RULES, MECHANICS, TECHNIQUES:

Basketball
Exercising the Referee's Elastic Power: Rules Coverage for Unpredictable Situations; Straight Up Talk Regarding Verticality; Leaving the Court for Unauthorized Reason; NFHS Bulletin: Coaching Box Guidelines

Baseball
Keep Your Eyes on the Feet: NCAA Rule Change Addresses Deceptive Pitching Practice; Your Partner, Your Sounding Board; Chalk Talk: Hold Your Applause; NCAA Adopts New ‘Play’ Signal

Softball
2006 NCAA Rule Changes: Interference, Obstruction Rules Altered; Chalk Talk: Two Umpires: Trouble Ball to Left; Did You Know?

Soccer
Dealing With Divers: Referees Must Look Out for the Big Three; 'Assist, Don’t Insist'; When Players Tape Their Socks ...; Chalk Talk: Official and Team Areas; Referee Error Equals Replay

Football
'You're Grounded!' Foul Brings Yardage Penalty, Not Room Restriction; One Game, Dozens of Teaching Points; Chalk Talk: Spotting a Punt; Señor Hochuli Habla Español

FEATURES:

25 Great Officials on 25 Great Officials
In honor of NASO's 25th anniversary this year, Referee chose 25 referees and umpires from the past 25 years who we think fall into the "great" category, and we asked them to choose one other official — any sport or level — whom they admire and respect, someone each of them would consider a great official, and tell us why.

Grid Iron Man
All arms and angles on the field, chomping on his whistle like a two-day-old stogie, Bernie Kukar looks like he could be the crew chief at any small-town Friday night game. And that bright yellow flag hanging out of his pocket? It's old school, just like the man himself. Despite the fact that everything about him screams "down to earth," Kukar is in the rarified air of the NFL, a member of a select club of white hats who have taken charge of two Super Bowls.

The Absolutely True, No-Argument List of Our Opinions
The truth? You can keep it. We've got our opinions, and for the third year in a row, the Referee editors have wrestled valuable magazine real estate from our advertising department to express them.

Basic Training: The Message of Your Signals and Mechanics
Signals and mechanics are mostly standardized within the sports, but you can still say a lot (or a little) with your presentation. When should you give the big sell and when should you lay back?

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS:

Publisher’s Memo
Without a Leg to Stand On

The Gag Rule
Over the Edge With Background Checks; Misuse of a Law; That Play Reminds Me ...

The News
Officials Lambasted for Benching Legless Player; Boycott Averted But Background Checks Remain a Problem

Back to Basics
'Judges Are Like Umpires'

Getting It Right
Help for Officiating Hurricane Victims

Tools
CCA Men's and Women's Basketball Officiating Manuals; Pro-Sports-Training.com; Stories From a Striped Shirt; Grid XT Patent Leather Basketball Referee Shoe

Profiles
'When Opportunity Knocks, Take It'

Take Care
It Takes a Whole Lot of Heart

For the Record
MISL, NBDL and NBA rosters

Classifieds
Camps/Clinics; Equipment/Apparel; Leadership Resources; Officials Wanted

Last Call
Hockey's Tough, But Baseball Could Kill You