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Take Your Line Judge Game to the Next Level

Line judging, at any level, has its challenges. The game can move quickly and there are so many things to watch and think about...

For Basketball Officials, the Journey is the Destination

To achieve maximum personal success and productivity as a basketball official, one has to be highly motivated and have a positive attitude. Furthermore, to reach and...

Formal Check or Not, Illegal Equipment Deserves Attention in NFHS Play

N FHS rule 4-3 requires an illegally equipped player to leave the field and not return until the next legal substitution opportunity. For the first...

See The Call, Be The Call

Whenever you work a basketball game, it’s always a good practice to be thinking — but not for too long. Yes, it’s important to keep yourself mentally ahead...

From Zoned Out to Zen Master

In the 1984 College World Series, I had the plate in a semifinal game. Pitch one was a slider on the edge of home...

5 Minutes With NCAA Coordinator Steve Thorpe

NCAA coordinator of officials for women’s volleyball discusses the 2021 Championship in a bubble in Omaha, Neb. Residence: Doylestown, Pa. Experience: Currently the NCAA coordinator of...

Free-Throw Mechanics Deserve Pregame Attention

W hen thinking about the mechanics you use as a basketball official, where do you put the bulk of your study and practice? Proper location...

Keep Watch on Baserunners Abandoning Their Base

Webster’s defines abandonment as “to leave or forsake completely; to give up possession or control of or to give up, discontinue or withdraw from.”...

The Foundation of a Two-Person Crew

Interested in working a fast paced game where things are happening quickly, requiring you to stay completely focused? Then let’s partner together as a two-person crew for a...

Avoid Match Problems With Solid Communication

As crazy as this might sound, have you ever thought of volleyball referees being in the customer service business? One might advance the notion...

Critical Rules for Umpires to Know

The umpire is in charge of the line of scrimmage and all the action that takes place in and around it. There are some...

Postgames play a key role in officials’ growth

A s more states and officials associations transition to three-person mechanics, lead officials need to become more active and recognize when to rotate ball side. Gone...

Tips to Help Sideline Officials Look Sharp

When I was a deep official, I would catch flak from my linesman and line judge crewmates. They told me they do most of...

11 Hacks for Onfield Umpires

With a new baseball season rolling along, here are a few tips and hacks involving plate work that can help you out as an...

Unsporting Behavior In the Eye of the Beholder

It’s often said great basketball officiating requires striking the proper balance between art and science. That’s due, in part, to the fact that the rulebooks...

Discretion Available For Dangerous Play

T he prohibition against engaging in play that is dangerous or likely to cause injury to oneself or an opponent has been a part of...

Leaving the Court Has Consequences

M ost everyone knows, in the game of basketball, when the ball touches a boundary line or anything outside the boundary line, it is out...

Hey Ref! Doncha Know The Rules?

I t’s a question all officials hear at some point in their careers. Unfortunately, fans yelling it from the stands are usually unaware the game...

Intentional Groundrules

Intentional grounding is likely the rule that requires the most judgment. Any rule that requires an official to determine “intent” is prone to inconsistent...

Tips to Stay Focused During Long Matches

Staying focused as a referee or line judge is of the utmost importance. Whether it’s a tight match or not, first point or last,...

Now You’re Talking

What to Say to Whom and When to Say It Assuming a basic knowledge of football rules and mechanics, communication is arguably the greatest single...

Nothing But Net

Work Together to Correctly Call Faults It should be easy, but there are many factors that play into our accuracy of whistling net faults. As...

A Little Officiating Magic

The Magician’s Oath is to never reveal the secrets of magic to non-magicians. Nonetheless, there are various “tricks” officials can use to call a game properly. Magic can...