series, the premier baseball event for talented players aged 16-18 years held annually in Farmington, N.M.
Paronto joins pitchers Roger Clemens, Bill Thom and Murray Wall, shortstops Randy Ross and Mike Schmidt, third basemen Mark Teixeira and Jeff King and coaches Wilbert Ellis, Mike Fox and Woody Hunt as the 11 members of the 2024 class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, an institution operated by the College Baseball Foundation and founded in 2006.
Paronto will be the 13th individual inducted into the Hall of Fame under the umpire category.
SOURCE: COLLEGE BASEBALL FOUNDATION
card is an ejection followed by a three-game suspension. Any fan who receives two red cards in the same season will be banned from all games for the rest of that season.
“This hopefully will be a way, instead of getting into an argument because emotions are high and fans are upset, to calmly address their behavior,” CIF Sac-Joaquin Section assistant commissioner Jeff Lorenson said.
NHL Hires Three Full-Timers, Two Part-Timers
NEW YORK — Two referees and a linesman have been added to the NHL’s full-time officiating staff for the 2024-25 season. Additionally, two referees will serve part-time roles this season.
Cody Beach and Justin Kea are the new referees and Joe Mahon is the new linesman. The promotion of Beach and Kea to full-time roles opened part-time slots for referees Alex Lepkowski and Liam Maaskant.
Beach, 32, worked his first NHL game April 12, 2022, and has worked a total of 64 regular season games. Kea, 30, made his debut March 28, 2022, and has appeared in 69 games. Both are former minor league players. Beach was a 2010 NHL draft pick of the St. Louis Blues while Kea was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012.
The 30-year-old Mahon has split time between the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) since 2022. He has 76 games of
Judge Rules Not Guilty in Pushing Incident
A Greenville (Pa.) High School assistant football coach who was cited for harassment following an incident during a scrimmage was found not guilty of the charge Sept. 9. The Greenville Police Department filed the summary charge Aug. 20 after an onfield incident Aug. 17 in a preseason scrimmage at Snyder-Stone Stadium, where Greenville
hosted Karns City. According to court documents, Gary Hull, 75, of Hermitage, was cited for harassment after police said he “did swear at and push a sports official during a game.”
Despite the verdict favoring Hull, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (PIAA) District 10 has suspended Hull for two years during which he cannot coach at any level in the PIAA.
See “NHL” p.10
Beach Kea Mahon
Soccer Referees Protest Electronic Payments
Members of a soccer officials association in New York are boycotting games over a payment dispute — the issue isn’t with how much they are getting paid, but rather with how they receive their funds
Referees from the Central New York Soccer Officials Association (CNYSOA) refused to work games this past fall due to their displeasure with the electronic payment system through which they are compensated It’s an issue that was thought to have been resolved in the late 2010s, when New York State Section III schools — which make up most of CNYSOA’s schedule — first tried implementing an electronic payment system for sports officials.
A majority of CNYSOA officials at the time expressed their aversion to electronic payment, leading to Section III abandoning the payment method in 2019. However, Section III recently went back on that decision, according to CNYSOA.
In late September, five of the eight school districts agreed to return to the old payment method used before electronic pay. But a dispute remained with three other schools.
“Previously, CNYSOA worked collaboratively with Section III and
THE WIRE
Inappropriate Behavior Leads to ‘Silent Game’ In response to poor treatment of its young referees this season, the Daviess County (Ky.) Youth Soccer Association (DCYSA) held a “Silent Sunday” Sept. 29. During the day’s games, only positive cheering was allowed, with no sideline coaching or arguing with calls.
“The majority of our referees are 13 to 17 years old, so it’s important to discourage those things when they creep in,” DCYSA board member John Congleton said. “It can be very challenging for a kid to be put in
SCAC school officials to resolve the matter of implementing an electronic payment system,” a statement from CNYSOA read. “These (school) officials are fully aware that 80% of our referees are unwilling to participate in such a system. In 2019, the Section III director formally notified CNYSOA that they were abandoning efforts to enforce electronic payment on independent contractors, which includes referees and seasonal employees, as a show of good faith and to move forward without any interruptions of services.
“Despite this resolution, Section III and SCAC (school) officials have now revived the issue, jeopardizing the stability of their sports programs and the communities they serve,” the statement continued. “Nevertheless, CNYSOA is doing its utmost to ensure game coverage with the officials we have available, despite the disruption this renewed effort may cause.”
CNYSOA’s statement did not provide a reason for the objection to the electronic payment system.
When online payments first came into the industry a decade ago, questions regarding payment reporting persisted.
SOURCE: WSYR-TV
that position, so we see every year referees say this isn’t for me.”
AHL Requires Cut-Resistant Neckwear
The American Hockey League (AHL), the NHL’s minor league, announced Aug. 22 that cutresistant neck protection is mandatory for every player across all 32 teams and all on-ice officials beginning this season. The league’s board of governors unanimously approved the move, according to AHL president and CEO Scott Howson. The 2023 death of former NHL player Adam
NHL continued from p.8
NHL experience, having debuted Nov. 1, 2022.
Lepkowski and Maaskant were teammates one season together with Barrie in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Lepkowski, 31, has officiated in the AHL, OHL and United States Hockey League. Maaskant, 30, attended the NHL Officiating Combine in 2022. Since then he’s officiated in the East Coast Hockey League, AHL and Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Beach and Kea fill the spots formerly held by referees Kevin Pollock and Justin St. Pierre, who retired after last season. Mahon takes over for retired linesman Ryan Galloway. Pollock, who was going to retire after the 2023-24 season, suffered a knee injury in March and did not return to the ice. In his career, he worked 1,608 regular season games and 219 playoff games.
St. Pierre retired after being sidelined all last season following knee surgery. In his career, he worked 1,197 regular season games and eight playoff games.
SOURCE: SCOUTINGTHEREFS.COM
Johnson, who was playing in England at the time, from a skate cut to the neck has prompted leagues around the world to discuss ways to prevent such injuries. While the International Ice Hockey Federation introduced such a mandate in December and Hockey Canada has had its mandate in place for over 30 years, the NHL has yet to implement a cut-resistant neck protection mandate.
LaLiga Adds Signal for Racist Incidents LaLiga and the Spanish Football
Federation have agreed to introduce FIFA’s new “no racism” gesture for referees, which will be used by officials to signal that a racist incident has been reported. The “cross-arm” gesture was approved at FIFA’s congress in Bangkok in May 2024 and will now be adopted in Spain, the two governing bodies announced Sept. 12. Racism in Spanish football has been an issue this year, with a number of highprofile incidents of fans insulting players. Earlier this year, three fans received prison sentences for racially abusing the Brazil
MLB Umpire Larry Vanover Retires
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As MLB umpire and crew chief Larry Vanover and his crew — David Rackley, Nate Tomlinson and Derrick Thomas — walked to home plate for ground rules at Tropicana Field Sunday, Sept. 22, Vanover spotted his wife, Dianne, and son Austin walking toward the plate with Rays bench coach Rodney Linares carrying the lineup cards.
“I was shocked. I never expected to see Dianne and Austin on the field. It was such a wonderful moment, and I am very grateful to the Rays for making this such a memorable experience,” the Owensboro, Ky., native said.
Vanover and his wife had made the decision to retire earlier this summer and, because of a scheduled vacation, the Rays versus Toronto Blue Jays game was his final 2024 regular season game.
The Vanovers stayed on the field for the playing of the national anthems of both the U.S. and Canada. At the end of the first inning, the team put a picture of Vanover on the Jumbotron in right field with a message of congratulations.
Vanover had a long, successful career, working his first NL game in 1991 and becoming a full-time staff member in 1993.
Vanover was the first umpire in baseball history to use expanded
video replay, confirming a call in a March 31, 2014, Cubs-Pirates game. He was the home plate umpire for game one of the 2016 World Series between Cleveland and the Chicago Cubs. He was behind the plate Sept. 28, 2014, when Derek Jeter got a base hit at Fenway Park in his final at-bat of his career.
Vanover, 69, is also the oldest person to ever umpire and serve as a crew chief for a MLB game, passing Hall of Fame umpire Hank O’Day, who retired at age 68.
After umpiring nearly 3,500 regular season games, Vanover said his proudest moment came at the end of the 2014 season when MLB executive Joe Torre named him a fulltime crew chief, a role he held for nine seasons.
“To be named a crew chief and be recognized as a leader in our profession is the ultimate honor,” he said. “This was monumental, being promoted to crew chief, especially coming from Joe Torre.”
SOURCE: DAN RONAN CONTRIBUTED THIS REPORT
international team at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium in May 2023.
Changes Coming for VAR in Premier League
This season, the Premier League is introducing a new term, “Referee’s Call,” when communicating video assistant replay (VAR) decisions. According to Premier League chief football of cer Tony Scholes, “Referee’s Call” is meant to clarify the initial decision by the on-pitch of cial is critical. “The referee’s call should stand unless the VAR, based on readily available evidence, can
see without doubt the on-pitch of cial has made a clear mistake,” Scholes said. “In the absence of that clear evidence, the referee’s call will stand.”
“We have situations that split opinion — and VAR can’t always provide de nitive answers all the time, because the real world is not always correct or incorrect,” PGMOL chief refereeing of cer Howard Webb said. “So ‘Referee’s Call’ clari es the process to fans, managers and players — even if they disagree with the decision.”
SOURCES: AP, CBS, ESPN, PREMIER LEAGUE, THE RECORD-ARGUS, 14NEWS.COM
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MLB umpire Larry Vanover’s wife, Dianne, and son, Austin, join him Sept. 22 at the plate meeting in Tampa Bay to mark his final regular season game before retirement.
ALL THE RIGHT MOVES
Avoid Behaviors That Will Derail Your Officiating Journey
By Kevin Erickson
Having officiated basketball for almost 30 years, I have a high degree of respect for sports officials. Many of my acquaintances and nearly all my closest friends are fellow basketball officials. However, I have noticed a few damaging things over my career we need to work on as
a collective group to keep us from sabotaging our reputations and to get more enjoyment than frustration from our efforts.
Criticizing coaches. We spend our entire careers wishing coaches would coach more and criticize less, but why do many officials criticize coaching in locker rooms or at the local watering hole after the game? “Why didn’t the
coach press when they fell behind by eight points?” “Why did the coach take the best player out in the middle of the fourth quarter?” We have never been to one team practice and we have no knowledge of the gameplan or team dynamics. We do not have near enough information to make such judgments.
Comparing our games/ratings
to other officials. Many officials spend more time worrying about officials rated above them in the pecking order than enjoying their sport. Even though officials have no knowledge of many factors that go into assigning (officials’ availability, partner dynamics and previous team matchups to name three of many), they obsess about why Joe Schmoe got a “better game” than they did, especially if Joe Schmoe is rated lower than they are.
At one time, I was the top-rated high school official in the boys’ and girls’ rankings of our local association. Whenever an official
When officials attend an offseason camp, as is the case for Washington state officials (from left) Yeung Yip, SedroWoolley; Evan Churlin, Lake Stevens; Mudd Mirza, Spanaway; and Mindy Eakin, Kennewick, they should be doing so with the objective of helping themselves and their partners get better, not to compare themselves to or criticize their fellow officials.
would start complaining to me that Joe Schmoe got a better game, I would say, “So since I am the No. 1-rated official, I should get the marquee game every night, right?” I was generally met with a blank stare indicating my logic was lost on them.
Criticizing another official. If you say something behind an official’s back, you are part of the referee gossip group. I’m not talking about officials in the stands saying things like, “I think I would have been wider on the endline than Sally was on that play,” or “That would have been a good play for Trent to come in and take from the C position.” I’m talking about comments like, “This game is over Sarah’s head,” or “How did Todd get put on this game?”
In addition to the possibility your comments will make it to that official, undermining another official reveals what kind of partner you are. I know more than one official who torpedoed his or her formerly bright career by criticizing a fellow official to someone in power who was friends with the official being criticized.
Criticizing players or the quality of the game. Officials in the bleachers often say something about a player and then realize the player’s parent or friend is within hearing distance. When that spectator files a complaint, there is no defense for it. Those comments then travel through the entire parent section and make our entire group look bad.
Telling a fellow official they shouldn’t have assessed a technical foul even when a participant clearly violated rule 10 regarding sportsmanship. We can call 50 common fouls in a game, yet a technical foul seems to be the most-
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of years of service by NBA official Tom Washington entering the 2024-25 season. He is also the leader among staff officials in regular-season games, having worked more than 1,800 contests since his debut during the 1991-92 season.
SOURCE: OFFICIAL.NBA.COM
SURVEY SAYS …
According to the NASO 2023 National Officiating Survey powered by referee.com, basketball officials are more apt than their counterparts in other sports to “work down” a level in order to help educate and train other officials.
More than 54% of those surveyed who identified themselves as basketball officials said they take lower-level assignments periodically in order to mentor other officials. This easily outpaces the 39.5% of total respondents who answered they have done the same.
“I remember walking out on the floor and looking up in the stands, and I see my family and they’re holding a Mexican flag. And that, to me, was a moment that just brought everything full circle.”
– Bianca Burns, the first Mexican-born woman to officiate an NBA game, about her league debut in December 2021.
WISN.COM
SOURCE:
TEST YOURSELF
In each of the following, decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA men’s and NCAA women’s rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.
1. Which of the following is true of goaltending?
a. Goaltending can occur during a dead ball.
b. Goaltending can only be committed by an offensive player.
c. Goaltending can only be committed by a defensive player.
d. Goaltending can be committed by an offensive or defensive player.
2. Which of the following combination of fouls results in the disqualification (NFHS) or ejection (NCAAM/W) of a player?
a. Two intentional fouls only.
b. Two flagrant 1 personal fouls.
c. Two Class A technical fouls.
d. Two technical fouls only.
e. Any combination of two intentional or technical fouls.
3. A1 has the ball for an alternating-possession throw-in. Which of the following results in the alternating-possession arrow being reversed?
a. A2 kicks A1’s throw-in pass.
b. B2 kicks A1’s throw-in pass.
c. A1 hands the ball to A2.
d. A2 is called for an illegal screen while A1 is still holding the ball.
4. A1 is holding the ball for a throw-in along the endline. A2, A3, and A4 are lined up one behind the other on the free-throw lane line. All the following are true, except which?
a. B1 is not entitled to a position between A2 and A3 or between A3 and A4.
b. B1 shall be allowed between A2 and A3 or between A3 and A4.
c. B1 can stand in front of A1.
d. B2 can stand behind A4.
5. During a throw-in in the backcourt in a game in which the shot clock is being used, which begins when an inbounds player legally touches the ball?
a. The game clock.
b. The shot clock.
c. The 10-second backcourt count.
d. All of the above.
e. It’s up to each state association depending on its adopted shot clock procedures.
talked-about decision after a game. If a participant violated one of the sportsmanship tenets of rule 10, why would you tell a fellow official they should not have called that technical foul?
Sportsmanship is the No. 1 reason officials stop officiating. I have heard many officials brag about how much verbal abuse they take from a coach like it is some sort of badge of courage. It is cowardly, and you will develop a reputation of not being mentally tough enough to step up to the moment. Also, think about what signal is sent to the coach who is honoring sportsmanship when you let the other coach step out of line. Finally, what does failing to address sportsmanship do to the officiating crew that follows you? As the officials coordinator for the Washington 3A/4A state championships at the Tacoma Dome each year, I will sometimes visit the locker room after the game to ask a crew why they didn’t assess a much-deserved technical foul. Generally, the crew claims they were “managing” the situation. In 90% of those egregious situations, not even a warning is given. As a very wise official friend of mine often says, “What we permit, we promote.”
Not supporting partners when they are being singled out by a coach. Some coaches try the “divide and conquer” technique to test the loyalty of a crew. Letting a coach tell you why your partner “needs help” or “is hurting the game” while you nod your head up and down is telling everyone in the facility you are throwing your partner under the bus. Ambitions don’t match sacrifice. If an official has high-level officiating aspirations but isn’t willing to put in offseason time going to camps, studying tape and being part of a group that discusses rules and game situations, the likelihood of meeting those ambitions is low. Usually, there is an unspoken expectation that an official wanting to break into the upper ranks spends time with key members of the existing group and even attends certain social gatherings. Failing to understand the unwritten guidelines leads to
frustration rather than advancement. Ambitions conflict with family. If an official has a family that is a priority, officiating five nights a week and using all of his or her vacation time to go to camps will damage relationships. Many officials neglect their own spouse and children trying to make it happen. Live your priorities or you will end up living regret.
Not “paying it forward.” Many veteran officials feel threatened by an up-and-comer and won’t help a newer official who shows potential. Those officials need to remember they were once that newer official. They were mentored, taught and helped by veterans. We owe it to the game we love to elevate those around us so athletes get the best officiating product possible. Take pride in helping someone reach a higher level, even if it is higher than the level you reached.
Not respecting veterans. When newer officials see veterans as an obstacle to overcome rather than a source of help, it can come back to bite them. Veterans have connections, often at higher levels, and might put a good word in to an assigner about an official who deserves a look. Even veteran officials who never rose to the top deserve to be appreciated for all the time and service they have given to the game. Treating an “older” official with a lack of respect can shut the doors of opportunity. Officiating is a great way to stay attached to the game we love and it can create amazing memories. Unfortunately, way too many officials spend their entire careers miserable because they fall into one of the many categories mentioned above. Give some thought to what you hope to get out of this great avocation and what you are putting into it. Keeping that equation in balance is key to enjoying your officiating career.
Kevin Erickson is a high school and junior college basketball official in Washington state. He has officiated several state championship games and is the officials coordinator for the 3A/4A Washington State High School Basketball Tournament.
Full Color Photos & Diagrams
100+ Caseplays and Test Q&As
Latest NFHS Rules & Mechanics Changes
HandPicked Articles School basketball this learn
This is the comprehensive guide you need to be ready to work High School basketball this season. All new and recent rule changes broken down, Points of Emphasis clarified and tough situations made simple - all in a full-color, magazine-sized annual guide. Includes hundreds of caseplays and quiz questions!
CASEPLAYS
Layered Fouls
Play: A1 is fouled by B2 near the division line, and team A is in the bonus. Prior to A1’s free throws being attempted, B3 shoves A4. Several seconds later, A5 shoves B3. What is the result? Ruling: In NFHS, B2 is charged with a common personal foul. B3 and A5 shall each be assessed intentional technical fouls for that unnecessary contact during a dead ball. Since the fouls occurred several seconds apart, and thus did not occur at approximately the same time, they are not simultaneous fouls. The free throws shall be shot in the order in which the fouls occurred, all of which with no players lined up in the marked lane spaces. A1 shall shoot the bonus free throws for B2’s common foul, followed by any team A player shooting free throws for B3’s technical foul, followed by any team B player shooting free throws for A5’s technical foul. Since the last intentional technical was by A5, team B shall receive a throw-in after the final free throw (4-19-5c, 4-19-10, 7-5-6a, 8-6-2, 10-4-7 Pen.). In NCAAM, B2 is charged with a common personal foul. B3 and A5 shall each be assessed Class A contact dead ball technical fouls for that unnecessary contact during a dead ball. Since the technical fouls occurred during the same dead ball period, no free throws shall be awarded. A1’s shall shoot free throws for B2’s common foul with no players lined up in the marked lane spaces, followed by awarding the ball to Team B for a throw-in at a designated spot nearest to where the A5’s dead ball contact foul occurred using the procedures in Rule 7-3.2 since A5’s technical occurred last and carries the ball award penalty (4-15.3.e, 7-3.2, 7-4.15.b, 10-3.1.e Pen. and Resumption of Play, A.R. 5-19). In NCAAW, B2 is charged with a personal foul. B3 and A5 shall be assessed intentional fouls for that unnecessary contact. Since the intentional fouls occurred during the same stopped-clock period, and the fouls are of equal gravity, no free throws shall be awarded. Play shall resume at the point of interruption, which is A1’s free throws for B2’s personal foul (4-23.1.e, 7-4.10, 7-5.1.c, 10-13.1.e Pen., A.R. 7-22).
Delay Warnings
By the Referee editors
Withthe advent of the new NFHS warning for faking being fouled that is now in effect for the 2024-25 season, it’s a good time to remind officials about the other warnings found in the NFHS rule code, and to make sure there is no ambiguity in how the “flop” warning is administered in relation to the five warnings for delay.
The five delay situations spelled out in rule 4-47 are:
• A plane violation warning on throw-ins (4-47-1, PlayPic A).
• A huddle by either team in the lane and contact with the free thrower that delays administration of the free
A B
throw (4-47-2, PlayPic B).
• Interfering with the ball following a goal (4-47-3, PlayPic C).
• Failure to have the court ready for play following a timeout (4-47-4, PlayPic D).
• New to the NFHS rule code for 2024-25, for failure, when in possession, to immediately pass the ball to the nearer official when a whistle sounds (4-47-5, PlayPic E).
On the first infraction of any of those five delay warnings, the official should report the delay to the scorer to be noted in the scorebook and report the delay to the head coach of the offending team. That same reporting process is to be utilized in the first occurrence of a warning for faking
D C
being fouled (4-49, PlayPics F, 1 and 2).
With the five delay warnings, a second delay of any type results in a team technical foul, penalized by two free throws and a division-line throwin opposite the table for the offended
team (10-2-1 c through g).
However, the faking being fouled warning requires two occurrences of that particular act in order to force the ruling and administration of a team technical foul (10-2-1h). In other
words, if a team is warned for a plane violation on a throw-in, and a player on that same team later is warned for faking being fouled, the penalty is not a technical foul. The same is true if those two acts occur in the opposite order.
Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?
By Jason Franchuk
Several years ago, I officiated a summer league game and got paid the ultimate backhanded compliment. An irate coach thanked me for “not being a coward like your partner over there.”
I didn’t understand. Frankly, I thought my partner was a better official (certainly, at the time, much more experienced). So, I replied in a most articulate manner: “Huh?”
The angry coach shot back, “You at least come over and talk to me after calling a foul. That guy …” And his voice trailed off.
I recall there was a delay in the game that allowed a chance to explain the situation — to let the coach behind the mechanics curtain.
My partner was a boys’ basketball official in New York. That group switched to the opposite side of the table after calling a foul. On the girls’ side in the state — these were entirely separate entities, unlike many states — we stayed tableside. Our differences were not built on bravado, or lack thereof, but on the whim of federations and associations.
Which is how I found this to be an interesting topic starting last fall after I moved to Ohio.
It’s my third state in eight years. And it has led to one frustration: We report the foul, then go opposite the table here. To put it in a most articulate manner: I hate it. Even after a full, solid winter, I still think I’m right. Especially in my first year in a new state, hardly knowing any coaches and trying to build some sort of rapport, I’d rather get a chance to talk and at times explain.
In talking to countless referees over the winter, I’d say I was in the minority — most wanted to call it and get away.
A handful of years ago, Ohio actually moved to staying tableside after the NFHS instructed officials to make that move.
Denny Morris is one of the godfathers of Ohio officiating. He’s a state hall of famer who still does high school games (he’s been churning them out since 1975) around Big Ten football,
According to official NFHS mechanics, the official who calls a foul in most instances — in this case, a frontcourt foul call by the trail official against the defense — remains tableside after reporting to the official scorer. Some local and state associations deviate from this mechanic in an attempt to keep the ruling official removed from a questioning coach.
in which he has been a back judge since 2002.
Staying tableside lasted one year in Ohio high schools. Morris made the decision on his own to go back to the old way.
“There are pros and cons to each way,” Morris told me. “Of course, at tableside it can be easy to talk to the coach. But sometimes that’s not the best thing to have happening.”
Morris serves as an Ohio High School Athletic Association director for officiating development for football. He’s seen countless changes over the years, but he has stood firm. He had seen enough.
“It was the general inability of officials to stay away from coaches,” Morris said. “And it was not always confrontational. Sometimes, too much chatting as far as I was concerned.”
Rest assured, during our half-hour Zoom conversation, I played devil’s advocate. I told him I preferred going to the table for the aforementioned reasons. He appreciated where I came from but otherwise shrugged me off.
Really, he wasn’t the only one. I occasionally text with John Higgins, the longtime former NCAA official who now serves as the coordinator of officials for several Division I conferences. He prefers going opposite as well.
My fear is the communication tool for officials isn’t being put in their respective tool boxes. And going opposite doesn’t help.
“It still boils down to what officials will tolerate,” Morris said. “But too often I saw that (switch) hold up getting the ball back in play.”
His longtime colleague, Bobby Sagers, would agree. Sagers is a state legend who also worked Big Ten football.
Sagers (who, full disclosure, is one of my assigners) prefers to go opposite the table. It means more moving. And, in theory, it adds time to the game for all of those extra steps. But he’s seen too many instances when the ball was delayed getting inbounded or administered to the foul shooter.
“You know how those coaches are,” Sagers said. “They’ll take all the time they can to get your attention.”
I worked a hotly contested double-
overtime game with Sagers last season. It was at the point in the winter when I was still trying to work through the old rotation habits. So, I still felt clumsy out there, like I was entering a tap dance competition every 3-4 minutes.
Then it got awkward because I was finally ready to switch. I’m almost the entire way to my new spot — and got called off because our other veteran partner wanted to stay over and explain a bang-bang call.
Hey, I got it. I retreated. And this is how I view it: It’s OK to not be tableside after every call.
Communication is like black pepper. You don’t sprinkle it constantly on everything.
Sagers calls himself a “keep the line moving” guy. Which is to say, pick your spots.
“Let’s get the ball in play,” he said. “If someone in the crew is talking to a coach, it often means the other two officials are just standing around. It just looks bad.”
He does worry about the upcoming generation of younger officials, especially when it comes to communication with coaches. That is a fundamental element of the game. He suggests other ways to build that rapport around potential in-game delays.
During the game, it’s more about talking to the players. Help them keep out of foul trouble. Help them keep their emotions in check. Smile. A little bit of talk goes a long way.
But around the game, there are great things to do as well.
Sagers loves when younger referees “do a little research” and know the coach’s name before they walk into the gym. So, if there’s a pregame introduction, that’s a way to let the coach know you’re on top of your game.
As for talking in-game, Sagers agrees there are times you might want to explain yourself. But there are more times when it’s best just to get away.
And if you’re wondering which way to go: “You better understand the temperature of the game, before you go over and say, ‘This is what I saw.’”
Jason Franchuk, Cincinnati, officiates high school and junior college women’s basketball.
LIST OF OUR OPINIONS NO ARGUMENT
It’s time for the annual list of opinions from the Referee editors about happenings in the world of officiating. Let us know your opinions at letters@referee.com.
SPORTS MARKETING
Advertising on officials’ uniforms has always made us uncomfortable, but this example crosses the line. During a professional soccer game in Ecuador, Discover screenprinted a QR code onto the back of the referees’ uniforms. Fans got cash back offers for scanning the QR code. As if the name “Catch the Referee” wasn’t bad enough (like we’re pets or wild animals!), the promotion was dependent on the officiating decisions. For example, a red card offered a 25% cashback incentive, and a penalty kick 40%. With all the gambling hazards of today, who thought this was a good idea?
We of all people know officials take a lot of heat, and far too often. But The Farmer’s Dog commercial that premiered on opening night of the NFL season during the Sept. 5 NBC broadcast of the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs game went a few steps too far. The footage seemed to normalize coaches and players chasing officials off the field and fans throwing food and beverages at them. What really rubs us the wrong way, however, is the interaction of the crew in their locker room. The referee tells the line judge to get his eyes checked. No decent official, no matter the circumstances, would ever address a crewmate in that fashion.
OPINIONS ARGUMENT
CALM, COOLEY AND COLLECTED
Georgetown men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley gave a clinic on how to conduct a postgame press conference with class after a buzzer-beater loss to TCU on Dec. 2, 2023 (we hope a few other coaches were listening):
We
“Let’s talk about the elephant in the room,” he said. “We had three of the best officials in America on our game today. High-level officials. Final Four officials. Regional final officials. The game is not defined by one play. And that’s all everybody is going to talk about. … Those three officials that just officiated this game are three of the best officials in all of college basketball. And if I can have them on my next game, I would.”
The final play involved a tight sideline ruling. Instant replay review processes were called into question by media outlets. The three officials to whom Cooley was referring were Ray Natili, Kipp Kissinger and Mike Roberts.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY…
The material provided to officials regarding the dangers of gambling and the forbidding of sports wagering is amazing. The dangers of gambling are spelled out everywhere, so why are conference tournaments played in casinos (Mohegan Sun, MGM, etc.) and almost every professional sporting venue has its own sportsbook? Talk about mixed messages! Not to mention telecasts showing up-to-theminute live betting odds during games. Mind-boggling to be sure.
ANGEL GUARDIANS
You’d never know it by scanning social media in the wake of his midseason retirement, but there are people who do appreciate what Angel Hernandez brought to the table during his more than three decades as an MLB umpire — people who are far more qualified to speak about the man than the average John Q. Umpire Hater.
Fellow former MLB umpire Ted Barrett — a man so revered in the industry that he was named the recipient of the 2024 NASO Gold Whistle Award — took to Facebook to defend Hernandez.
Meanwhile, longtime MLB reporter Peter Gammons, who has covered the game for almost 50 years, also took to X to wish Hernandez well on his next chapter.
“An umpire’s life is exceptionally tough, from the 6 am flights to tv commentators 2d (sic) guessing every call. May Angel Hernandez spend a peaceful life, and never again get booed.”
LIST OF OUR OPINIONS NO ARGUMENT
THANKS, COACH! MIC
During a Jan. 24 game, Dayton women’s basketball coach Tamika Williams-Jeter stormed onto the court to object to a call, aggressively bumped official Ryan Durham and earned an immediate ejection. Did the Atlantic 10 Conference appropriately handle the incident by suspending Williams-Jeter for several games? Nope. She wasn’t made to sit in punishment or as an example to discourage such behavior.
Part of the reason why: There was no NCAA rulebook language specifically dealing with bumping an official. Really?!? Never mind that physical abuse of umpires draws a four-game suspension by rule in NCAA baseball. (Umm ... NCAA ... there can't be a good reason sports under your umbrella treat this differently, right?)
But thankfully, we now have the “Williams-Jeter Rule” for college basketball. The NCAA Basketball Rules Committees took a step in the right direction this year. Now, any player, substitute or bench personnel who contacts an official (or even makes a threat of physical intimidation or harm) will be ejected and serve a one-game suspension. Coach, your legacy will live on in every suspension henceforth. Congrats!
DROP
• Alex Kemp, NFL, when interrupted by a player during a penalty announcement — “I’m talking to America here. Excuse me.”
• Garrett Rank, NHL, letting the St. Louis crowd know a Blues goal would be disallowed — “You’re not going to like it.”
• Kole Knueppel, college football, ensuring all Ohio State players guilty of a choreographed celebration were identified — “After the play was over, unsportsmanlike conduct on multiple players for posing. Unsportsmanlike conduct No. 7, No. 44, No. 33, No. 10, No. 24 and No. 7. And No. 1.”
• Justin Elliott, college football, “Would the public address announcer please stop playing while Stanford is in formation ready to snap the ball. Any more playing of music and sound effects will result in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Colorado.”
THE BIRDS AND THE B E E S
We should add zookeeper to our list of duties. Wildlife was prevalent at sporting events this year, forcing officials to hold up play while the creatures could be corralled.
June 1: French Open – Chair umpire Damien Dumosois rescues a pigeon with a towel
April 30: Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers –Beekeeper removes swarm, game delayed two hours
May 11: Class A Bradenton Marauders –Turtle shooed from outfield
May 15: Philadelphia Union vs. New York City FC –Raccoon removed from pitch
July 13: Australian Rules Football – A dozen emus interrupt match
July 21: Norwegian soccer match – Interrupted when fans threw fish cakes onto the pitch
TAKE A SPIN
The NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four featured a matchup between UConn and Iowa on April 5 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The Huskies’ Aaliyah Edwards committed an illegal screen foul against Gabbie Marshall in the closing seconds of regulation. The call sparked an uninformed outcry from media and fans alike. Take a spin, we’ve heard ’em all:
“You can’t make that call at the end of the game.”
“No one came to watch the refs.”
“Let the players decide the game.”
“That’s a big call this late in the game.”
“You can’t take a possession away from them.”
ISN’T IT IRONIC?
Alanis Morissette could include this one in her song “Ironic” from the 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. Except this one is actual irony. Dec. 6, 2023 — Patrick Mahomes is officially announced by the Kansas City Chiefs as their Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate. Fast forward four days to Dec. 10, and Mahomes is seen being restrained by teammates as he goes after the officiating crew in the waning moments of a 20-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
PLANES – TRAINS - AUTOMOBILES
While officials in some sports are preparing to travel from the West coast to the East coast on a weekend to fulfill assignments because of the new geography of the NCAA conferences, men’s and women’s basketball officials are saying, “Hold my beer.” Here is a look at just a couple examples of the craziness and chaos some basketball officials experienced last season:
• NCAAM official Earl Walton worked the Maui Invitational championship game at 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 22. He then worked the second game at the ESPN Events Invitational at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (Kissimmee, Fla.) at 2:30 p.m EST the very next day.
• NCAA men’s basketball official Roger Ayers traveled over 85,000 miles during the regular season alone in 2023-24 and worked games in 25 states.
YOU’VE GOT A JOB TO DO Umpires Can’t Be Afraid of Taking Care of Business
By Jon Bible
Great umpires take care of business, even if it means they’re almost certain to get yelled at. To put it bluntly, they’ve got guts. Fortunately, red-lining, where coaches can scratch (refuse to use) an umpire, is pretty much a thing of the past, but — officially or unofficially — it does still happen. The top-flight umpire, however, won’t worry about that. Here are some examples of what I mean.
When I was a college coordinator, I watched a game where a batter swung, fell across the plate and contacted the catcher trying to nail a runner stealing second base. It was a clear case of interference, but there was no call. The coach came out to argue, and the plate umpire (Joe) called the three base umpires together for a conference. The crew chief said there was no way they were going to call interference from the bases when Joe didn’t call it. I agree because I believe batter interference is a call only the plate umpire is in position to make. Also, it’s hard to explain calling something from 100 feet away when the person standing three feet away ignores it.
Joe didn’t take care of business in two respects: not calling clearcut interference, then by dumping things in his partners’ laps instead of standing his ground and taking some heat for his non-call. I suspect he knew he had screwed up and was hoping they would bail him out.
In another game, Joe was at third base. The plate umpire (Bill) didn’t ring up a strike on what I thought was a clear swing by a left-handed batter. The defense, in the third-base dugout, appealed, and Joe said, “No swing.” Now the dugout is really yelling, and what did Joe do? Nada. Finally, the second-base umpire had to come over and calm things down.
Umpires like Matt Perez, Trabuco Canyon, Calif., must be willing to enforce the rules as written and make tough decisions during the course of the game, even if it means having to weather a storm of criticism from players, coaches and spectators.
I wasn’t a happy camper. In the postgame, I first asked Bill why he asked for help on an obvious swing, and he said he just missed it. That disarmed me and I didn’t want to pile on, but I still said the call was too obvious to miss and he shouldn’t have put it in Joe’s hands. Then I asked Joe why he didn’t overrule it. He said he figured one team was upset, so why get the other one mad by changing the call. Wow. To compound the problem, he said he didn’t do anything about the dugout because he figured the crew had blown the call so he may as well let them vent. Double wow.
Bill didn’t take care of business by passing on a blatant checked swing and Joe didn’t by going with him, for a lousy reason, when a reversal was in order. Then he compounded things by not dealing with a hostile dugout and forcing the second-base umpire to do his dirty work for him. Joe never worked another tournament for me, by the way.
On the flip side, a friend once told me about an umpire in a high school championship game who encountered a pitcher using the illegal hybrid stance. He was in a tough spot. He had ability and guts, or he wouldn’t have received that assignment. Should he ignore the problem on the theory no one wants to raise a stink at playoff time, especially when he knows grief will come his way if he enforces the rule? Or should he do the right thing and enforce this black-and-white rule?
He opted for choice B, and there was the expected reaction. He weathered the storm but afterward he asked how that pitcher could get that far along in the season without anyone calling him on the illegal stance. He took care of business, but his predecessors sure didn’t.
In a College World Series game, an umpire sent a team home by calling a balk on a pitcher who spun on his heel instead of stepping toward first on a pickoff move. Since there was a runner on third base, it scored what proved to be the winning run. Afterward, the coach was interviewed and, instead of
blasting the umpire, said the pitcher had gotten away with it all year. But when you get to Omaha you get the better umpires and they’ll call things right. That shows the level of respect most coaches have when we do the right thing even if it hurts their team.
If we don’t take care of business, we hurt umpires who do. Maybe we don’t know the rules, don’t want to rock the boat, fear losing assignments, are young and lacking in confidence, or to be brutal, lack guts. But whatever the reason, it’s wrong. When X lets things slide, he sets up Y for a tough time when Y does what he’s supposed to do. I can hear it now: “We’ve been doing that all year, and no one has said diddly squat about it!”
In covering this, I don’t want to be understood as suggesting we should apply rules hyper-literally. I advocate using the advantagedisadvantage philosophy when appropriate. But some rules (and calls) are black and white, and if something is flatly illegal, we’re wrong to ignore it.
As the Joe example illustrates, taking care of business applies to player/coach conduct. If we let people whine about calls, they cause problems for others who draw the line in the proper place. There are resources available to people who want to learn game management techniques; we owe it to each other to become skilled in these areas and to take a stand when the situation calls for it instead of taking the easy way out by looking the other way.
If an umpire ejects someone and the situation gets heated, the umpire’s partner(s) should intervene to get him off the field. Years ago, I ejected a coach who refused to leave. My partner (two-umpire crew) didn’t move a muscle to help out. Eventually the coach’s players dragged him away, but it took a while. Fortunately, I was in a position to ensure I never worked with this umpire again.
Jon Bible, Austin, Texas, worked seven NCAA Division I College World Series. In 2019, he was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas.
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of MLB players who went on to become major league umpires. Bill Kunkel was the last person to accomplish this feat; he played from 1961-63. He later made his AL umpiring debut in 1968. Unfortunately, the Negro Leagues did not keep a quality listing of its umpires. But the Society for American Baseball Research points out that because there were not umpire schools for Black students, many Negro Leagues umpires were ex-players, including Mule Suttles, Billy Donaldson and Mo Harris, among others known and unknown.
SOURCES: SABR, BASEBALL ALMANAC
SURVEY SAYS …
Is travel baseball bad for umpiring? 53.62% of umpires who responded to the 2023 National Officiating Survey powered by referee.com say sportsmanship is the worst at the youth competitive level. This is backed up by national stories of umpire abuse at this level.
Umpires place a combined 74.17% of responsibility for improved sportsmanship on parents and coaches. But with 70% of umpires saying sportsmanship is headed in the wrong direction, should more focus be put on governing bodies?
TOOLS
Oakley’s PRIZM
Eye protection is important, especially for day games played under glaring sun. But polarized sunglasses can have a negative impact on your ability to umpire. Polarized glasses filter out certain light, which can impact depth perception. Also, reduced glare can make it harder to track the ball. Instead, umpires should look for lenses that are non-polarized, or go with advanced lenses, like Oakley’s PRIZM, that are not polarized.
TEST YOURSELF
In each question, decide which answer is correct for NFHS, NCAA or pro rules. Solutions: p. 81.
1. A fielder will be considered to have caught a ball in flight when:
a. He has secured the ball in his cap.
b. He has the ball in his glove for two steps before accidentally dropping the ball.
c. He has secured possession in foul ground and then steps with both feet into his dugout.
d. The batted ball in flight caromed off a runner and was secured by the fielder before touching the ground.
2. An illegal substitute is:
a. A player who enters the game without reporting.
b. A player who re-enters the game in the wrong position in the batting order.
c. Any starter who re-enters the game after having been removed (when no re-entry allowed).
d. B and C.
3. At the beginning of the third inning, the head coach tells the plate umpire that Baker will bat for the fourth batter in the inning, Davis, if the inning lasts that long. Wilson comes to bat instead of Baker and does not tell the plate umpire. With no outs, he hits into a run-scoring double play.
a. Wilson is an illegal substitute and is restricted to the bench when discovered.
b. It is permissible for the plate umpire to record the projected substitution of Baker.
c. Wilson is an unreported substitute. Upon discovery, the plate umpire will make the needed changes in the lineup.
d. The opposing coach has the option of accepting the results of the play or having Wilson declared out.
e. B and C.
4. The ball always becomes dead immediately when:
a. A runner is obstructed by a fielder.
b. An intentional base on balls is to be awarded.
c. An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
Mastering Mound Visits
By Patrick Faerber
Mound visits happen in almost every game, yet most umpires never receive formal training on the mechanics they should use during conferences and pitching changes. While they may seem like moments for umpires to relax, these situations present an opportunity for good game management to avoid potential conflicts while also controlling the flow of the game.
Here is a breakdown of how to handle mound visits, as well as the logic behind these mechanics.
The Three Outcomes of a Mound Visit
Whenever a coach goes to the mound during an inning, three possible outcomes can occur:
• A charged conference.
• A pitching change.
• An injury check. Each outcome requires the umpiring crew to act in specific ways crucial for administering the game. The plate umpire holds the primary responsibilities, but the base umpire(s) can play an essential supporting role by staying alert and engaged throughout the conference.
Handling Injuries and Potential Injuries
If a coach requests time to check on a pitcher who may be injured, the plate umpire should approach the mound with the coach. The umpire’s role is to observe, ensuring the visit is genuinely about evaluating the player’s condition and not a disguised conference. You don’t need
When a coach is at the mound for a conference, the home plate umpire should take a position on the foul line opposite the defensive team’s dugout, while the base umpire(s) should be in the shallow outfield.
to judge the injury’s legitimacy but should be close enough to listen to the conversation.
If the injury check concludes with no substitution and no defensive conference needed, the plate umpire should signal to the opposing team that no conference occurred. That is indicated by giving a “safe” signal directly to the opposing bench.
Positioning During a Mound Visit
For charged conferences and pitching changes, the plate umpire’s position is on the foul line opposite the defensive team’s dugout, about halfway toward the base. While it might seem more intuitive to be closer to the team making the visit, standing on the opposite foul line has several advantages.
• Staying out of the way.
Coaches typically make mound visits when things are not going well for their team. Staying on the opposite
side keeps you out of the path of a potentially frustrated coach. It also means if the coach wants to argue calls or balls and strikes, it will be much more obvious to the crowd. Because the umpire is on the opposite foul line, the coach has to say it across the infield, requiring him to be louder. If you are on his side, he can say it as he walks past you, and he can try and take a discreet shot at you on his way to or back from the mound.
• Visibility to the coach. From this position, you are much more likely to be in the peripheral view of the coach when he reaches the mound. You are more likely to stay in his field of view because when a coach goes for a visit, he almost always walks directly from his dugout to the mound, leaving his back turned to his dugout. From the opposite foul line, coaches can see you more easily, allowing for better non-verbal communication.
THE ONLY OFFICIAL COLLEGE MECHANICS MANUAL
The CCA Mechanics manual is the only official source for college baseball mechanics. When you pair your rules knowledge with advanced mechanics graphics from Referee, you will confidently be in the right place at the right time to make every call.
• Indicating it’s time to wrap it up. Once it’s time to end the conference, being on the opposite foul line allows the coach to spot you as you start moving toward the mound. This visual cue is often enough for the coach to wrap up the conversation. If he misses the signal, once you get to the mound, this will position you directly across from the coach. This positioning clearly signals to the coach to end the conference, and you can directly address him if needed.
• Addressing the issue. If a coach is looking for a confrontation, this position on the opposite line allows you to see him the entire time. If he’s staring you down or waiting for you to come to the mound, you can spot it quickly and address the situation.
• Keeping an eye on the bench. Given things may not be going well, there’s a chance frustration could spill over into the defensive dugout.
CASEPLAYS
Play On or Not?
Play: With one out and R2 on second, B3 drives a base hit into right field. The thirdbase coach waves the runner home, but R2 is obstructed after rounding third base. The obstruction occurred prior to F9 throwing home. R2 gets into a rundown between home and third. Ruling: The umpire should immediately signal and verbalize seeing the obstruction but let the play continue because this is a delayed dead ball. The umpire should call time when R2 is tagged out or when all playing action concludes, whichever comes first. If R2 is tagged out, in NFHS, R2 must be awarded home (NFHS 5-13, 8-3-2). In NCAA and pro, R2 is awarded home if the umpire believes R2 would have scored had obstruction not occurred (NCAA, 8-3e(2); pro 6.01h2).
Eyes on the Road
Play: With one out and R2 on second, B3 hits a bounding ball up the middle. F1 deflects the ball toward F6. R2, who has no idea the ball was deflected, is running with his head down and collides with F6 who has moved into position to field the ball. Ruling: R2 is out, and B3 is awarded first base. Even though it is a deflected ball, the runner must avoid a fielder who is in position to field it. He is not out if he is struck by a deflected ball, even though a fielder is in position to field it, unless his action is deemed to be intentional (NFHS 8-4-2g, 8.4.2l; NCAA 8-5-d Note 2, 6-1-c; pro 6.01a10).
Any Time
Play: B1 has 1-1 count when the coach indicates he wants to intentionally walk him. Ruling: An intentional walk can be awarded before an at-bat or at any time during a plate appearance. In NFHS, either a coach or the catcher can request the award (2-4-3, 8-1-1c). In NCAA or pro, only the head coach or manager can signal for an intentional walk (NCAA 2-7, 8-2b; pro Base on Balls Definition).
By being on the opposite foul line, you can keep an eye on the defensive bench without turning your back on it, allowing you to manage issues from players or assistant coaches.
Changes Aren’t Complicated
Some umpires believe they need to be on the defensive team’s side to handle substitutions more easily. But this hardly compares to the benefits of being on the opposite side.
Substitutions during mound visits are usually obvious and straightforward. The pitcher on the mound hands the ball to the coach, and a new pitcher runs in from the bullpen. There is no need to discuss the change with the defensive coach, and the press box and offensive coach usually catch the change immediately before you get a chance to signal it to them.
For more complex substitutions, the coach will come over to give you the details. In these scenarios, you’ll likely need to relay the information to the opposing coach, meaning you will end up on the offensive side of the field regardless.
As for tracking the number of conferences used, giving reminders early in the game is rarely necessary. Most coaches do a good job tracking conferences on their own. Save those reminders for when the team is down to one or zero conferences left, but even then, use your
judgment — sometimes, a reminder can come across as rubbing salt in the wound.
Supporting
Roles for Base Umpires
Base umpires also have mechanics for mound visits. Their positioning is in the shallow outfield. This position keeps the umpire far enough away to avoid complaints from the defensive players and coaches. The outfield positioning also sets the base umpire at enough distance that it won’t look awkward when the plate umpire goes to break up the conference.
Additionally, base umpires can assist by discreetly counting warmup pitches if the plate umpire loses track and by signaling to the bullpen if a pitching change is requested.
Conclusion
Mound visits are not downtime for umpires. They are a crucial part of game management and require finesse and skill from the umpire crew. By simply understanding the mechanics of a pitching change and the emotions that may be involved, umpires can mitigate confrontations while quickly and effectively communicating conferences and substitutions.
Patrick Faerber, Alpharetta, Ga., is a former professional umpire who now works high school baseball and football. He is Referee’s baseball coordinator.
NFHS 2024 Points of Emphasis
The NFHS Baseball Rules Committee has issued five points of emphasis (POEs) for the 2025 season. They are not listed in priority order and are considered of equal importance.
Pitching Positions
The proper manner in which a pitcher may deliver a pitch to the plate continues to be one of the most discussed and modified rules in NFHS baseball.
Entering the 2025 season, it’s important for umpires to remember pitchers are required to use one of two positions — the windup or the set — and umpires, players and coaches must understand the differences between the two as spelled out in rule 6 of the NFHS rulebook.
The most basic tenet currently in use is that the position of the pitcher’s pivot foot determines
One of the points of emphasis for the 2025 season centers on last year’s rule change to allow one-way electronic communication between the dugout/bench area and the catcher, and reminding coaches that this communication cannot be used with any other players on the field (PlayPic E).
which of the pitching positions is being used. In the windup, the pitcher’s pivot foot is in contact with the pitcher’s plate and is not parallel to it. In the set, the pivot foot is in contact with or directly in front of and parallel to the pitcher’s plate.
Improper Use of Communication Equipment
Last season, the NFHS approved the use of one-way electronic communication devices from the dugout/bench to the catcher. Trial and error of the first season of use has prompted the NFHS to clarify a few items related to the use of this technology.
First, the device cannot be used by the catcher to respond or
communicate back to the coach.
Second, various equipment may be used, such as an ear-piece style, an electronic band or a smart watch, providing schools with several options at various costs.
Finally, no other player is able to wear or use this device, and a coach is not allowed to communicate with any other player using electronic communication.
Bench Decorum
Good sporting behavior continues to be a concern for the NFHS across all sports. This year’s POE stresses the need for coaches to set the tone at athletic contests with their own display of sportsmanship and respect, and that with proper
management of students in their dugout/bench area, such behavior will set a positive example for players, spectators and others.
Use of Props
The NFHS is adamant that there is no logical purpose for the inclusion of props at education-based athletic events, as they are being used to demean and embarrass the opponent.
Use of Authentication Marked Baseballs
This POE stresses the need for NFHS games to be played with baseballs that feature the NFHS authentication mark. Doing so serves two purposes: proving that the use of conforming equipment is essential to the integrity of NFHS contests, and promoting a level playing field by ensuring consistency in the equipment being used.
The only two starting positions for a pitcher in NFHS play are the windup (PlayPic A) and the set (PlayPic B). Footwork determines which of the two positions the pitcher is using (PlayPics C and D).
EDITOR: BRAD TITTRINGTON btittrington@referee.com
OPENING DAY COMING IN HOT
Prepare Now, Succeed Later
By Brad Tittrington
The players and coaches have been preparing for the upcoming season for months now. Umpires should be doing the same. At the
higher levels, assigners mandate umpires must not have the first pitch of the season be the first “live” ball the umpire has seen. With so much at stake, it makes sense assigners expect and demand their umpires
be ready to go when that first pitch comes and be in mid-season form on day one.
If you haven’t started preparing, there is still time. However, don’t put it off too much longer or your
Umpires must take the time to prepare for the season. The first game of the season should not be the first time umpires see live pitching. If you aspire to work the postseason, like Tony Lieng, Alhambra, Calif., preparation should begin months before the season starts so you are already in midseason form when you first step on the field.
first game will be here before you know it and you won’t be ready to tackle it head on. And for those who are multi-sport officials, it is important to remember you use different muscles and train your eyes differently for every sport you work. Just because you worked 80 basketball games during the winter doesn’t mean you can jump on the softball diamond without any prep and be ready to go. If you do that, your quads and lower back will be barking after that first game. And chances are your strike zone will suffer as you work to figure it out. There are a lot of different ways umpires prepare for the upcoming season. Here are some of the ways you should be preparing for opening day, as it will be here sooner than you think.
Get in the Gym
Cardio and stamina are paramount to ensure you can stay focused and fresh for the two hours or so you are going to be on the field. And a lot of times, especially early in the season, you are on the field for much longer. Many times, you are working tournaments or working conferences that play doubleheaders, even at the highest levels. In those cases, you need to make sure you can stay focused and keep up with play for four or more hours. It is extremely important to get to the gym to work on cardio and light weights. The one thing to remember is to start slowly. You don’t want to risk injury and put yourself behind the proverbial eight ball before you even start. Early on, start with walking on the treadmill or riding a stationary bike until building up strength and stamina to run. And make sure to stretch both before and after working out.
Work Scrimmages/Track Pitches
Many teams are practicing and scrimmaging throughout the winter to prepare for the upcoming season. While working scrimmages is ideal as you get the opportunity to get reps in under real-time conditions, sometimes scrimmages aren’t a possibility. However, you can get to a practice and work a bullpen session in order to see pitches. Most coaches are more than happy to have an umpire come and call pitches or just let you get some work in. If you aren’t sure where to go, ask veteran umpires or your assigner and they will be able to point you in the right direction. Going to a practice allows you to see many different pitchers and gets you an opportunity to start to train your eyes and hone in on your strike zone without any pressure. This way, once the first real game comes around, you’ve already seen it.
If you are looking at changing your plate stance so you can better see the outside corner or just to be more consistent, try tweaking your stance during one of these bullpen sessions or during a scrimmage to see if it works for you. Generally, it isn’t advised to change your stance during the season unless there is something flawed in your current setup.
And working scrimmages isn’t just a way for veteran umpires to get ready for the season. New umpires should ask veteran umpires if they can tag along to work practices or scrimmages. This gives new umpires the opportunity to work on things and ask questions without any pressure. These are also great opportunities to build rapport with higher-level umpires and potentially get noticed by coaches who may request to have you work their games.
Read the Rulebook/Manual
This sounds obvious, but it bears repeating. Unless you have a photographic memory, it is nearly impossible to memorize the rulebook. And there are usually at least a few changes from year to year that you need to know. Read a chapter a night before bed. And if there is something that is confusing or a specific rule you are having trouble with, highlight it
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of umpires inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. The newest member, Michael Wolf of Bismark, N.D., was enshrined Oct. 26 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, along with eight other members. Wolf was the only umpire selected in the 2024 class enshrined at the 43rd Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. There are over 400 total members enshrined in the hall of fame, which was established in 1957.
QUICKTIP
While you may want to confront an angry fan who may not understand a call or rule, nothing good can come of it. As an umpire, you should never directly contact fans. Allow the onsite administrator, tournament host, umpire-inchief, head coach, etc., deal with the unruly fan. Directly confronting fans will never solve the problem but it can definitely make things worse. Stop play, get the onsite administrator to handle the situation and then resume play when the problem is solved.
DID YOU KNOW?
The NCAA changed the penalty for runners leaving a base early starting with the 201213 season. Previously, when a runner left a base before the release of the pitch, it was an immediate dead ball and the runner was out. Starting with the 2012-13 season, that penalty became a delayed dead ball. This change allowed the defense to have the option of taking the result of the play or declaring “no pitch” and having the batter return to the batter’s box, the offending runner being called out and all other runners returning to the base occupied at the time of the pitch. This change was implemented in order to advantage the defense. In NFHS, USA Softball and USSSA, this is still an immediate dead ball and the offending runner is ruled out.
TEST YOURSELF
Each of the following includes a situation and possible answer(s). Decide which are correct for USA, NFHS, NCAA or USSSA rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81
1. In the top of the fourth inning, B1 is slated to bat. B2 bats instead and singles. If the defense does not appeal batting out of order, who is the next legal batter?
a. B1.
b. B2.
c. B3.
2. In the third inning, pitcher A1 is removed after walking back-to-back batters. In the fourth inning, pitcher A2 walks back-to-back batters and team A’s coach re-enters A1 to pitch. What is the maximum number of warmup pitches A1 is allotted?
a. None.
b. Three.
c. Five.
d. Seven.
3. Team B trails, 1-0, in the bottom of the seventh inning. With runners on second and third and one out, B4 hits a deep fly ball in foul territory near the right-field out-of-play line. F9 catches the ball with both feet in the field of play. After catching the ball, F9 sees R3 is going to score easily. Instead of throwing the ball in to the infield, F9 intentionally carries the ball out of the play. What is the result?
a. The ball is dead, B4 is out, R3 is awarded home and R2 is awarded third.
b. The ball is dead, B4 is out, both R3 and R2 are awarded home and the game ends, 2-1.
c. The ball remains live, B4 is out, R3 and R2 may advance at their own risk.
d. The ball is dead, B4 is out, R3 is returned to third and R2 is returned to second.
4. Players warming up pitchers in the bullpen are required by rule to wear an approved helmet and mask combination with a throat protector.
a. True.
b. False.
5. B1 hits a long fly ball to left field. F7 races back to the fence and stands against the fence. As the ball clears the fence, F7 jumps and reaches back behind the fence to try to catch the ball. A fan, who is standing behind the fence, jumps straight up and catches the ball. The umpires deem F9 would have been able to catch the ball beyond the fence and rule spectator interference and rule the batter out. This is the correct call.
a. True.
b. False.
Cardio and stamina are paramount to ensure you can stay focused and fresh for the two hours or so you are going to be on the field.
in the rulebook. Then, find a veteran umpire you trust with the rules and have that person break it down for you. Come up with scenarios that focus on those specific rules and talk about them with other umpires. During the offseason and right before the season starts is a great time to get into rule discussions with other umpires. Many associations encourage having study groups to prepare for the certification exams. And a lot of rule codes allow you to print out the exam ahead of time. The goal is to get umpires into the book. Print the exam when it becomes available, form a study group with other umpires and find a convenient time to get together and talk about the exam. Many study groups will meet both in-person and over Zoom and make it a routine to meet every week or every other week to make sure everyone is on the same page with the rules.
The same goes with the manual. Many umpires read the rule changes and then take the exam but forget to read up on mechanics. While knowledge of the rulebook is extremely important, it is just as important to get in the manual and understand the mechanics and signals. Remember, you get out of it what you put into it. If you aspire to work a postseason conference tournament, a state final or a national championship, you have to work on it. And the best time to work on perfecting your mechanics is during the offseason. If you don’t have a magnetic training board, you are highly encouraged to get one. The board is perfect to set up situations and talk through movements of each position. Many umpires at camps will bring them and discuss situations and assigners and evaluators can quickly show movements on these boards. You can also download an app on your phone or iPad that allows you to do the same. If there are specific
runner configurations or situations that are confusing you, use these tools to help see where you should be to get in the best position to make the call.
Watch Film
One of the best ways to get ready for the season is to watch film. Ideally, it is best to watch yourself and break down things you do well and things you need to work on. Nowadays, almost every game at every level is streamed. See if you can find some of your games online and watch them. If you can’t find any of yourself, find others of umpires you trust and watch what they do. Remember, watch games at the level you work. The mechanics for high school and college are vastly different. Make sure you are watching and learning the proper mechanics for the level you will be working. While it is commendable to watch others at a higher level, remember the mechanics aren’t going to be alike. However, there are things like the way umpires signal, body language, how they talk to coaches, etc., that translate to every level.
Doing these four things will help you get ready for the season ahead. While it may still seem like you have plenty of time until that first pitch, now is the time to start planning and preparing. The teams are getting ready and they expect you to do so as well. The earlier you start, the more prepared you will be for that first pitch. Coaches, assigners, players and partners will know if you didn’t prepare for the season. Don’t use the first two weeks of the season to get yourself in midseason form. Start now and you will be that much farther ahead of everyone else who procrastinated.
Brad Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee. He umpires D-I softball and officiates high school basketball, college and high school volleyball and high school football.
Safe or Out?
Base umpires are taught to not rush calls. And it is because of plays like this base umpires must allow the play to develop, let the mind marinate on what the eyes see and then render a decision. There are multiple things base umpires need to ascertain on this type of play before rendering a final verdict.
1 Does the first baseman have control of the ball? The ball is clearly on the ground and the first baseman has her hand on top of the ball. Does that demonstrate control? In all four codes, this does not constitute control of the ball. In this situation, the ball is trapped and the fielder would need to lift the ball up with the hand to demonstrate control of the ball (NFHS 2-95f; NCAA 9.3.8; USA Softball 1 — Catch/No Catch; USSSA 3 — Catch).
2
Has the runner reached first base yet? The answer here is clearly no. So at this moment in time, there should not be a determination yet. The runner has not reached first base and the fielder has not demonstrated control. Currently, the runner is not out and has not reached first base safely.
3
The final piece of the puzzle is the fielder’s foot. Is it on the bag? From this angle it is hard to distinguish if the fielder’s right foot is up against the corner of the bag. If the fielder is able to lift the ball
and demonstrate control in the next fraction of a second, the base umpire will need to determine if the runner’s foot touched the bag before the fielder demonstrated control or if the fielder demonstrated control first and has her foot on the bag. Depending on where the base umpire is in this situation, determining if the foot is in contact with the bag could be difficult. With no runners on, the base umpire should be able to get a great angle to see that. Even with a single runner on first base, the base umpire should be able to easily determine where the fielder’s foot is. However, if there is a runner on second or third base and the base umpire is on the other side of the diamond, the base umpire must move closer toward second base in order to get a good view of this foot. Because of the angle of this play, a plate umpire trailing the batter-runner up first base or being first-base line extended may not have a great angle and may not be able to provide much help on this play.
CASEPLAYS
Two Runners Between Bases
Play: With R2 on second, B2 hits a pop up behind second base. R2 stays on second base, anticipating the ball will be caught. The ball ends up falling in the outfield between F6, F8 and F4. R2 starts toward third base. F8 picks up the ball and fires it to third. R2, seeing she won’t be safe, retreats toward second base. On the throw to third, B2 runs to second base. As R2 retreats toward second, she sees B2 standing on second. R2 ends up in a rundown between second and third. While R2 is heading toward third, F6 throws the ball over F5’s head and out of play. When the ball was released by F6, both R2 and B2 were between second and third base. Ruling: In all codes, both R2 and B2 are awarded home. In this situation, both runners are entitled to a twobase award for a thrown ball going out of play. If both runners had been between first and second, the award would be based on the position of the lead runner. In that scenario, the lead runner would be awarded second and third and the trail runner would be awarded second since you can’t have two runners standing on third base (NFHS 8-4-3e Pen.; NCAA 9.10.1, 12.12.8.3 Eff.; USA Softball 8-5G Eff and Note; USSSA 8-14C-3 and Note).
Player Ejection
Play: B1 strikes out on three pitches, all called strikes. B1 shows disgust after the second pitch and after the third called strike, B1 turns toward the plate umpire, says, “You suck,” and throws her bat and helmet toward the dugout. Ruling: B1 should be ejected in all codes. In NFHS, the player shall remain in the bench/dugout area (3-6-16 Pen., 3-6-20). In NCAA, an ejected player may remain in the dugout but shall not remain on the playing field or communicate with opponents or umpires (13.2.1.2 and Eff., 13.3.2). In USA Softball, the player must leave the grounds and have no contact with the umpires or participants in the game (4-8B). In USSSA, if it is a youth player, the ejected player shall remain in the dugout/bench area under adult supervision. An adult player would be removed from the dugout and asked to leave the park (11-2V Pen., 12-2).
Deviation Communication
Umpire manuals do a really good job of detailing where umpires should be in most situations. Think of them as road maps that get umpires where they need to be on each play. However, there are times when “detours” happen because of how plays develop.
While umpires should never agree to deviate from the prescribed mechanics prior to the game, there are some situations umpires should make part of their pregame discussions. Here are two examples that happen quite frequently in the three-umpire system and the way both of these situations should be discussed pregame and how they are handled.
Runner on first, first-base umpire gets trapped. In the three-umpire system featuring a runner starting on first base, U1 has the responsibility of covering the plate and taking all plays there once R1 rounds second and commits to third base. The movements of the umpires are shown in MechaniGram A (NFHS/USA Softball) and MechaniGram B (NCAA/ USSSA). These movements are the prescribed mechanics and should be used. However, there are times when
U1 gets trapped and may not be able to make it home in time to take a play at the plate on R1. For example, speedy R1 is off on the pitch and the batter bunts the ball or hits a slow roller to the left side of the infield. The ball is fielded and thrown to first base and the ball gets past the fielder covering first base (the first baseman on a ground ball or the second baseman on a bunt). U1’s first responsibility is the play at first base on the batterrunner. Because of the traffic at first base with the batter-runner, the fielder moving into foul territory to get the ball and the baserunner overrunning first base, it doesn’t leave U1 much space to rotate toward home plate. It also doesn’t leave U1 a lot of time to get there if R1 is already near or at third at the point the ball gets away from the fielder at first base. In this situation, the plate umpire may need to take R1 into home and take the play there if there is one as U1 is trapped. The plate umpire should “read” U1 and see if U1 is able to rotate home. If the plate umpire reads U1 is trapped and can’t get home, the plate umpire should adjust and get to home to take plays there. This is something umpires
should discuss pregame and should specifically explain the plate umpire should read the play as it develops and be prepared to take R1 home.
Runner on first, plate umpire gets trapped. For example, speedy R1 is off on the pitch and there is a ball bunted down the first-base line. The plate umpire’s first responsibility is to rule fair/foul. If the ball is rolling slowly down the line, the plate umpire must stay on the line to rule its status. Once a fielder touches the ball, the plate umpire may have to help with a tag. With a runner stealing, that runner could easily get to second base and never slow down rounding and heading to third. U3 must read and react and be prepared to take R1 to third base. Again, communication is key. If the plate umpire is able to get to third base and take the call, he or she should as that is the prescribed mechanic, but there are times where that isn’t possible. U3 should be alert to the plate umpire as U3 watches R1 approach second.
THE ONLY OFFICIAL COLLEGE MECHANICS MANUAL
The CCA Mechanics manual is the only of cial source for college softball mechanics. When you pair your rules knowledge with advanced mechanics graphics from Referee, you will con dently be in the right place at the right time to make every call.
Heaser Steps Up
SEC referee Jeff Heaser has succeeded thanks to his willingness to learn.
Passion, a desire to learn and a strong work ethic are prime ingredients for success. For more than three decades, Jeff Heaser has utilized that formula to become one of the most respected figures in college football.
As a referee on the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) staff before joining the Southeastern Conference (SEC) staff this season, the 58-year-old has been center stage for some of the sport’s biggest moments, including the national championship game in January 2023.
Heaser credits his success in large part to his continued willingness to learn.
“I was always open to feedback,” he said. “I wasn’t afraid to ask anybody with stature, somebody that was well recognized. I wasn’t
By Rick Woelfel
afraid to ask, ‘What can I do differently?’”
Heaser’s journey began in his native Illinois, where he was an enthusiastic, if not particularly gifted, baseball and basketball player. His father, Jim, encouraged him and his three brothers in their athletic pursuits.
“He loved sports,” Heaser recalls. “He worked a 12-hour day but he always found time to play catch or throw a football with us in the front yard.”
At 5-foot-6 and about 160 pounds, Heaser’s athletic prospects were limited, but at Plano High School he was a second-line pitcher and third baseman and a reserve guard on the basketball team. He also played one year of
football before giving up sports prior to his senior year to focus on his grades.
It was a neighbor named Larry Landers who piqued Heaser’s interest in officiating.
“He happened to be my coach through eighth-grade basketball,” Heaser said. “I got to see him and some of his compadres work games. I started asking questions and trying to figure out what it was all about.
“I was like, ‘If I can’t play sports, this is one way to stay involved with sports.’”
At Landers’ encouragement, Heaser started officiating basketball and continued through his time at Northern Illinois University. When he and his wife, Stacey, moved to the Atlanta area in 1991, Heaser connected with Mike Wood (not the wellknown basketball official
HEASER STEPS UP
and coordinator) who got him connected with the local officiating community. Wood suggested in addition to working basketball (which he did for several seasons), that he give football a try.
“I told him I knew nothing about football officiating,” Heaser said. “From there, one thing led to another; he took me to a game. Next thing I know, I’m standing behind the chain crew watching the officiating, and the next thing you know I’m becoming part of their association and going to training camps.”
Heaser started working his way up the ladder by serving on chain crews and working junior varsity games. His first varsity games saw him working at the line of scrimmage. From there, he moved to the deep wing positions before putting on the white hat as a referee.
Eventually, he earned two state championship game assignments.
That his officiating career would go further was never in doubt to those around him.
“Everybody knew, at some point in time Jeff was going to be in college and do well in college,” said David Koskovich of Flowery Branch, Ga., who got started in football officiating with the Atlanta Area Football Officials Association (AAFOA) the same time as Heaser. “He was just so calm and so knowledgeable and wanted to know everything.”
Heaser’s portal to the college ranks opened when he attended a camp at West Georgia College and word went out that some extra officials were needed to work a college scrimmage.
Heaser took the plunge.
“I felt pretty comfortable,” he said, “and I said, ‘If they can do it, why can’t I?’ I started asking questions about the college level.”
By 1999, Heaser was working games in the Division
Early in his college football officiating career, Heaser worked a spring game at Northern Illinois University, his alma mater. The invite came from then-head coach Joe Novak after meeting at an alumni event in Atlanta.
A young Heaser works a game with his Atlanta Area Football Officials Association crewmates: (from left) Denny Green, Heaser, Terry Baskins, Greg Hoagle, Deane Stewart and Jeff Earwood. Heaser was presented the AAFOA Hall of Fame Award in 2021.
II Gulf South Conference while continuing to handle high school assignments. Wherever he was, and whatever level he was working, he was committed to improvement and self-evaluation.
“We didn’t have video back then,” he said. “Back then, I’m taking a DVD to a high school or a college and asking them to make a copy for me so I could break the film down or watch myself.
“The quality was never that good, but that was my exposure to trying to improve day in and day out, to get better to give myself another opportunity.”
In 2000, Heaser’s second year in the Gulf South, the league expanded. Seven of its 12 members were located in Arkansas. Heaser was still working high school games at the time and found himself confronted with some challenging travel logistics.
“I would do a Thursday JV game,” he said. “I’d do a Friday varsity game near the airport, get on a plane to Memphis, do a college game on Saturday and fly home Saturday night or early Sunday morning.”
After talking with some colleagues, Heaser made the decision to focus exclusively on college football, which he did beginning with the 2002 season. That same year he stepped up to the Division I-AA Southern Conference (now in the Championship Subdivision). He came into the conference as a field judge but over time set his sights on becoming a referee and eventually received assignments at that position.
“I saw what the other referees were doing and said, ‘I can do that, and I can be good at it,’” he said.
Heaser received his first ACC assignment in 2007 as a field judge. In 2010, he worked the conference championship game at that position. He worked two Army-Navy games, one as a field judge and the other as a referee.
Heaser regards those assignments as the most memorable of his career.
“The Army-Navy game is the best,” he said. “You’re talking about kids that are giving their best in a football game, playing their hearts out, and as soon as that’s over, they’re going to go help serve our country.”
Heaser worked his first bowl game, the Cotton Bowl, following the 2014 season, and has worked one every year since, including the national championship game.
Steve Shaw, the NCAA’s national coordinator of football officiating, notes why Heaser is a good fit to oversee the sport’s biggest events.
Je Heaser’s passion for football and for o ciating pale in comparison to his e orts in the fight against melanoma (skin cancer). Heaser’s eldest son, Jake, now 30, was diagnosed with the disease in 2017.
“No one ever likes the ‘C word,’ ever,” Je said. “When it hit us, it was a punch in the gut.”
Jake was first alerted to his situation when a stylist found a lump on his ear while giving him a haircut.
“When the biopsy came back positive, I was like, ‘What do we have to do to get rid of it?’” Je said.
In short order, Jake was undergoing treatments at Vanderbilt University in Nashville; eventually his parents moved there.
What followed was a series of surgeries, each more extensive than the last, as the cancer spread, followed by outpatient treatments.
The treatments extended over six years.
At one point, the Heasers, with the encouragement of doctors at Vanderbilt, sought a second opinion from experts at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Je involved himself in fundraising e orts for the Melanoma Research Association and its Melanoma Step Up campaign. With the help of friends, family and colleagues, he raised more than $36,000 for the e ort.
“My dad found a great opportunity to get involved with a fundraiser,” Jake said, “as something he could get involved with and I think because of who he is and the impact he puts on people, people immediately wanted to help him and by extension me, by donating to this.
“I think it’s because of how people view him and how people love him, how he spends so much time lifting others up. I think they immediately, with no hesitation, wanted to do the same for him.”
Scans conducted in December 2023 revealed no new cancer sites in Jake’s body and minimal traces of cancer. “We trust in God’s plan,” Je said, “and are grateful for this positive outcome.”
“One reason is his calm demeanor in all situations,” Shaw said. “Never losing control, keeping that calm demeanor. And then, his game management skills are good; that’s what sets him apart.
“He’s good at making calls at his position and that sort of thing, but it’s the game management skills that set him apart and that calm demeanor that permeates through.”
Koskovich said Heaser’s demeanor was something he tried to bring to his own onfield work.
“I tried to emulate some of his calmness on the field,” said Koskovich, who worked as a head linesman throughout a 25-year career that ended about a decade ago due to a knee injury. Koskovich said Heaser was someone he
HEASER STEPS UP
Heaser said it is important to understand the emotional stake coaches have in a game.
talked with about the difficult decision to leave the field, and he still stays in touch with him today.
Another official who learned the avocation through the AAFOA and considers Heaser one of his mentors is ACC referee Marcus Woods, who worked the 2024 national championship.
As a high school official, Woods remembered attending a mini-clinic run by Heaser. Later, Heaser became someone he could turn to for advice.
“He was always willing to sit down and talk and share ideas,” Woods said.
Woods said he was impressed with Heaser’s ability to be approachable and personable.
“He has this unique ability to connect with players, coaches and officials,” Woods said.
Heaser honed his craft in the now defunct Alliance of American Football League. He has also worked in the UFL and XFL.
“Coaches have their moments,” he said. “And I respect that. It’s part of the game. You give them an opportunity just to vent and that’s all they need sometimes, but you don’t let it fester.
“You give them an opinion and say, ‘If you’re not going to ask a question about a rule and you just want to vent, then I’m done.’ And I walk away.
“But at the same time, if you get a coach that wants to ask you a question, he may go off a little bit and then I just ask to give my side of the story and what I saw or what a fellow crewmate saw and sometimes we agree to disagree. But I’d rather tell them directly at that point.”
Even with all his success, Heaser’s thirst for knowledge has never been quenched. With that in mind, he worked games in the UFL this past spring. He’s worked in the XFL and the Alliance of American Football in the past.
from these people and bring back to my own crew to make it better?’”
Heaser had opportunities to try to go to the NFL but was satisfied where he was.
“My goal was always to get to Division I,” he said. “I never thought there was a chance at the NFL. If I’d had the opportunity to work in the NFL, it would have been icing on the cake.”
In addition to his officiating career, Heaser is a vice president and worker’s compensation director for an insurance company. He notes the qualities that have made him successful both in his work environment and on the football field.
“They overlap so much,” he said. “And you learn from each one and you bring it to the table.
“What I maybe learned as a parent I maybe bring to the table as an official. What you learned as an official you might bring to the negotiation of a worker’s compensation.
Heaser tosses the coin for the 2023 National Championship game between TCU and Georgia.
“You’re getting to work with guys that are all from Power Four conferences or Division I officials,” he said. “Combined with working the NFL camps, you’re always working with the best, so I’m always picking their brains, no matter what level I’m working.
“It’s like, ‘What can I take
“And you see what works. That’s officiating; you learn people. You build relationships to build that rapport. When you get to know them, you know what needs to be said. What you can say and what you can’t say.
“I’m not a screamer. I’m not one that gets after people. I’m very calm in how I approach it. I’m trying to keep it that way. I’ve always believed that if things get loud they’re only going to get louder. So, my demeanor even in a game is to be in control. I like to have my heart rate calm. I just think you’re better off when you can control that emotion.”
Heaser puts a priority on building camaraderie within his crew.
“I love working with people,” he said, “and pushing buttons. Developing that cohesiveness of the crew to make us stronger.
“If I see something we made a mistake on, I make sure we’re all aware of it. Don’t
get me wrong. But if all 10 of us (eight on the field plus two replay officials) are one, and we’re all on the same page, it’s fun watching that crew come together during the course of the year and creating that identity.”
Heaser prides himself on his leadership skills. His role models in that arena include the late NFL referee Red Cashion but also the likes of Colin Powell, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Iacocca and Mike Krzyzewski.
“I just take tidbits from all these great leaders and say, ‘What worked for them?’ It may not work for you but you kind of pick their brains while you’re reading their books.
“What I try to do is keep learning from others and share with others.”
Today, Heaser and his wife, to whom he’s been married for 34 years, reside in Nashville. The couple have two grown sons.
Heaser strives for a balance between his work life and officiating and to involve his family in his career.
“I’m in a position where I can work wherever,” he said. “I work remotely. I do travel quite a bit with the job so I can schedule everything while at the same time, being a father and being a husband. You’ve got to manage all three and make sure you do it to the best of your ability.
“I’m fortunate for the family
support. I’m fortunate for the work support. And honestly, I’m fortunate for the football support. You’ve got to find that balance.”
Heaser’s bowl game assignments are typically family affairs; his wife and sons often accompany him.
“You’re giving back to them because they supported you to be successful in this job,” he said. “You have this opportunity to do something you truly love.”
Heaser has observed firsthand the evolution of the officiating industry over the course of his career, including the encroachment of social media.
“Social media has made it difficult for officials, especially young officials. I’ve seen some of the emails, I’ve seen some of the social media comments. But I think in some respects it goes two ways. One, I can find
From left, Heaser and his wife, Stacey, pose with sons Dylan and Jake, and Jake's wife, Darcy, at a graduation reception for Dylan at the Field Museum in Chicago.
a way to block it out. Two, I can kind of read between the lines; if there was something there and I did make a mistake, I’m going back to look at it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“As a crew chief I can’t let it bother me because if it does it becomes part of a game or part of the environment of the crew.”
On the plus side, advances in technology have opened new inroads for up-andcoming officials.
“Younger guys are that much more prepared,” Heaser said, “that much more ready, when they get the call. The access to video. The access to training tapes from different conferences; they’re willing to share down at the lower levels and share the expectations about what they want called and what they don’t want called.
Heaser worked in the ACC for much of his D-I career, including ACC assignments at Notre Dame. He moved to the SEC in 2024.
“Video is 10 times better than it’s ever been. Now, when the game is over, we have instant access to all the different camera angles. We didn’t used to have that. You get instant feedback, good, bad or indifferent to different opportunities and can take those opportunities to make your own training tapes. You’re showing other crewmates what we can do differently, what we did wrong so that we can get better.”
Rick Woelfel, Philadelphia, is a freelance writer and former softball umpire.
GETTING IT RIGHT
Forever Young
By Brad Tittrington
It’s often said, “Never forget where you came from.” For retired MLB umpire Larry Young, that saying became a reality in June.
In 1966, Young was called into action at his local ballfield in Oregon, Ill. He rode his bike to the field to watch a baseball game, and when no fathers showed up, Young was plucked from the stands to umpire the game — a common practice at the time when local leagues didn’t have umpire staffs.
“I was the only one there,” he said. “I did the game and liked it and started doing more and more of it. Like every 13-year-old, I wanted to be a player, but I soon found out I didn’t have the skills to do that, but I loved umpiring, and officiating became part of my life soon after.”
Little did Young know at the time that experience would lead to a 24-year MLB career, including two World Series (1996 and 2003), three AL Championship Series and two All-Star Games.
Young, who is now an MLB umpire supervisor, never forgot where he came from and those experiences early on at that field in Illinois. And now, he has a permanent reminder of those early days. On June 14, the field at Lions Park where he got his start officially became Larry Young Field and is commemorated by a plaque in the shape of home plate placed on the fence at the field.
Young first found out the field would be named for him while he was playing golf one day with Oregon Park District Commissioner Mark Tremble.
“I was taken aback by it,” Young said. “I wasn’t expecting it. It meant a lot to me. It was quite an honor for me to be recognized in that way.”
The field where Young got his start is used for youth baseball and softball players up to age 12. Part of the celebration for renaming the field featured a free umpiring clinic for all ages hosted by Young and was followed by a youth baseball game. Young was honored by umpiring the celebratory first pitch, while wearing his old chest protector that he used when he got his start on that field. It was a day that Young will never forget. “It made me think of my grandsons and daughters,” Young said. “They would always know there was something named after me even after I’m long gone. It’s something I thought would be a real honor, something they could come visit.”
And for the Oregon community, it was an opportunity to honor a man who has been a tremendous asset to both the community and the professional umpiring community at-large.
“Although (Young’s) career has taken him all across the United States and the world, he would tell everyone that Oregon, Ill., is his hometown, and his heart has always been here,” Tremble told Sauk Valley Media Brad Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee. He umpires D-I softball and officiates high school basketball, college and high school volleyball and high school football.
Support for Parasports Officials
Seeing a referee with a disability is a rarity. That’s also true in parasports — sports played by those with disabilities. However, a group focused on the further inclusion of disabled referees is working to change that. Kevin Shaw, a longtime boccia athlete, recently became a boccia referee. Shaw is among representatives from various parasports organizations who are trying to alleviate the barriers people with disabilities often face when trying to get into officiating, such as mobility on the court.
Overcoming these challenges is a possibility, however, as seen in the Paralympics in Paris earlier this year. “In our (wheelchair basketball) crew this week in Paris, we have one oncourt official with an invisible disability and one minor official with a physical disability, using a wheelchair,” Kevin Bowie, who referees wheelchair rugby and basketball, said. “I think it’s great to see that our crew is not just able-bodied.”
SOURCE: CBC SPORTS
Pepe Paved the Way
Little League hosted its inaugural Maria Pepe Baseball Legacy Series in June in South Williamsport, Pa., honoring Maria Pepe, one of the first girls to play Little League. The tournament included nearly 100 players — all girls — from the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, and also featured an all-female umpiring crew. Among the 16-umpire crew were Michelle DeRosa and Angela Noury, who spoke on their journey as women in baseball.
“It was very tough (when I was young) to be a woman in baseball,” Noury said. “… It’s fundamentally changed who I am as a person, and that’s why I have advocated for girls in baseball and why I am still involved in Little League.”
“I don’t foresee myself ever not being involved with Little League in some capacity because there’s always something to do,” DeRosa said.
SOURCE: LITTLE LEAGUE
Have you heard an inspirational or motivational officiating story? Send your ideas to GettingItRight@referee.com
Above, retired MLB umpire Larry Young umpires a celebratory first pitch at the naming of Larry Young Field in Oregon, Ill., June 14. Right, a new plaque hangs at the field.
VISIONINACTION
THE HIDDEN RISKS OF ASSIGNING GAMES
T
here aren’t many officials who would step onto a field, court or rink without general liability coverage like the kind the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) provides to every member of our organization as a free benefit of membership. But that type of insurance doesn’t cover incidents in which no bodily harm is done.
When assigners are sued, general liability doesn’t typically apply which means that there are many assigners who willingly go about their business without any sort of protection at all.
In our litigious society, people are sued all the time for their decisions (and non-decisions). Assigners – even officials who assign just a few games locally in any given season – are wide open for litigation in many instances.
in the suit. The assigner hired an attorney at his own expense on behalf of himself and his observer.
Unfortunately the assigner was not an NASO member at the time of the occurrence. If he had been a member, he would have been able to access NASO’s unique assigners coverage, a free member benefit available to every NASO member, which would have covered the cost of his attorney.
JOIN OR
That protection is referred to as “Assigners and Game Call” insurance and it comes free as a benefit of NASO membership. The insurance provides $100,000 coverage specifically to protect assigners and assigning activity.
When such events happen, NASO provides protection for our members.
Just a few seasons ago in New York a basketball referee was demoted by his college assigner based on observations and evaluations. Pretty normal stuff. But in that case, 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
We’re aware of no other officiating insurance that provides such protections.
That $100,000 protection is in addition to NASO’s premium $6 million per occurrence liability insurance protections, which provides excess coverage for claims for bodily injury, property damage and personal injury during your officiating activities, including working games, running or attending camps and clinics or assigning activities.
If you do any assigning work whatsoever, you can’t afford not to carry the protections provided by NASO membership.
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ALL BUTTONED UP Know the Rules for Horse-Collar Tackles
By Judson Howard
Ihave always told football officials in the classes I taught they are on the field for primarily two reasons. One is the proper administration of a contest and the other is to ensure the safety of players. The latter means you and the rules must protect participants as they play the game. A key part of that is ensuring everyone wears legal and functioning equipment. Another ingredient is penalizing players for actions and physical contact that endanger the wellbeing of other participants.
Player safety is viewed as a top priority by rulemakers. The respective rules committees have recently added more regulations in the area of player safety. Examples are illegal blindside blocks, targeting, defenseless players and the subject of this article — horse-collar tackles.
The NFHS and NCAA definitions of horse-collar are similar, and both completely articulate what comprises the foul.
NFHS defines it as grabbing the inside back or side collar, or the nameplate area (directly below the back of the collar), of either the shoulder pads or the jersey of the runner and subsequently pulling (backward or sideward) that opponent to the ground, even if possession is lost (9-4-3k). The direction that the player pulls an opponent to the ground is important, as often a quick tug of an opponent in the nameplate area is followed by the runner falling forward. That action would not constitute a foul.
NCAA rules prohibit players from grabbing the inside back collar
The defender is grasping the back collar of the runner. While this action does not constitute a foul in and of itself, the likelihood for a foul developing is high if the defender pulls the runner to the ground. Officials should be on alert.
of the shoulder pads or jersey, the nameplate area or the inside collar of the side of the shoulder pads or jersey and abruptly pulling down the ball carrier (9-1-15). The key word in the NCAA definition of the foul is “abruptly” and officials must use their best judgment in making the ruling. Often, a quick tug of the jersey precedes a player wrapping up an opponent. As long as the abrupt pulling does not bring the ball carrier down, it is not a foul. Of note in NCAA is the definition specifically includes the ball carrier only, not the runner. The runner is a player in possession of a live ball or simulating possession of a ball (2-27-7a) whereas the ball carrier is a runner in possession of a live ball (NCAA 2-277b). If a player simulating possession of a live ball, a run-pass option running back for example, is abruptly pulled down by the side collar, it is not a horse-collar foul.
NCAA recently added clarification to the definition of the nameplate area (1-4-5a-2) and specified the action is a foul inside or outside the tackle box (9-1-15).
The penalty for a horse-collar tackle is 15 yards in NFHS. If you deem it to be a flagrant foul, you are authorized to disqualify the guilty player. The same penalty yardage is enforced in NCAA, plus automatic first down. The NCAA also stipulates disqualification for a flagrant act.
To call this foul, gripping the side or back of the collar must take the runner forcefully backward or toward the ground. Merely grabbing the collar with a slight pull or holding onto it with the runner remaining upright does not constitute an infraction. Especially if the hold of the collar is released before the process of a tackle starts.
Play 1: B1 grabs runner A2 (a) by the side of the collar of his jersey, or (b) by the front collar of A2’s jersey. B1 then instantly pulls A2 and to the ground. Ruling 1: A horse-collar foul in (a) because A2 was pulled to the ground by the side of the collar. In (b), this is a legal tackle as the front of the collar, not the back or side, was involved with the method of the takedown.
Play 2: B1 gets ahold of runner A2’s jersey below the back collar and just above the nameplate area. A2 continues to remain upright for three yards with B1 still holding on to A2’s jersey in the nameplate area. B1 then subsequently and gradually pulls A2 to the ground. Ruling 2: Foul in NFHS, as B1 subsequently pulled A2 to the ground. No foul in NCAA, as B1’s pulling A2 to the ground was gradual and not abrupt
Play 3: A1 drops straight back to pass and cannot find an open receiver. He takes (a) a step forward, or (b) 10 steps toward the sideline to escape pressure and B2 grabs him by the inside back collar and brings him abruptly to the ground. Ruling 3: Foul in (a) and (b) in both codes. An NCAA rule change for 2024 brings both codes into agreement that the location on the field does not factor into the foul. No longer is action in the tackle box (NCAA) exempted from this foul.
Horse-collar tackles pose the possibility of bodily injury to ball carriers. This is extremely dangerous due to the awkward position of the ball carrier being taken down. They will often fall backward in a twisting motion with one or both legs trapped under the weight of their body. This is potentially worsened if the player’s foot gets caught in the turf.
Coaches are encouraged to teach tackling techniques to keep players’ hands away from the rear or side of the collar or the top of the back of a runner’s jersey at the nameplate area. And if they inadvertently grasp any of these uniform areas, they should promptly let go and not pull the ball carrier backward and down.
This illegal tackle can occur anywhere on the field, in either end zone or just out of bounds. It does not matter the type of play whether it be a run, an interception return, a run after a pass completion, or any kick return. As long as this action is committed on a player in possession of the football it is a foul.
Judson Howard, Los Angeles, was an onfield official and replay official for more than 30 years, many at the NCAA Division I level.
BY THE NUMBERS
0.5
Number of plays per game FEWER in FBS through the first two weekends of college football, as compared to the 2023 season.
1
Number of minutes per game FEWER in FBS through the first two weekends of college football, as compared to the 2023 season.
2
Number of points per game MORE in FBS through the first two weekends of college football, as compared to the 2023 season.
SOURCE: NCAA/CFO
THEY SAID IT
“And that will take us to the twominute warning. We are allowed to call it the two-minute warning tonight.”
— NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico during the first regular season game of the 2024 NFL season in Kansas City Sept. 5. Tirico was referencing on air talent training regarding the NCAA’s two-minute timeout that went into effect for the 2024 season and his alertness to not mix up the two terms.
By mutual agreement of opposing head coaches and the referee, the playing time of the third and fourth quarters were shortened to 10 minutes during the Alabama A&MAuburn game Aug. 31. The Tigers defeated the Bulldogs, 73-3. Both the NCAA and NFHS rules allow for this type of modification.
mike tirico
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. Team A is attempting a two-point try. A1 is tackled for a five-yard loss, but B2 is flagged for grasping and twisting A1’s facemask.
a. The penalty is declined by rule and the try is over.
b. The penalty is enforced from the previous spot.
c. The penalty is enforced from the end of the run.
d. The penalty is enforced on the succeeding kickoff.
2. Team A is attempting a two-point try. B1 incidentally grasps A2’s facemask while attempting to make a tackle, but A2 breaks away and carries the ball across the goalline.
a. No foul, try is successful.
b. Foul for incidental facemask, five-yard penalty is declined by rule.
c. Foul for incidental facemask, five-yard penalty is enforced on the succeeding kickoff at the option of team A.
c. Foul for facemask, 15-yard penalty is enforced on the succeeding kickoff at the option of team A.
3. Any K player, other than the kicker, is no more than five yards behind the free kick (NFHS) or restraining (NCAA) line when …
a. He has no foot on or beyond the line five yards behind K’s free kick (NFHS) or restraining (NCAA) line.
b. He has one foot on or beyond the line five yards behind K’s free kick (NFHS) or restraining (NCAA) line.
4. Third and 30 for team A from its own 20 yardline. A1 is under center and A2 is positioned five yards behind the line of scrimmage. A1 takes the snap and throws a backward pass to A2, who punts the ball. A2 has regained his balance but is not moving to participate in the play when B3 charges into A2 and knocks A2 to the ground.
a. Legal.
b. Personal foul on B3; the penalty makes it team A’s ball first and 10 at its 35 yardline.
c. Personal foul on B3; the penalty makes it team A’s ball fourth and 25 at its 25 yardline.
d. Personal foul on B3; the penalty makes it team A’s ball third and 15 at its 35 yardline.
It May Be Elsewhere in the Rulebook
By Ron Roizen
Faircatches are covered in rule 6.
Where a fair catch may occur on the field is just one of its focuses. NFHS 6-5-2 notes it is a fair catch and the ball is dead if any receiver gives a valid fair catch signal and he catches a free kick in or beyond the neutral zone to team R’s goalline, or a scrimmage kick beyond the neutral zone to team R’s goalline. NCAA 6-5-1c adds rules pertaining to a fair catch apply only when a scrimmage kick crosses the neutral zone or during free kicks.
But what happens when a fair catch occurs where it isn’t supposed to occur, such as in team R’s end zone (NFHS) or behind or in the neutral zone (for scrimmage kicks only)? The rulebook doesn't specify in the fair catch section. The omission, however, reveals something interesting about the rulebook. It often covers missing content elsewhere, either within or beyond the book itself.
Rule 4, for example, lays out the circumstances that cause the ball to become dead. In NFHS, any legal free kick or scrimmage kick becomes dead when it breaks the plane of team R’s goalline as long as the kick was not a scoring attempt or is a grounded scoring attempt (NFHS 4-2-2d).
In NFHS, it follows that a fair catch in team R’s end zone is an exercise in futility because the ball became dead when it broke the plane of the goalline. The receiver will nevertheless enjoy protection because contacting a player after the ball has become dead is a personal foul.
What about catches that occur behind or in (the latter, for scrimmage kicks only) the neutral zone after fair catch signals? Are they treated like catches after invalid fair catch signals, where the ball becomes dead? Or are they treated like illegal fair catch signals (NFHS only), which are penalized, but play continues? Is signaling a fair catch in forbidden locations a foul? The rulebook doesn’t
say. But the casebook does.
NFHS 6.5.2 B considers the example of a scrimmage kick going beyond the neutral zone and then being blown back (a) into, or (b) behind the neutral zone, where R1 attempts to fair catch it. R1 gave his signal while the kick was beyond the neutral zone and before it was blown backward. K2, moreover, pushes R1, catches the kick and advances the ball.
There is no foul by K2 in either case. Since team R may not fair catch in or behind the neutral zone, he may be legally contacted there.
Hence, a catch behind or in the neutral zone after a fair catch signal in NFHS is not a fair catch even if the fair catch signal was given while the ball was beyond the neutral zone. However, the ball is dead when the catch is made (NFHS 4-2-2g).
NCAA AR 6-5-3I describes a situation where K1 or R2 signals for a fair catch beyond the neutral zone during a kick that does not cross the neutral zone. K1’s signal is ignored and team R may not make a fair catch signal because the ball did not cross the neutral zone, but the ball is dead when caught or recovered.
In both cases — fair catch in the end zone and behind or in the neutral zone — the rules provide help elsewhere and beyond NFHS 6-5-2 and NCAA 6-5-1c. Why?
A number of reasons could be suggested. For one, the rulebook is thus shortened and compressed. Valuable content isn’t repeated every time that content is relevant.
Additionally, officials are in turn required to familiarize themselves with the full breadth of their craft’s major sources — the rulebook, the casebook and the mechanics manual — and also appreciate the integrated and intertwined qualities of all these resources.
The rulebook’s cover-it-elsewhere trope just might be doing us a favor! Ron Roizen, Wallace, Idaho, is a retired high school football official.
Scrimmage Kick Formation
In NFHS, a legal scrimmage kick formation (2-14-2) requires that no player be in position to receive a hand-to-hand snap from between the snapper’s legs. A player either must be in position with a knee on the ground seven or more yards behind the line of scrimmage in position to be a holder and receive the long snap and another player three yards or fewer behind that player to attempt a place kick (MechaniGram A), or a player must be 10 or more yards behind the line of scrimmage in position to receive the long snap (MechaniGram B). NCAA requirements are essentially the same without the “three yards or fewer” specificity about the kicker in relation to the holder, but with the added note that to qualify as a scrimmage kick formation, it must be obvious that a kick will be attempted (2-16-10a).
CASEPLAYS
Helmet Comes Off
Play: During the normal course of play (not as a direct result of a foul), a team A player’s helmet comes off. He is directed by the officials to be replaced for one play. Team A requests a timeout in order to have the player return for the next play. Ruling: Team A's request may be granted in both codes if there are timeouts remaining and available (NCAA). In NFHS, however, the player must remain out of the game for at least one down regardless of a charged team timeout. The only way the player can participate legally in the following down is if halftime or overtime intermission occurs (3-5-10). In NCAA, the player may remain in the game for the following play if his team is granted a charged timeout (3-3-10a).
Fumble on a Try
Play: Team A is attempting a two-point try. A1 runs to team B’s one yardline and fumbles the ball, which rolls into team B’s end zone. It is recovered there by A2. Ruling: In NFHS, team A scores two points (7-4-1, 8-32c, 8-3-3). In NCAA, the ball is dead when A2 recovers and the try is over. Team A does not score as only the fumbling player may legally recover the fumble on fourth down or during a try (8-3-2d).
Locking Legs
Play: Team A is attempting a field goal. Five offensive linemen interlock feet either (a) prior to the snap or (b) following the snap. Ruling: For NFHS, this is a foul in (a), but legal in (b). Players on each side of and next to the snapper may lock legs with the snapper, but any other team A lineman must have each foot outside the closest foot of the player next to him at the snap (7-2-2). In NFHS, following the snap, there are no restrictions on locking legs. In NCAA, there are no restrictions regarding locking legs prior to the snap or after the snap.
Zeroes on the Clock Don’t Mean It’s Over
By Bob Joswick
One night our crew automatically began to walk off a penalty only to have the back judge remind us the game clock had expired during the play. That heads-up official saved the crew, knowing the clock status and the correct enforcement. We then slowed down and talked over whether or not to extend the period.
The answer to the extendingthe-period question is not always simple. There was a time when I likened the cluster of tangled rules and layers of exceptions, which occur infrequently, to the mythical Medusa and her head of living, venomous snakes.
In NFHS, a period shall be extended by an untimed down (3-3-3) if there was a foul by either team and the penalty is accepted, if there is a double foul, if there is an inadvertent whistle or for the try if a touchdown is scored on a down when time expired (unless the score does not impact the outcome of the game or playoff seeding).
In NCAA, the above occurrences dictate an untimed down if they occur during a down when time expires in the second or fourth quarter only. Untimed downs are not played to end the first or third quarters (3-2-3).
In some cases, giving the offense an untimed down would prevent the defense from benefiting from a foul that would shorten or end the game. Likewise, if the defense trails and the offense fouled, extending the period would prevent the offense from the same unfair advantage.
For that reason, no extension is made for the enforcement of penalties for the unsportsmanlike fouls, nonplayer fouls, fouls specifying a loss of down, fouls with penalties enforced on the subsequent kickoff, fouls with penalty enforcement that result in a safety (NFHS 3-3-4b) and fouls by
the nonscoring team during a down that ends in a touchdown (NCAA 3-2-3a).
Double fouls. Be alert — fouls can be strategically declined by either team to avoid a double foul situation during a change of possession down to end a half or game.
Inadvertent whistle. Follow normal procedure for ball placement. Care must be taken with options of replaying the down from the previous spot or placing the ball where possession was lost, if that spot is short of the line to gain on fourth down.
Try after score. During periods one, two or three, the try attempt is at the end of the field where the score occurred. At the conclusion of the fourth period, the try may or may not be attempted. Obviously, if it determines game outcome or playoff qualifying, the try will be attempted at the scoring end. If these are not factors, no try is allowed.
Fouls specifying a loss of down. Illegal forward pass, illegal forward handing, intentional grounding and illegal touching by an ineligible often occur during “trick” plays. They carry a loss of down, preventing the offense from the unfair advantage of continually fouling during an untimed situation. In other cases the offended team may choose the yardage penalty to negate the play, but the loss of down will cause a change of possession, ending the period and/or the game.
Play 1: With one second remaining in the fourth quarter, team A trails, 7-6. It is fourth and 10 on the 50 yardline. Quarterback A1, finding no open receiver, decides to run. A1 scrambles and advances to team B’s five yardline. Realizing he will not make the end zone, he throws a desperation forward pass. A2 catches the ball in team B’s end zone. Ruling 1: A1 is guilty of
throwing an illegal forward pass. Acceptance of the penalty for illegal forward pass negates the touchdown and includes a loss of down. The period cannot be extended for an untimed down. Team B wins the game, 7-6.
Fouls enforced on subsequent kickoff. This array of liveand dead-ball fouls deal with touchdowns when the opponent of the scoring team fouls during or after a score. The penalty options will be enforced on the try at the scoring end (since it is not timed anyway) or the subsequent kickoff during the next period.
Fouls which by rule result in a safety. If, on the last timed down of a period, enforcement of an accepted penalty results in a safety, the period is not extended for the ensuing free kick. The teams change goals and the free kick is the first play of the next quarter (NFHS 3-3-4b).
Play 2: First and 10 for team A from its own three yardline. Quarterback A1 drops back into his own end zone, which is on the north end of the field. A flag is thrown for (a) A2’s holding foul in the end zone on A1’s incomplete pass, (b) A1’s illegal forward pass from the end zone, or (c) B3’s roughing the passer on A1’s incomplete pass. Time for the first or third quarter expires during the down. Ruling 2: In (a) and (b), if team B accepts the penalty, the result is a safety. Team B scores two points and the second or fourth period begins with team A’s free kick from the 20 yardline at the south end of the field. In (c), if team A accepts the penalty, it is enforced 15 yards from the previous spot and includes an automatic first down. The period is extended for an untimed down in NFHS. In NCAA, the first or third period is over and the penalty is enforced to start the second or fourth period, respectively.
Play 3: With one second remaining in the fourth quarter, team A leads, 7-6, and has the ball, fourth and 10 on its own 20 yardline. A1 is in position to punt, but a poor snap causes A1 to pick up the ball and scramble. He advances to
team A’s 24 yardline and throws a desperation forward pass. A2 catches the ball and is downed at team A’s 40 yardline. Ruling 3: A1 is guilty of throwing an illegal forward pass. Because the foul has a loss-of-down provision, the period cannot be extended for an untimed down in NFHS. Team A wins the game, 7-6. In NCAA, the period may be extended at the option of the offended team (3-2-3a-1). In this case, team B will accept the penalty which includes a loss of down and extend the game for one untimed down. It will be team B’s ball first and 10 from team A’s 24 yardline.
Fouls at the end of a period and game end are seldom discussed in pregame as they occur infrequently. However, when they do, they have the possibility to affect the outcome of the game. You can be the crew saver, not allowing Medusa’s tangled snakes to sink their fangs into your well-run game after the clock has run out. It’s always a good idea to study the casebook for game situations. Especially for rules not commonly enforced.
Bob Joswick, Broken Arrow, Okla., is a retired NFL football player, high school football official and author. The visiting team scores the apparent go-ahead touchdown, but since the offensive holding foul in the MechaniGram occurred during the last timed down of the fourth period, the period will be extended with an untimed down. The home team, on defense, will surely accept the penalty and make
POINT OF SNAP RUN
Over the Top
During a field goal attempt, the ball must pass above the crossbar and between the vertical uprights or the inside edges of the uprights extended in order to be successful (NFHS
8-4-1, NCAA 8-4-1a). If any part of the ball penetrates the plane of the inside edges of the vertical-uprights extended, the kick is unsuccessful. In NCAA games with replay, the play
is reviewable only if ball crossed the uprights below the horizontal plane drawn between the tops of each upright, not if the ball crosses above the top of the uprights as illustrated.
ABY SCOTT TITTRINGTON
Agenie suddenly appears and grants you one wish: the ability to design your ultimate football-viewing mancave. So, what’s on your list?
We obviously have to start with the best televisions — yes, plural — on the market. Picture quality so crisp and audio so clear that you almost believe you are in the huddle. Wall-to-wall monitors because, duh, this is the mancave, not the living room. No need to save room on these walls for family photos, inspirational poetry or any other decorative space-wasters. An extra 19 or
27 inches? How about an extra high-definition screen?
Technological innovation that allows you to not just watch several games at one time but provides, at your fingertips, the ability to rewind the action and take another look at that bone-crushing hit or toe-tapping catch. Perhaps a fun little control mechanism, like one you’d find with your Xbox, to allow you to toggle to and fro.
Plenty of room for you and dozens of your closest friends to share in and create a collaborative viewing experience. Sound-proofing strong enough to not only silence the cries of the fussy baby down the hall, but a noisy 18-wheeler if it happens
to rumble past. Powerful air conditioning to keep everyone comfortable, even as the temperature rises with the biggest play of the game.
Just such a genie visited the Big Ten Conference before the outset of the 2024 college football season. The decision had been made to bring all of the conference’s in-game officiating reviews into one centralized replay center, with an overriding mandate to spare no expense in creating a space that would provide one simple goal: getting the call right.
That space was dramatically revealed to the college football world in August. With a flip of a switch, an opaque glass wall crystal cleared to unveil the new Big Ten
DEAL
Replay Center to select media in attendance at the Big Ten Office and Conference Center in Rosemont, Ill. The 2,000-square-foot space now occupies the majority of the first floor of the Big Ten building that sits alongside Interstate 294, just east of O’Hare International Airport, and now functions as the replay nerve center for all Big Ten football contests.
The new replay bunker features an eye-catching macro pair of video walls that offer nearly 500 square feet of customizable digital display across 54 monitors. However, from a strict functionality standpoint, more impressive may be the micro 18 gamemonitoring stations available
The Big Ten has remodeled its former Big Ten Experience museum into a state-ofthe-art replay center at its headquarters in Rosemont, Ill.
The Big Ten is bringing all of the conference’s in-game officiating reviews to one place at its new high-tech replay center.
for use by the conference’s centralized replay officials (CROs), six medical review stations that allow for the monitoring of the health and safety of Big Ten athletes, and a supervisor command center that houses those individuals tasked with having the final say in all replay decisions.
“We’re really proud of this space. One thing that’s very clear about how this space is going to function is the marriage of great people and great technology,” said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, who took over the conference reins in April 2023. “This shows the commitment the Big Ten has to getting things right for our student-athletes and our coaches.”
“When replay came into the game, that was the biggest rule change in 50 years,” said Bill Carollo, the Big Ten’s coordinator of football officials. “This decision that the Big Ten made is probably the most significant event that I’ve seen in my 16 years here.”
That “decision” is to shift replay into a centralized, collaborative model, as opposed to having replay decisions made at each individual game site. The person responsible for staffing the replay center, from an officiating perspective, is Carollo, who assigns the officials who will work on the field for each Big Ten game as well as an onsite
A DEAL
replay team that is stationed in the stadium press box.
Starting with the 2024 season, his assigning responsibilities also include staffing the replay center with the aforementioned CROs — a staff of seven officials who travel to Rosemont from throughout the country to work one to two games each weekend — and four replay supervisors.
Each CRO sets up shop at one of the game-monitoring stations, which is equipped with a high-definition, touchscreen monitor and an Xbox controller that allows for toggling through various camera angles from his or her assigned Big Ten game. Each station also includes a red “tally” light that the CRO illuminates when a game being watched at that station has two minutes or less remaining in either the second or fourth quarters, a reminder of the special timing rules that come into effect in those sitiuations.
While the supervisors have their own central station within the replay center, they
Big Ten Vice President of Football Operations
A.J. Edds addresses media during the reveal of the conference’s new replay center on Aug. 27, 2024, in Rosemont, Ill.
Below left: Camera angles of various sizes are used to view replays. Below right: Replay officials use Xbox controllers to toggle through replay video clips.
are generally “working the room” amongst the CROs. When a review is initiated, a replay supervisor then works in collaboration with the CRO, onsite replay official and the onfield referee to render a final decision.
“The skills are different on the field than they are in the replay booth,” Carollo said. “In the replay booth, you’ve got to be able to go through a process.
“Officials should know this is a huge opportunity that wasn’t available 20 years ago. There’s a road map to get into
the highest level (of officiating) going into replay. And you move quickly if you have the skills.”
That talent is only half of the equation. In order for those officials to experience success, they must have the necessary tools to perform at the top of their game.
The centralized replay center features ethernet connections to each of the 18 Big Ten football stadiums scattered throughout the country, from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., to SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. The stadiums and the replay center are utilizing Hawk-Eye Synchronized Multi-Angle Replay Technology (SMART) that allows the conference access to every camera angle from every broadcast at every league venue.
The technology train is driven by Mike Ortiz, who was hired away from the Pac12 Conference to become the Big Ten’s vice president of replay.
“In terms of just understanding differences in
decision-making processes and intricacies, I’ve been through this once with the Pac-12,” Ortiz said.
While the casual college football fan believes replay involves nothing more than the two- to three-minute window that comes across the television screen for each replay decision, behind the scenes Ortiz and his team are conducting a series of pregame tests throughout the week to make sure the replay system “is as bulletproof as possible.”
“The amount of pregame planning that it takes to get all of the technology, just understand that it’s such a big group that’s supporting this effort,” Ortiz said. “For it to run smoothly on camera for three minutes, it’s taking four or five days of preparation.”
Should those fail-safe efforts somehow fall short and communication be severed between a game location and the replay center, all video review would revert to the onsite replay official, who would then collaborate with the referee in making all
Above: Supervisors are positioned in the middle of the room, overlooking the gamemonitoring stations.
Below: The facility features 18 gamemonitoring stations with touchsceens and video walls that incorporate 54 monitors.
replay decisions.
Even should the technology operate perfectly, one person who will never be involved in a review is Carollo. In fact, that statement holds true for all Big Ten administrative staff. While Carollo, Petitti, A.J. Edds — the Big Ten’s vice president of football administration — and other staff members have access to the Dave Parry Command Center on the third floor of the conference center, they are prohibited by conference written policy
from setting foot in the replay center on any game day.
“In this room (the replay center) are trained personnel to make the right decisions,” Edds said.
“We want to have neutral, unbiased officiating on the field and in the replay booth,” said Carollo, before summing up with one simple word.
“Clean.”
Scott Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee. He officiates high school football, and college and high school baseball and basketball.
COORDINATOR: JOHN VAN DE VAARST
TATORS
Pondering the Different Types of Officiating Personas
By John Van De Vaarst
Every soccer official is a TATOR, meaning all officials have their own personality when on the pitch. While reviewing past games or reflecting on challenging situations, be honest with yourself and honestly assess what you see in the mirror. What kind of TATOR are you?
The first type is the DICTATOR. This type of official knows everything about soccer officiating and cannot be told anything. The pregame discussion is one way with demands placed on the assistant referees (ARs).
The dictator makes it very clear they are in charge, the “king” of the game and the ARs, players and coaches are merely pawns to serve at the pleasure of the king. During the match, players need to comply to every call and failure to do so will be dealt with sternly or possibly cautioned for dissent. Dictating officials are very inflexible, never accept constructive recommendations from assessors or attempt to change their style and improve. Frustrations are often high from players, coaches and fans, which result in even more aggression from the referee.
AGITATORS resemble masochists. They act like they are enjoying the match even though it is painful to them and all participants, and cause problems when they aren’t there. For example, the game is flowing nicely and there are no controversies. It is now part way through the second half and a minor foul occurs near the touchline on the bench side. The agitator sounds the whistle in a stern manner, runs over to the individual who committed the foul and “dresses down the player,” clearly trying to make things unnecessarily exciting. The remainder of the game becomes
HESTON QUAN
California officials (from left) Guillermo Sanchez, Temecula; Brian Navarette, Corona; and Jaime E. Bravo, Lake Elsinore, deliver pregame instructions. During this time they are also exposing a little of their individual and crew personality.
difficult because the players are now upset about the referee’s behavior. An agitator may think they see the play better and wave down the AR in an obvious offside situation. That allows the attacking team to continue to move forward, causing either a hard foul to stop play or a goal to be scored, setting off the defending team. Again, that creates unnecessary mountains out of molehills.
IMITATORS or Mr. Nice Guys or Gals call what everyone wants. They do not want any type of controversy and will do anything possible to prevent it. If coaches are using gamesmanship to get a call later, it will happen. The imitator works diligently to keep everyone on the field and sidelines happy. The imitator attempts to take on other officials’ personalities to keep peace. If a situation develops requiring a penalty kick, this type of official will do anything possible to not rock the boat, creating another set of problems for the entire crew. When there is an advantage situation, the imitator quietly whispers, “Play on” so no one will question the decision. If a player dissents or approaches the imitator in a stern fashion, the official might apologize for making the call, causing increased levels of fouls. Lastly, if and when a red card must be issued, imitators become so upset with themselves they will almost become emotional and have trouble finishing the game. Imitators always want the easiest game assignments.
COMMENTATORS are officials who never stop talking. The pregame discussion goes on for an extended period because the commentator is talking about previous games, the weather and other non-game topics just to hear themselves talk. Before the game, the commentator will talk to fans, administrators, coaches or anyone else, including the grass, if it will listen. Interrupting players’ warmups to talk with them is not a problem for this official. In most instances they are an expert on all subject matter. This official verbally explains, or at a minimum calls out, every foul for everyone to hear. If there is a controversial decision during the game the commentator
will think nothing of stopping the game and going to the sidelines to give a detailed explanation to both coaches. Normally, this creates more problems since the coaches won’t agree. After the game the commentator will have a long postgame discussion with the officiating team.
A referee who delays every possible call and looks for help is referred to as the HESITATOR. These officials do not have confidence in their skills and will second guess a decision before making it. If there is a penalty kick situation or the issuance of a card, the hesitator will want to confer with the AR for validation. If a coach is dissenting or continuing to make comments, they are reluctant to do anything about it for fear of a low rating by the coach. For any play that is somewhat near an AR, they will hope the AR makes the decision rather than drawing attention to themselves. During the pregame, the hesitator is very nervous and may even feel a tad bit ill. In highly volatile games, the hesitator might even look for a way to get off the field to avoid conflict, such as faking an injury.
ROTTENTATORS never wash their uniform. They arrive at the game as late as possible and have a sloppy physical appearance. Since they arrived late, the pregame discussion is disoriented and rushed. “You run that side, call what you need to and stay out of trouble.” They rarely study the rules or keep up with the latest interpretations. After the game, they leave the field quickly without even thanking their fellow officials. In some cases, they have to do this because they are already running late for another game. Their primary interest is the game fee and how much they can earn during a season with no regard for performance.
The type of referee that everyone should aspire to become is the FACILITATOR. The pregame is a conversation with the ARs and dialogue is encouraged. Depending on the match type, these referees can adjust their officiating style. They know how to talk to players and
SURVEY SAYS ...
According to the 2023 NASO National Officiating Survey powered by Referee.com, 58% of soccer officials do not feel pay should be based on quantity of experience. However, 54% do feel pay should be based on performance level.
QUICKTIP
Instead of instructing ball holders what you’d like them to do, be flexible and ask them how they’ve been trained to do it Younger kids with short attention spans often will be the sideline assistants. Turn the conversation around and find out what parts of the job they do right, and be knowledgeable how they could do better. Being armed with this information prior to kickoff will help you anticipate possible miscues on the sidelines.
THEY SAID IT
“Not many people had done this role in the way I envisioned it, which was to educate the masses. If the referee got a decision correct, break it down: Here’s the play, here’s the Law, here’s what should have been the answer. It’s very rare that officials get something incorrect just because it’s a pure misapplication of Law. That’s easy to explain without destroying an official. My job is not to rate the referee; my job is to explain the Laws. When I stepped into that role, it did ostracise some people. Some friends of mine didn’t agree.”
– Former FIFA referee Christina Unkel while discussing her role in ITV’s halftime and post-match coverage.
TEST YOURSELF
In each of the following, decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA or IFAB rules/Laws. Solutions: p. 81.
1. A1 is on the attack and flicks the ball in the air toward the edge of the penalty area. Goalkeeper B2 moves to the edge of the penalty area and catches the ball with the hands right on the penalty line.
a. Hand ball and direct free kick for team A.
b. Hand ball and ejection for DOGSO.
c. Legal play since the ball was on the penalty line.
2. The home team provides the game balls to the referee. After inspection, only one ball is suitable for play.
a. Obtain additional game balls from the visiting team.
b. Use the only suitable ball provided by the home team.
c. Do not start the game and report the incident to appropriate administrators.
3. Team B is awarded a direct free kick in its own penalty area. B1 elects to take a quick restart, which deflects off B2 to A3, who was still in the penalty area. A3 shoots and scores.
a. No goal since A3 was in the penalty area. Issue a re-kick.
b. Award an indirect free kick for team B because of interference.
c. Goal. B1 took a quick kick and A3 did not have time to retreat.
4. A1 is advancing forward along with other teammates. Team B attempts an offside trap, causing A2 to be in an offside position. A1 makes a short pass, which goes past A2, who makes no attempt on the ball. A1 regains the ball and continues forward.
a. Allow play to continue.
b. Offside since the ball went close to A2.
c. Offside since team B utilized the offside trap successfully.
coaches in a professional way, which allows the game to flow with minimal disruption. Players have confidence in the facilitator and respect in-game decisions. Throughout the match, this referee is in sync with the ARs, which keeps the match running like a well-oiled machine. This individual is proactive at heading off potential problems. They are in good physical condition so when situations do occur, they are close to the scene and can defuse them quickly. After the game the facilitator enjoys a
Get ’Em Set
By Arthur Hamm
The rules related to free kicks are explained in black and white in each rules code. The language covers what free kicks are and when and how they are taken. Even when the ball isn’t rolling, there is still plenty for the referee to manage. Keep control early and set the tone on how free kicks will be managed throughout match.
To review, when a foul occurs:
The placement of the ball shall take place at the point where the infraction occurred when it is being put back into play.
The foul location is of importance. Anywhere past the halfway line is when problems could occur, especially in the goal-scoring areas.
The key element after a foul occurs is in having the defense delay the restart by not being the required 10 yards away from the ball.
The pressure on the referee increases especially in a goal-scoring area. The referee must be able to decide to allow a quick free kick or stop play to ensure the wall gets set properly. This must be done without creating a disadvantage for the attacking team. For example, if a defensive player does not allow the attacking team, especially in a scoring situation, the opportunity to quickly play the ball because they are only two yards away, that must be cautioned. When challenging
postgame briefing with the crew and provides honest feedback on their efforts.
A special thank you to former NISOA National Clinician John Buckley for originally presenting this concept and former NISOA National Clinician Frank Jewell for updating the material.
John Van de Vaarst, Ellicott City, Md., is a NISOA National Clinician, National Assessor and former State Level USSF Referee and Assessor. He is Referee’s soccer coordinator.
situations like this occur the referee must be ready to deal with it and prevent future problems.
When marking off 10 yards, stand outside of where the ball is placed, so all players can be seen. If the mark is on the left side in the attacking direction, stand on the left of the ball and vice versa. Many referees move to a spot and indicate the 10-yard mark. This eliminates pacing and the possibility of the wall being in the way to complete the 10-yard pace. If the referee paces facing away from the ball, the attacking team may attempt to move up the ball.
A player that does not retreat 10 yards from the ball must be dealt with swiftly. First the player should be advised by the referee to “get away from the ball” or “move back 10.” Some players continually push the referee’s authority and do not respond. Some defenders will argue the kicking team did not ask for 10 yards. Ten yards is a right, not a privilege, and the defense must move back. Using one of the above phrases in a non-threatening manner should enhance the referee’s ability to control the match. If the defense is only six yards from the ball and the attacking team requests 10 yards, be sure to advise the kicking team it must wait for the second whistle. When doing so, hold up and point to the whistle so everyone knows. When setting the wall, make sure the attacking team does not move the
ball. At the higher levels the referee uses vanishing foam to spot the ball and then the wall.
Here are few similar situations, which all have the same outcome:
• B1 commits a foul on A2 just outside the penalty area. A3 is in position to take a quick free kick, but is unable to since B4 stands within two yards of the restart and has blocked the path of the kick.
• B1 fouls A2. Just prior to the kick, B3 walks directly across the path where the kick would be expected to be taken, within 10 yards of the kick.
• B1 commits a foul on A2 just past the halfway line. As A2 is ready to take the kick B1, who has been walking away from the foul area, but still within 10 yards, turns into the kick and makes contact with the ball.
• B1 trips A2. Players on defense are approximately eight yards from the ball. Just before A3 puts the ball into play, several defensive players encroach.
In all situations, the referee should sound the whistle and stop play. In the first three, caution the player involved. In the last situation, the referee could caution multiple players or decide which one to caution.
These plays are a form of gamesmanship in an attempt to gain unfair advantage, clearly contrary to the spirit of the game. The referee needs to be aware of these various acts and any other types of misconduct.
The referee must be proactive when dealing with free kicks.
The referee must show and hold the indirect kick signal until the kick is taken and the ball is touched by any other player. Failure of the referee to correctly signal indirect free kick when the ball goes directly into the opponent’s goal results in a rekick.
Every referee should develop an assortment of verbal phrases, commands and gestures to get the players positioned properly. Use whatever tool is in the tool box, including cards if necessary to set the tone early and prevent players from taking advantage of future situations. Lastly read importance
Dealing the Cards
By Dan Rudloff
Cautions and ejections, while not a part of every game, become necessary on occasion. Knowing when to caution or eject a player, coach or bench personnel —and how to do it properly — is vital to managing any game successfully.
Handle the situation correctly, and the chances that the game continues smoothly increase. Handle it poorly, and the likelihood of further problems increases dramatically.
The reasons for issuing a caution can be as benign as leaving or entering the field of play without permission of the referee, aside
and location of free kicks to keep the game flowing properly.
Arthur Hamm, Farmington, Conn., has officiated high school soccer since 1968 and college soccer since 1982. He has served as a referee in 65 high school state finals and in NCAA soccer finals in Division I, II, and III and is also a NISOA National Referee Emeritus.
from the natural flow of play, or as significant as DOGSO. However, knowing the reason for issuing a caution is critical because the cautioned individual, as well as their coaches, will always ask (even if the reason is obvious), “Why?”
The answer needs to be immediate and convincing, leaving no room for
CASEPLAYS
Whistle Matters
Play: Team A scores a goal late in the game to take the lead, 3-2. B1 takes the ball out of the net and runs to the center circle, places the ball on the spot, and immediately passes it to B2, who kicks it downfield. B3 runs forward and retrieves the pass, shoots and scores. Team B feels the game is now tied, 3-3. Ruling: The goal is disallowed, and the kickoff is retaken. The referee did not signal for the kickoff (NFHS 8-1-1; NCAA 8.3; IFAB 8.1).
Usually Large Play: A1 kicks the ball which hits B2’s arm inside their penalty area and quickly goes out over the goalline (but not in the goal). Initially, the referee awards a penalty kick for a handball, but after a quick discussion with the assistant referee cancels the penalty kick because the ball touched the defender’s arm when it was close to their body and did not make it unnaturally bigger. Ruling: Since the referee sounded the whistle to stop play before the ball went over the goalline, the game is restarted with a drop ball to the goalkeeper since the defense was the last to play the ball (NFHS 9-2-3; NCAA 9.3.2; IFAB 8.2).
Seeing Red Play: Goalkeeper B1 is cautioned (yellow card) during a playoff match. At the end of the game the score is tied and a winner must be decided by a penalty shoot-out. The goalkeeper saves the first kick and makes a provocative gesture toward spectators of the opposing team. The referee cautions B1 for the action and then displays a red card for the second caution. Ruling: For games played under NFHS and NCAA rules, this is the correct decision. For a match played under IFAB, this is incorrect since cautions do not carry over to the penalty kick shootout (NFHS 12-6-1a; NCAA 12.7.8; IFAB 10.3).
further conversation, and ultimately ending the incident.
Some offenses, such as persistent infringement, occur when the same player or teammates commit the same foul or fouls over and over. Dissent is also pretty obvious when the referee or his assistants have had enough chirping. Incidental profanity was added some years ago to the NFHS and NCAA rulebooks and has been very effective in cleaning up foul language. Unsporting behavior gives the referee a nice safety net for generic bad behavior such as an unnecessary or overly late hard foul.
Specifying the right reason for a caution is essential, but knowing exactly when can benefit the game even more. In some cases, the eventual caution can be avoided by some intuitive officiating prior to the final event.
In a high school or college game, stopping the clock, calling a player over and having a word with a player, players or even a coach without issuing a caution serves notice that critical mass is on the horizon. Letting everyone know the referee has seen enough or heard enough can be a good strategy. This mechanic effectively draws a line in the sand. Then, if and when the caution occurs, it will be squarely on the players or coaches rather than the official. “You’ve been warned. We are not having that here today.” Maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t, but this mechanic can bring everyone’s attention to where the line is and take the onus off the official.
Caution for a DOGSO situation can be a little tricky because of the nature of the rule. If a player denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by committing an offense against an opponent in the penalty area where the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offense was an attempt to play the ball. If the offense involves holding, pulling, pushing or an offense that would warrant an ejection by itself, a red card is mandatory. Knowledge and application of this rule is essential because of the specificity
of it and its ramifications. Ejecting a player when he should only be cautioned by this rule would cause unmistakable long-term damage to the game.
By rule, a red card (ejection) must occur under several NCAA circumstances. A second caution in the same game warrants a red card and an automatic ejection. The correct mechanic is to hold up the yellow card then the red card, indicating the offender has committed a second cautionable offense and is therefore ejected. As with the normal caution, the reason for the second yellow card should be stated.
There are other instances where a player earns a straight red card and immediate ejection. Serious foul play (SFP) and violent behavior (VB) are similar, but the conditions and consequences are different. SFP is play that endangers the safety of an opponent or that involves the use of excessive force or brutality between players competing for the ball. The key words here are competing for the ball. SFP must be committed on the field of play and results in a direct free kick.
Violent behavior on the other hand is against anyone not competing for the ball on or off the field of play with the ball in or out of play. Again, this time the key words are not competing for the ball or off the ball. VB is also committed on or off the field of play whether the ball is in play or not. These stipulations and eventual punishments make SFP and VB different.
In addition, NCAA has two varieties of violent behavior (VB I and VB II). VB I is an unwarranted excessive act or use of force when not challenging for the ball. VB II is the same but is malicious and so extreme and severe that it places a participant in danger of physical injury. Examples would be head butting, elbow to the face or head, stomping, kicking, hair pulling, spitting at or biting another person, etc. Both are automatic red cards but with different ramifications.
Hostile or abusive language (harassment) refers to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin or another abusive, threatening or obscene language, behavior or conduct pretty much covering the gamut of oral behavior that merits a straight red card. Fighting includes deliberately striking or throwing a punch whether it lands or not. Assaulting a referee basically contains the same actions as abusive language and fighting but directed toward a game official. Like VB II these complete the list of mandatory ejections with a straight red card. For NFHS games, taunting is also a mandatory red card.
NCAA officials have mandatory reporting obligations with all red cards. In the event of a VB II or fighting red card, the scorekeeper and both coaches must be verbally notified by the referee. Good mechanics also stipulate for any red card the scorekeeper must be
apprised of what the offense was and recorded properly. Once an ejection or ejections occur there is no reason to be in a rush. The clock is stopped, and there is the matter of making sure the ejected player(s) have complied. Restarting the game before that happens is asking for trouble. If an athletic trainer is ejected, they may sit in the stands to be available if needed for medical support. Anyone else must be out of sight and sound.
Any ejection must be reported to the NCAA on its online ejection report card within 24 hours of the game date. Fighting and VB II offenses must be reported to the NCAA on the proper online forms within 24 hours. Checking carefully and signing the official score sheet before leaving the venue is absolutely essential. The scoresheet is the permanent record of what has occurred. Leaving the venue without checking it carefully can lead to other unnecessary problems. NFHS
rules on reporting are usually at the discretion of the state and local jurisdictions.
Referees have to have knowledge of the rules and of the proper mechanics to handle these potential game-changing situations. Having a word instead of an early card can serve to defuse what otherwise might end up being a card fest. Separating the offenders calmly to have a word or issue a card can keep others from becoming involved in something that might otherwise escalate. Careful and timely reporting to the proper jurisdictional authorities is essential. Officials who keep proper control of the game in front of them also aid the officials who will have those same teams in other matches going forward. Dan Rudloff, Chester, Pa., is a NISOA National Referee Emeritus and longtime high school soccer official who has officiated numerous high school state championships and NCAA playoff matches.
WHAT EVERY OFFICIAL NEEDS TO KNOW
PROFILES
Friday Night Lights: A Family Affair
By Leah Berard
Every month during high school football season, the Georgia High School Association recognizes a crew of the month. In October 2023, an Etowah Valley crew led by Trevor Gonzales was selected, and what made it more special was his dad, Jody, and brother, Tyler, were also on the crew. It also served as the final
season on a crew under Friday night lights for Jody, concluding a fulltime football officiating career that started in 1989. He worked five state championship games in football at three different positions, including umpire, line judge and deep wing. While he retired from working on a crew after 30 years of dedication, he didn’t completely hang up his whistle and shirt; he now only fills in occasionally (when the shortage bug hits). However, he still regularly puts on the uniform to officiate volleyball, softball and baseball.
While his time on the football field may be mostly over, he is a staple on the sidelines now to support his sons and their careers
in officiating. It’s a complete role reversal, as Trevor and Tyler grew up on the sidelines watching him officiate high school football. Trevor, the younger of the two brothers, has been officiating since 2015, starting when he was just a junior in high school. He took on the challenge of becoming the white hat on his crew last season. Trevor’s interest in officiating started around the age of 8, as he would accompany his father to Friday night games and chart penalties on the sideline. When he was 15, his dad asked him if he wanted to make money, and Trevor thought it was time to try officiating.
“I went to a middle school game with him to shadow the crew, but one of the guys didn’t show up,” Trevor said. “The next thing I knew, I was on the field working the umpire position.”
Tyler joined the officiating ranks soon after Trevor in 2016. He said he hadn’t thought about giving officiating a shot until 2015 after he had a career change that freed his schedule a bit. He has worked three state championship games and joined Trevor’s crew last year. He now also officiates at the NCAA Division II level and in the NAIA, with aspirations to reach Division I.
“If I don’t make it, I’m still blessed at where I am today and still call every game like it’s my last,” Tyler said.
All three agree their best moment on the field was when they worked together under Friday night lights for the first time. They believe there’s nothing else like that feeling.
“Working with family is humbling,” Jody said. “I’ve gotten the opportunity to officiate with my kids, as a crew, and have watched these guys grow up to be great young men.”
Leah Berard, St. Paul, Minn., officiated international rugby and now officiates high school and college football.
Big League Aspirations
Simon Beach Devils Lake, N.D.
Simon Beach wears several hats for the Devils Lake (N.D.) American Legion baseball program. He’s a pitcher and designated hitter for the Devils Lake A team. But things change when Beach, who also plays college baseball at nearby Lake Region State College, steps on the field to umpire a Devils Lake B game.
“It’s never easy, but these guys know that as soon as I’ve got the uniform on, and then I step on the field as their official, I’m not their teammate anymore,” Beach told the Devils Lake Journal
Beach also officiates football and girls’ basketball at the high school level, though baseball has always been his main sport. As such, his dream is to become an MLB umpire. A valuable relationship for Beach in his umpiring journey is with former MLB umpire and North Dakota native Gary Cederstrom.
“The love for officiating has just been in my blood,” Beach said.
SOURCE: DEVILS LAKE JOURNAL
NFL Referee Gets New Gig Clay Martin Tulsa, Okla.
NFL referee Clay Martin has a new day job. The 49-year-old white hat was hired in June as athletic director of Jenks (Okla.) Public Schools. Martin, who has been an NFL referee since 2018, served as Jenks’ assistant principal from 2011-17 and had a storied career as Jenks High School’s boys’ basketball coach. He has more wins and state tournament appearances than any coach in Jenks’ basketball history. Martin coached the Trojans from 2003-15 and 2017-22.
SOURCE: TULSA WORLD
Do you know a person or group who should be profiled? Send info to us at profiles@referee.com
Jody Gonzales (center) and his sons, Tyler (left) and Trevor, were part of the Georgia High School Association’s “Crew of the Month” in October 2023.
Get the first official NFHS mechanics manual produced jointly by the editors of Referee and the NFHS! Loaded with dozens of mechanics scenarios and featuring Referee’s exclusive PlayPic® and MechaniGram® graphics, this new resource for crews of 2 and 3 is bigger, better and more fully illustrated than it’s ever been. You’ve never seen an Officials Manual like this one – get yours today!
BE READY TO ROLE
Volleyball Officiating Demands Unique Attention
By Tim Sloan
It’s all about appearances. Every sport has its own mechanics and most of us appreciate how it makes the job different in each one. Football and soccer officials have broadly defined assignments on each play and are permitted some degree of “personality” in their game management. Baseball and softball umpires have more definition of their positioning and less tolerance for how they project. Against this backdrop, volleyball referees come across to some onlookers as automatons — AI meets rally scoring.
Volleyball refereeing demands more attention to uniformity and focus on minutiae than most other sports. To connoisseurs of the game, this uniformity is comforting; to many people with broader tastes, it seems almost stilted. Unfortunately, enough volleyball officials lean toward stilted, too. They might be excellent at ballhandling judgment and can see a fingertip wiggle from 30 feet away; they just can’t bring themselves to signal prolonged contact or touch exactly the way it’s prescribed in the rulebook. These otherwise-accurate officials aren’t being precise enough. They wonder why they’re sitting home when the big matches and the state playoffs come around.
The advice of evaluators, administrators and me is, “Deal with it. Play the part or step aside.” When more officials get that through their heads, not only will they be better accepted, they’ll be better officials. Here’s why.
Volleyball referees don’t move around much compared to other officials. There’s no opportunity to anticipate the play, hustle into position, get it right and gain credibility. Keeping up with the play after an hour and a half of running doesn’t come up, either. Instead, R1 and R2 are placed in two static
Using proper mechanics and signals is essential for volleyball officials. Gaye Hines, Grimesland, N.C., uses the proper authorization of service signal. Using the proper signals and mechanics is mandatory for referees looking to advance.
positions from which they can most reliably view the critical plays. If they can consistently view them, they should be able to consistently rule on them. They can sell that consistency by showing a consistent use of their signals and interaction with their partners. I sure used forms of “consistent” a lot.
The lesson is that volleyball officials can sell their decisions as truth instead of judgment by employing solid mechanics. That elevates their command of the game. Unelaborated, dispassionate, reproducible, coordinated signaling helps decisions on double hits come off as fact. In tight contests, decided by a rub here and a dig there, everyone fears one call changing the outcome. Being calmly unwavering as you call the game helps curb that anxiety. Relaxed players and coaches spend less time helping you.
My regular partner and I get along well but are two different people in real life. Our politics aren’t quite the same. Our home lives and occupations are quite different. We would never be mistaken for father and son (I’m about 30 years older). But when we get out on that floor, we are one machine. We take the time to make our signals look identical and focus on synchronizing our movements throughout the match with a minimum of fanfare. (We patter a lot on our O2Os to coordinate this, but nobody knows what we’re talking about). We have a weekly Google Meet where we look back at a few plays and discuss what we might have done differently. The result is our presentation on court appears to be less “about us.” That helps limit the opportunity to be played off against one another. With two, working as one, against 50, it’s just about even. Coaches are then more prone to go with what we call. Sure, we’ll miss the odd net rub. We might be almost certain the ball was pancaked sometimes; we’ve never had a perfect match. When we behave like we’re thinking as one, though, there’s less drama and more volleyball.
Becoming more uniform also helps when working with an unfamiliar partner. The more you can expect what each other will do, the sharper your focus and confidence will be. That
new partner might also be the one to later smile and ask another referee, “Hey, have you ever worked with …?” That’s how great things often get started.
I worked five other sports before I first walked out onto a volleyball court 20 years ago. Early on, I was one of those unbelievers who didn’t understand the mechanics fuss I’ve written about. Selling out to the no-flying-thumb mentality that our state coordinator emails about is something I’ve only done more recently. Interestingly, since that happened, I’ve seen a lot more evaluators show up to our matches. Just a coincidence, right? You see, when it comes down to it, many officials are good enough at calling reasonable violations and being decisive when it matters. There’s just more of them than the number of big games available; the avocation is a meritocracy. When the evaluator says you’re being too lenient on double hits, that’s one thing. When he or she starts talking more about whether or not you beckoned serve with a level forearm, you’re getting close to Emerald City. Good judgment and rules knowledge is a qualifier for referees who want to be doing more; lack of sleek mechanics is a dealbreaker whether you think it’s fair or not. Now you know why.
The irony in all this is that standing out from fellow volleyball officials involves not standing out. If you go into a match trying for a “look at me” persona, you’re in the wrong gym. Evaluators, assigners and participants want mature personalities who work unnoticed during the match. That starts by being right a lot but concludes by being disciplined enough to be remarkably unremarkable.
Yes, that’s different from the approach in many other sports. But like they’ll tell you, volleyball isn’t like any other sport. Buy into proper mechanics, practice consistency and good things will happen. For everyone.
Tim Sloan, Davenport, Iowa, is a high school football, basketball and volleyball official, and former college football and soccer official.
QUICKTIP
When you are the second referee, take a peek at the scoreboard after every point to make sure the proper point was awarded to the proper team. While the scoreboard isn’t the official score — the scoresheet is — if there is a discrepancy, you can quickly identify it. If you don’t look at it for a few points and then there is an issue between the scoresheet and the scoreboard, it can be difficult to remember multiple rallies and there is potential for a scoring mistake. If you notice it right away, it is much easier to fix and can potentially save a lot of headaches.
SIDELINE
PAVO Convention 2024
In conjunction with the American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention as well as the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball National Championships, PAVO is hosting its annual convention Dec. 19-22 in Louisville, Ky. The convention kicks off with NCAA semifinal matches on Dec. 19 and features programming Dec. 20-22. The convention wraps up on the 22nd with the NCAA championship match. The Hyatt Regency Louisville is the host hotel for the convention and registration for the event can be found at pavo. org/Training/Convention. Early Bird registration runs through Nov. 15.
DID YOU KNOW?
On Aug. 8, six high school teams made history by competing in what is believed to be the first outdoor high school volleyball contest in Ohio. The idea for an outdoor-style event came on the heels of the University of Nebraska hosting an outdoor collegiate match last fall that set an attendance record of 92,003 fans. The event, dubbed the “Showdown at Sundown,” was held at Newark High School. Officials for the three scrimmage matches were Pam Mercer, Ruth Sunkle, Bill Lattig, Sheri Gutridge, Kathy Owens, Nancy Davenport, Darla Creech, Les McCoy and Russ Smith.
TEST YOURSELF
In each of the following you are given a situation and at least two possible answers. You are to decide which answer or answers are correct for NFHS, NCAA or USAV rules, which might vary. Solutions: p. 81.
1. Team A’s setter, who is in the back row, chases after a bad pass near the net. She jumps to set the ball, but realizes she is off balance and decides to punch the ball instead. The ball is partially above the height of the net when the setter contacts it and it ends up crossing over the net to team B’s side of the court.
a. Legal play.
b. Team A’s setter has committed a back-row attack.
2. When must coaches turn in lineups prior to the start of the match to avoid a delay sanction/ unnecessary delay (administrative yellow card)?
a. Three minutes prior to the end of timed warmups.
b. Two minutes prior to the end of timed warmups.
c. One minute prior to the end of timed warmups.
d. As long as the lineups are submitted before the end of timed warmups, there is no penalty.
3. When must coaches turn in lineups for all sets other than the first one in order to avoid a delay sanction/unnecessary delay?
a. At least one minute before the expiration of the timed interval between sets.
b. At least 45 seconds before the expiration of the timed interval between sets.
c. At least 30 seconds before the expiration of the timed interval between sets.
d. At least 15 seconds before the expiration of the timed interval between sets.
4. The first server of the serving team is in which position when the set begins?
a. Right back position.
b. Left front position.
c. Right front position.
d. Left back position.
5. When the second referee whistles a fault and signals the fault, such as an antenna fault, the first referee should signal the fault as well.
a. True.
b. False.
2 or 4?
Signals matter. And in volleyball, they matter a lot as it is the way the referees convey information to partners, players, coaches and fans. Using the wrong signals can confuse everyone.
This is especially true in a couple of unique situations where the referees must decide whether to use the four hits signal (as shown in PlayPic A) or the double hit signal (as shown in PlayPic B). Let’s break down these two situations by looking at the plays individually and then describing how the three codes specify which signal to give.
Play 1: A1 attempts to set the ball over the net on the team’s third contact by using overhand finger action. A1 misplays the ball and double contacts it (in a single attempt to play the ball) and the ball sails over the net. Ruling 1: In all three codes, the first referee should give the signal indicating a double hit.
Play 2: A1 attempts to set the ball over the net on the team’s third contact by using overhand finger action. A1 legally contacts the ball and sends it toward the net. The ball hits the net and rebounds back toward team A’s side of the net, untouched by team B. A1 is the next person to touch the ball. Ruling 2: In NFHS and NCAA, the first referee should give the signal indicating four hits. In USAV, the first referee should give the signal indicating a double hit.
USAV treats these the same in terms of signaling. NFHS and NCAA treat them differently as the signals convey something different. In the first scenario, it is the team’s third
attempt at playing the ball and a double occurs. If the first referee whistles and signals to indicate four hits, it very well could confuse everyone in the gym. A coach may not realize the player double hit the ball and may argue it was the team’s third contact. That coach will then want an explanation of where the fourth contact occurred. By signaling a double hit, it takes that conversation away as the coach will instantly see the first referee deemed the contact by A1 to be a double hit if there was any question to the legality of that contact.
In the second scenario, there are two separate attempts by A1 to play the ball. The first hit by A1 (the team’s third contact) was legal. Then, once the ball rebounded and hit A1, it became the team’s fourth contact and is a fault. In NFHS and NCAA, the four-hit fault takes precedence over the “two hits” and the four-hit signal should be displayed. This lets everyone know there was no contact by team B on the play and team A is guilty of contacting the ball four separate times. In USAV, the twohit fault takes precedence on this play. Since it is legal for a team to double on a first contact (provided it happens on a single attempt to play the ball), the double hit contact will inform everyone the ball never touched team B and A1 contacted the ball two separate times.
Understand the difference between these two situations to make sure you are giving the right fault signal at the end of this play as to provide the most accurate information and avoid confusion for everyone involved.
Breaking the Habit
Always Done It That Way? Doesn’t Mean It’s Right.
By Brad Tittrington
How many times have you gone to work a high school match and during your prematch conversation with the table crew about how you are going to handle timeouts, the scoreboard operator says, “The referees last match didn’t do it that way.” If you’ve worked long enough, you’ve probably heard this many times. As long as we are all using the mechanics prescribed in the manual, this should not happen. But either all of us haven’t been trained the same way, we all haven’t read the manual properly or the scoreboard operator isn’t being honest with us. Chances are, the reason is one of the first two listed above.
And those differences don’t just pertain to the way we handle timeouts. There are several areas where there seem to be differences and bad habits that have crept into the cadre, at least at the high school level. Here are three of the areas where these differences and bad habits seem to happen the most and the proper way to handle them.
Starting/Ending Timeouts
There seem to be many misconceptions on how the second referee and scoreboard operator/ timer handle timeout situations. The proper way is for the second referee to give a double whistle to recognize the timeout request and show the timeout signal at shoulder
Officials must know proper mechanics in order to ensure consistency and accuracy while working high school matches. Here, Mike Guinn, Frisco, Texas, shows how to properly signal how many timeouts each team has taken.
not the correct mechanic. The first referee repeats the timeout signal, which was newly added to the manual this year, even though a lot of referees already did this. The second referee then shows the first referee the number of timeouts each team has taken. The second referee should then remind the clock operator to start the clock and then check with the scorer to assure the right team is charged with the timeout and the score is correct. Once 45 seconds have elapsed, or earlier if both teams are on the court ready for play, the second referee should give a double whistle to remind teams to return to the court. Then once the timeout is over at the 60-second mark, or once both teams are ready to play if earlier, the second referee should instruct the clock operator to stop the clock and sound the horn.
height on the side of the team requesting the timeout (as shown in PlayPic C). The second referee then indicates which team requested the timeout by extending the vertical arm toward the court — similar to the way the referees indicate a ball is down in that court (as shown in PlayPic D). Some referees point toward the team bench, which is
A horn should always end the timeout. Too many second referees are having the clock operator hit the horn at the 45-second mark and then blowing a whistle to end the timeout, which is not the correct procedure and can lead to confusion.
The only time a horn doesn’t end a timeout is when multiple courts are being used. In this situation, the second referee should still double whistle at the 45-second mark and then use one long whistle to end the timeout.
After the horn sounds (or whistle with multiple courts in use), the second referee should step to the receiving team’s side of the court and indicate to the first referee the amount of timeouts each team has taken before giving the court back to the first referee.
If a coach has used both timeouts in a set, the second referee should get the coach’s attention and show the timeout signal followed by a “two” to alert the coach both timeouts have been used in that
CASEPLAYS
Lineup Check for Opponent
Play: After a rally, team A’s captain is uncertain who the frontrow players are for team B. The captain asks the R2 to verify the positions of the team B players. Ruling: In NFHS, the playing captain may request the second referee to verify only the proper server for the opponent, but not the entire lineup (NFHS 6-3-2).
NCAA rules only allow the captain to check the lineup of his or her team, not the opposing team, and at no time may opponents be permitted to see the opposing team’s submitted lineup (NCAA 5.2.3.3, 10.1.1.7). USAV rules permit a team captain to request the referees to verify that the opposing players are in the correct positions; however, players’ actual court positions are not disclosed to their opponent (USAV 5.1.2.2).
Bench Personnel Conduct
Play: The second referee hears a team member on the bench making offensive remarks toward the first referee. The second referee is not able to identify the team member who is guilty of that misconduct. How should the conduct sanction be applied in that case? Ruling: In NFHS and NCAA, if the referees cannot determine the culprit of the misconduct by a nonplaying team member, the head coach is assessed the sanction (NFHS 12-2 Procedure for Unsporting Conduct Violations No. 10; NCAA 6.1.3). In USAV, both the team captain and the coach are responsible for conduct and discipline of their team members (5). In this situation, the sanction is assessed to the head coach or captain.
Timeout Request
Play: While team A’s coach is standing at the end of the bench giving instructions to a player, an assistant coach requests a timeout. The second referee accepts the request and blows the whistle to administer the timeout. Ruling: Incorrect procedure in NFHS and USAV. Only the head coach or game captain may request a timeout (NFHS 6-3-2a, 12-2-5a, 12-2-6a-e; USAV 5.1.2.3, 5.2.2.3). Correct procedure in NCAA. NCAA rules permit the playing captain or any coach positioned in the bench or warmup area to request a timeout (11.2.6.1).
set before signaling the amount of timeouts taken and giving the court back to the first referee.
Net Faults/Centerline Faults
When it comes to net faults and centerline faults, official mechanics seem to be all over the place, but those mechanics often do not follow proper protocols found in the manual.
Let’s first start with net faults. The most common mistake occurs when second referees whistle the net fault and immediately award the point to the offended team. Remember, the first referee awards points and the second referee repeats that signal.
The proper protocol is for the second referee to whistle when the net fault occurs, step to the side of the offending team and hold the arm outstretched with an open hand, fingers together with the palm facing the net (as shown in PlayPic E). The second referee should not touch the net and can stay back away from the net. The second referee should not go onto the court and should not point to, touch or pull down on the net.
After giving the proper signal, the second referee should show the R1 the number of the offending player. The first referee will award the point as the second referee repeats the awarding of the point
signal. The first referee concludes the signaling by repeating the number of the offending player.
Centerline fault mechanics are just like net fault mechanics, except showing the number of the offending player is not necessary (often the second referee will relay that number to the coach, but it isn’t part of the signaling pattern). Referees should also use the line violation signal as shown in PlayPic F.
Antenna Faults on Second Referee Side
Another scenario that tends to not be signaled properly is when there is an antenna fault on the second referee’s side of the net. Too often, the first referee is blowing the whistle in these situations. The one time where that would be appropriate would be on a serve where the second referee doesn’t see the ball cross outside the antenna while transitioning and the first referee would take the call.
In all other situations, the second referee should blow the whistle while moving to the fault side and then signal the ball out (as shown in PlayPic G on the next page). Then the first referee awards the point and the second referee repeats the awarding of the point signal.
In those situations that don’t involve the serve, the first referee
should not be whistling the fault (or at a minimum, have a cadence whistle if the second referee “forgets” to blow the whistle) and the first referee should not be signaling the fault.
In all of these situations, there are a couple of things to always remember in order to make sure the mechanics are done properly. The first is if the second referee whistles a fault, only the first referee needs to award the point. The first referee should not repeat the fault signal. And the first referee should only repeat the number of the player at fault on a net fault.
The second thing to remember is the first referee is the only referee who gets to award points. The second referee should then repeat that signal. If the second referee is awarding a point, it means the sequence is off somewhere.
Finally, have a thorough pregame with the table crew and properly instruct them how to handle timeouts. The table crew may have been told something wrong and it is important to get them used to utilizing the proper mechanics.
If you are working with a partner who isn’t doing things by the book, gently correct them and show them the manual if you have to. Remember, it is incumbent on all of us to do things correctly in order to improve our cadre. We have the ability to control our mechanics and do things properly and we should each and every time to provide consistency and avoid confusion.
Brad Tittrington is an associate editor for Referee . He umpires D-I softball and officiates high school basketball, college and high school volleyball and high school football.
BY LEAH BERARD
More state organizations are embracing observation programs to develop, retain and select officials for postseason contests.
LOOKING
In the world of officiating these days, the shortage of officials is a glaring issue across all sports. Although there is no single reason why there is a shortage or no single solution to the problem, it is critical to recruit new officials to backfill the loss of the veteran officials who are retiring every year. Not only is it important to add officials, but it’s also just as, if not more, important to offer those new officials more tools
to develop and retain them. Several observer/evaluator programs across the country are investing time, and many times money, to address that very issue.
Retired (or about to be) and high-level officials are either stepping up or being tapped to observe and write reports on officials either in-person or via video in some sports. What better way to show them support than by offering an observer program that not only helps the new and the “on the cusp” playoff officials but also acts as a
way for the retiring or retired officials to give back to the game they love?
“For those people who have a passion for officiating and want to contribute,” said Ernie Yarbrough, Georgia High School Association consultant, “this is the best way.”
Officials find out quickly what they are up against with coaches, players and fans, and in tough moments, the mettle of a “newbie” gets tested. When these moments happen, they need a place to go to feel supported and encouraged at the starting blocks. That is especially true when the officials are young and haven’t
FOR ‘I T ’
of officials, “not the best you can be just for postseason.”
even lived enough years to have the hours of life experience like the veteran officials do. And when they get to the finish line of that game or contest, they need a place to go to discuss how they handled the pressure and how they can handle it better next time.
Several high school associations across the country have invested in observer/evaluator programs to offer their officials another tool to help them from the starting line to the halfway mark to the finish line, however that looks for each person.
“It’s about being the best you can be,” said Sam Davis, Michigan High School Athletic Association director
Sports officials tend to be just as competitive as the athletes they are officiating, and just like the players, they also want to be suiting up for postseason contests. However, the road to the top starts at the beginning. And although the main objective in these observer/evaluator programs is development and growth, the setup also addresses concerns and feedback from officials who didn’t feel they were getting a fair shot at postseason assignments, or didn’t feel assigners ever saw them.
There are now robust observer programs. These programs aim to get more officials not only seen, but to get more reports generated so they know what they should work on to make it to the next level in their career.
“It’s important for officials to know where they stand when playoff selections are made to know what they need to do to get to the elite level,” Yarbrough said. “With our tier rating system, we are able to show results and get the most qualified and competent officials for the playoff assignments.”
Whether observations or evaluations are used for postseason selections or solely for development throughout the season, they act as a barometer for officials to show them their competency level and areas that need improvement.
In many associations, the reports hold some weight in postseason assignments; however, it is primarily a growth tool that is often official-driven regarding how they want to use the feedback. As with anything in life, officials get out of it what they put into it. The
LOOKING FOR ‘IT’
importance of these programs can’t be stressed enough for the new officials, as they are the sponges and tend to be the most receptive to what they hear/learn. And in hopes of hitting 100% retention of new officials, associations (state to local) are implementing more ways to aid in the growth and development of primarily new officials, as well as those only needing fine-tuning for a playoff assignment. They are doing it with predominantly either veteran officials about ready to retire or retired officials who still stay up on the nuances, rules and mechanics of the sport.
“We trust the observers in our program,” said Lewie Curtis, Iowa High School Athletic Association director of officials. “They were chosen by us because they did a good job when they were on the field.”
Unanimously, the administrators/directors of the associations and observer programs agree the veteran officials are the heart and soul of these programs. The
program serves as a way for them to give back to the game that gave so much to them and keeps them engaged in current trends to be able to serve as mentors to the next generation of officials. And what they can teach them about game management and what isn’t written in or learned from a book is invaluable. This is why it’s important to observe officials in-person when possible because it carves out a space for a postgame conversation, which can be useful for implementing ideas and mechanics to make the individual as well as the crew better.
“It’s important for new officials to have a go-to person and a place to debrief post-contest,” said Toni Hill, Missouri State High School Athletic Association associate executive director. “Soft skills, like game management, can best be seen and taught when observed in game situations.”
What also makes these programs work is they provide a third-party, neutral voice to identify strengths and weaknesses that can be used for both development and postseason identification. It is a platform that gives specifics instead of saying to officials on the brink of being considered for a playoff assignment, “Just keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll get there.”
“It works if the observation is honest and the official is receptive to feedback,” Davis said. “And the reports give officiating more of a voice when it comes time to piece together the postseason assignment puzzle.”
Although it can be difficult to find a completely unbiased observer/evaluator in some geographical areas of states, especially when the observer most likely often sees and knows the same regular officials, using video as another tool to watch officials has allowed
Evaluation forms can help observers provide officials with an idea of what to work on. In-person meetings after the game to debrief and provide guidance are also important.
observers to see officials in other areas.
The advancement of technology and the easy accessibility of quality video has certainly increased the number of officials who can be observed or evaluated. However, one of the (welcome) challenges for these programs is the ability to cover all the games/contests or officials they need to during any given season. It’s the sheer volume of games in football, for example, that makes it difficult to cover all they’d like to even with video as a tool. For regular-season high school football games in Georgia, video is the standard way evaluations are done, and they all get covered this way. One limitation from using video only is it only tells part of the story. It doesn’t show the emotion of the official or of the contest and what the official’s or crew’s game management is like.
The accessibility of quality video has significantly increased the number of officials who can be observed and evaluated.
officiating directors and administrators are trying to do something to recruit new officials and retain them throughout their (hopefully) long careers in the officiating world. These programs add transparency to the pathway for development as well as advancement in an official’s career, and that benefits everyone involved in the represented sports.
Beau Rugg, Ohio High School Athletic Association director of officiating and football administrator, says he uses evaluations for playoffs as part of a composite score as a stakeholder in the equation (along with coaches, schools and local associations), and it’s important to do as many in-person observations as possible.
“A number in the system doesn’t tell you how good a person is,” Rugg said. “We need the firsthand knowledge to get info to choose people for the right crews.”
Even if video leaves out a piece of the story, it is still a tremendous tool and has been such a game-changer in the way officials learn.
At the end of the day, the observer/evaluator programs demonstrate that high school athletic association
“The observer program makes us all better,” said Rich Kollen, Southern California Football Association director of football operations, “and we are all held accountable.”
Video has been the biggest driver in putting more financial resources into their program, which services 37 community colleges throughout Southern California. They pay their observers a fee for every report, and they are scheduled every weekend based on their geographic location to keep travel to a minimum. Most of these programs represented do pay some sort of fee, stipend or mileage (or combo of the three). However, it’s still less than being an onfield official, so no one is doing it for the money.
Regardless of whether those involved get paid or
whether they do it without compensation, the observers or evaluators are doing it because they love the game, and it’s important for the growth of the officials as well as the sports. Officials work hard every contest trying to do what is fair and what is right, and Hill said she is so appreciative of the efforts of all officials for being front-line advocates for their respective sports.
“After all, you can’t have ballgames or contests without officials,” Hill said.
The state and local associations can create all the programs in the world, but they need boots on the ground to get their message out and to do the hard work in the trenches, week in and week out. And although these programs are not the only solution to try to combat the shortage and retention of officials, they are a good step in the right direction for not only the betterment and development of the officials, but for the game as well.
“Perception is reality,” Kollen said. “Schools see and appreciate it when we’re trying to get better.”
Leah Berard, St. Paul, Minn., officiated international rugby and now officiates high school and college football.
TYPE CASTING
Classify Coaches — Then Deal With Them
By the Referee editors
To be a top official you must understand coaches, their goals, their methods and their tactics. Coaches’ personalities range from timid to terrible, from understanding to unreasonable and from polite to pugnacious. Knowing coaches’ personalities and what type of coach they are will give you a great opportunity to manage the game efficiently. Sometimes a clear and concise explanation will resolve a situation. Let’s examine the types of coaches you might encounter.
Dr. Jekyll-Mr. (or Ms.) Hyde
Dr. Jekylls warmly greet you in the parking lot or near the bench and exchange pleasantries, stories and jokes and assure you how happy they are to see you. Then a few minutes before the game begins, they drink the potion that turns them into a monster until the game ends. You must be prepared for the emergence of the daunting Hyde. If you suspect a Jekyll, firmly but politely extricate yourself and go about your pregame routine. The opposing coach may be watching all of that frivolity and may feel the playing field isn’t even. Then, you may have two problem coaches on your hands.
Apologizer
This type usually finds the officials after the game and apologizes for poor behavior during the game. The apology is usually not sincere. Apologizers are worried about the next game when they have the same officials. The Jekyll-Hyde coach frequently becomes an Apologizer after the game. Don’t fall for that ruse.
Praiser
The Praiser likes to tell the officials how great they are before the game to the point of absurdity, perhaps even telling the players that you are one of the best officials of all time. Of course, the Praiser is looking for the first call
This coach is using his voice and gestures to try to intimidate Tim Glastetter, Orange, Calif., into seeing things his way. Such tactics must be ignored and, if necessary, dealt with in order to maintain game control.
(and all of the following calls) to favor his or her team. When a call does go against a Praiser’s team, you’ll usually hear the backhanded compliment, “You’re better than that!”
Intimidator
The Intimidator uses physical size, voice, histrionics, reputation, previous success, perceived status in the conference or state power structure or general aggressiveness to intimidate the officials. While it’s generally unwise to try to match the Intimidator’s act, backing down or appearing meek isn’t the answer either. Work your game. If the Intimidator steps over the line, forget all the above factors and treat him or her like anyone else: penalize or eject as the situation dictates.
Divider
That type works covertly to drive a wedge between the officials. Examples of what the coach might say to one official are, “You’d never make a call like that,” or “Tell your partner that’s two blown calls.” Don’t buy what the Divider is selling.
Inciter
Inciters try to rile up spectators to “ride” game officials with the intent of pressuring them to make calls in their team’s favor. Any coach who attempts to incite spectators must be penalized accordingly or be ejected from the game if warranted.
Whiner
Most Whiners are also nitpickers, pointing out minor or perceived infractions, such as, “That player’s towel isn’t the same color as the rest,” or “The first baseman isn’t wearing a first baseman’s mitt.” There isn’t much you can do about the Whiner except grit your teeth and hope the Whiner gets laryngitis.
Polite Coach
The Polite Coach is often a polished critic, prefacing comments with the word, “Sir” or “Ma’am.” Usually, the words that follow will be critical, confrontational or even nasty. The Polite Coach, after being penalized or ejected, often laments, “What for? I was polite.”
Anti-Officials
Let’s face it. Some individuals and some coaches are anti-official or just anti-authority. Anti-official coaches just can’t be pleased. They can make your game difficult and trying. Their competitive nature is such that you are an obstacle in their quest to gain a victory. If you understand that type, you can manage that coach more successfully. Remember not to take it personally. They’re yelling at the uniform, not the person wearing it.
Official-Coach
The coach who is also an official can be a nightmare. While the Official-Coach should realize how difficult an official’s job is, he or she is often biased, insensitive and out to prove expert knowledge of every phase of the game. Sometimes the Official-Coach goes beyond showing off and tries to show up the officials. That can never be tolerated.
Bookworm
The Bookworm coach is a close relative of a Rulebook Charlie official. The Bookworm is usually an intelligent coach who studies the rulebook religiously but who often misinterprets the spirit and intent of the rules. That type is often a literal-thinking person who doesn’t understand or appreciate the nuances of the rules. A common argument will be, “Well, that’s not what the rulebook says.”
Silent Coach
The Silent Coach is a brooding, scowling individual who doesn’t like or trust officials. At the pregame meeting or when you introduce yourself, Silent Coaches shuffle their feet, look at the ground and nod or shake their head rather than fully participating in the meeting. They might speak to the opposing coach but avoid any unessential conversation with the officials. Do not let the silent treatment unnerve you and vow to do your best possible job. Also, don’t be fooled. That silent act before the game could be a ploy for a torrent of rage once the action begins.
DID YOU KNOW?
Keeping your chin up — figuratively as well as literally — is important for several reasons. If you bow your head after a call, you will be perceived as thinking you missed it. The best reason for keeping your eyes up, of course, is to see the action. Watch players or the ball as appropriate. You’ll miss a lot staring at the ground or “officiating air,” which means gazing into areas in which there are no players.
Are monetary fines effective in changing unsporting behavior directed at officials at the professional and collegiate levels? Yes: 35% No: 65%
SOURCE:
DID YOU KNOW?
Athletes in the ancient Olympics took an oath upon slices of boar’s flesh that they would not “sin against the Olympic games.” Those who gave the athletes physicals promised to “decide fairly and without taking bribes,” and to “keep secret what they learn about a candidate, whether accepted or not.” Anyone who violated the rules was fined, with the money going to set up statues of Zeus, the patron god of the Games at Olympia.
SOURCE: TUFTS UNIVERSITY
THEY SAID IT
“I’m not going to blame a referee for something I feel like I should be able to control. I should get up quicker. If you want to win fights, you just have to do it, regardless of what’s going on.”
— MMA fighter Sara McMann
5 MINUTES WITH JOHN PARRY
Former NFL referee and TV rules analyst describes why he left the field, how he got the ESPN job, the expectations and why his new job may not be his final landing place.
Residence: Tallmadge, Ohio
Age: 58
Experience: NFL official from 2000-18. Began as a side judge, promoted to referee in 2007. Officiated three Super Bowls (XLI, XLVI and LIII) and a Pro Bowl (2015). Post-officiating career: Hired as a rules analyst for ESPN in 2019. Currently an officiating liaison for the Buffalo Bills.
REFEREE: How did the ESPN position became known to you?
PARRY: Jay Rothman, who was the producer at the time, reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in leaving the field.
REFEREE: You were young with potentially many years left on the field. How did that weigh into your decision?
PARRY: I was ready for a different challenge. I’d done the NFL thing for 20 years and three Super Bowls, so I could’ve gone another 10 to 15 years I suppose. There is a shelf life, in my opinion. I had given the NFL everything I had, and nothing left to prove, so the chance to do something completely opposite of who I am personally, big challenge, so that’s why I made that decision.
REFEREE: They didn’t give you any direction such as, “We want you to be controversial”?
PARRY: No. If that would’ve been the job description I would’ve never taken the job. The role is very specific. What is the rule and what is your opinion? That’s it.
The rules analysts, the five of them that are doing it today, you can’t be wrong. There would be no reason to have that position if and when they’re wrong, in my view. That’s my opinion.
REFEREE: Do you miss officiating?
PARRY: No. I miss the preparation, the challenge of six days of breaking down film and being prepared for two teams. But I don’t miss the game, the three hours. I miss the guys that I worked with, and I’ll never get that back. Those are special people.
REFEREE: Did your relationships with officials change based on what you were doing for ESPN?
PARRY: I don’t think so. They know the role. There’s times maybe you’re highlighting a mistake, but they recognize and respect that’s what the role is. My best friends have always been and always will be current and former football officials.
REFEREE: You’re now working for the Buffalo Bills as a consultant. Had the ESPN job run its course, or were you ready to return?
Officiating Mind Health Timeouts
By Bob Delaney
Every journey starts with a plan — a road map — to help better navigate the way.
NASO opened the door for this conversation at the 2024 Summit in Atlanta. My presentation titled “Resiliency in Officiating” offered thoughts on leadership, stress management, trauma awareness, selfcare and resilience.
I have been sharing this mind health message for the past four decades with those who serve — military, law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, nurses and healthcare workers. It expanded to athletes/ sport teams and yes, the officiating community during my years as the NBA director of officials and currently with the Southeastern Conference officiating consortiums.
There are many common threads and one being they all wear uniforms. When uniforms go on, another persona comes out. A persona that does not have the luxury of showing emotions. Compartmentalizing takes place — the pushing down of feelings and emotions that at times may create stress. I refer to this as operational stress.
REFEREE: Before you took the job did you confer with Jeff Triplette, who had the ESPN job before you, or any of the other analysts at other networks?
PARRY: I was always looking for other opportunities. I preach to my kids, “Always have a parallel course.” When I was doing the ESPN stuff there were teams that did call and ask for some thoughts about consulting. I think I’ve always had my hand in multiple things. Kind of the last chapter to maybe leave the ESPN role and now that I’m working for the Buffalo Bills, maybe this is it, I’ve done everything that I can do in the officiating world, I don’t know. Maybe something else will present itself.
I offer this formula as a backdrop for Officiating Mind Health Timeout conversations.
Let’s break down the elements to the formula:
PARRY: I did not reach out to anybody. It was a personal decision, family decision.
REFEREE: Were you given carte blanche to speak when you felt the need to interject?
PARRY: If I wanted to speak, I spoke.
REFEREE: Did you feel your expertise and your opinions were valued by the announcers?
PARRY: Oh yes, absolutely.
REFEREE: Were you expected to be right all the time?
PARRY: You can’t be wrong.
Experience comes in life and if you share yours with me, I learn from you. If I share mine, you learn from me. Experimental learning is a major part of our educational foundation. At times, we are given the test without knowing the material because experiences come as a result of hard knocks.
Intellectual readiness is the studying of a subject, formal education. This is given to us as elementary, middle and high school students. It continues in life on multiple pathways
— from institutions of higher learning to the study of a particular skill based on a career path or passion. Now the first two parts of the formula are not that difficult from my view — both are given to us. While I agree that we are products of our environments, as we mature, we are also products of our choices.
Reflection is the most difficult segment of the formula. We are not taught how to reflect. We are not a reflective society, we are doers.
Imagine you are at work, seated with feet on the desk looking out the window and your boss comes by and asks, “What are you doing?” You answer, “Oh, I am reflecting.” I’m not
sure that is going to be a welcome response. The expectation is to be productive, active and accomplishing goals.
However, I do know that if we do all three — take experiential and formal education learning, add in reflection and mix in a blender — we will have development in the form of personal and professional growth. Please keep that formula in mind when we refer to Mind Health Timeouts.
Words matter as we normalize this conversation and my belief is that mental health conjures up a mind’s eye image of mental illness and the reason, I offer Mind Health
and Operational Stress descriptions. Officials do not have the luxury for reflection while in the midst of competition. True reflection takes place in a safe and trusting environment that allows for deeper understanding, positive change and even healing.
It is an honor to be on this Mind Health Timeout journey with you all. Stay healthy, stay safe, take care of each other and take care of you, too.
Former NBA referee Bob Delaney is an author, speaker and internationally respected authority on trauma and selfcare. He is the CEO and president of Delaney Consultants in Atlanta.
Are These Qualities in You?
By the Referee editors
If you were to identify the qualities that all successful officials share, what would they be? Certainly great rules knowledge, solid mechanics and good play calling ability would top the list. But what traits may be even more important?
Here are some qualities that top supervisors and officials look for when seeking quality officials.
Calm Demeanor
Having a calming influence may sound like an odd job description for a sports official. You need to have an inner calm yourself to project that onto the game. If you remain calm, your partners pick up on that. Your presence also affects the participants.
The nature of sports is frequently emotional, and the ability to keep your calm ensures the game is maintained under control. With coaches, given the potential volatility in contests, your ability to remain calm ensures a better relationship with them when you need it to resolve tense situations.
Approachability
Think about those times when you are happy to see your partner. Part of that is because he or she is approachable — you want to interact
with that person. Rather than having to promote themselves, people want to come to them — they attract others because of who they are, their personalities, how they handle themselves during contests.
Appearance
This goes beyond the sharplooking uniform and physical fitness. Body language during a contest is crucial. Non-verbal communication — things like the thumbs up sign, a nod of the head, a smile at the appropriate time — lets everyone know you’ve got things under control.
Bad communication can cause more problems than anything else, and you don’t want that.
Confidence
It can be as simple as officials having confidence in their partners to take care of their respective areas and not straying into others. You have to implicitly trust those other people — physically, mentally and emotionally.
There are likely other aspects you can think of. But it would be hard to argue that mastering the four noted above would elevate your career.
Anticipation
If you handle a big play correctly, coaches and officials will remember
you. The ability to handle situations is another important factor that sets apart the special official — the one everyone wants to hire or work with. Being in position for the unknown is crucial. While being a former player isn’t a requirement to be a top-flight official, those who have played the game and then become officials have that ability. They know what the offense and defense will do and anticipate what could be missed and what might happen next. They are ready to react when the unexpected happens. For the most part, officials who can’t handle the routine probably won’t be able to handle the unusual, either.
Courage
Speaking up when you know a fellow official is wrong takes fortitude. Don’t “tell” your partner something. Ask questions instead. Help bail out your fellow official. When you help save your partner, you’re preventing future mistakes.
Admitting your own blunders isn’t easy or fun, but it’s part of the growing process.
If you sense a problem, have the courage to seek out partners who might have information that could save the day. The mantra is, “What’s right, not who’s right.”
FOR THE RECORD
AWARDS, ROSTERS, NOTABLES
POSTSEASON ASSIGNMENTS
YOUTH
• Listed are umpires who worked the Little League International championship events in July and August.
Little League Baseball World Series: Victor Andino-Texidor, Carolina, Puerto Rico; Tiesh Diaz-Cruz, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico; Andrew Downs, North Sydney, Nova Scotia; Jason Field, Rocklin, Calif.; Jared Grissinger, Palmyra, Pa.; Zachary Gump, Enola, Pa.; Steven Lewis, Tampa, Fla.; Todd Marr, Arlington, Texas; Mario Martinez, Albuquerque, N.M.; Jessie Munar, Laoag City, Philippines; David Noegel, Orlando, Fla.; George Rodriguez, Eastvale, Calif.; DJ Rose, McCordsville, Ind.; Aaron Shrier, Woodland Hills, Calif.; Eddie Smith, Winter Garden, Fla.; Rik van der Keer, Rijswijk, Netherlands.
Intermediate (50/70) Baseball World Series: Harold Brannen, Marietta, Ga.; Matthew Glunt, Fredericksburg, Va.; Mark Harvey, Lexington, Ky.; Mike Kilroy, Macedonia, Ohio; Bill Kosmas, Anacortes, Wash.; Denis Labonte, St-Basilele-Grand, Quebec; Richard Ladnier, Sugar Land, Texas; Bobby Marshall, Missouri City, Texas; Giovanni Martina, Willemstad, Curaçao; Michael Natividad, Tarlac City, Philippines; Keith O’Brien, Holbrook, Mass.; Brian Riley, Davis, Calif.; Stefan Rohrbeck, March, Germany; Darren Zlasney, Flanders, N.J.
Junior League Baseball World Series: Giovanni Alvarez, Bridgeport, Conn.; Tony Bogart, Brea, Calif.; Jose Callado, Cotabato City, Philippines; Chris Ekstrom, Davenport, Iowa; Christopher Kerley, Purcellville,
Va.; David Kramer, Bend, Ore.; Tyler Malaka, Lethbridge, Alberta; Julio Molina-Alvarado, Panama City; Oscar Munoz, Richmond, Texas; Jon Oakley, Sun Prairie, Wis.; Stephen Reynolds, Jayton, Texas; Vito Ruggiero, Dunmore, Pa.; Karl Wacker, Ormond Beach, Fla.
Senior League Baseball World Series: Edwin CancelGarcia, Barceloneta, Puerto Rico; Zach Eagly, Midland, Mich.; Jon Gross, Gilbert, Ariz.; David Lewis, Irvine, Calif.; Noel Matalobos, General Santos City, Philippines; Christopher Mixon, Kathleen, Ga.; Richard Morin, Embrun, Ontario; Darrin Muller, Windsor, England; Jeffery Quillin, Floresville, Texas; Christopher Reynolds, Titusville, Fla.; Mark Rulli, Hingham, Mass.; Phillip Sapien, Bernalillo, N.M.; Boyd Stevens, Portsmouth, N.H.; Greg Wright, Indianapolis.
Little League Softball World Series: Dan Anzini, Cameron Park, Calif.; Rodito Badian, Silay City, Philippines; Tiesh Diaz-Cruz, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico; Brett Joiner, Buna, Texas; Christopher Lewis, Woolwich Township, N.J.; Brad Parker, Gresham, Ore.; Mark Pigg, Arvada, Colo.; Patrick Reed, Luray, Va.; Jeffrey Ross, Rye, N.H.; Kevin Southall, South Point, Ohio; Scott Strache, Chicago Ridge, Ill.; Anthony Thornton, Hobe Sound, Fla.; Wout van der Horst, Wormer, Netherlands; Dominic Wright, Tampa, Fla.
Junior League Softball World Series: Robert Anderson, Davenport, Fla.; Jason Becker, Mukilteo, Wash.; Charles Carpenter, Austin, Texas; Mark Dieringer, Port Lavaca, Texas; Pat Fletcher, Victoria, British Columbia; Jennifer McLeod, Spring Hill, Fla.; Rein Merkx, Rosmalen, Netherlands; Darryl Nobles, Lostine, Ore.; Alex Ordanza, La Union, Philippines;
Scott Rakowski, Lebanon, Ind.; Mark Saurer, Louisville, Ky.; Julius Trimbach, Oaklyn, N.J.; Heath Warren, Port Deposit, Md.
Senior League Softball World Series: James Bailey, Gainesville, Va.; David Baker, Plains, Pa.; Gareth Gilson, Langford, British Columbia; James Gleason, Sparta, Mich.; David Hildebrand, Albuquerque, N.M.; Lloyd Jackson, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Benito Pena, San Antonio; Johnson Pambid, Isabela, Philippines; James Rose, Martinez, Calif.; Stephen Roth, Yorktown, Va.; George Spragens, Lebanon, Ky.; Jay Sullivan, Wethersfield, Conn.; Emmitt Tucker, Clinton, Mont.
AWARDS & HONORS
• The 2024 inductees into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame are Jim Molitor, baseball, football, track, basketball, soccer; Joe Nelson, baseball, basketball, football; and Chris Oberbroeckling, baseball, basketball.
• The Montana Officials Association Hall of Fame welcomed its 2024 class in June: high school and college basketball official Mike Anderson, Butte; high school and college wrestling official Dan Boucher, Havre; high school basketball and football official Frank Costello, Billings; and high school football and volleyball official Cal Wirtzberger, Havre.
• Minnesota State High School League softball regional coordinator Bob Crowe was honored with the Jimmy Lee Award at the St. Paul Saints game Aug. 20. The Jimmy Lee Awards, presented by the Saints and St. Paul College, have honored local baseball and softball umpires since 2022. Jimmy Lee officiated football and basketball and umpired baseball in the Twin Cities and was the first Black baseball umpire in the Big Ten.
OBITUARIES
• Larry Glass, 93, of Youngstown, Ohio, died Aug. 16. An NCAA Division I football official, Glass’ assignments included the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl and 1990 Peach Bowl. He later served as supervisor of officials for the Ohio Athletic Conference. He was involved with Curbstone Coaches, a local organization dedicated to recognizing athletes in the Mahoning Valley area, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1993.
• Rich Alsberry, 73, of Monroeville, Pa., died Aug. 24. Alsberry officiated basketball for 47 years, refereeing over 10,000 games at the youth, high school and collegiate levels around the tri-state (Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia) area. During his high school officiating career with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, he refereed three state and 10 City League championship games. On the collegiate side, he worked three NCAA regional tournaments, four President’s Athletic Conference championship games and three Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championship games.
• Robert (Bobby) Renteria, 62, of San Antonio, died Aug. 27. Renteria was a longtime softball and baseball umpire in the San Antonio area.
• James Robinson, 75, of Kokomo, Ind., died Aug. 31. Robinson was a 30-year official and worked three state championships across baseball, basketball and football. He received numerous honors throughout his career, including induction into the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Howard County (Ind.) Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. In 2020, Robinson was part of the first all-AfricanAmerican crew to officiate a Power 5 football game during a matchup between Michigan and Minnesota. Robinson most recently served as a replay communicator for the Big Ten Conference.
Do you have any rosters, assignments or awards that warrant mention?
Send info to us at ForTheRecord@referee.com
ROSTERS
NHL
The 2024-25 NHL officiating roster, with each official’s uniform number, name, birthplace and year of NHL debut (“N/A” indicates they have yet to work an NHL game).
Referees
2 Jon McIsaac Truro, Nova Scotia, 2013
3 Chris Schlenker Medicine Hat, Alberta, 2016
4 Wes McCauley Georgetown, Ontario, 2003
5 Chris Rooney Boston, 2000
6 Francis Charron Ottawa, Ontario, 2010
7 Garrett Rank Elmira, Ontario, 2015
8 Francois St-Laurent Greenfield Park, Quebec, 2005
9 Dan O’Rourke Calgary, Alberta, 1999
10 Kyle Rehman Red Deer, Alberta, 2008
11 Kelly Sutherland Richmond, British Columbia, 2000
13 Furman South Sewickley, Pa., 2017
14 Trevor Hanson Richmond, British Columbia, 2013
15 Jean Hebert Bouctouche, New Brunswick, 2011
16 Brian Pochmara Detroit, 2005
17 Frederick L’Ecuyer St-Tite, Quebec, 2007
18 Tom Chmielewski Scott Air Force Base, Ill., 2014
19 Gord Dwyer Sackville, Nova Scotia, 2005
20 Mitch Dunning Tecumseh, Ontario, 2019
21 TJ Luxmore Timmins, Ontario, 2013
22 Ghislain Hebert Bathurst, New Brunswick, 2009
23 Corey Syvret Millgrove, Ontario, 2018
24 Graham Skilliter La Ronge, Saskatchewan, 2013
26 Jake Brenk Detroit Lakes, Minn., 2015
27 Eric Furlatt Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, 2001
28 Chris Lee St. John, New Brunswick, 2001
29 Carter Sandlak Vancouver, British Columbia, 2022
30 Kendrick Nicholson Milverton, Ontario, 2015
31 Michael Markovic Scarborough, Ontario, 2019
32 Cody Beach Nanaimo, British Columbia, 2022
34 Brandon Schrader Sanborn, N.Y., 2019
36 Justin Kea Woodville, Ontario, 2022
37 Pierre Lambert St-Hubert, Quebec, 2016
38 Peter MacDougall Regina, Saskatchewan, 2017
39 Brandon Blandina Colorado Springs, Colo., 2019
40 Steve Kozari Penticton, British Columbia, 2005
Linespersons
50 Scott Cherrey Drayton, Ontario, 2007
51 Andrew Smith Kitchener, Ontario, 2017
52 Shandor Alphonso Orangeville, Ontario, 2014
53 Bevan Mills Surrey, British Columbia, 2016
55 Kyle Flemington Parkhill, Ontario, 2019
56 Julien Fournier Gatineau, Quebec, 2019
58 Ryan Gibbons Vancouver, British Columbia, 2015
59 Steve Barton Vankleek Hill, Ontario, 2000
60 Libor Suchanek Stod, Czech Republic, 2017
61 James Tobias Buffalo, N.Y., 2017
64 Brandon Gawryletz Trail, British Columbia, 2015
65 Tommy Hughes London, Ontario, 2022
67 Travis Gawryletz Trail, British Columbia, 2017
68 CJ Murray Pittsburgh, 2021
70 Derek Nansen Ottawa, Ontario, 2002
71 Brad Kovachik Woodstock, Ontario, 1996
74 Trent Knorr
Powell River, British Columbia, 2013
76 Michael Cormier Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, 2003
77 Caleb Apperson Kitchener, Ontario, 2021
79 Kiel Murchison Cloverdale, British Columbia, 2013
80 Jonathan Deschamps Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, 2021
81 Ryan Daisy Mansfield, Mass., 2016
83 Matt MacPherson Antigonish, Nova Scotia, 2011
86 Jesse Marquis Bouctouche, New Brunswick, 2018
87 Devin Berg Gadshill, Ontario, 2015
88 Tyson Baker St. Mary’s, Ontario, 2018
89 Joe Mahon Calgary, Alberta, 2022
90 Travis Toomey Leduc, Alberta, 2019
91 Ben O’Quinn Woodstock, Ontario, 2021
92 Mark Schewchyk Hamilton, Ontario, 2003
93 Kilian McNamara Lake Worth, Fla., 2021
94 Bryan Pancich Great Falls, Mont., 2009
95 Jonny Murray Beauport, Quebec, 2000
96 David Brisebois Sudbury, Ontario, 2000
98 Dan Kelly Morrisonville, N.Y., 2021
Minor League Referees
41 Graedy Hamilton Duncan, British Columbia, 2024
42 Jordan Samuels-Thomas West Hartford, Conn., 2022
43 Morgan MacPhee Elmira, Ontario, 2023
44 Alex Lepkowski Buffalo, N.Y., N/A
45 Liam Maaskant Clinton, Ontario, N/A
46 Stephen Hiff Cambridge, Ontario, 2024
47 Mike Sullivan Toronto, 2024
48 Beau Halkidis London, Ontario, 2019
49 Riley Brace Fitzroy Harbor, Ontario, 2024
Minor League Linespersons
57 Justin Johnson Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2021
62 Mitch Hunt Naperville, Ill., 2021
75 Brandon Grillo Canton, Mich., 2023
84 Ryan Jackson Pointe-Claire, Quebec, 2022
LAW ISSUES AFFECTING OFFICIALS
Deal With Discipline
By Alan Goldberger
For many officials associations, the typical narrative that accompanies disciplinary measures against a member of the flock goes something like this: Association officer on the phone: “Ted, we got a letter that you were an hour late for last Friday’s game at Anytown. And you triple-booked three games last week, picked one and sent rookie officials in your place to the other games. You’re suspended!”
What’s wrong with this picture? Out of the gate, misguided association officers often tell an official: “We got a complaint that you did this and such. You are suspended! Bang! And if you want, you can appeal to the executive committee.”
Well-managed associations take the legal obligations and the legal rights of their officials seriously.
Leaders of officials associations sometimes do not recognize that sanctioning an official for misconduct should only come after the association has heard both sides of the story. In other words, in fairness, an official who is accused of violating the bylaws ought to have an opportunity to refute the charges that have been levied. An accusation is not the equivalent of a finding, after investigation and hearing both sides of the issue.
Well-managed associations take the legal obligations and the legal rights of their officials seriously by having a procedure for disciplinary business in the bylaws. Before a member is suspended or expelled, the official accused of sanctionable conduct that violates the association’s bylaws or other regulations is provided with a written notice of the charges, and a hearing for the accused member in the presence of his or her accusers is strongly advised before taking actions to suspend or penalize a member.
The following are some questions to ask and steps to take if you
find yourself the guest of honor in association disciplinary proceedings.
1. When you are first notified of existing or threatened disciplinary charges, take careful notes — the day and time of the first and future conversations about the issue; place of conversation and the identity of the person who contacted you.
2. Get it in writing. Ask to review the allegations or charges in written form. If what you receive contains references to other writings, games, confrontations or incidents, request in writing copies of all correspondence and reports regarding your alleged actions or statements.
3. Do not respond to a conversation, phone call or an email in writing unless and until you have seen any written reports or other documents that are being used to substantiate the charges against you.
4. Read your association constitution and bylaws from top to bottom. Read all memos, emails, texts or advisories received from your association that outline any mandatory directives or prohibited activities.
5. Request the name and address of the person who has asserted the charges.
6. Once you receive papers, you will need to determine if you have already been disciplined or sanctioned by the association, or if there will be some sort of proceeding scheduled that will give you an opportunity to be heard on the charges.
7. If the charge originates from someone outside of the association, attempt to secure the identity of the source and as many details as possible.
8. If there is to be a meeting or hearing or other opportunities for response, determine if you have sufficient time to prepare and whether or not you are invited to respond in writing. If you are the “accused” official, the optimum course of action, particularly when facing serious and costly consequences, is to engage counsel.
Alan Goldberger is an official and attorney from Fairfield, N.J. This column is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
Independent Contractor Discipline
For the official accused of bad conduct, a label of independent contractor can be both a sword and a shield. Why does it matter? In legal circles, independent contractor is a two-headed calf. The “independent” part is easy enough. But where does the “contractor” part come in? Officials who qualify for membership in an officials association have some contractual responsibilities with their association, and the association has some contractual responsibilities with their member officials.
Where’s the contract? Good question! Generally, contracts are documented in associations by the expression of the agreement of association with the official to follow the association’s internal rules, known as bylaws or constitutions. The contract is created when the official becomes a member. Eligibility for game assignments is often the primary driving force behind joining an officials association. That eligibility is often “earned” in part by the officials’ tacit agreement to abide by the association’s rules and regulations. In exchange, the association adds to its roster and it’s let the games begin — with the rules of the proverbial game spelled out in the bylaws and constitution.
Too often, issues are handled informally, with little regard to the legal rights and responsibilities of both sides. When issues are raised, some go unaddressed — or are adjudicated by association officers using a variety of techniques, some of which may cause legal complications for those involved.
Employee Discipline
In contrast to officials who are independent contractors, officials who are employees of an organization will sometimes find their employment is governed by a written agreement, an oral agreement or no agreement at all. Employees’ rights regarding their employers are dependent on a number of variables, the most significant of which is the law of the state where the parties reside or do business.
SOURCE: SPORTS LAW EXPERT ALAN GOLDBERGER
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QUIZ ANSWERS
BASKETBALL
1 — NFHS – d (4-22); NCAAM/W – c (9-15.3.a)
2 — NFHS - d (4-14-1); NCAAM – c (4-14.2.b, 10-3 Ejection); NCAAW – e (4-13.2.b, 4-13.2.c, 4-13.2.d)
3 — NFHS, NCAAW – c (NFHS 6-4-5, 9-2-2; NCAAW 6-3.2, 6-3.7, 9-4.1.e); NCAAM – a, c (6-3.2, 6-3.7, 9-4.1.e, A.R. 6-6)
4 — All – b (NFHS 7-6-5; NCAAM/W 7-6.9.d)
5 — NFHS – e (2-14, 5-9-4, 9-8, Shot Clock Guidelines – Officials General Duties 1 and Operator 5.a); NCAAM/W – d (5-10.2.a, 5-10.3.a, 9-10)
BASEBALL
1 — All – c (NFHS 2-9-1; NCAA 2-16; pro Catch Definition)
2 — NFHS – b (2-36-3); NCAA, pro – d (NCAA 5-5j; pro 5.10d)
3 — NFHS – c (2-36-2, 3-1-1, 3.1.1E, 3.1.1N); NCAA, pro – e (NCAA 5-5g; pro 5.10j)
4 — All – b (NFHS 5-1-3; NCAA 8-2b; pro MLB Umpire Manual)
FOOTBALL
1 — Both – b (NFHS 8-3-6b, 10-4-2d; NCAA 8-3-3b, 10-2-2c-
3, 10-2-2d-1)
2 — NFHS – c (9-4-3h, 8-3-5); NCAA – a (9-1-8)
3 — NFHS – a (6-1-3b); NCAA –b (6-1-2b)
4 — NFHS – d (2-32-8, 9-4-3b); NCAA – b (9-1-12b, 9-1-16a-4)
SOCCER
1 — All – c (NFHS 1-2-6; NCAA
1.3.1; IFAB 1.2)
2 — NFHS, NCAA – a (NFHS 2-1-1; NCAA 2.2); IFAB – b (2.1)
3 — All – c (NFHS 13-3-1c; NCAA 13.2.3; IFAB 13.3)
4 — All – a (NFHS 11-1-4; NCAA 11.2.1.3; IFAB 11.2)
SOFTBALL
1 — All – c (NFHS 7-1-2 Pen. 3 and Eff.; NCAA 11.9 Eff., App. B; USA Softball 7-2D-3 Eff. 3; USSSA 9-10D)
2 — All – c (NFHS 6-2-5; NCAA 10.19.3; USA Softball 6A-9; USSSA 6-1L)
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DECEMBER
FLASHBACK
40 YEARS AGO … 1984
• The NBA adds Bernie Fryer and Ronnie Nunn to its officiating roster prior to the 1984-85 season. Fryer, who had officiated in the NBA from 1978-80 before being fired when it returned to a two-official system, would go on to referee in the league until 2007 while Nunn officiated in the NBA through 2003.
3 — All – b (NFHS 8-4-3i Pen.; NCAA 12.12.8.4 Eff.; USA Softball 8-5K Eff.; USSSA 8-14C-5)
4 — NFHS, USA Softball, USSSA – a (NFHS 1-7-3; USA Softball 3-5C; USSSA 2-2); NCAA – b (3.7.2)
5 — All – b (NFHS 8-2-12; NCAA 6.9.4 and Exc.; USA Softball 8-2O; USSSA 8-14E-1 Exc.)
VOLLEYBALL
1 — All – a (NFHS 9-5-4; NCAA 14.5.4.1; USAV 13.2.3)
2 — NFHS, USAV – b (NFHS 7-1-2a; USAV 7.3.2); NCAA – a (10.1.1.1)
3 — NFHS – a (7-1-4); NCAA, USAV – c (NCAA 10.1.1.1; USAV 7.3.2)
4 — All – a (NFHS 8-2-1; NCAA 10.2.2, 10.3.1; USAV 12)
5 — All – b (NFHS Manual p. 83; NCAA PAVO Manual p. 49; USAV Referee Techniques 4b)
30 YEARS AGO … 1994
• The NFL and Professional Football Referees Association agree to a seven-year contract, eliminating the possibility of an officials’ strike to start the 1994-95 season. In addition to the average official receiving a 54% pay raise, major improvements were made in pension benefits, severance pay and other areas.
20 YEARS AGO …
2004
• An arbitrator rules former NHL referee Mark Faucette and linesman Darren Gibbs, who were fired during the 2003 offseason, were wrongfully terminated and should either be reinstated or receive compensation from the league. Gibbs was reinstated and went on to officiate in the league until 2020.
10 YEARS AGO …
2014
• Longtime NCAA Division I men’s basketball official Jim Stupin, 71, dies after an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Stupin — who worked in the Pac-10 (now Pac-12), Big West, Western Athletic and West Coast conferences — officiated numerous NCAA tournaments, including two Final Fours.
Not a Thankless Job
“It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.”
–
Fred Rogers
It was the last softball game of the season — middle school teams from two small schools playing on a warm spring day. The field was prepared and beautifully marked — better than some high school fields. At the plate meeting, the coaches and I reviewed the rules. These schools play using the rule there will be no new inning after 90 minutes. Each half-inning is capped at five runs with no provision for an “open inning” of any sort. Winning is less important than playing.
on each team, seventh- and eighthgraders, maybe some younger ones). Substitutions are open (everyone will play). I end by telling the coaches if anything unusual happens, they should come out and talk to me.
Parents and grandparents surround the baselines. They bring their own chairs, children and some dogs. The bleachers hold about a dozen people, one of whom is keeping score (there is no scoreboard). There is no yelling at the umpire. A close play that might elicit a “terrible call” shout in a youth baseball game doesn’t happen here.
Our association does its best to cover these games, often with less-experienced umpires. Well, one umpire. We have lots of middle schools. There are no playoffs, no trophies. Just kids playing. These are difficult games to officiate. It is hard to know where the strike zone should be. Players start out afraid of the ball. Batters swing late or at balls over their heads (just like in Major League Baseball!). Hitting the ball and running are new experiences. Bats get thrown wildly. Fielded balls may be thrown in unusual directions. Umpires need tact and vigilance (keep your eye on the ball, glance at the runners).
not many runners at third base, and only one five-run half-inning. After that, it was game on — a run here and there, a great catch by the left fielder, a failed tag-up and appeal play and some balls thrown out of play (always confusing to players).
The fourth inning ended after an hour and 25 minutes. This is where things get tricky — an inning can last a long time. Is the game over or not? I said to the coaches, “Your rule says no new inning will start after an hour and a half. We are here to teach girls how to play softball. Play on.”
The visiting team was ahead, but the home team got them out after only four batters. The fourth pitcher for the visitors had trouble. She would not have pitched had the game been over. The home team loaded the bases on a couple of walks and a hit, scored a couple of runs and then the defense recorded three outs — one when a batter stepped in front of the plate, well out of the batter’s box and bunted the ball. I called her out. She would come back to see me later.
Then each member of the home team lined up to thank me and shake my hand.
Sometimes coaches want to play without all the rules, especially early in the season: no dropped third strike, infield fly (they roll their eyes) or “stealing” of home on a passed ball. Later in the season, they want to use almost all the rules. We have mercy rules along with the time limit. We talk about out-of-play lines along fences from the dugouts. All the players will bat (13 or 14 girls
There may not be crying in baseball, but middle school softball is another story. “Soft” does not describe the feeling of getting hit with the ball, even though there are no 60-mile-per-hour pitches in these middle school games. Earlier in the season on this field, a batter was hit by a pitch. She could not go on to first base. She just couldn’t. In a brief conversation with coaches, we decided to skip her (no substitute). She came back to play later. This is not in the rulebook. Next batter. Today would be different. The season progressed. Pitchers had learned to throw the ball over the plate. Hitters swung the bat, fielders fielded and outfielders caught fly balls. There were passed balls, but
Game over — about an hour and 40 minutes. I put the softballs in the home-team dugout and checked the score (we report scores in Arbiter — it is how we get paid). The home team lost, 12-11. But the game wasn’t quite over. Thanks came from the coaches. Then each member of the home team lined up to thank me and shake my hand. The first player in line was the bunter I had called out a few minutes before. Then all the others lined up after her. This is the way they do it, every game.
On the way to my car, some parents and grandparents from both teams said thanks, and one stopped me and said, “Thanks for letting them play that last inning.”
What did I learn? It’s not always a thankless job. Someday, all of us will have our last game, too. Dick Pratt officiates high school softball and volleyball in Richland, Wash.
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IT’S OFFICIAL
december 2024
New Hampshire Becomes 23rd State to Pass Officials Protection
In July, New Hampshire became the 23rd state to pass legislation aimed at protecting sports officials from assault or harassment. Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law legislation aimed at protecting umpires and referees from attacks as Senate Bill 327 goes into effect on Jan. 1.
“It is encouraging to see the progress made in terms of protecting sports officials through these legislative efforts,” said NASO President Bill Topp. “We still have work to do in some states to get everyone on board, but with New Hampshire now on board, it shows the importance of having this type of legislation on the books to protect all officials.”
The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Lou D’Allesandro (D-Manchester), who has been involved in athletics most of his life and has seen the chaos and vitriol in society in general and how that behavior has encroached upon sports.
“I’m a coach, a football and baseball coach, and I have been an educator most of my life,” D’Allesandro said. “I go to games all the time and see the growth of nastiness at sporting events, fans yelling and screaming and going after officials. And we see the inability to get officials because of this. … There have
been a series of events in New Hampshire that really warranted this piece of legislature, and I was contacted to put this in.”
The bill was spearheaded by several officiating associations in New Hampshire, but mainly by the New Hampshire Baseball Umpires Association and the New Hampshire Soccer Officials
“This bill is a modest proposal to Address the issue and provide a measure of protection for sports officials in New Hampshire.”
– Umpire Kevin Flynn
Association (NHSOA). Key proponents included Kevin Flynn, a longtime baseball umpire in the state who brought the issue to the attention of elected representatives, and Stu Dedopoulos, a New Hampshire attorney for nearly 50 years and a 53-year basketball and 27-year soccer official.
“This bill is a modest proposal to address the issue and provide a measure of protection for sports officials in New Hampshire,” Flynn said. “It’s mere presence on
the books sends a message. If the game is not safe for officials, it is not safe for children.”
Dedopolous, who has written articles for Referee magazine and is very familiar with officiating law, believed the legislation was necessary to allow judges to prohibit someone from entering an athletic contest after an assault or threat of assault to an official. There was nothing on the books prior to this piece of legislation that allowed for that punishment. The law prior allowed perpetrators to be charged criminally, but the penalty of banishment from games was not. Dedopoulous spoke on behalf of NHSOA president Bill Aubin and NHSOA supervisor Dennis Ordway.
“This is a message the schools have to send to the parents at the start of the season,” Dedopolous said. “I’ve done this for 53 years and I think it’s getting worse and worse, and I think it’s a reflection of what society is. The more people know about this, the better chance we have of doing something for the problem. It’s certainly not going to cure it, but it’s a step.”
The one key thing both NASO and D’Allesandro hope this bill, and other legislative efforts in other states, will do is assist associations in recruiting
IT’S OFFICIAL - december 2024
and retaining sports officials to help curb the national shortage.
“If you want to have civility and you want these things conducted properly and you desire people to become officials, you’ve got to put something in place that says you will not be in harm’s way if you accept a position like this,” D’Allesandro said. “We want people to know there’s a concern for peoples’ abhorrent behavior and it cannot be tolerated. We’re getting into a situation where no one wants to be an official. No one wants to be harassed and put your life on the line in some instances. You can’t have games because you can’t find officials. It’s happening at a very fast pace and we’ve got to do something about it.”
Editor: Julie Sternberg
Sports Editor: Brent Killackey
Graphic Designer: Dustin Brown
Contributors: Don Collins, George Demetriou, Alan Goldberger, Joe Jarosz, Patrick Rosenow, Tim Sloan, Brad Star, Jeffrey Stern, Brad Tittrington, Scott Tittrington, Bill Topp
NASO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lisa Jones, Salt Lake City, Chair
Ron Torbert, Hanover, Md., Vice Chair
Bill Topp, Racine, Wis., President
Dana Pappas, Lebanon, Ind., Secretary
Mark Uyl, DeWitt, Mich., Treasurer
*Ron Foxcroft, Hamilton, Ontario, Special Adviser
*Barry Mano, Racine, Wis., Special Adviser
Dean Blandino, Santa Monica, Calif.
Paul LaRosa, Hendersonville, N.C.
Jason Nickleby, Lake Elmo, Minn.
Sandra Serafini, Yachats, Ore.
Rob Wigod, Los Alamitos, Calif.
Gary Zielinski, South Jordan, Utah
*Non-voting members
NASO MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of NASO is to:
• Serve members by providing benefits and services.
• Improve officiating performance through educational programs.
• Advocate opportunities for officials and engage in programs to recruit and retain officials.
• Create alliances with organizations that benefit from healthy officiating programs.
American Specialty Insurance (ASI), the insurance provider for NASO members, is in the midst of a transition in leadership which began July 1.
ASI Leadership Transition
Board of Directors, we thank Drew and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”
Drew Smith, outgoing ASI president who accepted the Mel Narol Medallion for service to NASO on behalf of the ASI in 2017, is transitioning leadership of the organization to Spencer Batt, who served most recently as executive vice president and chief marketing officer and now will be president. Smith will remain with the organization through the end of the 2024 calendar year.
Jina Doyle, ASI executive vice president of client services, will remain NASO’s primary contact regarding claims, rates, the Membership Information and Consultation Program (MICP), communication with the NASO Board of Directors, and more. “We look forward to continuing our robust partnership with American Specialty Insurance under Spencer Batt’s leadership,” NASO President Bill Topp said. “Jina Doyle will continue to be a great asset to NASO and has many years of experience working closely with us. Drew Smith has been among the best executives with whom we have ever dealt. He has been a true partner in fulfilling NASO’s mission. On behalf of our members and our
NASO’s General Liability Insurance Protection is one of the hallmark programs of membership and an important part of its 45-year history.
NASO currently provides members up to $6 million of general liability insurance coverage per occurrence and a policy aggregate of $14 million for claims of bodily injury and property damage, not possible without the partnership of ASI. Game call coverage, assigners’ insurance and assault protection are among the additional offerings from NASO through arrangements with ASI, who also importantly supports endeavors of NASO in the applicable areas of MICP for NASO members.
“As I move into my new role as president, I am grateful for the contributions Drew Smith has made to American Specialty and am excited to continue providing best-inclass support to our clients throughout the sports, leisure, and entertainment industries,” ASI President Spencer Batt said. “Our relationship with NASO spans 20 years and we are proud of the important work we’ve accomplished together. I look forward to working with the NASO team to continue delivering creative solutions to support their mission and provide insurance protection to member officials for every game, every sport, and every level.”
Batt
Smith
The Officiating Development Alliance (ODA) held one of its two regularly scheduled yearly meetings July 31. The meeting came on the heels of the 2024 NASO Sports Officiating Summit, held July 28-30 in Atlanta.
The ODA is a consortium of officiating leaders representing a broad spectrum of experience that believes there are common principles of effective officiating
“It is always a privilege to get together and share ideas and work on solutions to the problems that we all face in the industry.”
– NASO President Bill Topp
at all levels of sport. The ODA represents many segments of the officiating community and is positioned to influence the overall development of officials.
In attendance for the ODA meeting were NCAA National Coordinator of Women’s Basketball Officials Penny Davis, NCAA National Coordinator of Baseball Umpires George Drouches, General Manager for Professional Referee Organization Mark Geiger, NFHS Director of Officiating Services Dana Pappas, NCAA National Coordinator of Men’s Basketball Officials Chris Rastatter, NASO President and Referee Executive Editor Bill Topp, Michigan High School
ODA Meets in Atlanta
Athletic Association Executive Director Mark Uyl, United States Tennis Association Officiating Department Director Andrew Walker, NHL Vice President of Officiating Operation Don Van Massenhoven, Senior Director of Officiating for the Canadian Football League Darren Hackwood, NIRSA Director of Officials Erik Jaeke, NBA Director of Amateur Officiating Development
Gary Zielinski, MLB Umpire Supervisor Larry Young, W4 Conference Coordinator of Women’s Volleyball Officiating Joan Powell and USA Softball Director of Umpires Kevin Ryan.
“This meeting features many of the top officiating leaders in the world,” Topp said. “It is always a privilege to get together and share ideas and work on solutions to the problems that we all face in the industry.”
Topics covered in the meeting included recruiting and retention, funding, changing traditional pipelines, getting officials ready faster, gambling (policies and prevention), replay and going to the command center approach and updates on attendees’ respective group activities and issues.
“It is always exciting to hear new ideas and collaborate on prospective projects to tackle these issues,” Topp said. “These meetings help springboard our work when we leave here and head back to our respective leagues and associations and it gives us all the energy to impact the industry in so many positive ways.”
The next ODA meeting is scheduled to take place in February of next year.
NASO Calls Out The Farmer’s Dog for Football Referee Ad
Like police officers, school principals and other authority figures, sports officials are often targeted for negative publicity. A primary focus of NASO is to dispel unfair and malicious portrayals of referees and umpires and to shine a light on the strong character and positive accomplishments of the people who officiate sports.
As part of advocating for officials, NASO has reached out to companies for their negative portrayal of officials or for endorsing or normalizing the negative treatment of officials.
In September, NASO took exception to a new ad by The Farmer’s Dog, which first ran at the beginning of the NFL season. It featured game personnel and fans harassing and throwing things at a referee after an
incorrect call. It also showed the referee’s crewmates turning on him in the locker room.
NASO President Bill Topp wrote the following letter on behalf of NASO members and all sports officials, calling out The Farmer’s Dog:
To Your Leadership Team:
Your current TV commercial featuring a football referee left us dismayed.
In a world in which sports officials are vilified, accosted, and even assaulted, your commercial normalizes screaming at officials and throwing things at them. We have a nationwide shortage of sports officials and the number one reason is poor treatment. Marketing exploitation like yours adds to our issues.
The most egregious segment shows his officiating partners
turning on him in the locker room. That is abhorrent and a grossly inaccurate portrayal of our industry. Your efforts confirm that few understand us and what we stand for.
“Beleaguered referee comes home to loving, loyal dog” is a unique and creative concept. But you blew the call. Badly.
On behalf of our more than 30,000 members, we are disappointed you chose to dramatize our plight when you had a chance to uplift sports and show all that is good about sports officiating.
NASO received positive feedback from many for its efforts. NASO will continue to work to dispel unfair portrayals of officials and to shine a light on the character and positive impact of those who officiate
Gary Zielinski
Gary
Zielinski started officiating basketball when he was 11. By the time he was 13, he was already training other officials, and always knew that was something he wanted to continue doing once his oncourt officiating career was over.
In his role as youth and amateur officiating development lead with the NBA Referee Operations Department, Zielinski, one of two new NASO board members who came aboard in July 2024, is doing exactly that. He provides guidance and training regarding playing rules and officiating career opportunities to amateur players, coaches and officials, with a specific focus on youth.
“It doesn’t have to be training just to get to the NBA, it’s trying to make the basketball officiating world better,” Zielinski said of his position. “The NBA looks at it to make basketball officiating better, make the kids realize it’s a fun occupation.”
Those who get to train under Zielinski are learning from an experienced official. In his 18-year oncourt career in the NBA, Zielinski officiated more than 1,000 regularseason games as well as 18 playoff games.
It was a bit of an unconventional path to the NBA for Zielinski in that he never officiated at the high
Meet Your NASO Board Member
school or collegiate levels. As a young referee, he worked mostly youth and recreational league games in the Salt Lake City area where he grew up.
“I worked with high schoolaged kids, but I never worked with a high school association or anything like that, or college basketball,” Zielinski said.
He did umpire baseball at the high school and college levels prior to breaking into the professional basketball ranks, though.
“I played baseball so I umpired baseball,” he said. “I would do some high school baseball and even some college baseball, but mainly, I enjoyed playing baseball and I used refereeing (basketball) to stay in shape for baseball.”
Zielinski’s big break in basketball came at the Coast to Coast Referee School, an officiating camp founded by NBA officials. There, Zielinski met NBA officials Bob Delaney, Ron Garretson and Ed Rush. As he had never worked professional basketball previously, Zielinski was sent home with things to work on, but the second time he attended the camp, he was hired into the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), the NBA’s minor league at the time. He would work seven seasons in the CBA and four seasons in the WNBA before being hired into the NBA.
One of Zielinski’s most memorable NBA calls came during a 2003 game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards — the final matchup between legends
Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Toward the end of the third quarter, Bryant drove toward the basket and knocked the defending Jordan off his feet in the process. Zielinski called an offensive foul on the play and, in the moment, wasn’t sure if the two legends were playing nice or if there was malicious intent. After Jordan got up, he and Bryant hugged, and there was no further incident.
“When Kobe passed away, I got a lot of phone calls about that,” Zielinski said. “As a referee, you have to decide, are they upset at each other, or are they having fun? I remember seeing myself on video. I looked at it and went, ‘Aw, they’re just having a good old time.’”
Zielinski also worked the Golden State Warriors’ recordsetting 73rd win during the 2015-16 season.
“I don’t think that record will ever be broken,” he said.
In his role with NASO, Zielinski hopes to work with the organization to partner with other officiating organizations and service providers to create a better experience for young officials.
“My goal is to combine a lot of these things that are available, so when a kid wants to try officiating, they have these options, instead of them being told, ‘OK, you’re on your own,’” Zielinski said. “I deal with kids that go, ‘Well, I love refereeing, what do I do now?’ I don’t want them to hit a dead end.”
UMPS CARE Honors Pierce With Fundraiser
Jay Pierce counted some of the biggest names in baseball umpiring among his circle of friends. But what really made him tick was having the opportunity to share his umpiring passion with those working at the complete opposite end of the spectrum.
officially launched in October, in no small part due to Pierce’s continuing legacy and spirit.
“I remember he would even go to Little League games and try to help those umpires get better,” said Lindsey Pierce about her late husband, who died in September 2023 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.
So it was no surprise when UMPS CARE Charities, the official charity of Major League Baseball umpires that received the 2020-21 NASO Gold Whistle Award, reached out to the umpiring community in the greater Atlanta area about the possibility of bringing its Official Leadership Program to the Peach State, Pierce — who lived in nearby Monroe, Ga., and in 2022 joined MLB as a supervisor of minor league umpires — was fully on board.
“He wanted to do something to be able to give back. He wanted to support UMPS CARE and find ways to help them,” Lindsey Pierce said. “Him being able to be involved with that program is something he felt very strongly about.”
The UMPS CARE Official Leadership Program is a six-week course that trains teenagers from underresourced communities to become paid umpires and leaders on and off the field. It
At the conclusion of “Officiate Georgia Day,” held July 27 by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) in conjunction with the NASO Sports Officiating Summit, several officiating dignitaries made their way downstairs to Murph’s — a sports bar owned by former Atlanta Braves great Dale Murphy — for a fundraiser in Pierce’s honor.
The goal was to raise $10,000 to help fund the Atlanta Official Leadership Program. It was a mark that proved to be easy to shatter thanks to the generous support of Pierce’s many friends in the umpiring community.
“It was unbelievable. We not only had officials here from Georgia that Jay meant the world to, we had officials from all over the country,” said Michael Bates, the baseball umpire development coordinator for the GHSA who worked alongside Pierce in laying the foundation for the local Official Leadership Program.
“Jay was an umpire’s umpire. He had made the statement one time that he knew he would have a better impact as a teacher than as an umpire.”
Bates and Pierce worked closely with Jennifer Jopling, director of marketing and communications for UMPS CARE, to flesh out the program before Pierce’s passing.
“Me personally, I miss him
“Jay was an umpire’s umpire. He had made the statement one time that he knew he would have a better impact as a teacher than as an umpire.”
– Michael Bates, GHSA baseball umpire development coordiator
every day,” Bates said. “Every time I’m working on something with umpire development I want to pick up the phone and ask him, ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’”
“I’m definitely very proud, just knowing that people care enough to carry on what he was so passionate about,”
Lindsey Pierce said. “I really think it’s very cool that this program offers the opportunity for underserved communities where the youth need something to be passionate about.”
Meaningful Meeting Minutes
By Carl Smith
Every association needs to have meeting minutes, right? What methods should you employ to make sure they’re accurate, informational and most likely historical? Accurate records can really “save your bacon” down the line. So, let’s break it down.
meeting, so the reviewers/ readers don’t have to start over again each time.
1. Have someone elected or assigned to this duty that loves it or is at least passionate about accuracy. Our association has an elected board position of recording secretary. We have had people in this position that were pretty blasé and the inconsistency of their “records” reflect that attitude. If they don’t care, it will be evident pretty quickly.
2. Always capture the basics. Who, why, what, when, where and how (if applicable) have always been the format for record-keeping. Record who or what issue was discussed, why it’s important, where and when it is going to happen, and how to make it happen, etc.
3. Be accurate. More detail is always better than less. When you look back on this information in a week, a month or a year from now, you should be able to recreate what actually happened at that meeting, and what action, if any, developed from it. With that said, be as brief as possible based on the amount of content that was discussed.
4. Be consistent. Use a consistent format to record your meeting minutes. Create a form if you need to for reference. You want to make sure your minutes are similar from meeting to
5. Be timely. Complete your minutes as quickly as possible, accurately, and post them to the appropriate place. If you have a website that’s accessible to the members, post it there. If it’s minutes from a board meeting and it’s not public knowledge due to the content, email it to the board members for their review and feedback.
6. Separate facts from opinion. If you’re the recording secretary for your association, you want the absolute facts in the meeting minutes. What really happened? That’s all that needs to be in the minutes. If you have an opinion about what or who was discussed at the meeting and you think it needs to be passed along to the board, state it as such and leave it separate. Explain your reasoning for the board members to review, but don’t include it in the minutes. Keep it professional, even if it “feels” personal.
7. Be confidential. If you’re recording minutes for a board
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meeting, for example, and it involves disciplinary action of a member, perhaps a sensitive family or legal situation, or even a financial item (contracts, fees), that’s all confidential, and needs to be kept that way. You must have the integrity to record the facts, but not “blab” the facts. Err on the side of caution.
8. Receive constructive criticism well. If a board member or general member reads the minutes and makes a suggestion for improvement of format or content, take it graciously and with a grain of salt. As we all know, everyone has at least a couple opinions, and while many of them may not work, we need to at least attempt to give people their say. As a board member, you are working for the members, all of them.
Meeting minutes for any association are crucial. What you put into them is also what you’ll be able to refer to later, and rely on for the facts.
Carl Smith, Anchorage, Alaska, is a former treasurer and assigner for the Anchorage Sports Officials Association.
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Gore, Longtime NASO Member, Inducted Into NFHS Hall of Fame
As a young man David Gore wanted to be a baseball player. He realized early on he didn’t have the ability. But being a lover of all things to do with sports, he wanted to stay involved. He took up officiating. That’s when the fun really began.
The Norman, Okla., resident’s abilities were recognized July 1 when he was inducted into the NFHS Hall of Fame in the official category. The ceremony was part of the NFHS Summer Meeting in Boston.
Gore officiated baseball for 37 years and football for 35. He officiated nine Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association state football title games. He is the eighth Oklahoman to be inducted. The hall of fame includes athletes, coaches, administrators, performing artists, officials and other contributors.
“I got started in Little League and eventually worked my up to
(NCAA) Division I,” he said. “I had several very dear friends talk me into trying football. I probably enjoyed football as much if not more than baseball.”
Gore said working two sports in such a long career allowed him to build many friendships that he maintains today. It is those ties that kept him bound to officiating over his career.
Gore said NASO has been an important resource.
“I subscribed to the first issue of Referee magazine and have not missed one since. There is so much to learn from the magazine and from It’s Official.”
Gore, who also is a longtime NASO member, credits the association for being “so very educational and supportive.”
He also takes time to share the benefits of NASO with his peers.
“I just thoroughly enjoyed the relationships I developed for the rest of my life,” he said.
He retired from baseball in 2014 and football in 2015 only because “I finally got to the point where the body said, ‘Maybe we better shut this down.’”
Although he is off the fields, he is far from inactive in sports. He is an Oklahoma state football rules interpreter, serves as the official scorer for the University of Oklahoma men’s and women’s basketball games and works as a game clock operator for Sooner football games.
Throughout his career,
“Every year when I talk to new officials, I encourage them and tell them about NASO and Referee,” Gore said. “There are so many positives about being a member.
“I did not miss the first 11 or 12 conventions (now Summits), including the first one in Chicago,” he said.
Attending those events helped Gore to widen his circle of officiating friends. “I’ve developed some incredible relationships with people I would not have met otherwise.”
David Gore was recognized at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Boston for his longtime dedication to officiating,
sports section
May I Help You?
It can happen to any official. It’s your call. But you aren’t sure what to call.
You might have been watching players in another portion of your area of responsibility. You might have been blocked from seeing some critical element by a player that unexpectedly stepped in front of you. Perhaps you blinked at just the wrong moment. What now?
In an ideal situation, you ask for help from your partner or partners and they’re prepared to offer absolute, 100 percent accurate information. By briefly coming together to discuss the play, the crew gets the call correct. Sometimes that means changing the call you originally made.
The key is to do what is necessary to make the correct ruling. That applies to every official on the field or court.
The concept of help among officiating partners is not an exact science. It’s not always spelled out in rulebooks or officials manuals when an official should ask for help or offer it. It often develops over time, by viewing every game as a learning opportunity.
The foundation of providing help to an officiating partner is relatively simple. The information you share should be relevant to the play or game situation, and it is essential that it be factual and accurate.
Being able to help a
partner does not just happen automatically. It takes preparation and concentration. The preparation starts with knowledge of the rulebook and proper mechanics, which are the responsibility of each official. It continues with a thorough pregame meeting of the officials,
In an ideal situation, you ask for help from your partner or partners and they’re prepared to offer absolute, 100 percent accurate information.
regardless of level, including discussion of plays and situations that may require officials to consult each other to determine the proper ruling.
It is executed during games by officials concentrating on their primary coverage area, but being aware of what is happening in other areas of the court or field in case the play requires their partner to request assistance.
Here are some ways officials can be an effective helper.
Be Prepared
Effective officiating starts before the game. The pregame
meeting is the ideal time for the officiating crew to share thoughts on how to help each other in situations that may occur. It can also be used to prevent miscommunication on the field or court that could threaten the crew’s credibility.
Don’t
Take a Play Off
The best officials have the ability and stamina to concentrate throughout a game or match, which is an invaluable asset if a partner needs help on a ruling.
Show Confidence and Conviction
Remember that each member of the officiating crew shares the responsibility for ensuring rulings are correct, regardless of their level of experience. That approach makes the process of giving or receiving help more seamless.
Know Your Spots
Understanding correct positioning and establishing it consistently is a key to covering the field or court effectively. Correct positioning also is a key component in being able to help a partner with a difficult ruling.
Learn From Experience
Officials at any level can benefit from the guidance of a mentor, usually a more experienced official. Such a relationship can give an official
IT’S OFFICIAL - december 2024
a greater understanding of situations that call for help from a partner.
It can take guts for an official to stand up on a call the official isn’t directly involved with. But when there’s information to be shared that contributes to getting the call right, that’s important for the crew — and it’s what helping a partner is all about. This column was adapted from the feature, “Help!” originally published in the 8/15 issue of Referee
BASKETBALL
First game of the season
The following is an excerpt from Pick a Pregame: Match It to the Game You’ve Got, available at store.referee.com.
Whether you have been officiating for two years or 20, the first game of a new season presents a full set of challenges that may not be present at any point throughout the remainder of the year.
It goes without saying that you should not be focusing on items such as whether your uniform still fits or if you are in good enough shape to make it up and down the floor for 32 minutes (or more). That’s what the offseason is for.
It’s about actual officiating questions. Which is why your first pregame of the season may be the most important one of the year. It will set the tone for how you and your partners pregame for the remainder of the season.
New Rules
• The most important aspect of a first-game pregame is making sure you and your crew are familiar with any new rules that have come into play during the offseason. It is a good idea for
the R to reach out to the other members of the crew ahead of time to stimulate rules study in the days leading up to the game, and for the crew to read such rules and any applicable caseplays together to make sure everyone has a thorough understanding and is on the same page.
Mechanics
• A quick refresher of two-person and three-person mechanics is a must, with added focus on any changes implemented during the offseason.
• Just as important, be aware of any rules that are no longer part of the code. Avoid the embarrassment of calling something that is no longer applicable and having to be corrected by a coach or a crewmate on the floor.
• Did you or any of your crewmates work a preseason scrimmage? If so, share information gleaned from that contest that will be helpful from a rules standpoint as you take the floor for the first official contest of the new season.
• Each member of the crew should come into the pregame prepared to discuss areas of the rulebook that have proven troublesome for that particular official in the past.
Points of Emphasis
• Discussion of the new points of emphasis for the season is a must. Again, the first game of the season will be, in many ways, establishing a tone for what’s to come during the next four months. Your crew needs to be ready to emphasize the areas the governing bodies wants emphasized, rather than simply falling back on the way things have already been done.
• Also, make sure there is crew consistency on how the new points of emphasis will be applied and adhered to. The last thing you want is one member of the crew deviating from the others and leaving coaches and players confused about how POEs are being addressed.
• Make sure to focus on mechanics related to the types of plays that can get a crew in trouble right off the bat — drives to the basket that result in a crash, goaltending/basket interference, last-second shots, etc.
Other Items for Discussion
• Be aware of whether a member of your crew is working his/her first game, first threeperson game, first varsity contest, etc. All of these “firsts” represent an opportunity to take the pregame discussion in a number of different directions suitable to that night’s contest.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate. You and your crew are not going to be in midseason form. Your comfort level and ability to pick up on subtle cues will not be finely honed. Make a commitment to communicate on every little thing so that there are no misunderstandings or misapplications that could set a negative tone for the remainder of the season.
FOOTBALL
Definitely Definitions
By George Demetriou
An official can never underestimate the importance of definitions. They are the foundation from which we build our rules knowledge. Here are some of the key definitions and a brief description of their impact. Forward pass. In NFHS, a forward pass is a pass thrown
with its initial direction toward the opponent’s end line. In NCAA, the determination is made by the point where the ball first strikes anything in relation to where it was released.
Backward pass. With one exception, the rules governing backward passes are the same for both codes. Anyone can throw a backward pass anywhere either before or after a change of possession at any time. Also remember, a snap is a backward pass. The lone difference is that NCAA rules do not allow a backward pass to be thrown intentionally out of bounds to conserve time.
Kick. A kick is the intentional striking of the ball with the knee, lower leg or foot. A legal scrimmage kick must be made from in or behind the neutral zone before team possession has changed. The kicking method can be either a punt, drop kick or placekick. A punt is used to improve field position giving possession of the ball to the opponents, and a placekick is used to score; a dropkick can be used for either.
Out of bounds. The field is bounded by sidelines and end lines four inches wide. The lines are out of bounds in their entirety. A player is out of bounds if he touches those lines or anything on or outside them, except another player or a game official. That includes the pylons. The pylons are all located on a sideline or end line except the end line pylons (those at the hashmarks) are placed three feet behind the end line. That change was made to eliminate the possibility an airborne receiver would go out of bounds by touching a pylon (and to prevent back judges from tripping over them). Please note airborne receivers must avoid the goalline pylons, which are both in the end
zone and out of bounds.
Play: A3 runs a fly pattern down the right sideline. At the goalline he leaps for the ball, grabs it and the first foot to return to the ground comes down inbounds. While he was in the air, one of his feet grazed the pylon, displacing it from its position. Ruling: In NFHS, A3 is guilty of illegal participation. The 15-yard penalty is enforced from the previous spot (9-6-1). In NCAA, the result is simply an incomplete pass and not a foul for illegal touching since the player did not return inbounds before touching the pass (7-3-4, 7-3-7).
George Demetriou has been a football official since 1968. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colo
SOCCER
Connect with humor
By Dr. Paul Rojas
A smile, a chuckle, can go a bit further than a harsh, angry voice aimed at a player of any age who needs to calm down. Can an official assuage a confrontation between players, or even more important, between the referee and the players? The rapport the referee needs is making sure there is a positive flow in the match which starts long before the kickoff.
Set the tone early for the upcoming match. When the referee is assigned to a school, regardless of the level, is it possible to send a quick note to the home athletic director, the coaches and crew? A very short introduction can only bring a sense of professionalism and it indicates that the referee is easy to contact for that ever so often change of time or field. When the referee team walks onto the field, instill professionalism. The
time the referee team arrives, their uniforms, and appearance, are the first things coaches and serious players notice; if the referee team does not look and talk the part, the coaches and players will use this to show their disapproval of a call or two. A poor appearance or dirty uniform opens the door for the criticism. Remember the adage, “If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.” If the referee team arrives at the field looking and acting professional, more than likely the coaches will come to the conclusion that this is a professional team. The referee team has gained their respect.
Sometimes everything is in place and the calls and positioning are spot on, and it doesn’t matter. There will still be an argument over a call or potential Law 12 infraction. Some players are one step in front of play; as a referee you need to be two or three steps ahead of play. A few minutes after the kickoff, the referee can determine who are the players dictating play and who are the ones you can approach with a word or two. Can you talk to some players involved in a tight play? Can you spot the captain close by to help out just in case? Is there a player who you remember from a previous play or even a match and can be used to help out to make sure all is good? Knowing who is on the sideline, players and sometimes even the fans can help for that just in case.
The referee needs to read the game. Who are the ones you can approach and who are the ones you need to keep at arm’s length? The coaching staff is supposed to assist if you need them, and sometimes they do come in handy. A coach can easily recognize when a player
is stepping across the line. The coach can either substitute for the player or just verbally advise them to settle down. How does the referee team approach these adults? If they walk onto the field 30 minutes before kick-off, this time can be used to talk to the coaches and see how they respond. There are some who refuse to say hello or even shake hands. They are focused on their team and not concerned about meeting the referee team. During the game, more than likely, the referee will get nothing from these people; do not waste time trying to get support. There are some coaches the referee can talk to and tell right away if they can be helpful. Can the referee jest with them, talk about their win-loss status? A question can be: How was your last game? Feel out the coaches. Determine which ones want their team to play their best from those who want to win at all costs. The referee team must be careful not to spend too much time with one coach who may want to chat and ignore the other. This could leave an impression of favoritism during the match.
IT’S OFFICIAL - december 2024
shanks a shot on an open goal, when that player jogs back, a quick nod and a, “How would you like to have that shot again?” When a pass is made to a player who is open and the player has a problem with first touch and loses possession, spot the one who passed the ball and in a quiet voice, “You made a perfect pass, maybe next time.” If a player goes down in the penalty area and it was an obvious dive, there is nothing wrong with a quick wiggle of the index finger and a, “Not today, but the judges will give you a 10!” Letting the players know that you understand the game and how it is played will help develop a rapport that may be beneficial as the match progresses.
voice, “Which one of you is the screamer today?” One assistant referee was being challenged by a fan about their decisions. The fan yelled, “Is that flag broken?” At a stoppage while the assistant referee was near the fan, the assistant referee put the handle near the mouth and attempted to blow the flag like a whistle. “Yep, I guess it is broken.” These types of comments, if done at the right time so they do not humiliate anyone or escalate a problem, can greatly assist in match control.
What can work for a referee during the match? A player
The humor the referee develops with time is also used on the adult coaches. If there was a conversation with them earlier, the referee may know what can make them chuckle or forget their stress for a moment. A few one-liners might greatly assist during a rough patch. A coach yells, “This is the worst game I have ever seen you officiate!” While running near the bench, the referee could respond, “You should have seen me yesterday.” Another coach yells, “You are missing a good game!” Again, when near the bench the response could be, “Sorry coach, this is the one I was assigned, the good game is over in the next town.”
Parents and fans can use a dose of humor every so often as well. Mention at the beginning of the match, “There will be no college scholarships handed out today.” For some reason that might get a few parents to nod their head. If the fans are in lawn chairs near the touchline, the assistant referee could lower the tension level before the match by asking them in a calm
With all the abuse the referee team receives during a game, every so often they need to step back and find the humor in a situation. There is no need to insult the fans, players or coaches; they have their problems also. But they too may need to find a little humor during those 90 minutes.
Paul Rojas, Ed.D, Morton Grove, Ill., has been a referee for more than 30 years, and is a high level Assessor and Instructor.
VOLLEYBALL
Whistle Happy
By Referee e ditors
Officials communicate or ”speak” with their whistles. We start and stop play, we begin and end timeouts, and we recognize substitution requests with a whistle. We manage prematch warmup intervals, bring attention to an injury or a safety issue and, every once in a while, we assess a team or individual with a sanction. In all of those situations, we use our whistles to gain everyone’s attention.
Just like speaking, there is etiquette to be followed when using whistles. When whistle etiquette is not followed, it can also gain attention, but for the
wrong reasons. Here are some of the do’s and don’ts to be aware of with whistle use:
Looking good. How many times have you seen a referee with the lanyard of his or her whistle outside of his or her collar? The whistle lanyard is like a necktie. It should be under the shirt collar. And when possible, it should also match the color of the shirt you are wearing. With the allowance of all three colored shirts now in the high school arena (white, blue and gray), referees should invest in lanyards and whistles of the same color in order to avoid both the lanyard and whistle sticking out. The only time a lanyard doesn’t need to match is during October or special Cancer Awareness matches when referees are allowed to wear pink whistles and pink lanyards.
No spitting. Take your whistle out of your mouth with your hand instead of letting the whistle drop or spitting it out. Holding the whistle in your hand also allows you to quickly place it back into your mouth in case you need to stop a substitute from running onto the court or signal a replay because a player has served before the service authorization. Grabbing the whistle with your hand is a small thing, however it is something assigners and evaluators notice and it is the small things that help you climb the ladder.
That was loud. Are you aware of the location of your partner, players or coaches when you whistle to end a warmup period? How would you like it if someone standing close to you blew his or her whistle in your ear? Always step away and/or warn people standing close to you when you are about to blow your whistle to end a warmup interval.
Bath time. What do your whistle and lanyard look like?
Are they clean or grungy? Remember, they are as much a part of your uniform as your shirt, shoes and slacks. Wash your whistles with warm water, baking soda and a toothbrush. Launder your white whistle lanyard with bleach at the start of the season. Carry a spare whistle and lanyard in your referee bag — white ones have a gravitational attraction for mustard, ketchup, coffee and cola. Turn up/down the volume. Just like speaking, not all whistle tweets need to be the same volume. Whistle loudly to start and stop play. Use a different whistle duration and sound level for substitutes and/or timeouts. You may not need to whistle as loudly if the gym is not packed with raving fans. You may even need to vary your whistle duration to make it distinct from the whistles on adjacent courts. Remember, if every whistle is exactly the same, you won’t garner the attention needed when you are trying to get someone’s attention for a possible injury, timeout, substitution, sanction, etc. When there is a different tone and duration, it gets everyone’s attention as they go, “That was different.” If every whistle is the same, they tend to tone it out, which is never a good thing.
When working with multiple courts, it can be extremely loud and you may need to adjust your volume, or even better, use a whistle with a different tone. If everyone is using the same Fox 40-style whistle, it can be difficult to discern one court’s whistles from another. Carry different styles of whistles with different tones to be ready for this situation.
The bottom line is to be aware of your surroundings, situations and etiquette when you put the lanyard around your neck and
whereby you may bequeath a gift through your will or trust that ensures you can take care of your loved ones first, and then leave whatever else you choose to make a big difference in the future of sports officiating.
use your whistle. The whistle is the way we communicate and it is important to be professional with our whistles. It is often what sets apart the great official from the good official. It is a way to get noticed, both good and bad. Make sure you are getting noticed for good to help advance your career.
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BASKETBALL
Foul During a Rebound Play: A1 is shooting the second of two free throws, and B5 and A4 are lined up along the same lane line in the marked lane spaces closest to the basket. After A1 releases the ball, B5 begins an attempt to block out A4. A1’s free throw enters the basket and drops through the net, and then immediately afterward, A4 pushes B5 from behind, and the contact is too much to be ignored. The nearest official blows the whistle for the foul. What options do the officials have for this foul? Ruling: After the ball passed through the net for the successful goal, the ball is dead. In NFHS, dead-ball contact that cannot be ignored can be either an intentional or flagrant player technical foul. The result is two free throws to any team B player and a throw-in at the division line opposite the table to team B. If the contact is deemed flagrant, A4 is also disqualified (6-7-1, 10-4-7 Pen.). In NCAAM, deadball contact that cannot be ignored can be either a Class A contact dead-ball technical foul or Class A flagrant 2 technical foul. The result is two free
throws to any team B player and a throw-in to team B at the spot using the procedures in rule 7-3.2. If the contact is deemed flagrant, A4 is also ejected (6-5.1.a, 7-3.2, 10-3.1.e, 10-3.1.f). In NCAAW, dead-ball contact that occurs immediately following a successful goal that is not incidental can be either a personal foul, an intentional foul or a disqualifying foul. If the severity of the contact does not rise to the level of being an intentional or disqualifying foul, a personal foul shall be assessed, and B5 will receive two free throws if team B is in the bonus, or team B will receive a throwin at the spot of the foul if not in the bonus. If the contact is more severe, and an intentional or disqualifying foul is ruled, the result is two free throws to any team B player and a throwin at the division line opposite the table to team B. If the contact is deemed flagrant, and thus a disqualifying foul, A4 is also ejected (10-10.1, 10-13.1.e, 10-14.1.a.4).
is treated as an unannounced substitute for Jackson using his re-entry right. Jackson has entered and departed, so he is no longer eligible (NFHS 3-1-1c). In NCAA, Jackson is an illegal substitute as he re-entered the game after having been replaced. Neither Jackson nor Edward are eligible, so a new left fielder must enter. The team on offense has the option to let the play stand or require the batter to bat again, with the ball-strike count before the last pitch (NCAA 5-5j2). In pro, the out counts. Edward is removed from the game and neither he nor Jackson is eligible to participate further. A new substitute must enter the game in left field. The coach should not be ejected unless, in the umpire’s judgment, Edward entered the game knowing he had been removed (pro 5.10d).
FOOTBALL
Deflected Scoring Kick
BASEBALL
Who’s in the Game?
Play: In the bottom of the fifth inning, Edward, the home team’s left fielder, is stranded on second when the third out is made. As the teams change sides, the home coach tells the plate umpire he is bringing in a replacement, Jackson, for Edward in left field. Neither Edward nor Jackson are aware of the changes. Edward leaves his position at 2B and proceeds to his position in left. On the first pitch in the top of the sixth, Edward makes a spectacular catch. At that time, it becomes apparent that Jackson never replaced Edward. Ruling: In NFHS, the out counts. Edward
Play: K1 is attempting a field goal or try. His kick has a low trajectory and it strikes the back of K2, who is about a yard behind the neutral zone, but caroms forward and passes between the uprights and above the crossbar. Ruling: In NFHS, the kick is good. The ball is dead if it touches a team K player beyond the neutral zone, which is expanded two yards behind the defensive line of scrimmage, but remains live if the struck player is in or behind the neutral zone (2-28-2, 6-2-6, 8-4-1b, 4.2.2I). In NCAA play, the kick is no good. An attempted scoring kick is unsuccessful if the kick touches the ground or touches any player of the kicking team before the kick passes through the goal (8-4-1a).
Conserving Time
Play: Third and 10 from team B’s 20 yardline. Team A is trailing by four points. The clock is running with 10 seconds left in the fourth period and team A is out of timeouts. A1 takes the snap and, to stop the game clock, intentionally throws a backward pass that goes out of bounds at team B’s 24 yardline. Ruling: That is a legal play in NFHS, but a foul in NCAA. In NFHS, there is no prohibition from throwing a backward pass out of bounds to conserve time. Team A will have the ball, fourth and 14 from team B’s 24 yardline and the clock will start on the snap. NCAA rules prohibit a player from conserving time in that manner. The five-yard penalty is enforced from the spot of the pass and because this play occurred after the Two-Minute Timeout, this foul comes under the 10-second runoff rule (NFHS 3-4-3a, 7-4-3; NCAA 3-32e, 3-4-3b, 3-4-4, 7-2-1 Pen, AR 3-4-3 III).
are awarded one base from the time of the pitch and a batter is only awarded first if ball four becomes blocked (NFHS 8-4-3c Pen.; NCAA 12.12.7.2 Eff.; USA Softball 8-5C Eff.; USSSA 8-5A, 8-14D-1).
Batter Hit in Hand
Play: An inside pitch strikes B1 on the hand as she turns away from the pitch and the ball deflects into fair territory. F1 picks up the ball and throws it to F3 at first base. When the plate umpire awards B1 first base, team A’s coach insists it should be a fair ball as the hands are part of the bat. Ruling: In all codes, the ball is dead and B1 is awarded first base. The hands are not part of the bat and, provided the batter did not swing at the pitch and the pitch was not ruled a strike, she should be awarded first base for being hit by the pitch (NFHS 8-1-2c Pen. 1; NCAA 11.13.2 Eff. and Note 2; USA Softball 8-1F and Eff.; USSSA 8-4D Eff. and Note 3).
SOCCER
SOFTBALL
Pitched Ball Rolls Under Fence
Play: A ball-four pitch to B2 skips past F2 and rolls under the backstop into dead-ball area. R2 rounds third base and advances to home as B2 races toward second. Team B’s coach insists B2 should be awarded first base on the walk and second base because the ball went out of play, and R2 should be awarded two bases as well. Ruling: In all codes, the ball is dead when it goes out of play and B2 is awarded first base only on the pitch. R2 is awarded one base and placed on third. The penalty for a pitched ball that becomes blocked is all runners
High Boots
Play: The ball is loose just outside the penalty area. A1 slides and raises the legs to reach the ball first, directing it toward the goal. A1 ends up on their back with legs straight up next to B2’s chest area. B2 is unable to play the ball. Ruling: A1 created a dangerous situation by raising the legs to that height. The game is restarted with an indirect free kick for team B (NFHS 12-3-5; NCAA 12.3.2.1; IFAB 12.2).
Shin Covering
Play: Prior to the game the referee observes that A1 has shin guards that are very small and only cover a small portion
of the shin. The referee advises that these shin guards are illegal and must be changed. When the game starts, the referee observes A1 still has the same shin guards on. Ruling: For games played under NFHS and NCAA rules, these are illegal. Under NFHS rules, the coach is to receive a caution for illegal equipment. For NCAA games, the player must leave the field at the next stoppage and change the shin guards. For matches played under IFAB, these shin guards would be legal and the referee should not say anything (NFHS 4-5; NCAA 4.3.2; IFAB 4.2).
Pair of Legs
Play: The ball is on the edge of the goal area when B1 falls on the ball and it becomes trapped between the legs. A2 kicks at the ball and does not make contact with B1’s legs. There are several other players near the ball at the same time. The ball eventually comes loose and A2 successfully kicks the ball into the goal. Ruling: The goal should be awarded since the referee properly applied the advantage rule despite B1 creating a dangerous situation (NFHS 5-31d; NCAA 5.4.3; IFAB 5.3).
Ten Means 10
Play: Team A is awarded a direct free kick approximately 35 yards from goal. Team B sets up a wall approximately seven yards from the location of the kick. The referee instructs the wall to move back. B1 stands behind the ball and directs the wall where it should position as a result of moving back. Ruling: Ten yards is all around the ball. B1 is encroaching and delaying the restart by standing behind the ball. B1 is to be cautioned and moved away from the ball (NFHS 13-3-1; NCAA 13.2.3; IFAB 13.3).
IT’S OFFICIAL - december 2024
Momentum Swing
Play: Team A is awarded a penalty kick. A1 takes up a legal position outside the penalty area behind the ball. A2 takes the shot and it rebounds off the goal post directly to A1. As a result of taking the shot, momentum carries A2 in front of the penalty spot. A1 passes the ball to A2 who shoots and scores. Ruling: Since A2 was nearer the goalline then the ball, the goal is disallowed for offside. The game is restarted with an indirect free kick for team B (NFHS 11-1-4a; NCAA 11.2.3; IFAB 11.2).
VOLLEYBALL
Jumping Libero
Play: Team A’s libero jumps from (a) in front of the attack line, or (b) behind the attack
line and contacts a ball that is partially above and partially below the height of the net for team A’s third contact. The ball crosses the net completely and the first referee signals an illegal hit/illegal attack. Ruling: In all codes, this is an incorrect ruling in both (a) and (b). A libero may participate in a completed attack anywhere on the court, as long as a portion of the ball is below the top of the net. It is only a fault if the entire ball is above the height of the net and the libero completes an attack hit. In both (a) and (b), the first referee should allow play to continue as the attack by the libero is legal (NFHS 9-5-6a; NCAA 12.1.2.1; USAV 13.3.5).
Block or First Contact?
Play: Team A floats the ball over the net to team B’s side. B1 jumps to initially try to block
the ball, but the timing is off and B1 contacts the ball while on the way back down toward the court. At the moment of contact with the ball, B1 has no body part reaching above the height of the net. After B1 contacts the ball, which sends the ball straight up, B1 reaches up and overhand sets the ball. The first referee allows play to continue. Ruling: Incorrect ruling in all codes. In order for the first contact to be considered a block, B1 must have a part of the body above the net. Since no body part is above the height of the net at contact, that is a team’s first contact. When B1 sets the ball, team B should be whistled for successive/consecutive contacts with the ball and team A should be awarded the point (NFHS 9-4-7 Pen., 9-5-1c; NCAA 14.1.3, 14.6.1; USAV 9.1.1, 14.1.1).
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