THIS MONTH’S HIGHLIGHTS RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES:
Umpires should be approachable when dealing with coaches, but they should never let coaches go to far. Learn some basic tips on dealing with coaches in the baseball article “Approachability: Has It Gone Too Far? Umpires Can’t Become Pushovers When Dealing With Coaches.” Review batter interference, catcher obstruction and the hit batter in the softball article “More Than the Pitch for the Plate Umpire: Balls and Strikes Aren’t the Only Tough Calls.” Get the latest NFHS football rule changes in the article “2008 NFHS Rule Changes: Fewer Timeouts, More Candidates to Request Them.” Learn game management techniques in this month’s basketball article “When Rules Aren’t Enough: How Would You Handle Such Unique Situations?” Review the diagonal system of control in the soccer article “What Ever Happened to the Diagonal? Keep Play Between the Referee and the Assistants.”
FEATURES: Watch Steve Javie work a basketball game and you’ll recognize him as an official who is clearly in control. The same can be said about his life off the court. Get to know more about Javie in “Steve Javie: On Stand-Up Guy.” Should a person convicted of a felony automatically lose his or her privilege to officiate? The stories of two officials with very different felony convictions show the complexities that can arise when dealing with officials’ backgrounds in “Crime and Punishment.” The most successful officials are the ones who believe they are in the right spots — with the right associations, the right assigners, the right partners and calling the right level of games. Do you know how to go about finding what’s right for you? Learn more in “Your Comfort Zone.” To be a top-level official, you must have the right equipment — from uniforms to protective gear to storage and travel bags, it’s essential to know what you need. Learn how to get it in “Basic Training: How to Buy Gear.”
COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS:Our “News” section leads off with coverage about the female official from Kansas who is not allowed to work a game. Our “Getting It Right” column shares the survivor story of an official who collapsed on the field in “Recovery, Thanks to a Defibrilator.” “Back to Basics” emphasize the importance of using common sense while officiating in “Use Your ‘Sixth Sense’ to Succeed.” In this month’s “Last Call” article “Can I Get Your Autograph?” an official recalls how she received then-MLB umpire Bruce Froemming’s autograph.
