The Games of Stephen Peterson (March 1995)
The strange story of a high school football official who bore a resemblance to an NFL official. Peterson had hoodwinked his friends, the...
A Long Way Down (July 1991)
A gut-wrenching profile in Referee revealed that a former NBA legend was an alcoholic, living in the backseat of a dilapidated auto and...
Are You Your Own Worst Enemy? (September 1980)
In the first of what would prove to be many features on the psychology of officiating, Referee suggested that officials point an accusing...
Second Referee Is The Voice of Reason
A successful second referee needs strong speaking and listening skills. They must possess thorough rules knowledge that allows for quick, accurate answers during the heat of battle...
50 Percent Better in 45 Minutes
Do you want to be a 50 percent better umpire in 45 minutes? It’s all right here and my unique techniques are easy...
Real Appeal
In a televised NCAA game last May, a player was so excited about hitting an out-of-the-park home run that she jumped over home...
Arrive And Shine
How you enter the arena, stadium, field or other facility says a lot about you. Do you casually stroll in? Are you laughing,...
Abandonment
A walk-off is a run-scoring event in the bottom half of the last inning of the game that gives the home team the...
Slay the Drag-on
One of the great debates in sports these days is how long it takes to play the games. Television has been a great...
No Hedge on the Wedge
As today’s players become quicker, faster and stronger, and as rules adapt, so must umpire mechanics. The wedge mechanic allows the umpire to...
Oh What a Relief it is
During the 2017 MLB season, 61 percent of the innings were pitched by the starting pitchers. That left over one-third of the innings...
It’s a Foul Now or Later (But Not Never)
You observe movement in either line just as the ball is snapped. You know it is a foul, but do you prevent the...
What Happens When the Neutral Zone Expands?
The neutral zone is one of the basic tenets of a football game. In practical terms it’s the space between the offensive and...
Referee Magazine – November 2017 Preview
Referee Magazine - November 2017 Highlights
Features
The ‘Rhode’ Through Providence. Despite his rapid ascent through the ranks of the D-I hoops, referee Mike Stephens...
2017-18 National Hockey League Roster
Referees
2 Jon McIsaac
Truro, Nova Scotia, 2013
4 Wes McCauley
Georgetown, Ontario, 2003
5 Chris Rooney
Boston, 2000
6 Francis Charron
Ottawa, Ontario, 2010
7 Garrett Rank
Kitchener, Ontario, 2015
8 Dave Jackson
Montreal,...
Body Language Speaks Volumes
When people hear the word “communication,” they think of how one person speaks to another. A sometimes overlooked yet critically important method is body language. In many ways,...
John Wooden: An Interview
You might wonder why a magazine for sports officials interviewed a coach, even one as legendary as John Wooden.
Through our decades of...
Week In The Life of An SEC Football Official
SEC FOOTBALL OFFICIATING WEEKLY PROCESS
SATURDAY
From the SEC Football Command Center, monitor games as well as internet and social media and note issues...
Turn The Cast Away?
One of the hazards of being a sports official is that you quickly become an expert consultant to your friends when they have a question about a...
NLRB Board Rules Lacrosse Officials Employees of PIAA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a decision that could have nationwide implications, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled that members of a...
