RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES:

Basketball
Packed or Hacked? Block or Foul? Making the Correct Call is Not a Heartbeat Decision; Dealing With an Irate Coach; The Officiating Trifecta; Signal Quiz

Baseball
A Two, a Three, a Four ... Do More Umpires Really Mean a Better Game?; No-Calls Call for Action Too; All the Comforts of Home (Well, Most of Them); Time Plays and the Plate Umpire; Five Minutes With … Greg Gibson

Softball
Something Coming Between You and Your Calls? Angles, Distance Allow Umpires to Maintain Line of Sight; Butler, Pollard Sent Off in Grand Fashion; A Full Plate at the Pregame Meeting

Soccer
2005 NFHS Rule Changes: Taunting Becomes a More Serious Violation; Chalk Talk: Penalty Kick After Time Has Expired; Five Minutes With … Kari Seitz

Football
Hold (and Jump Across and Grab) That Line! Actions by Defensive Linemen May Be Fouls; Mechanics Differences: Can't We All Get Along?; Chalk Talk: Keying on a Back

FEATURES:

Coming Soon to a Game Near You
How long before instant replay becomes common at the high school game? Five years? Twenty-five years? Some people would say, "Never." Would you be surprised to know that there are already proposals being considered to bring video to prep athletics?

How Not to Argue
You read that right — how to not argue. This isn't about arguing effectively or how to win an argument. It's all about taking control of any situation by not doing the thing that an irate coach or player desperately wants you to do — fire back at them and get drawn into the dispute.

Hip-Checked
MLB umpire Mark Hirschbeck was at the top of his game — 15 years in the majors, a crew chief, two World Series assignments under his belt. But in 2003, he suffered a setback. A bum hip took away his season. And then — five hip replacement surgeries later — it took away his entire career.

You Are There: The Punch
"It was like a baseball bat hitting a concrete wall. It was just a big thud. I never will forget the sound of it." NBA referee Bob Rakel stood just a few feet from one of the most shocking, most violent single incidents in the history of sports.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS:

Publisher’s Memo
Six Degrees of Separation

The Gag Rule
So Much for Black and White; What About the Lower Levels?

The News
New Bills Proposed to Protect Officials; Assaulted Official Receives $100,000

Back to Basics
Pick Up Your Game With a New Sport

Getting It Right
Respect Sports

Law
Is a Sports Officials Assault Law Enough?

Tools
The Official's Role in Improving Sportsmanship; Jobgen Wrestling Card; 2005 ASA Umpire Mechanics and Rulebook CD-ROM; 'Frequently Asked Questions for New Referees' Page

Profiles
Pac-10 'Fab Four' Bids Farewell

Take Care
Are You Addicted to Officiating?

For the Record
Arena2 Football League roster

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

Last Call
Mercy Mercy