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General items of interest to all officials that don’t fit in the categories above.
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...
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...
Pastoral Care in the Officiating Community
A
s COVID-19’s reach expanded globally during the spring of 2020, people and the organizations of which they were members scrambled to adjust to everything...
The Game of Life
The coronavirus crisis has disrupted our individual and collective life rhythms. Rhythm generally means, a movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and...
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...
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...
Montgomery Hosts Landmark Gathering at 2025 Sports Officiating Summit and Officiate Alabama Day
Hundreds of sports officiating leaders, officials, and administrators gathered in Montgomery, Ala., July 27–29 for the 2025 Sports Officiating Summit—three days of programming focused...
Pain in the Association
By Rick Woelfel
From Pride to Problems
Think back to the start of your officiating career — the pride of passing the rules test, pulling on...
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...
Progress at the Plate: Jen Pawol Makes MLB Umpiring History
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that Jen Pawol will umpire games in the upcoming Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves series at Truist...
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 Gold Whistle Award: Violet Palmer
Violet Palmer, coordinator of women’s basketball officials for the Pac-12, West Coast, Western Athletic, Big Sky and Big West conferences, received the 2023 Gold...
AVP Officials Meet the Challenge of Champions Cup During Pandemic
Turn on NBC in the summer during a normal year and you are likely to see some of the top volleyball players in the country competing on the sand. In...
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...
Officials Help Keep a Park District League in Operation
A few years back, the park district in our community started an indoor soccer league and offered players in the area the opportunity to...
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...
Highest Ranked Crew
Cohesion and unity are essential if a military unit is to function at peak efficacy. Those qualities carry over onto the football field.
Scott Jacobson...
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...
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...
50 Voices for 50 Years: A Halfway-Point Recap
We're officially at the midpoint of "50 Voices for 50 Years," the video series we launched to mark Referee Magazine's 50th anniversary, presented courtesy of...
Bob Delaney: Hiding In Plain Sight
Retired NBA referee and former undercover New Jersey state trooper Bob Delaney talks with Nick Nanton about his incredible careers.
Ted Barrett Accepts 2024 Gold Whistle Award
As part of the 2024 Celebrate Officiating Gala sponsored by Fox 40 Ted Barrett accepted officiating's highest honor.
Ernie Yarbrough Accepts Mel Narol Medallion
The award was presented in Atlanta on Tue, July 30, during the Celebrate Officiating Gala, sponsored by Fox 40.
Sarah Thomas Accepts Inspire Award
The award was presented in Atlanta on Tue, July 30, during the Celebrate Officiating Gala, sponsored by Fox 40.