Free But Not Easy
By George Demetriou
Although every game begins with a kickoff, free kicks occur much less frequently than passing or running plays. Add the fact the...
Swap Meet
By George Demetriou
One of the more common misconceptions in football is that a kick receiver must signal for a fair catch in order to...
Use Your Head With Doubleheaders
By Jon Bible
Doubleheaders (DH) can be the bane of an umpire’s existence. At the most basic level, a DH just means two games instead of one, whether of...
Catch to Dropped Ball
Fielders can often appear to make excellent diving catches, but the calling umpire for the play must have patience in that situation before declaring...
Check This Out
The NFHS Softball Rules Committee approved a handful of rules changes for the 2017-18 school year, but two in particular — allowing intentional walks...
Best Selller
The score is tied in the championship basketball game with less than a minute remaining. The fans in the packed arena are on their...
All Ball
The NFHS Softball Rules Committee approved a change in the penalty for an illegal pitch starting with the 2018-19 school year. An illegal pitch...
Second Referee Is The Voice of Reason
A successful second referee needs strong speaking and listening skills. They must possess thorough rules knowledge that allows for quick, accurate answers during the heat of battle when...
50 Percent Better in 45 Minutes
Do you want to be a 50 percent better umpire in 45 minutes? It’s all right here and my unique techniques are easy to...
Real Appeal
In a televised NCAA game last May, a player was so excited about hitting an out-of-the-park home run that she jumped over home plate...
Arrive And Shine
How you enter the arena, stadium, field or other facility says a lot about you. Do you casually stroll in? Are you laughing, confident,...
Abandonment
A walk-off is a run-scoring event in the bottom half of the last inning of the game that gives the home team the win....
Slay the Drag-on
One of the great debates in sports these days is how long it takes to play the games. Television has been a great boon...
No Hedge on the Wedge
As today’s players become quicker, faster and stronger, and as rules adapt, so must umpire mechanics. The wedge mechanic allows the umpire to be...
Oh What a Relief it is
During the 2017 MLB season, 61 percent of the innings were pitched by the starting pitchers. That left over one-third of the innings for...
It’s a Foul Now or Later (But Not Never)
You observe movement in either line just as the ball is snapped. You know it is a foul, but do you prevent the play...
What Happens When the Neutral Zone Expands?
The neutral zone is one of the basic tenets of a football game. In practical terms it’s the space between the offensive and defensive...
Week In The Life of An SEC Football Official
SEC FOOTBALL OFFICIATING WEEKLY PROCESS
SATURDAY
From the SEC Football Command Center, monitor games as well as internet and social media and note issues for...
Balk This Way
In many cases, not much happens after a balk. The runners get to advance one base, a defensive coach may squawk, but all playing...
Post-Match Pitfalls
We just want to be understood. It’s human nature, especially when it comes to officiating — we want people to know, understand and accept why we made a...
Reality of Calling A Checked Swing
Many umpires would agree that there are very few judgment calls in baseball that are tougher to make than a checked swing. Whether you are the plate umpire...
Formation Consternation Demands Concentration
Defensive players can align themselves anywhere for scrimmage plays as long as everyone is on the proper side of the neutral zone. There is...
Dead-Ball Officiating in the Side Zone
How does the runner usually react when he’s been tackled? The norm in college and pro football is that runners lay patiently after they...
74 Percent: Scoring Chances In the Area
By Carl Schwartz
As I’m getting older, I’m learning more and more. I really wish I had known this 30 years ago. If you see...