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Profiles and stories about officials and people close to officiating.
Violet Palmer: The Road to NBA History
OCTOBER 31, 1997. HALLOWEEN. Traditionally the night for uncommon events. The perfect night for Violet Palmer to walk onto the court in Vancouver and...
Tom O’Neill’s Long Haul
It’s difficult for an official working a national championship game to avoid the spotlight. But during the opening minutes of the 1997 NCAA men’s...
The Joan Powell Effect
Joan Powell has been everything in volleyball — player, coach, official, conference coordinator, national coordinator. And she has excelled at every level.How influential? How...
His Plate is Full
By Dan Ronan
Dan Bellino’s phone, email and text messages never seem to stop. His schedule and life are packed full, 24/7/365. He’s been a...
Going to War with Joe Crawford
NBA fans’ character sketch of Joe Crawford has been drawn in indelible ink. They long ago dismissed him as that referee with a centimeter...
Ron Groover is In the Groove
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Life sometimes can hinge upon a chance meeting. That’s how it worked for NCAA basketball official Ron Groover. From relaxing after a pickup basketball...
Liven’ a Full Life: MLB Umpire Shane Livensparger
By Dan Ronan
Shane Livensparger has several uniforms in his closet. During the MLB season, the up-and-coming professional umpire wears the traditional MLB umpire uniform...
Crystal Hogan is Right At Home in Men’s D-I College Basketball
Ask Crystal Hogan to discuss her nearly two-decade journey as a basketball official, and she’ll rattle off a long list of names, locations and...
Ed Hochuli On Balance
It takes extraordinary strength to take charge of a Super Bowl – strength of will, of desire and of conviction. Ed Hochuli has done...
Profile: NFL Referee Clete Blakeman
NFL referee Clete Blakeman lights up the room and the field. That’s what his crewmates say about him. Tripp Sutter, a Big Ten official,...
John Parry Mixes Business and Humor
It's 2007, and rookie NFL referee John Parry is tossing the coin for a game pitting the undefeated New England Patriots against the undefeated...
Steve Javie: One Stand-Up Guy
Watch Steve Javie work a basketball game and you'll recognize him as an official who is clearly in control. The same can be said...
Doug Harvey: The Umpire’s Umpire
And for 31 National League seasons, that's just what Doug Harvey did before retiring after the 1992 season. His passion for the game defined...
It’s Black and White
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ave you ever wondered why officials wear black and white stripes? In the early days of football, referees wore white dress shirts, bow ties...
5 Minutes With Gerry Davis
Residence: Huntington Beach, Calif.
Occupation: MLB umpire; owns Gerry Davis Sports, which sells officiating equipment and attire.
Experience: MLB umpire since 1982; worked MLB World Series...
Bill McCreary: NHL’s Gold Standard Ice Man
Bill McCreary has a passion for hockey, and it shows. After working three Olympic gold medal games and more Stanley Cup Finals games than...
June Courteau: A Lasting Legacy in Women’s Basketball Officiating
A well-read woman with an insatiable desire to cram yet more knowledge into her mind was sitting poolside at an Aruba timeshare dwelling in the summer of 2015. Simply reading doesn’t...
Sirmons on the Mount
By Michael Clark
Published in Referee Magazine, April 2025
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sk any aspiring NCAA basketball official what the greatest assignment could be and 100% of them will...
Don Koharski: Growth, Grit and a Life in NHL Officiating
Beloved by his peers on the NHL staff, who refer to the veteran as “Koho” and “Big Ko,” Don Koharski has compiled one of...
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,...
Dallas Keefover: The Tragic End of an Umpiring Dream
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the May 1986 issue of Referee. It contains detailed discussion of suicide and reflects the language...
Defining the “It” Factor
Rules knowledge, mechanics and making the right calls are important. Missing any of those elements can break your career, but having them won’t make...
Dale Scott Redemption
Half sleep-walking through darkness to the refrigerator in his Santo Domingo apartment in the dead of night in January 1986, all Dale Scott wanted...
“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...