Offside Doesn’t have to be Complicated
Many spectators, most radio/TV commentators, a surprisingly large proportion of coaches and many players simply do not understand Law 11 (Offside). When they think...
Head Fakes = Head Games
As the game of basketball continues to evolve into a free-flowing contest, we are seeing an increase in one-on-one matchups. Teams are spreading the...
Now, Later and Never
The idea of a flag being waved off brings to mind an overbearing referee trumping the decision of a younger crewmate. That has happened...
Foul That’s Over the Top
Hurdling is an attempt by a player to jump with one or both feet or knees foremost over an opponent who is contacting the...
Handling Dissent
A few years ago, U.S. Soccer made available to all referees a very small clip titled, “Ask, Tell, Dismiss.” Michael Kennedy, former FIFA referee,...
Supplemental Signals
On a force play when the ball initially beat the runner, but the fielder had leaped or pulled his foot off the base to...
Changing a Call
For many years, an umpire changing a call was considered a sign of weakness. The current thinking at all levels of play is that...
Collision Course
An area that has received a lot of attention in recent years from rules committees at various levels of baseball involves malicious collisions between...
Ditch the Dinosaur Mechanics
The semifinal game was sold out. Although the visitors were seeded lower, their playoff performance made them the favorite. The home team held its...
Don’t Fan The Flames
Between the lines, sports officials have every right and can take immediate action to eject a player or coach from a game for unruly...
Dig into a new DH
The NFHS Baseball Rules Committee opted for just one rule change during its annual meeting in June in Indianapolis. But it is significant and...
Injured Player? Stop Right There
At times a game needs to be stopped because of an injury. When an injury occurs during a live ball as shown in the...
Assistant Referee Needs To Get the Rhythm of the Game
National Soccer Hall of Famer Alfred Kleinaitis spoke on the match responsibilities of assistant referees at an Elite Clubs National League event in San...
Make the Basics Second Nature
When teaching the entry-level referee course, I often noted to students that, although they needed to know that persistent infringement was one of the...
Stay Cool, Calm, Collected and “On” Message
Have you ever heard that phrase "Was it something I said or the way I said it?" How we say something is as important...
Tips for Working With Catchers
One of the attributes of a successful plate umpire is the ability to work with catchers. The catcher is a major factor in a...
Assessing the Legality of Tackles
"I got ball, ref!” has been a response to a whistle for a slide tackle foul since the early days of football. Often misunderstood, challenges on the ground...
Tip Top
In the 44 years Referee has been in existence, tens of thousands of words have been devoted to helping officials improve their performance. Our...
A Strong Case for Keeping a Steady Pace
An important part of officiating a solid football game is maintaining a good pace of play: neither too slow nor too fast in getting the ball spotted and...
Strike First With Slow-Pitch Pitchers
One topic that garners a lot of discussion among baseball umpires is whether or not you should describe pitches for pitchers. That discussion also depends a great deal...
Unsolicited Advice
From the very first camp that any official attends, what phrase is always uttered by clinicians and coordinators? “Get the call right!”
In 2018, that...
Snap, Lapse, Perhaps?
It’s impossible to call a perfect game. Even at the higher levels, where every official is graded in every game, a perfect score doesn’t...
Team B Fouls on a Touchdown
Depending on the rules code, a scoring team may or may not have an enforcement option if the opponent commits a foul during the...
Be A Penalty Enforcer
Being an effective penalty enforcer is vitally important, but something officials tend to neglect. Contrary to what some officials seem to think, it is not only a referee-umpire...