RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES:

Basketball
Location! Location! Location! Where the Ball and Players Are on the Court Matters; Learning From Successful Officials; Officiating 'Must-Knows'; Chalk Talk: NFHS Two-Person: Trail Movement

Baseball
Little Hit, Big Play: Examining the Rules Regarding Bunts; No Fence-Sitting Allowed When Balls Are Hit to the Outfield; Steals of Home: History, Rules, Mechanics; Five Minutes With ... Scott Graham

Softball
2005 NCAA Rule Changes: Equipment Regulations Among Alterations; Why the NCAA Obstruction Rule is Different; Chalk Talk: NFHS: Tag Play at Third Covered by the Plate Umpire; Five Minutes With ... Tom Topping

Soccer
Master the Art of Officiating: 7 Effective Habits for Referees and Assistant Referees; It's Easy to Improve: Move, Talk, Whistle; Chalk Talk: Ball Placement on a Corner Kick

Football
Timeouts Don't Mean Time Off: Officials Have Specific Duties When Play is Halted; In the Middle of the Action; Officials Participate in NCAA Rule Survey; Signaling Dead-Ball Fouls

FEATURES:

What Do You Have to Hide?
Like it or not, it looks like the trend toward conducting background checks on everyone involved in interscholastic and youth sports – including the officials – is here to stay. Take a look at the issues surrounding the practice and what you can expect when background checks come to your area.

Can't Get It Outta My Head
Blow a call and move on, right? Easier said than done. When mistakes start to infest your brain, you've got to root them out before they bring down your game, your whole season or take you right out of officiating completely.

Buck Stops Here
Meet local legend Buck Lanier, a man who has officiated in seven different decades, been to all seven continents and pops up in the most unusual places. Along the way, he's lent a helping hand to hundreds of officials all around the country.

You Are There: The Shot
When Christian Laettner sank his last-second try to propel Duke past Kentucky during the 1992 NCAA tournament, his shot went into the annals of basketball history as the greatest ever. But only one man knew for sure whether or not it was really good.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS:

Publisher’s Memo
Talking Trash: What is This Garbage?

The Gag Rule
Look and Act the Part; No Room in the Hall;
Out in the Cold; Making Things Worse

The News
MLB Umpires Strike Deal; Former NFL Ref Silva Dies at 77

Back to Basics
How to Build Good Sportsmanship

Getting It Right
The Umpire Who Defied Medical Logic

Tools
WristCounter.com; Honig's Patent Leather Plate Shoes; Officiating Soccer; Pro Nine Chest Protector; Davis 'Feather Weight' Mask

Profiles
Hail to the Chief of Law and Order

Take Care
How to Get and Stay in Shape

For the Record
NCAA Division I-A bowl officials

Classifieds
Camps/Clinics; Equipment/Apparel; Cyberspace; Leadership Resources; Nutritional Programs; Umpires Wanted; Computer Software; Miscellaneous

Last Call
A View From the Sidelines