RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES:

Baseball
Rain and Sleet and Dark of Night: When to Suspend a Game and When to Call It; Advice for Newer Officials — Part III; Tips on Tips and Other Foul Balls; Got It Covered

Soccer
Signaling All Fouls is Back: NFHS Rule Change Aimed at Better Communications; What to Look For; Five Minutes With … Ricardo Salazar

Basketball
The Simple Free Throw?: Not All Go as Planned; Strive for the Unattainable Goal; Study: Refs Stressed; Chalk Talk: Pass/Crash During Transition

Football
Double the Penalty for Interference: ‘Halo’ Violation Among NCAA Rule Changes; Five Minutes With …
Al Jury

FEATURES:

Stay in the Game
More and more officials are leaving the avocation. It’s not enough to recruit new people if they just end up giving up after a few seasons. Once you have officials in the fold, how do you keep them there?

Officiating’s Brave New World?
Should we move away from advantage-disadvantage and call the rules exactly as written? Should officials work fewer games? Those were some of the issues proposed at a summit meeting of commissioners, coaches and officials to discuss the state of amateur basketball. Could it be the future of officiating?

Is It Too Much to Ask?
A lot of preparation goes into hosting a game. High schools have to make sure everything is taken care of, from the teams and coaches to the concession vendors. With all the activity, the officials can sometimes be an afterthought. Find out what some state associations are doing to remedy that.

Basic Training:
Meet the Coaches
It seems harmless enough: Before every game, you meet with both coaches, introduce yourself and cover any pertinent information. But those meetings can set the stage for the entire game. What do you need to be aware of and what should you avoid?

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS:

Publisher’s Memo
I Had Forgotten …

In Black & White
Do You Have Your Priorities Straight?

The News
Rehired Umps Get Back to Work

Back to Basics
Officiating vs. Calling Fouls

Getting It Right
Survivor Ref Bears the Olympic Torch

Tools
AllSports Officiating; Sports Officials Scheduler; StevetheUmp.com; Official Soccer Rules Illustrated

Profiles
California Duo Keeps Going and Going

For the Record
AFL roster, Major League Baseball umpires

Classifieds
Camps/Clinics; Books, Manuals, Cassettes; Equipment/Apparel; Miscellaneous

Last Call
I’d Like You to Meet Albert