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General items of interest to all officials that don’t fit in the categories above.
Doors Opening Wider
Clockwise from top left: Amanda Bender, Maia Chaka, Kelly Dine, Sara Woods, Kaili Kimura
By Tim Yonke
In what could be a blueprint for women seeking...
Embracing Technology in Sports
No matter what sport you officiate, or even at what level, technology has become an integral part of sports. You have heard the popular expression, “Get...
Suspensions and Terminations Impact All Officials
Officials have never been under greater scrutiny. In the wake of high-profile officiating suspensions and terminations, Referee publisher Barry Mano examines the deep impact...
2023 Mel Narol Medallion: NFLRA
The National Football League Referees Association (NFLRA) was awarded the 2023 NASO Mel Narol Medallion Award in Riverside, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 1, during...
Pickleball’s Meteoric Rise and the Call for More Referees
What happens when you mix the best parts of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong? You get pickleball—America’s fastest-growing sport that’s turning parks, gyms, and even...
Employee or Independent Contractor?
Update: June 14th, 2019 - View the court's ruling
Some of history’s bloodiest conflicts were started over a small insult. A pastry chef not receiving...
College Baseball Replay: By the Numbers
The 2019 college baseball postseason saw not only a significant expansion in what types of plays can be reviewed, but also an expansion of where replay was...
Military Intelligence
Bob Delaney, vice president of referee operations and director of officials for the NBA, sees something special in officials with military backgrounds.
Teamwork and trust...
Summit @ Home Program Resonates
The Summit @ Home, which ran from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27 was a resounding success. Nearly 10,000 officials from around the U.S. and...
Can Coaches Openly Criticize?
When a Missouri girls’ high school basketball coach publically said negative things about the officiating after his team’s playoff loss last season, athletic administrators...
Spark the Fire to Create Lifelong Officials
We need more officials, plain and simple. The not-so-simple part is figuring out how to spark the fire in new recruits that will keep...
Ryder Cup Rules Explained: Where Golf’s Traditions Meet Officiating Chaos
Picture LeBron James calling his own foul. Imagine Patrick Mahomes telling the referee he stepped out of bounds. That's golf — until the Ryder...
Know More About Teams To Make Situations Easier
Many of us have checklists that we ponder in the days or hours leading up to a given contest to make sure we’re ready to officiate. We make sure...
The Facts Behind Bad Sporting Behavior
Sports and American culture — the two are practically inseparable. Young children through those in their golden years get a thrill from the engaging...
Officiating Organizations Stand Out at the Summit@Home
Often in officiating we only hear about officiating companies or organizations when they have a booth at a camp or clinic we're attending, or...
Alaska’s Officials Brave Harsh Weather To Get the Job Done
They practice their craft closer to Siberia than Seattle. And in a state where getting to the game can be harder than calling it,...
2023 Sports Officiating Summit historic success
The 2023 Sports Officiating Summit put on by the National Association of Sports Officials in Riverside, Calif. from July 30-August 1 was an event...
The Buzz on Officiating Drones
Drones are making themselves useful in a wide variety of industries and occupations — on construction sites, in roofing, with reforestation and even in...
You Think Writing Rules Is Easy?
When I think about the process of writing rules, I remember a "The Far Side" cartoon in which some solemn-looking American colonists were gathered around another...
NASO Survey: Diversity & Inclusion
The NASO National Officiating Survey asked questions that focused on diversity and inclusion topics. The 2017 survey of 17,487 officials provides invaluable insights into...
Inventive Incentive
L
ate last winter the math became clear for Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) State Commissioner of Officials Brian Gessner.
“We’re not doing a very good job...
When a State Draws the Line on Sportsmanship
It’s no secret that sportsmanship issues are an ongoing issue in high school athletics. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) decided to address the issue head on....
The Top Officiating Stories of 2020
Pro Sports Delay Seasons
Professional leagues such as the NBA, NHL and MLS put the remainder of their 2019-20 seasons on hold in March when...
Catch This If You Can
It’s a question fans have debated for years: What’s the hardest thing to do in sports? Hit a baseball? Shoot par in golf? Score...