COVID-19 makes umpire shortage even more challenging
(5/28) Umpiring a baseball or a softball game can be challenging in the best of circumstances. During COVID-19, those challenges are magnified.
NBA referee Scott Foster worried about officiating in empty arena
(5/27) It is impossible to imagine exactly what NBA games will look and feel like without fans in the stands, but we are going...
Football Referees Train Online During COVID-19 Pandemic
(5/27) With the sports world having been put on hold for months because of COVID-19, the people responsible for officiating football games are now...
NWSL announces plan to start season on June 27, will be first U.S. team...
(5/27) The National Women’s Soccer League announced on Wednesday its plan to start the 2020 season and become the first United States sports league...
REPORT: SOME NFL REFS ‘CONTEMPLATING’ NOT WORKING DUE TO COVID-19
(5/27) Referees play an integral role in the NFL’s success, as we saw in 2012 when the league needed replacements refs amid a labor...
Pandemic creates uncertainty for Staten Island minor-league umpire
(5/26) The coronavirus pandemic has put all Major League Baseball and minor league games on hold. That may be changing somewhat as most states...
NHL plans to return with 24 teams competing for Stanley Cup
(5/26) The NHL paused the regular season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus and its remaining 189 games will not be completed....
Williams had been selected for 2020 Final Four
(5/26) In February, the Mifflin County High School English teacher and college basketball official got to cross a dream off the list, as she...
For two St. Louisans, being a minor-league umpire means unemployment and uncertainty
(5/25) The anticipation, the apprehension, the hint of optimism, the fear of impending doom. That especially is true for the minor-league umpires, who wonder...
WBA holds 2nd Judges/Referees Seminar
(5/25) The World Boxing Association (WBA) continued to develop the WBA Academy on Saturday with the second online Judges and Referees seminar titled “How...
An Estimated 36-38 Referees Needed To Resume Season
(5/23) Around 36-38 referees would be needed to finish out the regular season, a top referee told Tim Bontemps & Brian Windhorst of ESPN....
Like it or not, universal DH is here to stay in MLB
(5/22) Discussions between the MLB and the MLBPA have covered many subjects concerning COVID-19 and return to play. One topic could concern a permanent...
THIS NFL REFEREE IS RESCUING ANIMALS DURING LOCKDOWN
(5/21) NFL referee John Hussey has spent the past 19 years flagging penalties and calling touchdowns on the field. Off the field, Hussey has...
Financial toll of coronavirus could cost college football at least $4 billion
(5/21) As more and more college athletic departments cut sports programs, the financial wreckage due to the coronavirus pandemic is becoming devastatingly clear -- and...
NHLPA board voting on 24-team, conference-based playoff format
(5/20) The NHL Players' Association executive board started voting on a proposed 24-team, conference-based playoff format for a potential restart to the 2019-20 season...
How coronavirus has made a personal and immediate impact on NBA referee and his...
(5/20) In their own way, Lindsay and Burigatto are at the heart of COVID-19 – Lindsay being on the court when the Thunder team...
Report: Voluntary athletic activities approved to resume beginning June 1 following NCAA vote
(5/20) NCAA Division I Council voted to approve the return voluntary athletic activities beginning June 1 and running through June 30. The association had...
High school sports: Athletic departments across Florida reviewing NFHS guidelines to return
(5/20) High school athletic departments across the state are eager to get student-athletes back on to a normal routine of working out, practicing and...
Despite Loss of Handshakes, Sportsmanship Will Continue in High School Sports
(5/20) The “new normal” is one of the many terms we hear repeatedly as the country begins its return to normal activities from the COVID-19...
Shutdown is hurting high school umpires, too
(5/20) The cancellation of spring high school sports left untold numbers of umpires and other athletics officials without work in recent months and possibly...
Prep sports: SSAC to give fees discount to returning spring sports officials
(5/19) Returning spring sports game officials who might not get any work this year because of the coronavirus pandemic will receive a discount on...
Guidance for State Associations to Consider in Re-opening High School Athletics and Other Activities
(5/19) The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has released guidance for its 51 member state high school associations to consider in re-opening...
Referee Wes McCauley’s Family Puts on the Stripes
(5/18) Referee Wes McCauley is making the most of the paused NHL season. The veteran NHL official has already found a recurring guest spot...
Umpire eagerly awaits next pitch
(5/18) Lawrence McNeely is a 36-year veteran of calling balls and strikes, but this year he and other umpires have been on the bench...
