Officiating in History
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Tales of big games, big calls and the officials that worked them.
Eight Is Enough: 1985 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship
You would think after officiating more than 166 minutes of a soccer game, the sweat-soaked officials had put in a full day and would...
You Are There: UCLA Streak Snapped
There are only three “streaks” in sports that matter: DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive game “iron man” streak and UCLA’s 88-game winning...
Hammerin’ Hank 715
It was perhaps the most sacred of all of baseball’s sacred records, but when Hank Aaron launched long ball number 715, he became baseball’s...
The Eras of Our Ways
Ron Luciano, who died in 1995, was one of the classic arbiters and characters of the 1970s in professional sports. An AL umpire for...
Emmett Ashford – a rare personality
From the minors to the majors, Emmett Ashford was an umpire who had style. His career was typified by an incident in his first...
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 experience,...
Behind the Scenes on the Legendary Woodson Interception
On Oct. 25, 1997, Michigan State’s Todd Schultz took the third-and-long snap in Spartan Stadium with a little more than two minutes left in...
Mike Carey’s All-Time Memorable Game
It is Feb. 3, 2008, in Glendale, Ariz. The New England Patriots are attempting to become the second undefeated team in pro football history,...
You Are There: Trumbull Upsets Taiwan in 1989 LLWS Final
If it’s David versus Goliath stories you are looking for, you need to go no further than the 1989 Little League World Series championship game between Taiwan and Trumbull, Conn.
And...
College Football Officiating at 150
DYK? Referees did not make all rulings in college football games until 1876.
As college football marks its 150th anniversary this season, it is only...
A History of Strikes and Lockouts
Over the years, strikes or lockouts have impacted the officials of every major sport.
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abor disputes have been a part of American life since shortly...
Umpire George Magerkurth Ruled With An Iron Fist
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Umpire George Magerkurth ruled with an iron fist, which he wasn’t above wielding when challenged on a baseball diamond.
Magerkurth worked 2,808 regular-season games and...
You Are There: Cal vs. the Stanford Band (November 20, 1982)
By Leon Davis
No, the Pac-10 title was not on the line, but when Stanford's Cardinal traveled to Berkeley to take on California's Bears it...
“I’ll Never Forget”: Officiating Legends Recall Their Most Memorable Game
It is June 14, 1998, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The Chicago Bulls are playing the Utah Jazz in Game 6...
Locked Out
Late on the evening of Sept. 24, 2012, three men enjoy a nightcap at a New York City hotel. On the TV, the Seattle...
John Hirschbeck Reminisces on MLB Playoff No-Hitter
It is Oct. 6, 2010, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Phillies are facing the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of a...
Our Founding Story – How Referee Magazine Came To Be
It’s often been said that if one has a problem, one has three choices: whine about it, ignore it or do something about it.
Lucky for the world of sports officiating, Barry Mano...
Infamous Bartman Foul Ball – Chicago Cubs vs. Florida Marlins – October 14, 2003
Chicago Cubs fans were left numb by a disastrous 2002 campaign, which saw the club finish fifth in the NL Central Division and 28...
Inside “The Comeback” – Buffalo vs. Houston 1993
Had the now ubiquitous “Win Probability Chart” been a thing in 1993, the Buffalo Bills and their fans would not have been happy with what it showed at halftime of their AFC...
Favre’s MNF Dad Game – Dec. 22, 2003
When the 2003 NFL season opened, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre had already pretty much assured himself a place in the Pro Football...
The Glory Road Game
Thornton Jenkins had so much more than an NCAA basketball championship game to officiate when Texas Western tipped off against the University of Kentucky...
The ‘Stuff’ Dreams Are Made Of: NC State vs. Houston – April 4, 1983
Time was ticking down to a precious few seconds in the 1983 NCAA men’s basketball tournament championship game between Houston and North Carolina State..
Underdog...
