Art Of Officiating
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Covering conflict management, the psychology of officiating, best practices and officiating/life balance.
Pregame Meeting Etiquette
Pat the referee arrives at Hometeam High School for a basketball game. With Chris, the inexperienced partner, in tow, Pat approaches Hometeam Head Coach...
How To Handle a Kicked Call
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s a longtime NCAA Division I college women’s basketball official, Mark Zentz says there’s a surefire way for him to know when he’s blown...
Have an Appreciation for Other Officials’ Hard Work.
A cartoon that appeared in another publication depicted a young boy on the department-store Santa’s lap. The youngster says to Kris Kringle, “I don’t...
The Evolution of Explanations
Sports officials and microphones have a long history. In fact, one of the earliest instances involved Major League Baseball in 1929.
On Aug. 25 of...
Get More Postseason Games
“Why didn’t I get any playoff games?” Across the officiating world, that is probably the most frequently asked question by established and even some new officials. Postseason games are...
Try Angles
There is one thing I find more important than all others in getting my calls on the field and on the court correct: the...
Seven Kinds of Hustle
Hustle is defined in different ways by different sports officials, but many will point out that the physical — get from here to there as fast as possible...
Breaking Up With A Partner Is Hard to Do
Cutting off an association with a crewmate or partner may be the most difficult thing an official ever has to do. Even though diplomatic...
Coaches Mentality
Coaches and officials can have an adversarial relationship because of the primary difference between official’s and a coach’s mentality: Coaches care who wins and...
How You React to Disappointment Defines You
Officiating is an interesting and challenging line of work, no matter your involvement. Whether you are an active official, assigner or administrator, decisions you...
Does the Stop Signal Work Anymore?
Check out this portion of a discussion thread from a basketball referee online chat circa 2007:
“Anybody ever notice how a lot of the talk...
Creating Your Officiating Legacy
The average American can expect to live about 79 years. That’s roughly 28,835 days to leave your mark on the people you know and the places you go....
Connect the Head and the Heart
Sports officiating is an emotional challenge. Gonzaga University’s Rachelle Strawther knows this firsthand after her experience running a sports and officiating soccer program in...
Put a Bad Game in the Rearview Mirror
Every official has had a bad game he or she would rather forget. Whether it was a kicked call, problems with a partner or...
Earn That Good Reputation
Ever try constructing a tower out of playing cards? It isn’t easily built. Once achieved, it’s something to be proud of. But one wrong...
Increase Concentration in One-Sided Games
One-sided games are no fun for anyone, except for the team that wins, of course. Generally speaking, the losing team and the officials just...
Get Great Series: Better By Next Month
If someone told you a they had a way to get better by next month, would you do it no matter what it was?...
Why Are You Talking?
When it comes to the necessities needed in becoming a successful sports official, the art of conversation might not seem to be high on...
Consistent Mechanics Make for Consistent Calls
Over the years we've all seen and worked with officials who seem to think that mechanics manuals are like buffet lines — chock full...
Etiquette for Video Training
Using video for training purposes is no longer the discovery of the age. Gone are the days we have to give a blank video...
When to Retire
Are you thinking about retiring soon, or do you think that decision is years from now?
In talking to people about retiring from any job,...
‘Big Time’ Attitude is for Small People
Virtually every local association or chapter has at least one official who has “made it big,” the member who has worked a state championship...
Bounce Back from a Bad Game
Ever had one of those nights when, for whatever reason, you’re off your game? Whether it’s because you were distracted by issues that have nothing to do with...
Groups Work to Give Sports Officials Spiritual Guidance
For decades there have been spiritual outlets for players, coaches and even team administrators, but there hasn't been much available to give sports officials...
